Oh my freaking goodness. Drama alert!

20. Just Say Yes

Dimitri was quiet – even for him – his thoughts about the upcoming dinner with Mason Ashford eclipsing all of his other concerns.

'Cat got your tongue, cowboy?' Rose asked, finishing off a series of kicks to Boris' knee and resetting her position to repeat the exercise with the other leg.

'Sorry?' Americans said the strangest things sometimes.

The girl snuck a look at her mentor as she continued to practice the new skill, taking note of his folded arms and drawn expression. 'You've hardly said a word all morning. Is everything okay?'

Smack. The top of her boot connected with the canvas cleanly but she wobbled a bit on the way back down.

No. Everything is not okay! Dimitri shouted internally, but his face remained impassive. 'Remember, the angle here affects your balance and power,' he stepped closer, his hands ghosting over her hips to correct her technique.

Rose sucked in a shallow breath, feeling his touch linger, but he pulled back in the next heartbeat and she was left craving more. The sound of retreating footfalls made her turn, and she hastened after the deputy towards the clearing where they normally completed their core-strengthening drills, hoping to figure out the reason behind his unusual moodiness.

'You still haven't answered my question. What's going on?' she pestered. It was obvious he was hiding something. He had that same blank expression he wore just before Alberta sent him off on his mission to the brothel last week.

Dimitri's attention fell to the worry lines between her brows and he almost spilt everything then and there.

Hey, Roza. Your best friend wants to marry you, but you shouldn't say yes because I love you more, only I can't tell you because I'm a homeless gun-for-hire with no prospects who's playing dress-up as somebody more respectable out of a shameless desire to gain your trust and affection. Somehow he couldn't see that conversation ending well.

'I'm sorry. It's rude of me to be distracted when you are working so hard,' his answer satisfied neither of them.

It made Rose feel anxious knowing that the deputy was keeping secrets from her again, but she could tell he wasn't in a mind to be pushed so she tried another tack instead. 'Yes. Your rudeness is appalling. How are you going to make it up to me?' she pouted comically, trying to draw him out of the sombre mood.

The man gave himself a shake. It was childish to feel sorry for himself when his favourite person in the world was standing right in front of him - audacious and mind-bogglingly attractive in figure-hugging trousers - doing her best to chase away his cares and worries. How could he make it up to her? The jut of her bottom-lip gave him a few ideas but he bypassed the forbidden fruit and took her hand instead, loving the way her eyes flicked up in surprise and ready consent. Almost unconsciously, he traced over the marks on her knuckles - red and tender from the morning's training session.

'Would you like to give the punching bag a break for a while and try your luck on a moving target?' he suggested, tucking her fingers into a fist and bringing it to his chest, just over his heart.

She'd been begging him to spar with her for days and the look of dawning excitement on her face told him she approved of the idea very much.

Rose shook her head in disbelief. 'But you've told me a dozen times that you'd never hit a woman!' she exclaimed, surprised by his sudden change of mind.

She was absolutely thrilled the deputy was finally letting her fight him but, looking up at him now, she felt a twinge of fear as she considered his massive size. If she dropped her guard and he got a punch through it was going to hurt. A lot.

There was something mischievous in deputy's expression. 'I never said I was going to fight you, Roza. You're going to fight me.'

'I don't see the difference,' her forehead wrinkled.

A smile spread across Dimitri's face, extending all the way to his eyes. 'The rules are simple. You can attack me however and whenever you please, but I can only defend... Just think of me as Boris with legs.'

Rose let her gaze wander over her new punching bag in awe, trying to figure out where to begin her assault. His chest and stomach were in easy range, and she was pretty sure she could try out a few of the lower body kicks she'd been practicing earlier, but there was no way she'd be able to land a blow to his chin. He was just too tall. And broad. And hard. She tore her eyes away from his god-like physique before she did something to disgrace herself.

'What if I hurt you?' she asked tentatively, raising her fists to begin.

His grin only got wider. 'Trust me - you won't. Come on then, my protégée,' he goaded her, dropping into a defensive stance. 'Do your worst.'

Her first strike to his chest was knocked away effortlessly, with the second blow aimed at his stomach quickly following suit. Rose was beginning to get frustrated, but every attack and combination she attempted was thwarted by her opponent as easily as if she was a small child.

