Ginger couldn’t wait to see if Mitchell had proposed, so she ran out to meet them at the car. Even though she was bouncing by the door, she waited as patiently as she could because she knew if she opened Kayla’s door Mitchell would have a coronary. Evan’s arm around her in an effort to calm her, but she left his grasp as Kayla ran to her. “Ginger!”

“Holy Cow! We could ice skate on the rock sitting on your finger!”

“You look radiant! Have you been sitting out by the pool?”

Ginger hugged her tight. “I have, but this isn’t about me. Let me see that finger!”

Kayla giggled, “Can you believe it?”

“Oh my lord, it’s beautiful! I’m so happy for you! Have you told your parents?”

“Yes, we called them Saturday, but we haven’t seen them yet. We’ll go over there one night this week.”

Ginger turned in time to see Evan hug Mitchell. It was a brotherly thing, but Evan seemed like a proud papa because in some ways he’d stepped into that role when their dad passed. The fact Mitchell had gotten engaged first didn’t seem to bother him at all, maybe because everyone knew these two would end up together someday. When Evan walked over to hug Kayla, she gave Mitchell a big hug.

As soon as they were inside, Mitchell’s smile spread across his face as he said, “I got a tattoo.”

“Is it someplace we can see or just for Kayla’s eyes?” Evan asked as he wiggled his brows.

“He can show you,” Kayla said.

Mitchell removed his T-shirt to reveal a white bandage over his left peck. “I haven’t taken the bandage off except to use the care kit,” he said. Ginger glanced at Kayla who looked as if she was about to come out of her skin with excitement. “Mak told me a while back when I put an outward symbol on her finger she wanted me to have one too.” He finished taking off the bandage where Mak’s in a beautiful script tattoo was freshly drawn. His expression said he couldn’t believe she needed this, but the look on her face was so full of love and appreciation for the man who permanently marked his body with his nickname for her.

He had no sooner put his shirt on when the doorbell rang. With an exasperated sigh, Mitchell went to open the door. He signed for a package and thanked the courier. When he returned he gave it to Evan and said, “This is for you and it’s marked urgent.”

Evan looked at it and knew it wasn’t anything official from his office. He still had a week before he went back to Iowa. There was no return address, so he flipped it one more time and opened the end with his pocket knife.

He pulled out another picture of Ginger. “Fuck!” It was of them beside the pool as she looked at him with an expression full of passion. It was intimate and it was theirs only. Now this asshole had stolen it from them. On the bottom of the picture was a handwritten note: Still think you can keep her safe? I can get to her any time I want.

“What is it?” Mitchell asked.

Evan shoved the envelope and picture at Mitchell as he wrapped Ginger in a hug. “Evan, you’re scaring me.”

“When was this?” Mitchell asked.

“Look at the date stamp. Last Friday. That’s me,” he said pointing at the picture. “Look at the direction of the picture.”

Mitchell looked at the picture again. “It was taken from the barn.”

“Exactly. The men weren’t around.” He took the picture from Mitchell and showed it to Ginger.

When she saw the picture, her hand automatically flew to her mouth. “Evan,” she whispered.

“I know, darlin’. I swear you’re safe here. You know that, right?” She nodded, so he cocked an eyebrow.

“I know,” she whispered.

“Mitchell, we need to figure out how they got on the property.” As he directed his focus to Ginger he said, “I don’t want you worrying about this, understand? It’s my job to keep you safe and I will.” He was rubbing her back to calm her down when she looked at the bottom of the picture.

“Darlin’…”

Ginger gasped. “What does that mean?”

“They’re sending me a message. I don’t know who or why, but I promise I’ll figure it out. I didn’t see anyone that morning, but vaguely remember hearing something. Do you?”

“No, my mind was reeling from the other picture, and I was focused on you.”

“As you should’ve been.” He winked.

“What other picture?” Mitchell asked.

Evan went through everything with Mitchell, from the emails and pictures to taking Ginger to The Overlook, to the note.

