Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
brADY
M y phone is vibrating in my pocket, waking me. I open my eyes and frown, then check the time.
It’s not even seven.
Which means that Abbi and I got about two hours of sleep.
My phone stops vibrating, and I sit here in the chair, watching the woman I can’t seem to get enough of and Daisy curled up together on the couch where they landed after the last round of violent vomiting from the poor little girl. How she had that much in her to throw up, I’ll never know. They’re sleeping peacefully, and after last night, I have a whole new respect for Abbi. How she manages to do this on her own, day after day, is beyond me. The two of us pitched in throughout the night, and it was still exhausting.
My phone vibrates again, so I pull it out and check it.
I’ve missed two calls from my agent, and Rem just texted.
Rem: Let’s meet for coffee at Millie’s. I’m headed there now.
I sigh and run my hand down my face. I do need coffee, and it looks like the girls are going to sleep for a while anyway. So, I stand and push my feet into my boots, grab my jacket, and then return to the couch, where I gently kiss them each on the head.
Abbi’s eyes crack open, and I shake my head at her.
“Sleep,” I whisper before kissing her again. I can’t keep my lips off of this woman. “I have to go, but I’ll call you later. Just get some rest.”
“Thank you,” she whispers in return and then falls back to sleep, and I turn to the door. I push the button on the keypad that locks it behind me and then head for the 4Runner, but before I start it and leave, I return Sandy, my agent’s, call.
“Wild,” she says with a happy smile in her voice.
“Sandy, why are you calling me before the sun is up on a Saturday?”
“The sun is up in New York,” she counters, “and you know that I don’t take days off. Honey, I’ve got some big news. Huge.”
“Okay, what’s going on?”
“Sponsorships are starting to pour in for the coming season. You have three offers, and none of them want a non-compete, so we can sign with all three if you want to.”
She outlines the terms for a popular cowboy boot company, a hat manufacturer, and a denim company. I wear all of them on a regular basis. And all of them want to pay me well into the seven figures. Jesus.
“They all want me?”
“That’s right. You’re hot stuff, you know. All the cowboys want to be you. Of course, you’ll need to travel to LA for photo shoots?—”
“No.”
“What was that? I know for a fact you didn’t just tell me no.”
“I can’t travel, Sandy. I’m a real cowboy, and we’re in the middle of a bitch of a winter. If they want photo shoots and video, they’ll have to come to me.”
“Hmm.” I can practically hear her tapping her long fingernail on her chin. “You know what, that’s good. Can they shoot at the ranch?”
“I’ll double-check with my brother, but I don’t see why not. They’ll have to pay for it.”
“Of course, honey. You know I have your back there. Okay, let me make some calls, and I’ll take care of it. Talk soon.”
She hangs up before I can even reply, and I sit for another moment, not a little shocked.
This will be the highest-grossing year of my career. It’s a good thing I have my brother, Ryan, helping me with investments.
Pulling out of Abbi’s driveway, I head into downtown and park in front of Bitterroot Valley Coffee Co. My little sister, Millie, bought this place last year. She’s changed a few things in the past year, bought new tables, updated the signs, and added some things to the menu. We’re all damn proud of our baby sister.
I’m the only one in the place when I walk inside, and I grin when Millie smiles over at me.
“Good morning,” she says. “You want your usual?”
“How do you remember everyone’s usual ?” I ask her, leaning on the counter.
“Steel trap,” she replies, tapping her head. “You want?”
“Yes, please.”
“I hear you spent the night with Abbi.” She turns and grins at me, and I narrow my eyes.
“How the hell did you hear that?”
“Well, Rem told Erin that you were there when he took Daisy home, and Erin called me this morning. Not to gossip, we had to talk about the New Year’s Eve party for the collective, but she happened to mention it to me. So. Spill it.”
“Fuck that.”
“Come on.” She finishes my coffee and adds a lid. “She’s my friend, and you’re my brother. Don’t give me details, because gross, but what’s going on? Are you a thing? Are you sleeping together?”
“We’re…” I shrug and sip my coffee. “Friends. I helped with Daisy. She was really sick.”
“Poor baby,” Millie says, frowning. “Was she better this morning?”
“They were sleeping when I left. Hopefully, she’s through the worst of it. I’m meeting Rem here.”
“I know. Erin called.” Millie winks at me. “And you’re not going to tell me any more, are you?”
“No.” I sip again. “I’m not.”
