12. Ledger
Ledger
June vaccinates the last calf, and Sterling releases him, while the hands push the last small group back into the pasture.
We get the barn cleaned up and the horses back in their stalls for the night. Everything is sore, but it’s an accomplished sore. It’s that feeling of doing a hard day’s work.
Fletcher pats me on the back as I leave the stables for the day. “Thanks for coming. This would have taken us a few days to do if you and Sterling weren’t here to help.”
“No problem,” I mutter.
“Hey, Ledger?” Fletcher calls for me, and his tone makes me turn.
“Thank you for taking care of my girl.”
I frown. “What are you talking about?”
“She told me she called you to the emergency clinic and explained how you helped her because she was so upset. And I appreciate it. She worries me working so hard and being pregnant.”I shrug.
“I didn’t do anything, Fletch. But I will if you need me to.
And Tate is strong, but I’m sure she knows her limits. ”
He nods. “Thanks, brother.”
“Yup, I’ll see ya’ later. Tell Mama I said bye.”
“Will do,” he says.
I’m happy for my brother and my sister-in-law. I’m looking forward to being an uncle again, but I wonder if I’ll ever be in Fletcher's or Cooper’s shoes. I suppose I already am. But it’s not the same.
Hanging my hat on the hook and placing my boots in their place, I head straight for the shower because I smell like cattle and cow pies.
I don’t hear Shiloh. She must have a shift.
“Hey,” Shiloh says, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
She’s sitting on the couch with a book in her lap.
She laughs. “Did I scare you?”
I frown, and it only makes her laugh more. “I did, didn’t I?”
“Maybe,” I grumble. “I didn’t expect you to be home, figured you had a shift at the bar.”
“Nope, it’s not until later and I’m on standby, but I doubt they’ll call me.”
“Oh, okay,” I mumble.
“So, how was your day?” she asks, trailing her hazel eyes over me.
I don’t know why the question takes me back, but it does. Maybe it’s because no one has ever asked me that. “Uh, busy but productive, we got vaccinations done for the young ones born in April.”
“Sounds like fun,” she says.
“You could say that.”
“Uh, how was your day?” I ask her and cough, clearing the tightness in my throat.
She smiles softly and pushes her curly blond hair out of her face. “Fine, busy, but the diner always is. I made decent tips today, too.”
“That’s good.” I should tell her June is suspicious of us and talk to her about Grey. We’re both avoiding conversations neither of us wants to have. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, I had my check-up, and they said in a few weeks I should be healed up. I have to be careful, but they said the fracture wasn’t terrible, and he surprisingly didn’t make it worse, so it’s healing quickly.”
I nod. “I’m glad to hear that.”
The air feels awkward, but it feels full of things unspoken. There’s a tension there, and I know she’s aware of it because it feels like it’s sitting on top of me right now.
“I’m going to take a shower. I smell like cow shit.”
She burst out laughing. “Yeah, I could smell you from here. I didn’t want to be rude.”
“But you just told me you could smell me from there.”
She tilts her head thoughtfully. “Oh, I did, didn’t I…” she trails off.
“Well, if we’re being honest, I didn’t want to be rude, but those men’s basketball shorts are doing nothing for you.”
Shiloh’s mouth drops open, and I grin at her.
She snaps it closed and lifts an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, why are you looking at me in my baggy shorts anyway, husband?”
I swallow the groan in my chest. “I can’t help that I’m observant, Mrs. Hayes.”
Shiloh slips her bookmark into the book and stands from the sofa. “Then observe this, Mr. Hayes,” she says and pushes her shorts down, kicking them to the side, leaving her in a lacy pair of panties.
Dammit Ledger, you are playing with fire, and she is going to burn you.
But I won’t back down now. I snap my eyes back to hers and she’s giving me a satisfied, I won this time smile.
I pull my shirt out from my waist and yank it open so the snap buttons give. Her eyes widen as they trail over my body, but mine remain on her face as her cheeks turn pink. She clearly didn’t think I was up to the challenge.
I slowly unbuckle my belt and leave it hanging as I flip the button of my jeans and take a step forward. “You know, I do like gambling, but you need to remember something.”
“Yeah? What’s that?” she asks, her eyes still everywhere but on mine as her chest moves up and down with her rapid breathing.
Standing in front of her, I take her chin, and her lips part as I lean in close enough to feel her breath. “The house always wins,” I whisper, and drop my hand, leaving her standing there.
I don’t know what game I’m playing. I don’t know what game she’s playing, but it can’t end well. Can it? No.
We have an expiration date.
I get in the shower and leave the water ice-cold, trying to numb all my nerve endings. Maybe I can shake myself from the chokehold she seems to have on me. Even if I could, I’m not sure it would solve anything. It’s only going to get worse.
