His gaze bored into her. “Is that the only reason you turned Royce down?” he asked. “Because of your word?”

“Yes,” she said and took a deep breath. “I own nothing of value. Not a dowry, nor any marketable skills.” It still rankled that her college degree gained her no favors in landing a job. “The only thing they haven’t taken…” She stopped herself and began again. “The only thing I have is my word.”

He stared at her long and hard. “Who are ‘they’?”

“What?”

“You said, there was one thing they hadn’t taken.”

She looked away. “It’s not important.”

“If’n it wasn’t important, you wouldn’t have mentioned it.” His voice dropped. “Emily, look at me.” He waited for her to lift her gaze before continuing. “I know you’re runnin’ from somethin’. I just want you to know that whatever it is, you’re safe here for as long as you stay. I won’t let anyone or anythin’ harm you.”

Both surprised and touched by his words, she felt a stirring in her chest. Her eyes burned with the threat of tears, and a lump rose in her throat. “T-thank you,” she whispered and mentally kicked herself for the stutter.

He held her gaze for a full moment, the smoldering depths of his eyes stirring some yawning need within her. Clutching her hands to her pounding chest, she fought to maintain control.

“I’ll always be grateful for your help,” he said. “Because of you, my family legacy is safe.” He shrugged in apology. “Not everyone understands why that’s so important to me. My grandfather started this town. They even wanted to call the town McKnight, but he said it didn’t sound Texan enough. He’s the one who came up with the name Haywire.”

She smiled at the fondness she heard in his voice. “I understand why you want to protect his memory.”

“Even now? After all the trouble it’s caused you?”

She moistened her lips, surprised at the sudden need to confide. “Someone…stole my family’s good name,” she said, choosing her words carefully so as not to reveal too much. “This…person turned everything that my father worked for into something bad, and there was nothing I could do about it. I know this makes no sense, but helping you save your family legacy helps with the pain of not being able to save my own.”

His gaze softened. “It makes sense to me.” He moved around the bed and held his hand out to her. “I’ll always be indebted to you. If there’s anythin’ you need or want…?”

She stared at his offered hand, surprised that what she needed and wanted at that moment was to sink into his arms. But she knew—sensed—it wouldn’t end there, and that was the danger. Already, the ranch was like a vine, entangling her in its tendrils. Leaving would not be easy. Consummating what was now only a shell of a marriage—and turning it into something more—would make leaving that much harder, if not altogether impossible.