The bell over the door chimes when Remington walks in, takes his hat off, and nods at us. “Mornin’.”
“Good morning,” we reply in unison.
“How’s Holly this morning?” I ask him.
“Sleeping. Puked her guts out last night. Daisy?”
“Same.”
“He won’t tell me anything,” Millie says as she passes Rem his coffee. “It’s damn annoying.”
“Nothing to tell,” I reply, ignoring them when they both narrow their eyes at me. “Let’s sit.”
I gesture to a table, and Rem and I have a seat. A few seconds later, Millie walks over with two slices of huckleberry-lemon pound cake.
“On the house,” she says with a wink. “’Cause I love you.”
She bustles away, and I take a bite.
“Damn, this is good. So, what’s up? Do you want to drill me about Abbi, too?”
“Not drill,” Remington replies slowly, watching me. He’s always been the most serious, the broodiest out of all of us. And although I’m close to all of my siblings, Rem is the one I’m closest to. “But I am curious.”
“I like her.” I shrug. “It’s really that simple.”
“Yeah, except you don’t date.”
I nod, thinking it over. He’s not wrong. “Not usually. We talked about it last night, and we’re just taking it one day at a time for now, and we’re both okay with that. I’m not dicking with her or lying to her. I’m not an asshole.”
“Not usually,” he echoes.
“She’s a good mom,” I say quietly, fidgeting with my coffee cup. “And Daisy’s the sweetest. I tried to stay away, but damn it, I’m attracted to her. She’s so fucking beautiful. Who wouldn’t be attracted to her? Hell, I was pissed last night. Mad at myself, irritated with her. So, I went downtown, and Jen ended up being there.”
His eyes narrow, and now I can’t stop talking. It’s like the faucet’s been turned on, and it’s all just rolling out of my mouth.
“And I went back to her place.”
“Whoa.” Rem holds up a hand. “Are you telling me that you fucked around with the barrel racer and then went to Abbi’s?”
“I didn’t have sex with Jen,” I reply, scowling. “Jesus, I couldn’t . I kept thinking about Abbi, so I told Jen the fuck buddy thing was over, and then I couldn’t help myself. I drove over to Abbi’s place.”
“And then the girls got sick and ruined your plans.” He laughs now, and that’s unusual for my oldest brother. I don’t love it when he laughs at my expense. “Oh, man, you’re fucked.”
“But that’s just it, it didn’t ruin anything. Sure, it…interrupted. But I didn’t mind helping with Daisy. I don’t know how Abbi does it by herself. It’s hard fucking work.”
“Yeah,” my brother says, eyeing me. He was a single dad for more than five years after his first wife passed away while giving birth to Holly. “It is hard damn work.”
“I don’t know what the fuck is up except that I can’t stay away from her,” I admit, running my hand down my face. “I guess we’ll take it one day at a time.”
“Fair enough.” He takes a bite of the cake. “What else is going on with you?”
“I got a call this morning.” I fill him in on everything that Sandy said, and Rem’s eyes widen when I tell him how much they want to pay me for the sponsorships.
“Holy shit, Brady.”
“I know.”
“Good for you. I’m proud of you.”
“We’re going to try to get them all to come here for photos and to film so I don’t have to be away from the ranch. I don’t want to go to fucking LA. Today or any other day.”
“Can’t say that I blame you.”
“If they want to film at the ranch, they’ll pay a fee for it. Would you allow it?”
“Of course. Tell them to include the event space and mention it in the ads.”
I grin at him. “I like the way you think, big brother.”
“Hey, this New Year’s Eve party that the girls are throwing for their collective is a big deal for them. You should escort Abbi.”
“She didn’t invite me.”
He shakes his head at me. “You’re not stupid. Ask her . And shit, Christmas is in a few days. I still have to shop.”
“Damn it, so do I, now that you mention it. I haven’t got the kids anything yet. I guess I can do that while I’m downtown. I’ll be out at the ranch later today to help with the livestock.”
“Take the day off,” he says, shaking his head and waving me off. “Lucky and Bruiser have it handled. There’s not much going on, anyway.”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks. Is this all you wanted to meet for? To shoot the shit and get the scoop on my sex life?”
“What can I say?” he asks before finishing his coffee. “I missed my little brother.”
“Right.”
I shopped until I just couldn’t do it anymore, and I managed to get everything that I needed. As a bonus, there’s a store at the end of the street that offers gift wrapping for a good price, so I left all of my bags there. and I’ll pick everything up tomorrow.
