Chapter Thirty-One
Axle
I escape to the front porch before dessert is served.
Nobody stops me.
That’s the beauty of being me.
The family expects Royce to be social. They expect Cabe to be responsible and charming.
Me?
I can slip away without anyone questioning my mood.
I settle into one of the old wooden rocking chairs and stretch my legs out in front of me. The late evening sun casts shadows over the ranch. The distant mountains look like they’ve been painted by the sun. Wind moves through the cottonwoods lining the drive.
I can still hear the chaos inside the house.
Voices talking over each other at the table. Dishes clattering in the kitchen.
Sunday supper at Wildhaven Storm is an event.
Usually, I enjoy it.
Today, I can’t seem to sit still or think straight. Can’t seem to stop replaying last night in my mind.
I drag a hand down my face.
Geezus.
I never meant for any of it to happen.
I’d made my decision. The smart choice was to shut it all down. Everything. The flirting. The friendship. The stolen moments in the middle of the night. The way my entire damn day got better every time I walked across our decks.
I knew exactly where that road was going if I didn’t take the exit ramp.
I close my eyes.
I shouldn’t have waited up.
I should have stayed in my damn cabin when I heard the truck drop her off.
It would have been so easy, but then I rushed out and scooped her into my arms. Felt her warmth melt into me. Before she got bold and stripped down in front of me. That was when everything went sideways.
I got out of there as fast as I could. That should have been the end of it.
But I wasn’t expecting her reaction. She stomped across the deck, angry and defiant, wanting answers.
Demanding them.
Calling me on my bullshit.
It was sexy as hell, and I stood there, watching her. Seeing those blue eyes flash. Seeing her refuse to let me push her away. Something inside me finally snapped.
A man can only take so much.
I had no choice but to kiss her.
I lean my head back against the chair.
And when she told me what she wanted, what she needed, I had to taste her. Just once.
I close my eyes and replay the entire night. Every kiss. Every touch. The feel of her, wet and warm for me. The sound of my name on her lips as she came. The way she felt in my arms as she drifted to sleep.
And damn if I didn’t get the best sleep of my life.
I’ve never been good at sharing a bed. I like my space and prefer to spread out. I always sleep better alone.
Yet, somehow, I slept more deeply last night than I had in years, with Jovie curled against my side, my brain shut off.
Bliss.
Until Cabe knocked on the door.
My jaw tightens.
The look of pure panic on Jovie’s face. She was mortified by the idea of being caught in my bed and frantic for an escape.
And when I opened the door, my brother was standing there, worried sick. Looking for her.
The guilt comes rushing back immediately. I stare out across the ranch, feeling like crap all over again.
Cabe deserves better. He’s my brother. He’s always had my back, and somehow, I’ve managed to betray him without even meaning to.
The screen door creaks behind me.
I don’t bother looking up as Grandma Evelyn settles into the chair beside mine.
We sit in comfortable silence for a minute. The breeze stirs the silver strands of her hair.
“You were awfully quiet at supper.”
I grunt, “Just tired.”
“Mmm.”
That single sound tells me she doesn’t believe me for one second.
I glance sideways.
She’s gazing across the yard.
Evelyn Storm has always been the most observant person in the family. She notices everything. Charli is very much like her.
“You look like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders,” she says.
I snort. “You know me, Grandma. I don’t carry anything on my shoulders.”
A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. “That’s what you’d have everyone think.” Her eyes slide toward me. “You can fool the others with that devil-may-care attitude, but not your grandmother.”
Damn.
“You aren’t going to start using your wise-old-lady voodoo on me, are you?”
She laughs. “No magic here. I simply pay attention.”
That’s somehow worse.
I shift in my chair, and my gaze drifts toward the yard. The others have started trickling out, and Cabe is standing near the trucks, talking to Micah and Royce.
A knot forms in my stomach.
Grandma follows my gaze. “I hope poor Jovie is feeling better.”
I bring my eyes back to her. “Feeling better?”
“Yes. Cabe said she was feeling poorly today and that’s why she didn’t join us for supper.”
Ah, so that’s the cover she used. The truth is, she’s hiding. Just like I’m trying to.
Grandma pats her lap thoughtfully. “I packed her a plate. Thought maybe you’d take it over to her for me.”
My eyes narrow. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
Her hand settles gently on my forearm. “Sometimes, things that look like bad ideas in the beginning turn out to be our greatest blessings.”
“It’s just a plate of food,” I say.
She gives me a look. One of those grandmotherly looks—the kind that makes a grown man feel twelve years old.
“It’s showing care.”
I stare out toward the mountains. “What if you aren’t supposed to care?” The question slips out before I can stop it.
“Oh, sweetheart, we don’t always get to choose.”
I swallow.
Because that’s exactly the problem.
Grandma squeezes my arm. “Our hearts can be tricky devils. Life would be much easier if they listened to reason.”
A humorless laugh escapes me. “Ain’t that the truth?”
She studies me for a long moment.
Then she says quietly, “Your grandfather was the worst decision I ever made.”
I blink. “What?”
She laughs. “Oh, he was handsome and stubborn and absolutely impossible. I did everything in my power to avoid him.”
Across the yard, Earl looks up, as if he somehow senses he’s being discussed.
Grandma smiles fondly. “My mother hated him. Thought he was reckless.”
I chuckle. “No shit?”
“He was. He absolutely was.”
I grin despite myself.
She nods toward Earl. “She was so angry at me for choosing him. We didn’t speak for over a year.”
“That had to be hard.”
“It was.”
Her smile softens. “But it was worth it.”
Something twists painfully in my chest. Because I know she isn’t talking about Grandpa anymore.
She’s talking about risk. About caring when you shouldn’t and jumping anyway.
I stare down at my boots. “Things are complicated.”
“Yes.”
“You don’t even know what I’m talking about.”
Another one of those knowing smiles.
“I don’t have to know the details to see the struggle inside you.”
I rub the back of my neck.
A few moments later, the front door opens, and Harleigh appears.
Her eyes fall on us. “What are you two over there whispering about?”
Grandma pats my hand as she stands carefully. “I was just offering Axle here a piece of my pecan pie.”
Before she heads toward the door, she pauses beside me.
“That plate is in the refrigerator. As is a slice of pie. And Jovie does love my pecan pie.”
She leans down and kisses the top of my head exactly like she did when I was a little boy.
“Good night, Axle.”
I watch her disappear into the house with Harleigh following behind her.
Across the yard, Cabe laughs at something Royce said.
I close my eyes.
Taking her dinner is a terrible idea. I should let things die down before anybody gets hurt.
But all I can think about is a dark cabin. A stubborn woman who skipped supper. And the possibility that she’s sitting over there alone, feeling just as wrecked as I do.
I mutter a curse, then push myself out of the rocking chair and head inside to the refrigerator.