Chapter 2
“T hat’s over ten miles now, and all I’ve seen is open fields.” I slam my head back against the car headrest and look up at the roof.
How has my life come to this?
“That’s the beauty of the place, darling. Just look at all this scenery.”
“We both know the only beauty you see in this place is old man Carson’s bank balance.
” The suggestion earns me an immediate death stare and her eyes flick towards the driver, her fiancé sent to pick us up from the airport, just to remind me we’re not alone.
His eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror, and when he smirks, I roll my eyes at him.
“I won’t have you call him that again. Bill Carson is a very kind, handsome and well-respected man.” Mom takes the compact from her purse and uses it to reapply her lipstick while I shift my body, so I can avoid her and stare out the window.
I’m in no mood to be hearing all the wonderful things about her latest victim.
I can guarantee that, right now, Bill probably feels like the luckiest man on the planet.
There’s no denying that my mother’s an attractive woman.
She’s fun, spirited and will go above and beyond to please.
Unfortunately for Bill, this version of her only lasts until the ring is on her finger.
Some learn quicker than others that all she really is, is a bottom-feeder with a touch of class.
Over the eighteen years of my life, my mom has pulled some selfish stunts, but this has to be up there with the worst of them.
I had a good life in L.A., great friends, a busy social life and my mother’s decided to take me away from all of that so she can marry some rich, old rancher that lives over a thousand miles away.
Because of that decision I miss out on the blow-out summer with all my friends that I deserve, before I start art school in the fall.
Bill Carson will be mom’s fifth husband in eight years, and as much as I’d like to think he’s her end game, I know my mother is always looking to upgrade.
“We’re here,” she eventually taps my leg to get my attention. When the car turns, and we drive through the fancy ,wood-carved gate that reads Copper Ridge Ranch, I can’t help feeling deflated by all the fun I’m gonna miss out on back home.
“At least pretend to be happy about this, darling,” she whispers, taking in a deep breath and pasting on a smile ready for her grand arrival.
I have to admit the place looks impressive.
We drive up a track that's lined with white fences, and I notice a few horse corrals and the huge out-buildings that are scattered around. Due to Mom's past conquests, I’ve lived in some extravagant places over the years. This place is different. It’s nothing like the glamorous mansions with palm trees and backyard pools in L.A.
Here it’s rustic, and with all the people bustling around the yard and doing various jobs, it’s a little chaotic too.
The car pulls to a stop, and when the driver gets out to open Mom's door, I climb out behind her and take in the large, luxurious cabin in front of me. I always thought cabins were supposed to be small and quaint. This one is huge, and yet it still has that homely vibe you’d expect.
There’s a porch that looks as though it wraps all the way around the house, and I’m just admiring the swinging chair that hangs from it, when the front door bursts open, and a man wearing jeans, a blue shirt and a Stetson storms out onto the yard.
“Hello there.” Mom immediately shows him her pearly whites, and he doesn’t even give her the respect of an acknowledgement. The arrogant asshole just marches right past us, gets into a pick-up truck, and kicks up dust as he skids off.
Mother doesn’t let his rudeness knock the smile from her face, and when another guy dressed almost the same steps out onto the porch, he immediately gets my attention.
He looks a little older than the other one, and although he doesn’t acknowledge us either, I get the impression it isn’t out of arrogance.
I watch him move to the far end of the porch, clutching the wood rail in his hands and making a heavy sigh that suggests he’s got something on his mind, as he looks out at the mountain range in the distance.
I can’t recall ever seeing a man as handsome as he is.
Maybe it’s because he’s different from all the boys back in L.A.
, who get weekly haircuts and fill their Instagram with pictures of themselves at the gym.
Or maybe it’s because he isn’t a boy at all.
What I’m looking at right here, is a man.
A rugged, rough man with chiseled features that make it impossible for me to stop staring at him.
I can’t quite see what his hair is like because of the hat he’s wearing, but I’m guessing it’ll be dark, just like his overgrown stubble.
He closes his eyes and lowers his head like he’s holding the weight of the world on his shoulders and, for a few short seconds, I forget how sorry I feel for myself, so I can wonder what’s troubling him.
“How ya doin’?” I get distracted by the voice that comes from the front door, and when I look toward it, I see another handsome guy step out of the house. At least this one has a welcoming smile on his face.
