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Chapter 11

Ezra took another sip of whiskey. It no longer burned going down. The alcohol had dulled the edges of any feelings, but he wasn't foolish enough to let himself lose control. Not when he was at a poker table with several thousands of dollars worth of chips in front of him.

He took a card, looked at it impassively, then slid some chips to the middle of the table. "Call."

The hush of the back room in the casino was a change from the constant noise and commotion of the rodeo grounds. The men's rare exchange of conversation at odds with Kaylee's happy stream of chatter.

He tossed back the rest of his drink.

The man across from him started to lower his cards to the table, then paused, looking over Ezra's shoulder.

The waitress assigned to them smiled politely and moved toward the door. "I'm sorry, Miss, this is a private room. The blackjack tables are out front."

The man seated to Ezra's left gave a leering smile. "I say you let her stay. Looks like she may be a lot of fun."

Ezra kept his shoulders from tensing. He wasn't going to give them men the benefit of any show of emotion, whether it was related to the cards or not.

"I may just call it a night," a younger man, close to Ezra's own age, said, a light in his blue eyes as he looked at the newcomer. "See if she wants to score big up in my room instead of at the card table."

The men laughed and Ezra kept his tone easy. "If we could bring our attention back to the money I'm about to win," he said, hoping the woman would be escorted out quickly, before any of the men decided to try to act on their baser instincts.

"I'm not leaving," came a familiar voice.

Ezra whirled around in his seat.

Kaylee stood there, a stubborn set to her jaw, but a worried look in her eyes when she saw Ezra.

Ezra slapped his cards face down on the table and shoved his chair back. He crossed quickly to Kaylee.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

He wanted to let down the walls he knew were for her benefit and let the look of compassion wash over him.

"I'm here for you," she said simply.

Ezra used the longing that stirred in him, channeling it into a different emotion. One of the more useful skills Maude had taught him. "That's a mistake," he said sharply.

"I'm not leaving," she whispered.

"Yes, you—"

"I have money," Kaylee said, ignoring him and heading to the table, pulling out an alarmingly large roll of bills from her pocket.

The older man continued leering at her and pulled out the chair next to his.

Kaylee sat down and put her money on the table.

Ezra's temples pounded as he fought for control. Control he didn't have. Not over Kaylee losing her money, not over the men and the way they looked at her, and certainly not over the feelings for her he had no right to feel.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, his voice under tight control as he sat down.

Kaylee smiled at him, as if she was just sitting down to play cards with him and Vin and the others in Buck's camper. "I won tonight."

The blue eyed younger man's grin was predatory, but he worried that Kaylee didn't see that. "Strike it big on a slot machine?" he asked.

Kaylee shook her head, her sun-streaked braid falling over one shoulder. "Barrel racing."

Ezra felt a quick flash of pride, mixed with regret that he hadn't been there. He didn't have time to shove it down before the leering man turned that smile on Kaylee.

"I heard barrel riders ride hard," he said.

Ezra thought of the slightly obscene shirt Kaylee wore as pajamas. And the laughter between them when he saw it. He took a breath and picked up his cards again. "Let's play out this hand," he said, trying to get the attention off Kaylee as she started to shrink away from the man next to her.

"What do you say?" the man, who was old enough to be Kaylee's father, if not grandfather, asked. "Would you like to show me—"

Ezra shoved his chair back, throwing his cards down on the table. "Let's go," he said to Kaylee, standing.

Kaylee started to stand, but the old man reached over and circled his hand tightly around her wrist, making Kaylee wince.

Ezra didn't know if he went over the table or around it. Pure fury had him hauling that man out of his chair by the front of his shirt, walking him so the man's feet were scrambling backwards, until he had him shoved up against the wall, Ezra's face inches from his.

"That is not how you treat a lady," Ezra said, ferociously quiet.

"I didn't mean—"

Ezra gave the man a light thump against the wall to shut him up. "I really do not care what you meant. You don't ever grab a lady like that."

Ezra gave him one last hard shove against the wall before releasing him. The man wilted like a hothouse flower, sinking to the ground.

He motioned for the waitress to take care of the chips he had left on the table and pulled Kaylee's chair out for her.

Kaylee stood, glancing at the man sitting on the floor, and pressed in close to Ezra's side as he led the way out of the back room.

The ringing of slot machines and low murmur of late night gamblers surrounded them. Kaylee was absentmindedly rubbing at her wrist, so Ezra steered her toward an elevator. Two other men and a woman managed to slip in before the doors slid shut, so Ezra kept his mouth closed. They got off on the floors before his.

