Page 94 of Blue Norther
“What?” There had to be. How else had Ryan made it into Dallas before driving here?
“There wasn’t a flight today, was there, Ryan?”
“Look, man, I don’t know what you’re getting at, but I was definitely on an airplane today.”
Beau shook his head. “I don’t think you were.” He took another step towards me. “I thought it was weird that you said it only took you an hour to get here from the airport. Because yeah, sure, if you looked it up on the internet, they would tell you that’s the time it takes. But there is major construction going on between here and there. That adds at least twenty-five minutes. And with the storms we had last week, there’s a detour around the main road you’d take to get to the ranch. So that’s another twenty minutes of detour just to get out here.”
Ryan shrugged. “Didn’t think I had to report traffic patterns to you.”
“But that’s not what really struck me as odd. Because Violet has been buzzing all day with excitement about you being here. Going on and on about how you are the best business manager, and how she loves you to pieces. How you love and appreciateher. There were literally tears in her eyes when I showed up because Colt was going to miss meeting you. That’s how much you mean to her.”
“She means so much to me too. Callie, babe, I don’t get what this is about?”
“Beau?” I asked.
He stepped in front of me, his back blocking my view of Ryan. “I know for a fact, any man who loved Vi would not dismiss the weird shit that was happening to her in New York. He wouldn’t get mad at her coming home, or deciding to stay where she felt safe. He wouldn't try to sell her on moving back and leaving her family behind again.”
I moved back from Beau, a step towards Connor, still fast asleep in his bassinet. The floor felt like it was melting, and I blinked trying to understand why I was feeling so funny.
“I do love Callie. I’m not mad at her for choosing this. I just want to make sure she’s making the right decision for her.”
“Beau?” I called my brother-in-law’s name, hoping he would hear the urgency in my voice. Because I could no longer stop my body from swaying. I took a step forward, but the vertigo pitched me farther than I’d meant to lean. My body was falling, and I couldn’t stop it.
“Vi?” His hands stopped me. “Hey, what’s wrong? Vi? Shit. I’m going to carry you to the couch, okay?”
“That’s why I had to do what I’ve done. Because she’s not meant to spend her life in this dinky little town. She’s not meant to live a mediocre life as a wife and a mother.” Ryan’s voice droned on, but Beau didn’t pick me up. A little clarity came back, some of the tingling in my arms and legs fading.
“Beau?”
“He’s holding Connor,” he whispered.
My eyes snapped to Ryan, who was in fact holding my baby.Why?
“Ryan?” I questioned.
“I don’t want to hurt this baby, Callie. I know you think it’s your son, but it’s not. I’m happy to leave him here, unharmed, for your ex-husband to take care of. But you have to come with me. Now.”
“She’s not going anywhere with you.” Beau’s fists clenched by his side, but he and I both knew nothing could be done while Ryan held onto Connor. My sweet baby wiggled, a startled cry coming out as he began to wake.
I needed to stall. I needed to do whatever I could to give us enough time for Colt to come back. “I’ll need to nurse him soon. Colt won’t be home for a while. Can we wait? I-I’ll tell him I want to go back to New York. Just the two of us.”
“No, Callie. I know what you’re doing. It’s why I had to slip a little something to help you relax into your drink. You’ll come with me now. You were meant to be mine. You were meant to have that with me.”
Ryan placed Connor back into his bassinet, running his finger over my son’s cheek before walking towards me. Then he lifted his sweater, and I saw the gun on his hip. I wanted to scream. I wanted to gouge his eyes out. I wanted to fight him with everything I had in me, but my body just wouldn’t listen. Everything felt too loose. Too far away. I knew I needed to focus, but I couldn’t.
Beau stepped in front of me as Ryan approached. I hated that Beau wasn’t standing in front of Connor. He needed protection. He was so little. So fragile. Who knew what Ryan would do if we upset him? That’s why I forced myself to stand. I walked on shaking legs, taking two small steps before Beau caught me.
“Violet, no.” His voice was deep, commanding, but it didn’t have the same effect on me as Colt.
“Stay here. Watch over him, okay? Make sure he’s safe. There’s some milk in the fridge and a canister of formula we haven’t opened on the counter.”
“Vi…”
“Tell him I love him, okay? Both of them. Tell them this was me choosing them.”
“Or, you could tell him the truth,” Ryan sneered. “That Callie is finally going to be happy. Finally going to be free. With me.”
His hand wrapped around my arm the second I got within reach of him. Beau took a step towards us, but Ryan tsked, pulling the hand that wasn’t holding onto me out of his pocket. He was wearing a pair of brass knuckles.
