CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“W e’ve got it made, sister.” Bianca raises her soda to mine.
I stretch from the comfort of my camping chair to tap her can. “Impromptu trips to barrel jackpots are the best. This one has poles too.”
“Bonus!” She pumps her fist. “We’re gonna bring home some big money.”
We’re parked at the Shetland County fairgrounds, waiting for our next turn to ride. The sun is shining. Our cooler is packed to last us all day. A gentle breeze chills us under the autumn heat. Four horses are tied to the trailer. Manure and dirt hang heavy in the air. It’s a core memory in the making.
“Haven’t done this since Mom was alive.” Bianca’s wide smile fades, hidden in the shadows of grief.
“How are you doing?” It’s been too long since I’ve asked.
“Depends on the day.” She sniffles and drops her gaze. “I just miss her.”
“Constantly,” I murmur. A familiar ache stabs at my chest, reflecting my own sorrow. “You’ll always have her close. She’s weaved in the best parts of you.”
Her nod is fast. “Right.”
“It fucking sucks that she’s gone,” I blurt. The foul word blasts through the heavy weight of despair.
My friend hiccups a laugh and bats at a lone tear. “Gosh, it really fucking does. She was totally fine until she wasn’t. I’ll never get over that.”
My arm loops around her shoulders for moral support. “Is there anything I can do?”
Bianca leans into me, our chairs tipping inward. “You’re already doing it.”
The knot in my throat doubles. “I’m glad we have each other.”
“Couldn’t manage without you, babes.” She straightens, swiping at her wet lashes.
“And now we’re related.”
“In name only.” Her eyes roll to the cloudless sky before she sobers again. “Has Brody talked about our mom?”
My shoulders shrug deeper into the folding chair. “There have been a few moments where he’s brought her up but I didn’t want to pry.”
“You’re probably the only one who can.”
I choke on a snort. “Yeah, right.”
Bianca squints across the crowded arena grounds, but is focused on the past. “He’s different after you started butting heads. Happier. More carefree. I haven’t seen him like this since before he got a big boy job at the company. You’re changing him, Lee.”
“We bring out the worst in each other,” I mutter .
“That’s not true. Not anymore.” Her smile returns. “I think you’re really good together. You should give him an actual chance to win you over.”
Which reminds me of when her brother asked for the same thing, and why I agreed. “Want to hear something strange?”
“Always.”
“While we were on our not-honeymoon, Brody asked me to stay after I found out about some of his lies. He thought an extra night would change my mind.”
“Uh-huh, yep.” She rolls her wrist. “And then what?”
“While I was deciding what to do, the sky opened up and the sun poked through. Those streaks of light spoke to me. I felt this… presence. Like a message from above.” Heat rushes up my neck and I hide from her stunned expression. “It sounds loopy when I say it out loud.”
“What? No way.” Her slack jaw snaps shut, a thick swallow bobbing her throat. “Gosh, that gets me emotional just hearing it. Mom wants you to love him.”
I blink at the sting in my eyes while she fans her watery ones. “Do you actually think so?”
“How can you not?”
The toe of my boot draws circles in the grass. “I dunno, but Brody kind of suggested that your mom brought us together.”
Bianca sighs, clasping her palms over her chest. “See? Meant to be.”
“He’d had entirely too much champagne at the time.”
“Truth serum.”
My lips twist to one side. “Our marriage is for his convenience. Whatever is forming between us was built on deception.”
She swats at the excuses. “Meh, it’s fine. Do you like him?”
“Maybe.” The flutters in my belly betray my feigned nonchalance. “He’s semi-sweet when he wants to be.”
“Mhmm, I bet. Did you make nice after he kicked us out of The Paddock?”
“That’s asking for entirely too much information, sister.”
Speaking of too much, a dull ache throbs from my inner muscles whenever I move. The reminder of just how nice we made it constantly replays his kinky demands that I eagerly followed. That man ignited flames in my body while bending me to his will. It released this sensual craving that I didn’t comprehend previously. I rub at my wrist while a blush blazes across my cheeks, getting me feverish despite the cool wind. Need clenches my belly and taunts me for assuming I could escape his clutches.