When I finish my shower, Shiloh is in her room with the door closed, and I swear I hear her crying.
As I start dinner, I can’t find my skillet.
None of my pans aren’t in the places they should be.
I can’t find my wooden spatula. Shiloh. I want to ask why she keeps moving my things, but I grit my teeth and look for them anyway.
When I find it, it’s next to the drawer with silverware.
In fact, she moved all of my cooking utensils closer to the stove.
Taking a step back, I look at the drawer and then turn, looking at the drawer I originally had them in, in the island.
I have to admit, this is a better spot. Dammit.
Settling in for a quiet night, I flip on the game to watch from the dinner table and shove tacos into my face.
“Ahh!”
I leap from my seat and burst into her room. “What? What’s wrong?”
She’s glued to the wall furthest away from the window, looking between me and the window with wide eyes.
“Is someone there?” I ask her. I need to grab my gun.
“No, I don’t think so.”
I frown, trying to calm my racing heart. I thought something was actually wrong. “Then why did you scream?”
She points to the window. “There’s a bug. I didn’t see it, but there’s a bug over there.”
I sigh and give her a look.
“Seriously?”
“Can you please … handle it or something?”
I sigh and stride over to her window, then it buzzes. I take a step back, heart pounding. I hate those damn things.
“What is it? Is it poisonous or something? Is it one of those scary spiders?” she asks.
“No, I uh, I think it’s a moth.”
“Oh, those aren’t as bad.”
I wince taking a step back.
“What are you doing? Get it!” she says shrilly.
“I don’t like those things. They’re like butterflies.”
“No, they aren’t. They’re way scarier.”
I huff and step back, looking for a magazine.
“You’re the man of the house, so handle it!”
I sigh, wondering how I’m going to get the window open and shoo it out before it flies back into the room, and pray it doesn’t touch me.
“Wait, you’re afraid of … butterflies?” she asks, her tone isn’t scared anymore. I can hear the laughter in it.
“They freak me out, okay? Their weird legs and those creepy eyes. If you tell anyone, I will deny it,” I say, pointing to her.
She smiles, holding her hands up. “Your secret is safe with me, sheriff.”
I roll my eyes and take a breath, moving quickly, lifting the shades, then unlocking the window. I wave my hand to push the moth out. It flies out into the night, and I quickly snap the window shut and lock it.
“There. Happy?” I grumble.
“Thank you!” She yells before I slam her door behind me.
Damn moths.
Then someone knocks on my front door. But I’m not expecting anyone.
So much for a quiet night.
My gun is in the safe, and I’m not prepared like I should be.
Adrenaline already high, I slowly approach the door. The small window at the top keeps whoever is standing on the porch from seeing me approach, and I check the peephole.
Shit.
“Dude, I know you’re home. I saw you two hours ago. Let me in,” Sterling calls.
I puff out a breath and scramble for excuses as I open the door.
“Hey, I brought beer; figured you’d want to watch the game with me,” Sterling says, holding up a six-pack.
He looks around me and behind him at Shiloh’s Jeep, then he grins widely. “Do you have a lady friend over?”
Then I hear her bedroom door open. Am I in a play? Is this a joke? Please tell me she’s wearing pants.
“Hello there,” Sterling says, slipping past me and rushing Shiloh.
I push the door closed and our eyes meet over his shoulder, and thankfully she’s wearing shorts, only this time they aren’t her baggy ones they’re the ones that hug her ass perfectly, too short for comfort, but I like them on her anyway.
“I’m Sterling,” he says, holding out his hand even though he knows exactly who she is.
Shiloh rolls her eyes and pops her hip out, ignoring his hand. “Sterling, you know exactly who I am.”
He grins and looks at me over his shoulder. “I do, but that doesn’t mean I can’t reintroduce myself. I’m a gentleman, and it’s been a while.”
She rolls her eyes and shuffles to the fridge, pulling out a Coke. “Ever the charmer, Sterling,” she says deadpan.
“Hey, it comes naturally,” he says, gesturing to his body.
His flirty tone makes me bristle, and I know it shouldn’t, but it does.
“You know what else could come naturally?” Shiloh asks.
Sterling hums, completely enamored by her, and a little part of me loves that she’s barely giving him the time of day.
“A swift kick in the balls. Back off, Sterling,” she says and goes back to her room, but as she closes the door, she meets my eyes again, and I swear she says I have nothing to worry about before she closes the door softly.
“I like her. How did that happen?” Sterling asks, spinning on his heel and grabbing a beer.
“Nothing happened,” I mumble.
He huffs. “You’re kidding, right?” he asks.