'Will you stop running away from me, cowboy?' she complained, as he spun away from yet another punch that had been designed to land on the soft flesh just under his ribs. She was already feeling tired but he hadn't even broken a sweat.

'Never underestimate the value of running away,' he instructed sagely, side-stepping to avoid a wild, arcing kick to the hip. 'Sometimes the safest strategy is not to engage in the first place.'

'Gah! Enough with the wise advice,' the girl cried out in vexation. 'Just stand still and let me hit you!'

All movement ceased as Dimitri followed her request, planting his feet firmly to the ground at shoulder-width apart, and leaving his hands at his sides – his upper-body vulnerable to her will. 'As you wish,' the amusement remained in his eyes, daring her to attack.

It wasn't her finest moment, but Rose felt she'd been teased enough and she didn't hold back. Half a second later her fist was sailing towards his chest, the blow landing just below the top button of his waistcoat. Deputy Belikov was tensed and ready for her strike, but she delivered it with such uncanny power and precision that the air came tumbling out of him in a rush and he dropped his hands to his knees, eyes wide with surprise.

Seeing him go down, Rose's impulse to celebrate her undeserved victory was overshadowed by a stab of pain that shot from her wrist to her elbow. It was like she'd just punched a brick wall. She crumpled forwards, nursing her hand between her knees. 'Dagnabit, cowboy! Are you wearing a suit of armour under there?' she wrung her fingers, willing them back to life.

Dimitri choked out a laugh, and she looked up to see him grinning stupidly at her from behind a loose sweep of hair that had fallen over his face, hands still gripping his thighs for support. 'Next time, remind me not to give you the advantage, Roza,' his voice was slightly raspy as he fought to recover his breath. 'Who knows what damage you will wreak!'

Rose was an exhausted, aching, sweaty mess, but she couldn't help beaming at him in satisfaction. There was going to be a next time.

The day passed slowly. The murder investigation had stalled, to the frustration of Deputy Belikov and his assistant. When questioned yesterday, Mason had been unable to provide them with any further leads into the identity of Sonya Karp's killer, and until they heard back from Christian O'Hara regarding his overnight observations at Lisa's ranch there was little more to be done.

By lunchtime, Dimitri's sombre mood had well and truly returned and Rose gave up trying to console him.

'I don't know about you, but it's getting stuffy in here,' she wrinkled her nose, looking around the sheriff's office with distaste. 'Do you fancy a change of scenery? Alberta said I could buy a new shawl for Mason's celebration dinner tonight so I thought I might head out to the dressmaker's. Want to join me?'

The deputy looked up from his book, the storm inside concealed by his well-practiced mask. 'I think I'll stay here actually. You go ahead and do your shopping.'

'Not worried I'll run away?' she teased, making another futile attempt to bring him out of himself.

Dimitri lowered his book to the desk and eyed her steadily. 'No, Miss Roza. I trust you. I know you'll do what is right.'

If he wasn't already behaving strangely enough, now Rose was really confused.

'I trust too, cowboy,' she responded slowly, her mind working overtime trying to figure him out.

I trust you, but it would be easier on both of us if you just told me what the problem is, she thought, giving him one final glance as she made her way to the door. He was still looking at her – eyes dark and unreadable – and she had to steel herself just to step a foot out the door, gripped by a horrible feeling that when she got back he would be gone without a word of farewell.

Thankfully, her instincts were wrong and Deputy Belikov was waiting for her when she returned. The short stretch of time to himself had reminded Dimitri to appreciate the time they had together instead of wallowing in self-doubt, and for the rest of the afternoon he made a concerted effort to listen to her chatter; smiling every now and then as she expounded upon some passionate idea or shared her excited musings about Lisa's birthday party coming up on the weekend.

The sun had already slipped below the mountains to the west when Rose and Dimitri finally left for the hotel.

Rose didn't own an evening dress, but Deputy Belikov assured her that she looked very becoming in the white muslin she usually wore to church paired with her new fringed shawl, so she wasn't too concerned about seeming out of place. Her escort was wearing his standard attire – trousers, collared shirt, waistcoat and that ever-present leather duster – but he had opted to leave his hat behind, tying his hair back neatly and sporting a thin black necktie instead of his usual patterned one. Rose looked him over with approval and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow as they made the short walk to the saloon, where they were to meet with the rest of their party.