Bianca shudders at whatever evidence is painted on my face. “No wonder you were walking funny this morning. But it doesn’t explain why you rushed out of the house like your ass was on fire.”
I squirm again, spreading another burst of soreness. “We agreed to one night and he didn’t let a second go to waste.”
She slaps a hand over her eyes. “Don’t mind me while I picture you with Riley Green instead of my brother.”
“Brody is better,” I muse. “Especially in a pair of gray sweats.”
“Good grief, don’t tell him that. His head will never fit through the barn door again. ”
Laughter shakes through me. “You’re the one who thinks we’re meant to be.”
“Um, duh. My best friend married my much older brother after he conned her into the arrangement, and now the heavens are blessing your union with vigorous consummation.”
I bob my head, digging her summary. “Sounds like a book I’d read.”
“Based on your true story starring Riley Green.” She wags her brows.
“Fine, let’s turn the tables.” I’m more than willing to get evicted from the hot seat. “Have you and Colton messed around?”
“He wishes,” Bianca is quick to grumble. Her blush tells a different tale.
I poke her in the ribs. “Did you shag him silly?”
“Absolutely not. He’s the worst. Ever. I swear his sole purpose is to aggravate me. We’re better off as enemies.”
“That’s vaguely familiar,” I ponder. “You might be in trouble, Bee.”
“Pretty sure it’s the other way around.” Her attention snags on something across the field. “That mother trucker. Are we not allowed to have a moment’s peace?”
I jolt from her harsh tone, turning to see what’s causing the upset. Brody is stalking toward us at a fast clip. Surprise freezes me in place as I take in the state of his appearance. Shirt untucked and jeans half shoved in the tops of his boots, he looks like he got dressed in a hurry. There’s no sign of his hat or tightly leashed composure. This isn’t the broody billionaire who steps foot off the compound.
His gaze is a frantic beast stolen from the wild and trapped behind bars with no escape. My pulse leaps when that crazed look burns into me. Am I the cage that confines him? Or the key to unlock the chains?
Without taking my eyes off my husband, I mumble to his sister beside me. “More carefree, huh?”
“Trust me, it’s a vast improvement.” Bianca doesn’t sound the least bit concerned as her brother storms at us like a cyclone.
I lift my brows at his hasty incoming. “What are—?”
The rest of that question becomes a whoosh of shock when he hauls me off the seat in an urgent upheaval. I’m crushed against him and his wall of muscle before the breath returns to my lungs. He inhales my sputter when our mouths collide in a punishing kiss. Thunder pounds in my ears from the thrashing in his chest. A muffled groan parts his lips over mine. Manic hands roam over my body, squeezing too tight. I become lax against him, waving a white flag.
Brody pulls away at my surrender. Our foreheads touch while his gaze searches mine. Tense silence consumes us, his ragged exhales puffing against my face. I’m stunned again when his eyes pinch shut like he’s trying to unsee an uncertain horror.
“You’re okay.” The relief in his voice clenches my heart.
I lift a palm to cradle his scruffy cheek. “Um, yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?”
“What if something happened to you?” Anguish drips from his guttural tone.
It’s like a punch to my heart. I think of his mom, and how she collapsed suddenly. But that was a rare occurrence. The scar still leaves a haunting mark on those left behind to pick up the pieces. Maybe that’s not what’s causing his drastic reaction, but I should’ve considered the possibility.
“I’m okay,” I reassure again.
He nods against me, but then his expression steels into unbridled fury. His fingers clutch at the nape of my neck as if tempted to throttle me. “What were you thinking?”
My empathy leaps into the backseat, whistling like she took the wheel prematurely. I rear my head but don’t get far with his grip on my nape. “Excuse you?”
“Why did you leave without telling me where you’re going?”
“Listen, old man.” The name is used on purpose and he stiffens in recognition. I struggle until he releases me to stand on my own feet. “You’re not actually the boss of me. I don’t answer to you. If I want to go somewhere, I’m going to go. Besides, I left you a note.”
Green anger gleams in his gaze. “That scrap of paper said nothing other than you were grateful for the endless orgasms and you’d see me later.”
