Chapter 3
Chapter Three
V ivian climbed into the cab and kept her eyes straight ahead. The sun was well up by now, spilling the kind of light that sparkled and made the mountains look like a magical painting. Out here in God’s country, a person was small, insignificant. And when she took the time to pay attention to the beauty that surrounded her, it tugged at a part of Vivian she preferred to keep tucked away. That little piece that had managed to survive the death of her mother and, subsequently, the falling away from her family. It was soft. Pliant. Prone to pain.
It was too soft, she thought.
She buckled in, aware of Dallas beside her. The cab was a Laramie and big, but then Dallas was the kind of man who made the space appear tiny. He was big, with shoulders to match his height and the kind of muscle that came from years of working a ranch.
He said nothing, but started up the engine and found a station that played the oldies. Hank, Cash, Cline, as well as some Waylon and Willie. Once they were on the interstate, Vivian relaxed a bit, glad for the music and the silent man who drove beside her.
She wasn’t in the mood for small talk, and she sure as hell didn’t have the strength to fight. In fact, she was so tired, her bones ached. The mattress had been nothing more than fabric pulled over springs with a bit of cushion for good measure. Though truthfully, she could have been lying on a cloud and still had a shit night. She’d been too hyped to sleep. Too angry to do anything but lie across the bed and stare up at a ceiling that had no answers. No wise words to fill the empty spaces inside her.
Spaces she’d thought were filled. Hell, they had been until she’d come back to Montana.
What a dummy I am, she thought, leaning her head against the cool window. She watched the rolling landscape as they drove, and when an old Hank Williams song came on the radio, she closed her eyes. It had been one of her mother’s favorites. She pulled a memory from that sacred place where she kept them, and let it wash over her.
Her mom dancing slowly in the living room, belly big with her brother Cal, as Hank’s sorrowful voice sang about a rolling stone, about being lost and alone. Her mother’s dark hair was always worn long and nearly touched the small of her back. It swayed as her hips moved, and Vivian tried to grab those elusive silky pieces. She giggled as her father came up behind her mom and encircled her with his long arms and big hands. She’d wanted up so badly to be there, in between the two people she loved more than anything, and when her father laughed and scooped her into his arms, she was the happiest she’d ever been. Who knew at four years of age, she would never feel like that again.
“Oh God,” she whispered to herself. Don’t go back there .
Vivian gave herself a mental shake and snuggled into her jacket. She kept her head against the window, and eventually, the heat inside the cab, the lack of sleep and fatigue took over, and after a while, she fell asleep.
She went deep. She dreamed. She remembered.
“Come on, Benton, let me come.” Vivian scowled at her older brother. He was such a pain in the butt. Thought that just because he was five years older than her, he could boss her around and tell her what to do. Or rather, what she couldn’t do.
“I’ll tell Dad you’re going up to the cabin.”
“He won’t care,” Benton shot back, pulling an AC/DC T-shirt over his head. “He’s already drunk.”
“He’ll care tomorrow when he’s sober. No one is supposed to go up there. It’s sacred to him.”
“It’s not sacred. Shit, it barely has four standing walls.” Her brother laughed and shook his head. “And I don’t care about tomorrow. I’m almost nineteen. What the hell is he going to do?”
“That’s because Darlene Goody and Sue Anne Maloney are going to be there.”
His eyebrows shot up at that. “How’d you know?”
She smiled triumphantly. “Darlene told me at cheer practice. She’s my teacher.” She made a face. “She told everyone she was going all the way with you this weekend.”
“Yeah?” he asked. “She said that?”
“Daisy Mae is gonna be mad.”
“Daisy Mae doesn’t know what she wants.”
“If you say so.”
He grabbed a bag and headed for the front door. “You can’t come. Dal and me and the rest of the boys have plans, and they don’t include my skinny fourteen-year-old sister.”
“I’ll be fifteen next week, and you know it.”
“Nope.”
“But—”
The front door slammed shut behind Benton. Vivian ran to the hallway and peeked out the window. Dallas Henhawk was out front, his beat-up and rusted Chevy parked to the side. One of her brother’s best friends, he was a couple of years younger than Bent, but was so big, it didn’t seem to matter. Vivian had known him her whole life. His family lived and worked on the ranch. The ties between the Henhawks and the Bridgestones went back generations.