'Only three? Adrian Ivara enquired as he led his guests to the private room that was prepared for them upstairs. 'I was told to set places for four.'

Mason was the one to explain. 'My friend, Eddie, was also meant to attend but he got sick at the last moment and had to cancel. You can remove the extra place, thank you.'

Noticing a wash of colour creep up the cowboy's neck, Adrian became suddenly very interested in the little group of diners and he took his time collecting up the extra plates and utensils.

'Pray tell, what is the special occasion Mr Ashford? A birthday perhaps?'

'I recently got promoted to ranch manager,' he replied steadily, more comfortable telling a half-truth than an outright lie. 'Just celebrating the good fortune with my friends… and looking for an excuse to fritter away my first pay-packet too. I'll take a bottle of your best for the table, Mr Ivara!' he declared, magnanimous in his newfound wealth.

'Whatever you say, Mr Ashford,' their host acquiesced, hiding a knowing smile as he loped to the door. I'll be up shortly with your meals.'

When he was gone, Rose beamed across at the two men who were sitting either side of her. Her childhood friend and her… well, he was just her guardian for now, but maybe one day soon…

'So, I hear congratulations are in order, Mason,' Dimitri broke the ice. 'You must be very proud of what you have achieved. I doubt many would have risen to a managerial role at so young an age.'

Mason nodded in thanks. 'I can't lie. I've wanted that position ever since I started at the ranch when I was fourteen. It was just lucky the previous overseer wanted to move back east, so I got the job. You used to do something similar didn't you, deputy?'

Rose's eyes flashed curiously towards the man on her right, her pulse quickening at the sight of him under the soft light of the lamps and candles that illuminated the room.

'Yes. Before I became a bounty hunter I managed a property that belonged to a very great man and friend, Ivan Zekeman.'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' Mason's expression shadowed with recognition at the name, and Dimitri dipped his head briefly in acknowledgement.

There were about ten seconds of silence before Rose couldn't contain her patience any longer. 'Why are you sorry? What do you mean? What happened?' she asked anybody who would listen.

Deputy Belikov remained quiet but he nodded to indicate Mason was welcome to share the story.

The young cowboy turned to Rose, his face unusually serious. 'Do you remember a few years back there was a gang of outlaws terrorising landowners along the main route west? Well, the Zekeman property was the last one to get hit. The place was robbed and everyone there was killed – even the servants' children. Every bounty hunter in the west was sent after the gang, but one guy took out the whole lot of them. The Brennan boys – Donovan and Marlen – were killed in a gunfight sixty miles from here, and that escaped slave they travelled with – Isiah someone-or-other, I can't remember his last name – was hung from a tree. The woman Elena Hart was delivered to the authorities and she was tried and hung by the state only a few weeks later. I remember there was a rumour going around that the man who caught them didn't even want the money offered for their bounties—' he trailed off, beginning to put two and two together. 'The bounty hunter. It was you wasn't it?' he looked up at the deputy, wide-eyed with wonder.

There was a heavy silence before Dimitri spoke. 'The beginning of my illustrious career,' he answered darkly. It was hardly something to joke about, but sometimes joking beat the alternative.

Rose looked at him in shock and sadness, wondering which of the crosses on the Russian's neck belonged to the four outlaws who stole his best chance at happiness. She wished she'd been there to kill them for him. 'I'm sorry you lost your friends that way,' she spoke to him softly, meeting and holding his gaze as if they were the only ones in the room.

'What's done is done,' he replied – just to her – then he cleared his throat and brought his attention back to Mr Ashford. 'Enough of this gloomy talk. I believe tonight was supposed to be a celebration. If I'm not mistaken, Mr Ivara is approaching with the meals and I for one could use a drink.'

The evening progressed easily enough after that, with Mason and Rose holding up the bulk of the conversation. It was only when the desserts had been cleared away that Rose sensed something was amiss.

'Excuse me, all,' the deputy coughed and shifted back his chair. 'I think I need to stretch my legs. Will you be alright for a few minutes without me, Miss Hathaway?'

She frowned slightly but agreed. 'Of course. I'm not going anywhere. Take as long as you need.'

