Steal Vows

Chapter Five~But Whatever

Outside, the heat hit them both like a tsunami. It came in waves, which caused both of them to wipe their brows. Knox walked toward the truck with his usual stride, opening the passenger door without ceremony. It was a stark contrast to the other times they had entered the truck, which caused Tess to quirk a brow. No hand had been offered, no unnecessary contact, just a quiet little gesture...she noticed…

“The supply store is next,” he said flatly. “We’ll go to Walmart so you can get everything you need in one place. Then back to the property.” The logistics were simple, yet they appeared to bring him some kind of joy, for his mouth twitched slightly in a small smile before he could hide it...she noticed again…

She thought to herself: What’s going on? Is he warming up to me?

His voice had been stripped of anything personal. Just basic logistics and on to the next task. But she could see what he was trying so desperately to hide. He was enjoying this.

The truck engine rumbled to life, and neither of them spoke. The drive was a little awkward, with both trying to hide feelings neither wanted to openly admit.

When Walmart came into view, he said, “It’s the only one-stop option around here.” He thought to himself: I just need to get this done and get some space from her. “Okay, here we are. I’ll leave you to it, and I’ll just go grab the firewood and outdoor furniture. You can go get whatever else you need.”

He left her without making sure she agreed and walked toward the outdoor center. He bought a six-piece furniture set with a sofa, chair, and tables, then a dining set and a large canopy with solar-powered lights. As he started to walk toward the grills, he saw a hanging bohemian chair with a comfy cushion and smiled. He grabbed that as well, thinking: She’ll look so good reading in this. Then he shook his head to get the thought out of his head. After getting the grill, he headed back to the truck, everything paid for and a sales guy in tow helping him with a loader. But he found her still sitting there.

Knox set down the bags-portable propane bottles, batteries, fan, extinguisher, outdoor lights, and buckets. The sales guy helped him load the back of the truck and disappeared. Knox saw that she hadn’t gone inside. There were no other bags in the truck.

“You need anything else?” He said quietly engine already turning over. His hands gripped the wheel. The question felt heavier that it should have.

“Yes. My wallet.” She chuckled.

Knox’s eyes flicked to her, and for a split second, something almost like amusement crossed his face. He shook his head at his forgetfulness as he reached into his cut and pulled out a worn leather wallet and tossed it onto the console between them.

“There are three grand in cash. Use what you need.” He didn’t wait for her to argue as he lit a cigarette and asked, “Do you need my help?”

Tess just shook her head as she got out of the truck and headed for the store. She grabbed the groceries and basic things to get her through the week. When she returned, Knox took over and loaded the bags inside the truck himself. He jumped back in without opening her door this time and pulled away from the parking lot with what looked like embarrassment on his face. Tess smiled and just looked out the window, not saying anything.

As they headed back to Moss Lake, the sun was lower and long shadows stretched across the road. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The hanging chair shifted slightly in the truck bed with each turn. He’d bought it without thinking-just saw it and knew she would like it. That picture in his head of her reading in it didn’t help his restraint either. That was the problem right there.

As they entered the property line, the trailer was being secured in its spot, and the setup crew was working with two of the newest prospects and being overseen by Marcus. Knox cut the engine and stepped out before the truck fully stopped. The delivery crew had the 35-foot-fifth-wheel positioned perfectly on the concrete pad, leveled and secured. Power lines already ran to the generator, and Marcus said, “Almost ready, boss; we just need to do the tip-outs and the stairs.”

Knox stepped toward them to inspect everything, and Tess walked to the dock and sat down. She ran her hand through the water as it rippled through her fingertips. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down her conflicted mind.

Knox walked the perimeter as he inspected every detail. The door sealed tight. He helped with the awning, and it deployed smoothly. He nodded once at Marcus, who disappeared inside to verify the water pump was working. Knox opened the propane lines, and Marcus lit the pilot lights and stepped out.

Knox watched them finish. His presence alone kept them efficient and silent. He pulled out his phone and texted the propane company for confirmation of delivery of a larger tank later that week. Knox didn’t miss one tiny detail. He never left anything to chance.

Marcus walked up to Knox and said, “Everything is ready and operational, boss,” as he handed him the keys. “The user manuals are all in the living-room drawer if you have any questions.”

Knox turned back to the truck, where he expected her to be waiting. But there was no sign of her. For a few seconds he started to panic. Then he saw her on the dock with her shoes off and her pants rolled up. Her feet were in the water. God, she looked magnificent in her own little world, staying out of the way without waiting around for him.

Knox stopped mid-stride. The panic that had flashed through him-quick, sharp, and unwelcome-dissolved as he watched her on the dock. Not waiting. Not hovering. Just...existing in her own space while the crew worked around her. Something in his chest loosened. He stood still, absorbing the sight for a moment longer than was necessary, then he turned back to Marcus.