“Nasty.” Bianca gags from her front row seat to our shit show.
That has Brody swinging his glare to her. “And you didn’t answer my calls.”
She blinks innocently. “How does it feel?”
“Real shitty. You took my wife and didn’t have the decency to pick up the phone. I’ve been going out of my mind.” He rips at his hair, disheveling the mess even more.
“First of all,” his sister cuts into his mental breakdown. “Paisley drove. It was her idea. Screw you and your assumption I snatched her from you very much. Second, we’re grown women capable of taking care of ourselves. ”
“That doesn’t mean you disappear without a trace!” he shouts.
My friend inspects her manicure, not bothered by his tone. “Oh, please. You found us safe and sound. Who ratted us out?”
“Nobody in particular. The entire town is in my pocket.”
I cluck my tongue. “We’ve got nowhere to hide, sis.”
Which takes a slight edge off Brody’s scowl. “That’s true. Once I got my shit together, I realized several horses were gone. Your trailer and truck too. It was a process of elimination after that.”
“Left entirely too many clues,” Bianca mutters.
Brody’s wrath narrows on her before swinging to me. That blistering ferocity snuffs out, collapsing in defeat. A wounded noise rips from him as he gathers me back in his arms. He pulls until our chests are flush. Only then does the tension loosen from his muscles. I wrap myself around him, understanding he needs the comfort of my touch. The pained rumble that spills from him guts me. His face dips into the crook of my neck where he breathes me in.
“Please don’t do that again,” Brody rasps.
My nose buries in his hair, drawing in woodsy spice and an irrational attitude adjustment. “I didn’t think you’d care.”
“How can you say that?”
“Well, this”—I straighten slightly to gesture at him—“is extremely unexpected.”
“ This is what happens when you’ve wrecked me beyond repair. I’ve become unhinged and it’s your fault.”
The audacity behind his blame steels my spine. “No way, husband.”
He nods against me. “This is your consequence. The only option is to accept it.” He cinches me in an unforgiving hold.
I don’t bother trying to free myself, but he’s not getting out of this either. “I’m not responsible for you acting like a man possessed.”
“You are, wife. Only you.”
“Totally meant to be,” Bianca chimes in.
“Whatever,” I lament.
Brody’s unwavering stare burns into mine. “How can I convince you?”
“Just take it easy.” I pat his chest. “We’re barely married beyond name only.”
“Am I coming on too strong?”
My fingers lift a pinch of space. “A little, and all of a sudden.”
Not that I mind, but I’m not about to fall at his feet. Mama didn’t raise me to be weak. Just too much sparkle and the right amount of sass to wrangle this fella.
His grunt echoes my thoughts. “Can’t help it, Twinkles. Once I got a taste—”
“La-la-la-la,” Bianca blurts and starts singing “Worst Way” by Riley Green.
I laugh at her antics before addressing the grump towering over me. “Okay, I’ll compromise and give you a heads-up about my plans. I probably would’ve texted this morning but—”
“That reminds me. This is yours.” A new iPhone is pressed into my palm. “Just arrived. I’ve already put myself at the top of your favorites.”
“Shocking,” I laugh. “I’m still not in love with the fact that you bought this for me. ”
His expression hardens. “You’re not paying me back, wife.”
“But it’s not my money.”
“It is, and you’ll get used to spending it.”
“I’ll help,” Bianca volunteers.
“Problem solved.” He tugs on my belt loop, the flirty move melting me against him. “But before you go on a shopping spree, allow me to make up for this rude interruption.”
My smile is effortless. “And how might you do that?”
“Go on a date with me.”
“When?”
“Right now,” he blurts.
“Show isn’t over, husband.” I blindly swat at the competition behind me.
“Then I’ll wait until you’re done.”
I stare at him, suspicion narrowing my eyes into a squint. “Why aren’t you at the office? Shouldn’t you be worrying about making your next billion now that you’re in charge?”
“Didn’t I already tell you? Owning Benson Farmstead isn’t all that matters.” Brody clutches my chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting until our lips meet. “Work can wait. My wife cannot.”