Rose watched him go, feeling a little pang of loss as he left the room, but when she turned to smile at her friend, her whole body froze. Mason had risen from his chair and come to stand beside her; falling to one knee and taking her hands in his.

'I'm sorry to spring this on you, Rose, my dearest Rose, but I couldn't find a better time, what with everything that's been going on at work and you being injured and Madam Kiroy on the rampage. Oh, bloody hell I'm talking too much. Bugger. Let me start again.' He took a deep breath and had another try. 'Look, I know we haven't spent a lot of time together since you got back, but the thing is, I love you Rose – I always have – and I want to spend a whole lot more time with you. The rest of my life, in fact.'

The young woman turned her head in warning, but he didn't give her the chance to speak.

'Just hear me out, won't you?' he implored her, the sense of failure already prickling in the forefront of his mind. 'With my promotion I can take care of you. Properly. We'll have a house on the ranch – you'll live right next-door to Lisa. I know you won't be the conventional kind of a wife, but that doesn't bother me. You can come and work on the ranch beside me if you like. We can ride horses together. I can teach you to shoot. And when you get tired of being wild and reckless, you can raise our children to be just like their mother. Beautiful and amazing and crazy and—'

'Stop, Mason! Please!' she cut him off, her heart thumping painfully in her chest. She couldn't bear listening to him pour out his deepest feelings to her, knowing she could never return them.

'No, Rose. I won't!' he persisted. 'I've stopped myself a hundred times from telling you everything I feel, and this time I won't stay silent. You have to hear me. I love you. I'm the right man for you. You just have to see it. I know I can make you happy. I know you better than anyone else does. I know you better than you know yourself.'

Rose had heard enough. She ripped her hands from his grasp and stumbled gracelessly from her chair, backing up a few paces to put the table between them. 'Stop Mason! Just… shut up! You're only making this harder,' her voice was strained, and she felt like she was going to cry. 'I can't marry you, Mace. I just can't. You know I love you like a brother, but that's not the same as being in love. I just don't... love you the way you love me.'

'But you could learn to love me in time, I'm sure of it,' he refused to back down. 'And until then, I have enough love for the both of us.'

The girl's shoulders slumped a little and she sighed heavily. 'I don't think it works that way.'

'Please, Rose,' he beseeched her. 'Say the word and make me the happiest man in the world. Just say yes.'

'No! Enough!' she raised her hands and her voice, bringing Dimitri hurrying in from the hall outside, where he had been trying not to listen.

'Is everything okay, Miss Roza,' he asked immediately, eyes darting from her flushed cheeks and heaving chest to the desperate, haunted-looking man on the other side of the table.

'Yes, deputy,' she managed to squeeze the words out, though tears were prickling at the back of her eyes.

'Would you like me to leave?' his tone was soft and reassuring.

'No,' she practically whispered it, not daring to utter another word until she'd had a chance to calm down.

Dimitri wasn't sure what he was meant to do so he closed the door behind him and paced across to the far corner of the room, doing his best to fade into the background.

The silence was thick and oppressive, each of the three lost in their own frenetic thoughts, until Rose found the courage to bring the matter to a close.

'I'm really very sorry, Mace. I know what you're offering is the chance of a lifetime for someone like me, and I'm grateful, honestly, but the truth is I can't marry you because I have feelings for somebody else.'

She saw him stiffen, his green eyes darkening with jealousy and hurt, and in that same instant she thought she heard a sharp breath from the shadow in the corner.

Lord above! Why did love have to be so confusing? She wanted to run in both directions. Before her to comfort her best friend. Behind her to find peace and completion in the arms of the man who had captured her – body, heart and soul.

'It's Adrian Ivara isn't it?' Mason's voice was bitter, his fingers clenched into fists at his sides. 'Promise me you won't marry that man! Anybody but him!'

Rose frowned, rattled by the unexpected accusation. 'Who says I'm going to marry Mr Ivara?'

'He seems to think you will for one,' the man spat, 'and you must like him too, seeing as how he's got your portrait in the saloon downstairs. What the hell were you thinking posing for that painting like some easy actress, up on the wall for any man to ogle at? Can't you see what he's doing to you? He's no good for you, Rose. He's just another Jesse!'

He might as well have slapped her. Rose could see the blame on Mason's face, as much as she could feel the question in Dimitri's gaze on her back, and just like that her guilt melted into anger.

