Priceless

Chapter 3: The Promised Land

Bailey paused beside Reba's Jeep, leaning heavily on the open door, favoring his injured ankle. He looked back at Vanessa with a teasing smile. "You sure you're okay with us splitting up? Any weapons you want to grab from the Jeep?"

She shoved her hands into her back pockets with an eye roll. "No, I'll be fine. I'll leave the tire iron for Reba. I'm sure Thane's got something in that truck I can hit him with if he tries to kidnap me."

Bailey glanced at his brother, cocking one eyebrow and offering a sympathetic smile. "Behave yourself bro. I believe her."

Thane nodded. "So do I. Good thing I've got no plans for kidnapping." He glanced over at Vanessa, noting the stiff way she stood, shoulders bunched, straight as a rod. Despite her words, she looked anything but ready to climb into his truck without Reba.

Did she still not trust him and Bailey? Or was something else bothering her?

Of course, he wasn't sure how he'd feel about the whole thing if someone took him from Bailey and then drove him into the unknown. The only way to get her trust was to earn it and he couldn't do that until they arrived at the ranch, as promised.

"Sounds like we're ready to roll," Bailey said as he maneuvered himself into the Jeep. He'd been thrown by a bull that afternoon and landed wrong on his ankle. Thankfully it wasn't broken, but it was swollen and tender and he couldn't get his boot over it at the moment.

Thane moved to shut the door, watching as Reba handed Bailey some ice packs. His brother arranged them around his foot and then he and Reba both looked up at Thane.

"Drive safe. We'll see you there. Call us if you need something," Thane instructed.

Bailey saluted him with a, "Yes sir. Same to you."

Reba smiled and waved as Thane backed away from the window. She looked eager and excited to be traveling in the same car as his brother. The two had become practically inseparable since the girls accepted the invitation to come to the ranch.

Thane turned his attention to Vanessa, watching as she forced a smile and a wave for her friend. She looked up at him as he approached and he could see the deep, nervous breath she took in an effort to calm herself.

"Are you sure you want to do this? If you really don't want to ride in the truck with me, say the word and we'll switch back."

Her gray-blue eyes locked with his and he could see the panic she wouldn't voice. Why was she so scared of him? Most guys would probably growl in frustration, too impatient to care about what was going on inside her head. Thane, however, wasn't most guys. He'd been raised to treat women gently and respectfully, to be their leader and protector. As he looked at her now, he had to resist the impulse to reach out for her, to comfort her with his touch.

"You do know that I have no intentions to hurt you in any way, right?" he asked quietly.

She held his gaze a moment longer before closing her eyes and letting out her breath on a small laugh. She pulled her hands from her pockets, crossing her arms over her chest before looking at him again. "Yes, I've decided that you and Bailey are legit. But this whole situation seems unreal. I'm watching my best friend drive off with a boy she's totally smitten with despite knowing him for all of two days. And now I'm climbing into a truck with that boy's brother, a guy I know nothing about, and I'm letting him take me to his ranch where he promises to salvage my western vacation."

"Sounds like the prologue to a racy western novel," Thane teased. His effort to lighten the mood seemed to work because she smiled and the tension in her shoulders eased. "I know this is all crazy and that you've got no reason to trust me - other than the fact that we haven't murdered or kidnapped you yet."