Chapter Sixteen
A warm breeze flows in through the cab from the open window on the passenger side, bringing with it the sweet scent of honey and sugar that I’ve quickly realized is just her.
Her head is leaning back on the chair; chin tilted to the breeze and the view of the mountains that pass by in a blur of grays and greens.
“I’ll do better,” Juni eventually speaks, turning her focus to me as I drive us toward Beth’s house to collect Rosie and Caleb. They’re on summer break, and while I try to keep them with me most of the time, some days it isn’t possible with the lessons I need to teach.
“It’s only day one,” I rest one arm on the door and force myself to relax even though my hands itch to reach for the one strand of blonde hair that won’t stay tucked behind her ear, the wind teasing it out every time she tries to tuck it away.
“I know,” she sighs, “But I was just… distracted. I’ll do better, I promise.”
Distracted? By what? Who?
My hand tightens on the steering wheel. I didn’t miss the way some of my guys were looking at her, and the students I was teaching.
She’s hard to miss, especially since she’s literally walking sunshine.
I’d snuck my own glances, but at least I was fucking subtle about it.
Not like the dumbasses that were practically drooling, tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths.
But was she distracted by one of them?
I shouldn’t fucking care, but it doesn’t stop the heat unfurling in my gut.
Not. Mine. She is not mine.
I’m saved from asking her exactly what she was distracted by when I pull up outside Beth’s house, the front door immediately swinging open since my kids had had their noses pressed to the glass waiting for me.
It replaces the jealousy in my gut with warmth, the complete one eighty of my emotions leaving me dizzy for just a moment. I manage to get out in time to catch Rosie throwing herself at me, arms going around my neck in a tight hug that almost cuts off my air supply.
“Hey bug,” I laugh, loosening her arms, “Did you miss me?”
“The most!” She replies, “You were gone forever.”
“Just the normal amount,” I correct her, adjusting her to sit on my hip so I can put my arm around Caleb in a much more subtle greeting.
“Hey Dad,” he waves back to Beth as he tugs open the back door to climb into the truck, pausing for a minute when he realizes Juni is in the front.
“Hi, Miss Juni,” he greets her in a quiet voice, strapping himself in.
Juni leans around the seat to beam at him, giving him a wide smile and I can see her mouth moving, but I don’t hear what she’s saying since Caleb shut the door already.
Waving to Beth, I round the car to put Rosie in her car seat, tuning in midway through their conversation.
“There’s going to be a meteorite shower this weekend,” Caleb is leaning forward, his hands on the back of Juni’s chair, “The guy on the TV said to watch for them between ten and two a.m. as long as there are no clouds.”
“That’s so exciting,” Juni’s expression is completely open, soft, “Are you going to watch it?”
Caleb nods animatedly, “If Dad will let me.”
“Of course you can, bud,” I join in. “Maybe we can set the bed of the truck up like we did last summer.”
His eyes light up, “Can we, Dad? Please. Juni can come too. Dad knows the best spots for looking at the stars, don’t you, Dad?”
Chuckling, I answer, “The best ones.”
“I’d love to see the stars,” Juni speaks directly to my son. “Thank you for inviting me.”
My son leans back in his chair with a bright smile on his face, a real one, not shy or forced like it has been before.
I meet Juni’s eyes, hoping to convey how much I appreciate her for the way she speaks to him.
She has no idea our story, his story, but it’s as if she has sensed he needs more.
A touch of color blooms on her cheeks after a few long seconds of our eye contact, and she’s the first one to drop it, turning back around.
Giving Beth another quick wave, I climb back into the truck to take us back to the ranch.
We try to have family dinners weekly, fitting them in around our busy schedules, even though one of us is always missing.
The youngest of the three of us ran off to join the rodeo the moment he was able to after our mom passed.
I watch him every chance I can get when he’s competing, but the kids miss him, and while I’d never admit it to his face—he’d take far too much pleasure in that—I do too.
I’m close to Roman, but growing up, he was always busy.
As the oldest, he’d always been the one destined to take on Knight Falls Ranch, and he took on that responsibility as if he were made for it, but it did leave Remy and me alone most of the time.
We rib each other to no end, and he pisses me the hell off, but he’s a good man, and it terrifies me that one day he won’t walk out of that arena.
It’s no secret the youngest Knight brother has a reckless streak, throwing himself into danger the moment it shows itself.
Our therapist would suggest it’s because that’s how he handles the trauma of our mother passing, and I’m not sure I would disagree.
Being a Knight isn’t easy; the weight of our name alone pushes a burden onto our shoulders, but none of us would change.
We come from generations of hard workers, from men and women who helped build this town up when it was first founded during the Gold Rush.
It would have died along with the rest of the towns that did after the Gold Rush ended if not for what the Knights had built.
I make a note to give Remy a call later, just to check in on him.
By the time I pull up to the ranch, the light of day is slipping away, the mountains rising up like sentient guards standing tall as the peaks reach for the dusty, cloudless sky. Rosie and Caleb bundle out, sprinting toward the main house, but Juni is slower, hesitant to get out.
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to be here? I don’t mind heading back.”
“Juni, you’re welcome here.” I assure her, reaching for her hand so I can link my pinky with hers. She drops her eyes to where we meet, a breath passing her lips before she reaches for the handle and breaks the connection. I try to pretend my skin doesn’t burn where her touch just was.