And though she liked his mom and his dad was nice enough, Vivian didn’t particularly care for Dallas or his sister, Jade. He always thought he was right and seemed to have an opinion on everything. And he liked to boss her around, same as Bent. She studied him as he chatted with her brother. He was smart, she’d give him that. And good-looking. He smiled just then, his teeth white against his tanned skin. Okay, he was more than good-looking. He was probably the most handsome boy she’d ever seen. Save for her baby brother, Cal, who was just the most precious boy. He was going to break a lot of hearts. Even Rosie said so.
But she still didn’t like him.
Benton tossed his bag in the back of Dallas’s truck, and the boys hopped inside. A few moments later, they headed down the lane, a trail of dust following behind them as Vivian watched from her perch inside.
Rosie appeared, tea towel in hand. “Where’d those boys get to?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell because Benton deserved it for being such an ass, but something inside quieted the anger, and instead, she smiled and shrugged.
“Don’t know.”
“Huh.” Rosie knew something was up, but with three other young ones to look after, she let it slide. “I’m making cookies this afternoon. The ones with cinnamon. Could use your help.”
“Sorry,” Vivian said, a plan forming in her mind. “Scarlett or Cal can help. I’ve got homework to do. I’ll be in my room for hours.”
Vivian was not a good liar, but luckily, Ryland appeared, covered in flour, and she was off the hook. She waited until Rosie disappeared with her youngest brother and then ran up to her room. She changed into a two-piece bathing suit and pulled on jeans and her riding boots.
Exactly ten minutes later, she was on horseback, headed up into the mountains toward Blue Ridge. It was a good two-hour ride to get to Founder’s Cabin, and by the time she got there, she was hot and sweaty and ready to dive into the river.
She spied Dallas’s truck parked in front of the cabin, as well as two others. She didn’t recognize the dark Ford, but the pink one was Darlene’s. She slid off Delta, her horse, and walked her down to the water, up from where she heard voices. Once Delta was tied to a tree, Vivian stood there, looking downriver. Now that she was here, what was she going to do? She was younger than her brother and his friends, and while Darlene was nice to her, Vivian suspected it was more about getting in good with Benton.
And Benton had told her not to come.
She eyed the cool water and thought, screw him. I’m here, and I’m going to enjoy the day. She shucked off her jeans and boots and walked into the river. Her bikini was new, navy blue with small yellow cornflowers. It barely covered her breasts (which finally had started to bloom last fall), and she liked how they swelled overtop. It made her feel grown up. Daddy would have a fit if he saw her.
The water was cold, shockingly so, even for this time of year. But it was refreshing, and she found a large rock to lie on and dry off. She closed her eyes and took the time to enjoy the warmth of the sun, the quiet of the wilderness, and the fact that her brother was not the boss of her.
She was almost asleep when she heard a noise and raised her head and shoulders, resting back on her elbows. Vivian glanced around and froze when she spied Dallas and Melody Lynn Weathers. They stood in the river, the water up to Melody’s waist. The girl was leaning into Dallas, flirting, and splashing when he grabbed her closer and kissed her.
He was so big and tall and muscular. He looked like a man, not a seventeen-year-old teenager.
Heat fanned up from Vivian’s stomach. She knew she should look away, but she couldn’t. They didn’t know she was on the rock, not more than thirty feet away. Because if Dallas had known, surely he wouldn’t have let his hand slip below Melody’s bikini bottom. He moved it back and forth, slowly, and it soon became obvious just exactly what it was he was doing, because Melody began to moan and move her hips into him.
Vivian couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t look away. Her body was hot and twitchy. A throb began between her legs, and she slammed her knees together. It was unfamiliar. Exciting. Taboo.
I need to go, she thought in a panic. I shouldn’t be here.
