Held by You

Held by You by Cheyenne McCray Page A

Book: Held by You by Cheyenne McCray Read Free Book Online
Authors: Cheyenne McCray
Tags: western romance
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trembled as she walked down the steps to meet him. The moment she neared him, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, enveloping her in a firm embrace.
    Everything she’d been holding back broke loose and she cried against his chest, hard, body-wracking sobs. She’d cried during her ordeal, but nothing like this. He rubbed her back with his palm as he murmured soothing words in her ear. She couldn’t focus on what he was saying but the low rhythm and the tenor of his voice helped to calm her.
    His words came to her as her tears dried and she let out a deep shuddering breath. “It’s going to be okay, honey. We’ll fix this. Everything’s going to be all right.”
    She became aware of his warm scent of spice and leather, and the clean scent of his T-shirt that was so soft against her cheek. The cloth was damp from her tears.
    Slowly she raised her head and looked up at John. “Did you post bail for me?”
    He nodded. “When I heard you didn’t have enough to do it for yourself, I worked things out with a bail bondsman. I had to get you out of there.”
    Guilt stabbed her but at the same time she was so relieved to be out of jail that all she could really be was grateful. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you.” She didn’t think she could say it enough times. “I’ve got ten thousand stashed at the ranch. I can give you that.”
    “Don’t worry about that right now.” He brought her against his chest again and slipped his fingers into her hair. “Come on. We’ll go to my place.” He put his arm around her shoulders and guided her toward a parking lot.
    “Okay.” She wasn’t going to argue. She wanted to get as far away from the jail as she could as long as it wasn’t her ranch house.
    He helped her into the passenger side of the truck and closed the door behind her before going to the driver’s side. He climbed in and started the truck. He rested his hand on the top of the steering wheel and reached across the console to take her hand in his free one. He squeezed.
    She gave him a smile that she knew had to look sad because she couldn’t manage a real smile.
    “It’s going to be okay, Hollie.” He gripped her hand firmly. “We’ll get whoever did this and clear your name.”
    She desperately wanted to believe him. “Okay.”
    He leaned close and kissed her forehead before backing the truck out of its space and heading out of the parking lot.
    Her thoughts turned to her friends as he drove. Detective Kelley Petrova McBride had stopped by and told her that her friends, Leigh Monroe and others, wanted to see her. Hollie had said a flat “no.” She was too embarrassed and too exhausted from the ordeal to see anyone. What if this made them feel differently about her? What if they had doubts about her innocence?
    This time when they reached John’s home it was during the day, unlike the first time that now seemed so very long ago.
    His house was a single-level brick home with grass that was yellow now that it was winter and trimmed close and neat. The mature trees in front of his home had lost most of their leaves, their naked fingers pointing toward the sky. Yellow leaves were scattered around the base of the trees but very few, telling her that he had kept them raked up.
    He parked the truck in the driveway and strode around the truck to help her out. She was grateful for him, needing his strength now, more than she’d realized.
    When they were in the house, he took her scarf and purse and set them aside. He helped her out of her coat and draped it over an arm of the chocolate brown sofa.
    “I need a shower.” She was dying to get out of the clothes she’d been wearing for forty-eight hours now. “Can I take one here?”
    He gave a nod toward a hallway. “You’ve got it.”
    She followed him, feeling bone weary and like she could sleep for a week. He led her into the master bedroom.
    He pulled open a drawer, drew out a white T-shirt, and handed it to her. She took it and watched as he

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