Ezra opened the door with the key card and let Kaylee go in first. As soon as the door closed behind them and he was assured of some privacy, he reached for Kaylee's wrist.

"Did he leave a mark?" he asked. The rage he felt at even having to ask her that mixed with disgust for the man who had grabbed at her and the things he had said.

Kaylee shook her head, even as she kept one hand covering her wrist.

Ezra held out a hand, and Kaylee reluctantly let him see, placing her wrist in his gentle hold.

Ezra blew out a harsh breath between his teeth as his fingers traced the red marks on her wrist that would surely leave a mark.

Kaylee's free hand came up to brush against the bruises and cuts on his own hand. She looked at him. "It's no worse than this."

Ezra knew he should release her hand then, step back and put some distance between them. But Kaylee looked up at him and kept her soft touch on his knuckles and suddenly Ezra couldn't breathe.

"You don't have to be alone," Kaylee said.

Ezra didn't pull away like he should have when she stood up on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss across his lips. She feathered a kisses along his jaw, whispering that he didn't deserve what Maude had said.

He closed his eyes, wanting to believe her, wanting to lose himself in the soft kisses.

He slid his hands around her waist, finding a comfort he had been craving for years. He kissed her back then, with everything he had. She lifted her arms to tangle her fingers in his hair, willing and loving and impulsive.

Impulsive.

Ezra forced himself to break the contact, his breathing ragged.

Kaylee looked up at him. Ezra only saw innocence in her eyes. She was too innocent.

Ezra closed his eyes, trying to get his bearings, to do what he knew was right. He hated doing what was right sometimes.

"Have you ever…been with a man?" he asked, knowing her answer.

The flush his kisses had put on her cheeks deepened to red and she shook her head.

Ezra drew in a breath and took a step back, setting her away from him. "I won't take advantage of you," he said. The punishment of pushing her away was what he deserved for being so close to taking her innocence.

"Ezra," she said, shaking her head. "You're not taking advantage of me. I want you."

Her words threatened to undo everything in him. He stepped back another step before forcing himself to turn away from her. He had never known someone who affected him like Kaylee, but he hadn't been alone in his bed, either. "I think it's best if I go out for some air." And maybe find a bucket of ice to dump on himself. He went to get the room key he had put on the highly polished table by the door.

"Don't go," Kaylee said.

Ezra knew looking at her would be his undoing, and he deserved that punishment. He turned, schooling his features into something impassive. "Please make use of the suite," he said, a proper southern host. "It's a luxurious change from living in a camper."

"Ezra," Kaylee tried again, crossing toward him.

Ezra quickly backed away, knowing he wouldn't be strong enough to walk away if she brushed her fingers against him arm, or her lips found his. He crashed against the small table as he spun around to leave.

He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, struggling for a steady breath. He was a coward. But he at least had the comfort of knowing he was doing what was best for Kaylee.

#

Kaylee stood under the stream of hot water. The shower was at least ten times the size of the one in the camper, the spray powerful, and the hot water supply apparently endless. She shifted and let the water massage her shoulder, stiffening up as it did by the end of the day.

She wished she could wash away the pain of Ezra's abrupt departure as easily. But there didn't seem to be anything she could do to help him. She had tried to sit in on his card game as a show of support. She winced at the memory of how well that had worked out. She looked down on the bruise around her wrist. She didn't care how those men had spoken to her, she would have put up with it if it had meant Ezra didn't have to feel alone.

And then she had just wanted to kiss him, try to comfort him when she saw the torment in his eyes.

She quickly turned off the spray of water and grabbed the oversized fluffy hotel towel. She wrapped it around herself and sat down on the edge of the tub, separate from the stand alone shower.

She had no illusions that Ezra was as inexperienced as she was. His reputation might not have rivaled Buck's—a small smile pulled at her lips, no one's reputation could compare to Buck's—but Ezra was six years older than her, successful, and handsome. But that didn't mean he had to push her away in some misguided attempt at protecting her. She almost laughed at the absurdity of Ezra thinking she needed to be protected from him. From Ezra, who sang along to Taylor Swift with her, who helped her walk out of the arena when her horse went down. Ezra Standish, who fought off a man who tried to manhandle her, who put himself between her and his mother. If anyone needed protecting, it was Ezra, from the demons that were whispering lies in Maude Standish's voice.

Kaylee's hands fisted where they held her towel around her at the thought of Ezra's mother. She forced herself to loosen her grip. Ezra wasn't going to need her rage at Maude.

She stepped out of the bathroom, hoping Ezra had come back, but the suite of rooms were still empty. A glance at the clock told her it had been at least two hours since Ezra had left.