“What did the note say?” Mitchell asked.

“It asked if Ginger was my new whore,” Evan said with contempt in his voice as he cut his eyes to Ginger.

Kayla gasped.

Mitchell was silent for a few moments. “I recall us having a similar conversation in high school. You told me not to listen to what people were saying because they didn’t know what they were talking about. Now, those words are coming back?”

Evan didn’t hesitate telling his brother the whole story this time. When Evan finished Mitchell said, “Damn, why didn’t you tell me all that years ago?”

“When I broke up with her and went to college, I figured all that shit would die down. I never slept with her, so why did it matter? The part that matters is that people think I had something to do with her becoming a prostitute, when it was her mother. I don’t want people saying or even thinking that shit about Ginger.”

“So where is everything?” Mitchell inquired.

“ATF has the emails, but they’re still on our computers too. The note is in a plastic bag in the office. I’m gonna call a friend of mine at the state police to see what he can do.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Evan’s eyes filled with emotion when he looked into Ginger’s. She knew what he wanted and reluctantly agreed with a whispered, “Yes.”

He kissed her hard and quick before a smile spread across his face. “Thank you,” he softly replied. Evan started with the obvious. “Kayla, thank you for asking Ginger to come down here.” He hugged her and kissed her cheek while Ginger watched with a huge grin. “You’re responsible for bringing me the love of my life. I wasn’t looking for her or expecting her, but I’m glad I found her. Now someone is threatening her, and I’m not gonna stand for it.”

Mitchell watched as Evan seemed to have more to say, but was working out how to say it. “Something else on your mind, bro?”

“Yes.” Evan took a deep breath and said, “There’s a very good chance Ginger’s pregnant with my baby so I think we’re gonna need some precautions in place.”

“What?” Kayla asked.

Ginger looked at Kayla with a please not now look before she asked, “What do you have in mind?”

“If you go out, you don’t go alone. Keep your eyes open, look for anything out of the ordinary.” He was in protector mode. “Until we know if you’re pregnant, we need to be cautious there too.”

“Like what?”

“If you wanna ride, we’ll just keep the horses at a walk.”

“That makes sense.”

“No alcohol.”

“That’s a given.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.” Evan seemed relieved that she didn’t agrue, so Ginger stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck, and he lifted her up. She buried her face in his neck and squeezed him tight. When she raised her head, Evan looked at Mitchell and Kayla before he walked them to their room. As he laid her on the bed she slid over to give him enough space. They were tangled around each other as if they couldn’t get close enough. “I love you, darlin’.”

“I know. I love you, too.”

“I can’t wait to get my hands on the asshole who took that picture.”

“Do you think it’s the same person?”

“Even though this one was delivered and not emailed, I think it’s from the same person. It was another warning. Gin, I’ve got a week before I have to fly out. What do you want to do? Stay here, go home, or go with me?”

“If I miss my period, I need to see my doctor. I have to go home.”

“Then, we’ll come up with a plan.” He held her for several minutes before he said, “Talk to me.”

Ginger stared across the room while she organized what to say. “The email you received took me to a bad place. A place I never wanted to go to again. Thank you for bringing me back to the now.” She smiled at him. “I still don’t understand the picture of you and Nathan, though. What do I need to get ‘out of’? Your sexual preferences?” She wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “I don’t think so ‘cause I enjoy them. From between you and Nathan? That’s never going to happen anyway. I guess I’m more confused than anything.” She tilted her head to look at him as best as she could. “I’d just like to know who this person is and what he’s trying to prove. Then there’s the note. Part of me is so angry for someone saying that about me, but part of me is hurt that someone would even think it. I don’t feel like they’re a threat and maybe I’m foolish, but it seems more directed at you.”

Evan hesitated before he responded. “Maybe it is directed at me, but you need to treat it as a threat. I don’t know who they are, if there’s one or two, what they want, or what they’re capable of. Until I do, please don’t leave the ranch alone.”

“I won’t.”

Evan held her close as she finally drifted off to sleep in his arms.