Fuck. I’m so goddamn toasted here.
Inside, I can smell dinner cooking in the kitchen; my brother having whipped up a full three-course meal like he always does. I do it sometimes, but it’s rare, and I can hear Niamh with the kids in the living room as the little bell around their cat’s neck jingles as she darts around the room.
“You made it,” Niamh greets Juni, immediately taking her away from me to talk while I seek out my brother.
He’s in the kitchen already pouring me a helping of the whiskey.
“An investigation has been opened,” my brother says by way of greeting.
I’d let Roman in on the details I’d found while being on Calvin’s ranch, and I’d handed over the information I’d dug up, though it had been little.
While I can get information, Roman’s able to do more with it.
He has connections I don’t, people in higher places he can call in a favor with.
Calvin will be shut down, there’s no doubt about it; I just need to be patient and wait for the call.
We have space here for some of his horses, and I can hire extra workers to care for them, but I’ve also already started calling around to other ranches in the area who may have space for them too.
It won’t be a simple process, but I’ll accept no other outcome.
“They’re moving quickly,” he continues, “I know a few officers were dispatched today to perform checks.”
I nod and sip my whiskey. “There’s one horse there I need to get as soon as possible.”
His eyes flick behind me, but I know she isn’t there; I’d have felt her presence.
“Hers?” he asks.
I nod, “Not sure how I’m going to do it without tipping Calvin off on Juni’s whereabouts.”
“You can’t hide her forever.” He says.
“No, but I can give her a couple of weeks of peace.” I sigh, “It’s the least she deserves. If he doesn’t know where she is, he can’t intimidate her to go back.”
Roman nods, “Give it a couple of days, see what happens with the investigation, then we can figure out the situation with her horse. We need to stay on the right side here, Silas.”
I grunt in agreement even if I’d rather fucking trash the place and take the horses. It would harm the case and possibly Juni if I let my anger talk instead of my head.
“Pop down to the bar tomorrow,” Niamh hugs Juni before she steps onto the porch to join me. “I can schedule you in for a few nights a week.”
“Thank you,” Juni says, waving goodbye. The walk back to the truck is quiet; the kids are tired and ready for bed, the ranch around us silent and settled for the night. The air is still warm, a gentle breeze swaying the long grass in the field beside us.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay working two jobs?” I ask her once I’ve got the kids in the back. It’s only a quick ride back down the driveway, but I still demand they buckle up, regardless.
“I’ll be alright,” Juni whispers, “I need the money.”
I fucking hate it but I don’t say anything. She needs this, and who am I to take or ask anything from her?
When we get back to the house, she helps me get the kids inside since they both promptly passed out.
So while I carry Caleb, she wraps Rosie up, following me inside where I show her through to Rosie’s bedroom.
Once Caleb has been changed and tucked in, I return to find Juni sitting on the small chair set up in the corner of Rosie’s bedroom, my daughter curled up on her lap.
“I wasn’t sure what to do,” Juni whispers, “I didn’t want to wake her.”
“It’s okay,” I begin the process of unwrapping my daughter from her, shifting her until I can take her weight and then cross over to her bed. Juni lets herself out while I get my daughter changed into her pajamas and then tuck her in, turning on her nightlight on the way out.
When I return to the living room, it’s to the woman who seems to have stolen all my thoughts.
She has her back to me, facing the window and the darkened landscape beyond.
The silhouette of the mountains looks far more ominous and threatening now they are dipped in shadow, only the sharpest edges highlighted by the silvery touch of the moon.
She tilts her face toward me, barely glancing over her shoulder, but I feel the brush of her eyes, the way they land on me and drag, looking over every inch before they return to the window.
“Thank you for inviting me tonight.” When her voice is soft like this, quiet, that rasp of hers deepens, becoming a vibration over my skin. The hair on the nape of my neck stands up in response, followed by goosebumps that cover my arms.
“You’re always welcome.” As much as I want to go to her, I don’t. Instead, I turn into the kitchen to grab some water from the fridge. “You’re good with them.”
This has her attention, and she slips away from the window, crossing to the couch to rest on the arm. “They’re really sweet kids.”
“They are,” I am never able to hide the pride in my smile whenever someone tells me how great my children are. I know it, but for the world to see it too—it shows I can at least do one thing right.
I didn’t have the best upbringing, but I guess my father showed me everything not to do with your children. I wanted to be the complete opposite of the man I share DNA with.
“Rosie loves you,” I spin my water between my hands, “But Caleb,” I meet her eyes, “He’s a quiet child, doesn’t trust easy and it usually takes a while for him to warm up and talk to new people but for whatever reason, I can see that’s different with you.
He doesn’t even invite my brothers to watch the stars. ”
Her eyes widen slightly, “He doesn’t?”
“We don’t do it often, but when we do, he only ever wants me and Rosie. You’re the first person he’s invited.”
Her hand presses to her chest, “I don’t—” She cuts herself off, “Why?”
“Kind heart,” the words immediately leave me, but there is only truth there and nothing less. “You have every reason to hate the world, and yet you don’t. Kids see that.”
Tapping my knuckles on the counter, I dip my chin, “Get some sleep, Honeybee. I’ll see you in the morning.”
A content sounding sigh lowers her shoulders, and her eyes are soft as she looks to me, “Good night, Silas.”