Kaylee's clothes were the same ones she had worn in the rodeo that evening, covered in dust. She looked at Ezra's bag, sitting on the armchair in the bedroom.

Hesitantly, she unzipped it. She just needed a t-shirt.

She found one, soft cotton and well worn, and slipped it on, going back to the bathroom for her own underthings.

She went out to the living room, listening for any sound of Ezra returning. She found a blanket, took one of the pillows from the bed, and made herself comfortable on the couch.

She was dozing when the door to the hotel room opened. Ezra was coming in, his shoulders a discouraged line.

He turned when Kaylee stirred, shifting to sit up.

He glanced over her makeshift bed on the couch and frowned. "You should have taken the bed."

Kaylee blinked the sleep out of her eyes. "You're back."

Ezra gave one short nod. "You should sleep," he said. "It's late. Or early," he amended with a quick look at his watch.

Kaylee pushed off the blanket and started to rise. "Do you want to talk?"

Ezra's eyes ran over her, in his t-shirt, and he quickly looked away. He set the key card down. "No."

Kaylee nodded, not wanting to push him when he looked like he was on the brink of losing control of his carefully maintained façade.

He shrugged out of his jacket, hanging it with deliberate movements before he turned back to her again.

"Please, take the bed. It seems fair since I've had the luxury of it in the camper."

Kaylee nodded her agreement, only because she didn't want to do anything to knock Ezra off balance when he was clearly struggling.

She settled into the king sized bed, the sheets like silk. She listened to Ezra sit on the couch. She doubted he was sleeping. She listened to him turn on the TV, a low hum of conversation coming from the set. Through the bedroom door, she could see him lean back, rub his hands over his face. Thinking he was alone, and finally letting his guard down to look broken.

#

Vin knocked on the camper door. There was no answer. He hadn't ever known Kaylee to sleep in. Frowning, he tried the door. It was unlocked.

He stepped inside. "Kaylee," he called softly. Barney hopped down from the couch, and Vin let him outside to do his business. The couch wasn't made up for a bed. A look into Ezra's room showed his bed perfectly made. There was no sign of Kaylee.

Vin let Kaylee's dog back inside, closing the door on him and went back to his truck for his phone.

Kaylee didn't answer, her phone was turned off. Ezra's phone rang until it went to voicemail, but Vin hadn't expected anything else.

He dialed Buck then, asked if he'd seen Kaylee.

Buck hadn't but told him he'd be right there. Vin could hear JD in the background as Buck ended the call.

Vin scanned the rodeo grounds as if Kaylee would just show up at some other truck or trailer.

"Where is she?" Buck asked, his long legged stride covering ground quickly as he approached. JD jogged alongside him.

Vin frowned. He had an idea, but he hoped he wasn't right.

Buck saw the look on his face and groaned. "She wouldn't."

Vin lifted an eyebrow. They both knew Kaylee would.

"She wouldn't what?" JD asked.

Vin hitched a shoulder in response to Buck and the older man's face set in a hard line.

"Suppose we should make sure she found him then," Buck said.

The idea that Kaylee had gone looking for Ezra and not found him was Vin's worst fear. He had an idea of what could happen to a young lady walking the streets of Reno alone after dark.

"We can take my truck," Vin said.

JD wisely kept from asking anything more, though Vin could tell the kid was bursting with questions.

Buck got out his phone in the truck, calling hotels and asking if Ezra Standish was staying there.

Vin drove, keeping his eye out for Ezra's full ton pick-up. It should be easy to spot in parking lots filled with cars and SUVs.

"Casino Royale and Hotel," Buck said, closing his phone. He nodded in the right direction and Vin headed that way. "Presidential Suite."

While Vin pulled into the parking lot, Buck tried Ezra's phone again. No answer, still.

They crossed the lobby of the hotel, avoiding the casino, the ringing of the slot machines shrill this early in the morning. They were silent on the elevator ride up. Vin didn't want to think about what they would do if Kaylee wasn't in Ezra's hotel room. Although, he didn't much want to think about what he would do if she was in his hotel room.

It was one thing for Kaylee to stay on Ezra's couch, though Vin was well aware that may not last forever, the way they looked at one another, Ezra only when he thought no one saw him. It was another thing to actually find her in his bed in the hotel. Especially when they all knew Ezra was in bad shape right now and Kaylee wanted nothing more than to comfort him.

Buck stopped in front of the door to the suite. He raised his hand to knock, but paused, looking over at Vin.

Vin could see all the same worries he had written across Buck's face.

"What's wrong?" JD asked. "Is this the wrong room?"

Buck heaved a sigh. "We'll find out," he said, giving a solid knock.

#