Chapter 10 Cole
CHAPTER TEN
COLE
“What's goin’ on with you?” Cash questions me as he walks into the tack room, hanging up the bridle he was using.
We went out for a ride this morning to condition the two blue roan mares he’s taking to the rodeo this weekend. Not much conversation was had between the two of us while we were in the arena.
“You’ve been weirdly quiet all damn morning.”
“Nothin’s up,” I lie with a shrug. I slide my saddle onto the rack, turning back to him. “I’m good.”
“Come on,” he presses as he walks over to me. He clasps his hand on my shoulder. “You’re my brother. I know you better than anyone else, except maybe Cade. You haven’t been acting like yourself.”
Dammit.
Cash has always been an easy going, go with the flow type of person with everyone but me.
If he wants an answer, he’s going to be persistent as hell until I give him an explanation of some sort.
I suppose we aren’t much different from one another, considering that we’re only separated by eighteen months in age.
I sigh, my shoulders immediately sagging in defeat. “I asked Ella to get dinner and she turned me down.”
Cash’s eyes widen. “Hold on. You asked her to go on a date? I mean, I know you’ve had a little thing for her forever, but I didn’t think you’d ever act on it.”
My forehead creases. “No, I haven’t and not on a date. Just dinner.”
Cash snorts, shaking his head as he releases my shoulder. “Yeah, okay. You were always on her side when we were kids. Always stickin’ up for her and takin’ her side.”
I purse my lips. “Because you guys were always pickin’ on her. She needed someone on her side.” I shake my head at him. “It doesn’t matter anyways. We’re adults now, things are different.”
Cash’s face cracks and laughter spills from his lips.
My fingers twitch with the urge to slap him upside the head, but I resist the temptation.
“I’m sorry,” he chuckles. “I shouldn’t laugh.
I just don’t know how you didn’t see that rejection coming.
She’s Wyatt’s little sister, for god's sake. She knows better than to get involved with a Wild.”
“What’s that have to do with anything?”
“She knows that the legacy we’re building here is more important than anything else.” He shakes his head again. “I think everyone knows that.” He tilts his head to the side. “There’s three of us and none of us have settled down yet.”
He’s not wrong about the legacy we’ve been building.
Running a ranch comes with more responsibilities than I realized I would have.
When the three of us took over the ranch to relieve our parents from managing it, I wasn’t here, so I was more of a voice in the decisions rather than being hands on at the time.
Our parents gave their lives to this ranch and it was only right for us to take that burden away from them.
Neither of them traveled much outside of where the professional rodeo circuit took the two of them years ago.
They decided to leave Wyoming and do some traveling in South America.
After finding an equine sanctuary in Argentina that needed volunteers, they chose to settle there temporarily.
I narrow my eyes on him. “Maybe because none of us have found someone to settle down with yet.”
“Speak for yourself,” he says with a shrug. “I have no plans of ever doin’ that.”
“I’m not sayin’ I do either,” I say defensively. “I just–I don’t know. It was stupid. I thought it would be nice to get dinner and talk to her outside of only seein’ her at work.”
Cash raises an eyebrow. “Are you actually interested in her?”
“I don’t know, Cash.” I let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s Ella.”
He smirks. “Right. Dumb question.” He reaches past me, grabbing the small bucket with leather cleaner and a rag. “Give her some time and ask her again.”
I stare at him. “Isn’t that a little pushy?”
“I prefer to call it persistent, but whatever,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “Stay away from the bar for a while. Let her miss you.”
“I can’t believe I’m actually takin’ advice from you,” I laugh, the sound vibrating in my chest. “This is really coming from the guy who is so allergic to relationships that he broke out in hives when–.”
“We're not talkin’ about me,” he cuts me off, a scowl sitting on his face. “That was one time and I never want to talk about it again.”
“Fine,” I say, holding my hands up. “We’ll never talk about that again.”
“Thank you,” he gives me a curt nod, turning his attention back to his bridle and saddle as he finishes cleaning them. I do the same, cleaning off mine before we go back out to check on the horses.
They’re both rinsed off and washed, tucked away in their stalls with a flake of hay.
“I didn't mean to ask her out, you know?” I admit after a few moments pass as we stare at the horses. “It just kinda happened.”
Cash lifts his shoulders again. “I don't think you were wrong for doin’ it and you can't take it back now. I think it would be best to put a little distance there before you try anythin’ else.”
“How are you even qualified to give advice?”
His eyebrows pull together and he presses his lips into a flat line. “I’m sure I’m not, but you need someone’s help here.” He pauses, a softness entering his gaze. “Which, by the way–thanks for helpin’ me this mornin’.”
“That's what I'm here for,” I remind him with a smile, swinging my arm around the tops of his shoulders. “I'll always have your back in life.”
“I know.” He returns the smile before pushing me away. “Let's go get food somewhere or somethin’... and not at the bar.”
I can't help but laugh as I nod in agreement and wink. “Deal.”