She slowly began to slide off the rock and was nearly clear of the river when she glanced over at them one last time. Her heart nearly shot out of her chest when she found Dallas looking her way. Their eyes clashed and held, and he didn’t let go as he began to untie Melody’s top. He had the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, and a slow, sensual smile rocked his mouth as he began to kiss Melody’s neck.
Vivian wanted to shout, Stop looking at me!
But she couldn’t speak. Her legs were like cement. Her heart was like a hammer. He moved Melody so that Vivian could see exactly what he was doing. His mouth was on her breast, covering her nipple, and his eyes…they were still on Vivian.
Something broke wide open inside her. Something scary. She ran as fast as she could, crashing through the trees until she got to Delta. She untied her horse and was galloping toward home before she was able to catch her breath. He’d been touching Melody Lynn, but it was like he was touching her. Vivian. And holy heck but she liked it.
Vivian woke up with a start, her thoughts still caught up somewhere in that dream that was full of memory. Her face was hot, her mouth full of sawdust.
“We’ve got to make a pit stop.”
“What?” She sounded like a frog was stuck in her throat, so she cleared it, then sat up.
“Mike Paul’s place. We’ve got a mare and foal there.”
She glanced over at Dallas. “The Appaloosa and her colt?”
He frowned and nodded. “I’m hoping for good news.”
Vivian was silent as they pulled into the driveway. Mike Paul was a veterinarian and, at any time, housed a number of sick animals. Dallas cut the engine and hopped out of the truck without another word. Like she didn’t count. Or didn’t exist.
She yanked on the door handle and slid from the truck. “Hey,” she said. “How long are you going to be?”
He didn’t bother to stop or turn around. “No clue.”
God, he made her so fucking mad. She raised both hands and gave him the middle-finger salute when he disappeared from view. After a few moments, she decided to head inside as well. Not because of Dallas. Nope. She needed to stretch her legs. Besides, Mike Paul was a terrible flirt, and her ego could use a boost.
The compound housed several outbuildings along with Mike Paul’s house. The smallest, the office, was across the way. Through the window, Vivian spied Arlene Mathews on the phone, frowning as she peered up at a large computer screen. Beside her was a big tomcat, who seemed to be just as interested in whatever it was she was looking at. Arlene looked up just then, her short black hair a sharp contrast to her pale face. Her glasses magnified her eyes in a way that made her look like a bug. The woman was in her late fifties, and nice enough, but Vivian knew she was tight with Mary Margaret Christchurch, the biggest gossip in Big Bend.
Vivian gave a small wave before walking toward the largest outbuilding. She supposed she looked ridiculous in her shiny black coat, four-inch heels, day-old makeup, and ratty hair. She knew it looked as if she were taking the proverbial walk of shame. She also supposed considering Arlene’s friendship with Mary Margaret, it would be all over town by the evening.
Not that she cared. That was something she’d learned to stop doing a long time ago. She was a Bridgestone, after all, and around these parts, being a Bridgestone meant that people paid attention. It was one of at least one hundred reasons why she’d left all those years ago. She was finding it hard to figure out exactly why she was still here. Scarlett’s wedding was long over, and Jack had expected her back in Alaska weeks ago.
Jack. Shit. She owed him a phone call. She made a mental note to get hold of him as soon as she got back to the ranch.
The barn was brightly lit when she walked inside, and Vivian immediately spied Dallas down at the far end with Mike Paul. Both men leaned against a stall and were talking quietly, so she turned in the opposite direction. She passed a pen that held two small calves, and another with a pony that had its front legs wrapped. A small room at the end of the barn caught her attention, so she walked over to it and peered through the window.
There were six kennels inside, all full, three with cats and kittens, the others with dogs. The men were still talking, and she figured she couldn’t hurt anything, so she let herself inside and visited each kennel. The kittens were cute. So were the puppies. But it was the dog in the last kennel that tore at her heartstrings.
For starters, it was the ugliest thing she’d ever seen. A small terrier of some sort, the dog was black, though the fur was shot through with gray, especially around the eyes. The snout was narrow, the eyes cloudy, and it began to bark when she knelt down in front of it. The bark was high pitched and loud. It had barely any teeth left in its head and one of its ears was missing (mostly), but she reached out her hand for a sniff anyway.