“You can go and get something to eat. Then I want you back here for guard duty, but pick someone to relieve you before 10 p.m.,” he said with authority. Marcus nodded, walked over to his bike and left along with the rest of the crew.

He walked out to where she was and said, “Come with me. I want to show you something.” He held out his hand to help her up off the dock. When their hands touched, his heart skipped a beat, but he tried to ignore it.

He led her over to where they had set up the outdoor living space and said, “If it’s not in the right spot, let me know, and we can move it before I let you be for the night.” He turned and started to place some big rocks into a circle for a fire pit and placed the wood nearby. Knox worked methodically. His movements were economical. A distraction at best. He arranged the rocks in a perfect circle, each one placed with deliberate intensity. Everything was stacked in neat, organized piles. He also chopped up some kindling and put it on top of some of the packaging for her to light when she was ready.

The sun bled orange across the lake as he set down the ax. She was sitting on the couch watching him as he turned and handed her the keys to both the trailer and her bike, repeating what Marcus had said about the owner’s manuals. He said,

“Your bags from the bike are on your bed along with everything else you may need. I had the prospects make the bed but do nothing else besides putting the groceries in the fridge. I figured you would want to unpack yourself.”

He looked down at her as she turned her head to look up at him through her eyelashes, and his heart jumped. Her head was so close to his c**k he had to step back abruptly and readjust. He took a deep breath to control his racing heart and thoughts.

“The trailer is yours. Everything in it as well. Do what you want with it.” His voice dropped lower, rougher around the edges. “I’ve got business back at the clubhouse. Marcus will stay on the property for most of the evening, then someone else will replace him tonight. They have a small tent down the way if you need anything. But they will not disturb you. They are only here for protection from outside interference or if you need anything.”

He didn’t wait for her to respond. He turned toward the truck, his stride longer than necessary, putting ground between them. The evening air didn’t cool the heat crawling up his neck as he entered the truck.

“Knox!” she stood up and yelled. “Why is he staying? Afraid I’ll run? I said I’d stay. I never go back on my word. As I’m sure you already know, having done your research on me already.”

Knox got out of the truck, his shoulders tense. He turned back toward her slowly, and there was something dangerous in his eyes-not anger, but the weight of being called out.

He walked back to where she stood, slowly and deliberately taking his time. He stopped close enough that she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze. “Marcus stays because I say he stays,” he said quietly and matter-of-factly. “Not because I don’t trust you.”

His voice was controlled, yet there was an edge underneath it. “You think I’m afraid of you running? You’re not that important yet.”

The words landed hard, but his eyes betrayed him-they lingered on her face a beat too long. He was lying and they both knew it.

“I need him here for security. Territory business. Nothing to do with you.”

He turned away again, but slower this time.

“Humph.” That f*****g sound again, he thought. She always makes it when I lie. f**k, does she know that I’m lying? He looked at her, turned back around, and said, “What?”

Knox’s eyes narrowed. He watched her face, reading the micro-expressions. The slight curl of her lip, the challenge that sat behind those hazel eyes.

He stepped closer. His massive frame cast a shadow across her face. “You think I’m lying.”

Not a question. A statement, delivered low and controlled. His body stiffened slightly, and there was something almost vulnerable in the way he studied her, as he needed her to believe him, which was its own kind of weakness that he despised.

“Say it,” he commanded quietly.

“No. I know you are,” she said bluntly, but just walked away. However, she glanced over her shoulder at him and said, “But whatever.” And she continued to walk toward the trailer barefoot.

Knox stood motionless in the driveway, watching her walk barefoot toward the trailer. The “but whatever” hung in the air between them like smoke.

She knew. She called him on it, and instead of pushing back, she just...walked away. No drama, no tears, just the truth, delivered blunt and clean, and then dismissal.

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling hard through his nose.

Marcus appeared from the tree line, showing his presence. Knox waved him off without looking-stay back, give her space. Marcus nodded and melted into the shadows.

She was right. He was lying, and that was the real problem.

He drove away, leaving the one person who had rocked his world behind him, and he knew everything had just changed... He slammed his hand on the steering wheel and screamed, “That damn woman!”

The truck tore down the gravel drive, dust billowing behind it. Knox’s knuckles were white on the wheel, his breathing ragged. He didn’t scream again. One outburst was all he would allow himself. Control reasserted itself like a reflex, cold and merciless.

But his mind wouldn’t stop circling back to her on that dock. On the couch. The way she looked at him through her lashes. The certainty in her voice when she called him a liar. The casual dismissal, “but whatever,” that somehow cut deeper than any argument could.

Never in his whole life had a woman ever made him feel like this.

He reached the clubhouse as night settled in. Marcus texted: she’s still inside; everything is quiet.