'How can you even say something like that? Do you think I'd come anywhere near this hotel if Mr Ivara was anything like Jesse?! And I'll have you know, I sat for that painting to get information that has proved invaluable to a murder case. An actress?' her voice raised in pitch and volume, and she fixed him with a look that would have made even the strongest of men crumble. 'Or do you really mean a whore? How dare you, Mason Ashford! Listen, I'm sorry I don't like you the way you want me to, but I can't change what I feel. I think you should leave.'

Mason stared at her, his jaw squared and cheeks flaming. 'I think I should leave too. Have a nice life with Adrian. I'm sure you two will be very happy.'

And he was gone.

Rose stood there, stunned. How did a simple dinner with friends end so badly? She lowered herself back to her chair and sunk her face into her hands.

There was a movement beside her and a hand touched her back. Oh Lord! He saw all of that.

'Are you alright, Miss Roza,' the deputy murmured, dropping to kneel beside her.

'No,' the word came out muffled.

'Is there something I can do?'

All she wanted was for him to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be okay. 'Yes' she lifted her head and he saw the angry tears that welled in her eyes.

He wasn't sure what she wanted from him, but he knew what he wanted to do. 'I'm so sorry Roza,' he reached out and brushed one of her tears away. 'I should never have gone along with this. I had a feeling you weren't interested in Mr Ashford that way, but it would have been wrong of me to presume – to take away your choice.'

She leant her face into his hand, drawing on its warmth and comfort. 'I think I just lost one of my best friends,' she whispered.

'No you haven't, Roza,' Dimitri felt a primal need to protect her, even if the only thing assaulting her was her own fears and worries. 'He's just upset. He'll come around when he's had a chance to see sense, believe me. No man in his right mind could stay away from you for long,' he wiped away a second tear, bringing his other hand up to stroke her cheek.

Rose's heart was palpitating. How much longer will you stay away, cowboy? she thought, and that's when the door opened.

Dimitri snatched his hands away quickly but he didn't have time to return to his place in the corner so he jumped up and spun around to face the newcomer, stuffing his fists in his pockets.

'Where's the lucky gentleman, Miss Hathaway?' Adrian fawned. 'I hope things didn't end badly.'

'What are you doing here, Mr Ivara?' Rose tried to keep her voice steady, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

The man whipped a wine bottle out from behind his back and placed it on the table. 'I thought you might want this to celebrate the happy occasion, but seeing as your suitor is gone we could always share the bottle between us. You never know, I might feel like proposing myself,' he grinned, turning his attention to Dimitri. 'You don't need to hang around of course, deputy. Three's a crowd as they say – don't you agree?!'

Rose's frown deepened and she was preparing to throw Adrian's words back in his face (and maybe the bottle as well) when the voice she loved above any other rolled out softly to halt her.

'What would you like me to do, Miss Hathaway,' Deputy Belikov met her gaze, soft and steady. 'I trust you to make the decision that is right for you. If you want to share a drink with Mr Ivara I can wait right outside.'

What?! She looked at him incredulously. No. She did not want to share a drink with Mr Ivara. She did not want him to wait outside. And she did not want him to leave. Ever. Why couldn't he see that? Anger flashed in her eyes and she pushed her chair back, standing in front of the one man who was supposed to ask her to marry him and prodding him in the chest her index finger. 'I... you... ,' she threw her hands in the air in exasperation. 'I can't even look at you right now,' and she stormed towards the door.

'You either,' she hissed at Adrian, who was stepping forward to provide a comforting shoulder.

The door slammed shut and the two men were left inside the room, both of them wondering exactly where they had gone so wrong.

.

Author's Note:

Arrgghh! So normally I'd rattle on about my thoughts on the chapter, but this time I'm asking you to tell me what you think instead. Send me a review…

(Thanks to my secret team of advisers who encouraged me to stick with a cliff-hanger instead of blowing out the chapter out to beyond 5000 words – woohoo Lea0014 & AnnaMys, sorry LeoKat24 & Annie2015 - I owe you one!)

I promise I'll try not to take too long on the next chapter so you're not in angsty suspense for too long. Hint: If you think about the concept of make-up sex, then I'll tell you that the 'make-up fight' is going to be a ripper!