Unbreak My Heart (Rough Riders Legacy #1)(114)

“Well, I saw her last night as a matter of fact. She’s in Wyoming. She’s staying at the cabin.”

Immediately my heart slammed into my throat. “What the hell is she doing… Dammit, did something happen to Gavin?”

“He’s fine. She didn’t tell you she was coming home?”

“No. I’ve been in Fort Hood the last two weeks. She flew down for the weekend and I took her to the airport on Sunday. I talked to her Monday night. Me and my roommate left at fifteen hundred yesterday and we’ve been driving straight through to Phoenix. Sierra hadn’t returned any of my calls, but she didn’t say anything this weekend about going to Sundance.”

Rory sighed. “It wasn’t something she planned. It was last minute.”

“Why?”

“Why should I tell you?”

I’d expected her to protect Sierra; I just hoped I could convince her I only had Sierra’s best interests in mind too. “I appreciate that you look out for her and that you’re her sounding board. But if you’ve talked to her, you know that everything is good between us. I know that she’s not running from me. You know that she’s not running from me. So please tell me what she is running from so I can help her, okay?”

A beat of silence passed. Then she sighed. “Fine. You know she’s having some issues at DPM. It’s to the point where she has to make some hard decisions.” She paused. “Did she tell you any of this?”

“Some. But I can tell by the careful way you’re phrasing things I’m missing several pieces.”

“You are. I don’t know whether to be annoyed with her or you.”

“Be annoyed with her. I knew something was on her mind but she wouldn’t talk to me about it no matter how many times I asked her, so tell me what’s going on.”

“Did you know that Sierra was offered the directorship at PCE? Fulltime with pay and everything?”

I grinned. “She was?” Her face lit up whenever she talked about the work she did with the organization she helped found, so it would be a huge coup for her career. “Why would she keep that from me?”

“She’s independent and feels it’s her responsibility to make her own decision. I’d guess a lot of her attitude stems from her mom, but I won’t play pop psychologist. But the other thing is Sierra hadn’t said yes. I mean, she was wrestling whether to take the position. She’s fiercely loyal to her father.”

“Even to her own damn detriment,” I muttered.

“Exactly. But she did make a decision and say yes to the PCE position—before she knew all the travel that it entailed. So now she’s waffling. Big time. I suspect that’s why she ran to Wyoming. If she has to look her dad in the eye to turn in her resignation, then she’ll feel too guilty to leave DPM and it’ll give her an excuse to back out of the offer to run PCE.”

I briefly closed my eyes. Fuck. I wanted to talk to Sierra about this, not her damn sister. I hit the mute button. To Raj I said, “Change of plans. Take me to Sky Harbor.”

“Seriously, dude?”

“Yeah, the airport exit is coming up.”

I clicked the mute off to hear Rory say, “I’ll be blunt, Boone. This decision will affect both of you, but mostly it’ll have a lasting impact on her future. You want what’s best for her, right?”

I understood what Rory didn’t say. But what’s best for her might not be best for you.

“Always.”

“Then do the right thing.”

“Which would be what?”

“Break up with her.”

I laughed.

Which pissed Rory off. “Why is that so funny, *? You left her broken-hearted before when it served your purposes. I’m asking you to do it again so Sierra will take this amazing career opportunity instead of passing it up because she’d rather be home baking f*cking cookies for you, beings she’s afraid if she’s not with you all the damn time you’ll leave her.” She laughed. “But you and I both know that you’re going to leave her again eventually, so I’m just asking you to do it sooner, rather than later.”

I curled my fingers into my palm, forming a fist and then slowly letting it out. “Rory. With all due respect, you and I are not going to see eye to eye on this, so I’m giving you two choices. You either listen to me and do exactly as I say, or you put Dalton on the phone.”

“Why would you need to talk to Dalton?” she demanded. “Because he’s a man and I’m far too emotional?”

“No. I’d talk to Dalton because he understands what’s at stake when you finally go after the woman who has always f*cking owned you—as I believe he did with you.”

Silence.

Then Rory said, “All right, West, tell me what you need me to do.”

I released the breath I’d been holding. “If the stars align…best-case scenario is I pull into Sundance eight hours from now. Keep Sierra occupied and from meeting with Gavin until she and I can talk.”

“Done. I’ll just tell him Sierra is on a rampage because the two of you had an epic fight. He’ll avoid her at all costs.”

Of course Rory would find a way to blame this on me. But if it worked I didn’t give a damn.

“One last thing. If you f*ck over my sister again? I’ll come after you. I know how to use my husband’s ax and I’ll scatter pieces of you in the forest where no one will ever find you.” She hung up.