“Welcome to Copper Ridge,” he tells us, and when Mom holds out her hand for him, he takes it and winks over the top of it before he kisses her. The giggle she makes is pathetic, and I have to look away out of embarrassment.
“Name’s Wade,” he introduces himself.
“Pleased to meet you, Wade. I’m Cora, and this is my daughter, Maisie.”
Wade lifts his hat slightly from the front and with a dirty smirk on his lips, his eyes take their time scanning me over.
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” Mom keeps that fake smile firmly in place. “Wade, here, is a rodeo star,” she tells me, and I nod my head courteously so I at least appear interested.
“I don’t know about a star, but I’m pretty hot shit,” he tells me before heading for the trunk.
“I got these, Dalton.” He takes the suitcases from the guy who picked us up from the airport, and dismisses him with a nod of his head.
“Ma’am,” Dalton smiles at me before taking his order and heading off in the direction of one of the stables.
“Follow me ladies. Let me show you into your new home.” Wade turns to lead us toward the house, and I throw Mom a scowl before we follow him.
As I make my way up the porch steps, my focus gets distracted again by the tall, handsome stranger, who still doesn’t seem to have any intention of acknowledging our arrival.
It pisses me off. I want his attention. I want him to look at me the way Wade just did, and I’m really curious as to what’s got him so preoccupied.
I’m just about to step through the door when his head turns to look over his shoulder, and when his dark, brown eyes peer into mine, the warning they heed sets a chill over my skin.
His lips remain straight, and I take the slight nod of his head as his version of a greeting.
It’s rude and unwelcoming, but I can’t help being attracted to the edge of danger I sense from him. And for the first time in over a week, I smile as I follow my mom inside.
“Welcome,” I assume the man, who kisses my mother when we get inside, is Bill. He isn’t quite as old as I imagined him to be, and he’s much more handsome than her last husband.
“You must be Maisie.” He smiles, stepping forward and taking my hands in his.
“I've had a room prepared for you. Your mother tells me you’ll be leaving us in a few months for college, but that room is yours now. I want you to think of this ranch as your home.” I sense the sincerity in his words, but it still doesn’t make me want to be here.
“Wade, why don’t you take Maisie and show her where her room is? She's in the guest room next to Garrett’s.” He speaks to his son and then turns his attention to me again.
“Freshen yourself up, unpack, explore, do whatever you want to do. We’re having a family dinner tonight so make sure you're at the table for seven.” He steps towards my mother, wrapping his arm around her shoulders before leading her away.
“Come on, I’ll take you to your room.” Wade leads me to the staircase and then up to the landing that looks down over the cozy, but spacious, living area.
He tries to make polite conversation by asking me how the journey was and what I’m going to study when I start college, and I make it hard by only giving him one word answers.
He stops and opens a door for me, and when I step inside the room, I suddenly feel even further away from L.A.
The bed is made of wood, and the curtains and bedspread are made from heavy, tribal patterned fabric.
Nothing in here really matches, and yet it goes together well. The room has a warm, comforting vibe that makes it feel homely. But this is not my home. If the years taught me anything, it’s to not get too comfortable anywhere.
“You got a good view out onto the yard,” Wade lifts my case onto the bed and moves to look out the window.
“And in the winter months, you’re gonna really appreciate that fire,” he gestures his head toward the open fire that’s on the other side of the room.
I can’t recall ever seeing a fireplace in someone’s bedroom before.
“I’m not gonna be here in the winter months. I just have to get through the summer.” I let out a long, heavy sigh and join him to look out the window.
“You’ll be back for holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas,” he points out.
“Don’t count on it.” Mom is a big fan of living lavishly. She enjoys nights out in fancy restaurants and trendy cocktail bars. I can’t see this one lasting very long.
The yard is busy, everyone seems to be bustling around, doing their jobs, and this is nothing like what I imagined my summer to look like.
“Bathroom’s just down the hall. You can freshen up there.” Wade smiles like he can sense how sad I am. I don’t want his pity. I want to be back in L.A., with my friends.
“I’ll see ya at dinner,” nodding his head, he moves out the door, closing it behind him.