At first, the little dog growled and barked, then growled some more, until her soft words coaxed the animal forward. Cautiously, it sniffed her fingers, but laid its ears flat and cowered when she tried to pet it. No doubt it had been hit in the past. Vivian kept up her soft chatter, and after a few moments, the dog got curious enough to lick her hand.
“You poor thing,” she murmured, opening up the kennel door so she could slip inside. “Come here,” she murmured, giving the animal time to get used to her. When the small dog eventually let her pick it up, Vivian held it as close as it would let her. “You’re so small,” she whispered, walking out of the kennel. The dog shook, but burrowed deeper into her embrace as she read the notes pinned to the side of the kennel.
Terrier cross
Female
Spayed
12-14 years of age
Soft food diet
October 15th
Absently, she rubbed the little girl’s head and wondered about the date, which was two days from now. Had the dog been adopted? Vivian wandered back out into the barn, still holding the dog close to her chest. She spied Mike Paul at about the same time he noticed her.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were with Dal.”
“Not surprised. Dal expects me to be a good girl and wait for him in the truck.” Her sarcasm was heavy.
Mike Paul broke stride and, instead of heading outside, came over. “I see you’ve made friends with Lilith.”
“That’s her name?”
Mike Paul shrugged. “That’s what I call her. She’s the queen of hell. Doesn’t normally let anyone touch her.”
“I think she’s sweet.”
Dallas joined them, but remained silent as Mike Paul chuckled, though his smile slowly faded. “You’d be the only one.”
Vivian didn’t like the look on his face. She thought of the placard pinned to the kennel. “What does October fifteenth mean?”
Mike Paul sighed and reached for the dog, who watched warily from the safety of Vivian’s arms. “Unless we find a home for her, she’ll be euthanized.”
“What?” Shocked, Vivian looked down and found the little girl’s eyes on her. “How can you do that?”
“It’s not my call. I’m helping out the shelter by having her here. They’re overcrowded as it is, and on Thursday, I’ve got a young husky coming in with six pups. Another rescue. I don’t have the room, and they can’t take her back.”
“Can’t you take her in yourself? To your house?”
“I tried.” Mike Paul slowly shook his head. “She doesn’t get along with the twodogs I have, and the cat hates her.” She saw his disappointment. “We’ve tried, Viv, but no one seems to want her.”
Vivian knew how that felt. What it meant to mean nothing to anyone. To be forgotten and abandoned. Her gaze moved to Dallas, and she found him watching her closely. Too closely. She needed to get her head right. Lump in her throat, she waited a few seconds before turning back to Mike Paul.
“I’ll take her,” she said softly. “You can’t put her down.” Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. “She might be old and unlovable, but she still deserves to be taken care of. She deserves to live.”
Mike Paul’s hand slowly fell away from the dog. “She’s a lot of work. She’s on a special diet, can’t see all that well, and she’s a diabetic, so she needs insulin shots.”
Vivian looked down at the dog, her decision made. “I don’t care. Give me whatever I need. I’m taking her home with me.”
“What if she’s no good with kids?” Dallas spoke up, his expression unreadable. “Nora and Hank might be a lot for her.”
“She deserves to live.”
“She does,” Dallas replied. “But a dog is a lot of responsibility, and you have a habit of throwing things away when you’re done with them. Remember Gunner?”
“You’re an asshole,” she said through thinned lips. Hurt. The kind that sliced deep and hit her in the chest. “Gunner was yours, and you know it.”
“Hey now,” Mike Paul said lightly. “Let’s keep things civil.”
Dallas took a step forward, and Lilith growled. Then barked, her little body vibrating with energy. She didn’t stop growling until Dallas backed up.
“See?” Mike Paul said, looking from Dallas to Vivian. “Dogs pick up on vibes.”
Vivian glared at Dallas while she cuddled the dog and whispered, “You’ve got great taste in character, Lilith. We’re going to be great friends.”
Vivian sailed past Dallas and followed Mike Paul into his office. She might be crazy for taking in an old, sick dog, but damned if it didn’t feel good. Lilith deserved to live and be loved.
And so did she.