I take a shower and stay in my room until it’s time to head down for dinner, like Bill requested. Bill sits at the head of the table and mother has already settled into her role as lady of the house, sitting at the opposite end with a satisfied look on her face.
Wade stands up as soon as he notices me, and he pulls out the chair beside him for me to sit down.
I nod my gratitude before taking a seat, and when I realize that the handsome guy I saw on the porch earlier is sitting directly opposite me, I start to feel nervous.
I can feel his eyes watching me as I pick up my napkin and lay it across my lap.
“I don’t think you’ve been introduced to my eldest son, Maisie. This here’s, Garrett, and his bite’s way worse than his bark.” Bill chuckles at his own joke while Garrett nods his head at me, in the same subtle way he did earlier.
“Pleased to meet you,” I manage to smile, despite the fact my cheeks feel like they’re on fire. Then I almost jump out of my skin when a woman comes out of nowhere. Leaning over my shoulder to place a plate in front of me. A very loaded plate that contains a slab of meat almost the size of my head.
“Maisie, this is Josie. Let her know if you have any dietary requirements, and she’ll get it catered to,” Bill introduces the woman, who seems much younger than most other housekeepers I’ve encountered. She’s attractive, with mid-length, chestnut-coloured hair and a welcoming smile.
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Wildman.” She bows her head to me, and I smile at her politely, trying not to be intimidated by the half a cow I’ve got on my plate.
“Hope you like steak,” Wade nudges me with his shoulder and snorts a laugh before he picks up his knife and fork and digs into his food like he’s been starved.
I pick up my cutlery and try not to look across at Garrett. Now that he isn’t wearing his hat, I can see him properly; and if it’s possible, he looks even more appealing.
His dark, brown hair is short at the back and sides and a little longer on top. If it wasn’t pushed over to one side, it would hang over those hooded eyes of his, and I can’t help wondering what that might look like.
You can tell, just from looking at Garrett, that he’s a real man. He’s got cuts and scrapes on his hands, and now that his shirt sleeves are rolled up I can see the veins in his forearms. It’s not until Mother strikes up a conversation that I realize my attempts not to look at him have failed.
“Bill, I’m sure you told me you had three sons.”
The old man glances at the empty space that’s been laid at the table and clears his throat.
“Unfortunately, Cole couldn’t join us tonight. He’s…”
“Pissed at the fact you're marrying a woman half your age, who you’ve only known for three months,” my mouth runs away with me, and while Wade almost chokes on his steak with amusement, Garrett appears unimpressed by my outspokenness.
“Maisie!” Mother blushes, then gives me a warning glance when she thinks no one’s looking.
“No, Cora, please. Maisie is right. Cole isn’t happy about the arrangement.
He never did get over what happened with his mother.
But he will come around. He’ll have to, because nothing’s changing.
” The way Bill stares me down almost dares me to argue, and it reveals a different side to him.
Thankfully, Wade quickly makes an attempt to break the tension.
“Since you’ll be spending the summer here, you’re gonna need to learn how to ride, and there ain’t no better teacher than me. I gotta few weeks before my next competition, if you want to be taught by the master.”
“I can’t see that happening.” I shake my head and take a sip of my water, trying to ignore the fact that Garrett is still drilling me with his eyes, across the table.
“You have to learn to ride. You can’t be part of this family and not know how to ride a horse,” Wade laughs, and it feels awkward when the rest of the room remains silent.
“Yeah, well, I never asked to be part of this family, and I certainly never asked to spend my summer out here in the ass-end of nowhere. I appreciate your offer Wade, but it won’t be required.” When Wade drops his head to look at his plate, I feel a little guilty for snapping.
I’m fully aware of how rude I’m being, and he seems like a nice enough guy. He shouldn’t have to take the brunt of my anger.
We spend the rest of the meal in silence, and as soon as Garrett's finished his last mouthful, he wipes his mouth with a napkin and stands up from the table.
“You ready, Wade?” he growls at his brother, as he picks up his hat and places it back on his head.
“Hell yeah, I’m ready!” Wherever they’re going, Wade seems excited about it. He practically leaps onto his feet.
“Remember what I said.” Bill gives Garrett a stern look as he heads out the dining room, closely followed by Wade, who at least has the courtesy to say goodbye.