You can’t beat it.
Just as I’m about to call Abbi to ask her how Daisy’s doing, my phone rings, and it’s my nephew, Jake.
“Hey, bud,” I say into the phone.
“Hey, Uncle Brady. Are you busy this afternoon? I have a horse that I’d like you to look at. I think something’s wrong with her.”
“Yeah, I can come by now. I’m about fifteen minutes away. Want me to meet you at the stables?”
“That would be awesome. Thanks. See you soon.”
I hang up and start the vehicle, then call Abbi so I can talk to her while I drive.
She answers on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, beautiful. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. How are things there?”
“Oh, we’re doing okay. Daisy hasn’t thrown up any more, and I’ve been able to keep some food and fluids in her. She’s been sleeping off and on, poor thing.”
“And how are you ?”
She sighs, making me frown. “Just tired. I think I’ll nap with her here in a few. I just wanted to clean up a bit. I might have Merilee from next door come stay with her while I run to the grocery store in a bit.”
“No, just send me your list, and I’ll pick up what you need. I’m headed out to Ryan’s place now because Jake wants me to have a look at a horse, and then I’ll come back into town.”
“Brady, you don’t have to do that. You should just go on to the ranch.”
“Are we going to argue about this when you could be napping? Seriously, send me the list. You’ll have what you need before dinner time. No arguments.”
“You seriously rock,” she says, relief heavy in her voice. “I didn’t want to leave her yet, even though Merilee is like a surrogate grandmother. Okay, I’ll text you the list, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. Get some rest, and I’ll see you a little later.”
“Thank you, Brady. Seriously.”
“You’re welcome.”
With a grin, I disconnect the call and then turn off of the highway, into Ryan’s driveway, and stop at the gate. Within seconds, the gate slides open, and I drive through.
My brother’s enormous house comes into view, but I drive past it to the barn and stable area about a quarter of a mile away and park next to Jake’s truck.
It’s too fucking cold outside to walk back and forth from the house to the barn.
When I push inside, I find both Jake and Ryan standing just outside of a stall, looking grim.
“What’s up, guys?”
“We need a third opinion,” Jake says, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Thanks for coming out.”
“Of course. I figured I’d come out and visit anyway.” I hug each of them and then turn my attention over the gate to the pretty white mare, Lullaby, just inside. “Hey, beautiful girl. What’s going on in there?”
“She’s more lethargic than normal,” Jake says, his voice full of worry. “I mean, Lullaby is usually the laziest of the bunch, but she doesn’t seem to have any energy at all.”
I push inside the stall and walk around the horse, running my hands over her, cooing to her gently.
“She’s dry,” I say, taking stock. “Has she been drinking enough water?”
“Her water trough hasn’t been getting lower,” Jake says thoughtfully as Ryan listens. “I did notice that.”
“It’s winter, and horses naturally slow down a bit,” I tell him. “And if she’s a lazy girl by nature, you have to make sure she’s getting the nutrients she needs, especially water. She might need an IV, and I can’t help you there, but let’s encourage her to get some fluids into her.”
The three of us work together to urge Lullaby to drink, and finally, she does. And once she starts, she doesn’t want to stop. Finally, she comes up for air and nods her big head.
“Good girl,” Jake croons as he runs his hand down her neck. “Don’t worry me like that, baby. You scared me.”
Ryan and I smile at each other and walk toward the doors.
“Are you coming inside?” Ryan calls out to Jake.
“Nah, I’m gonna hang here for a while longer,” he replies. “Thanks, Uncle Brady.”
“You’re welcome. Anytime.”
I was here with him a few months ago when we lost one of the horses. Ryan and his fiancée, Polly, were in Paris, and it was a heartbreaking mess.
I’m glad that this won’t have the same outcome.
“We’re headed up to the house,” Ryan calls back with a wave. “I’m riding with you. I walked down, and that was a big mistake.”
“It’s fucking cold,” I agree, and we hurry to the 4Runner, and once inside, I set off for the house. “You should have known she was dehydrated.”
“I suspected, but I kind of wanted to see how Jake handled it. I like that he thought to call you for help. That if I’m gone, and he’s here alone, he knows to call you.”
“He can always reach out to me.”
“And that means a lot to me. Now, what were you going to come out here for?”
“What, I can’t just hang out with my brother?”
Ryan smirks as I park in front of the house. “Sure. Wanna play pinball or something?”
“No. We need to go to your office.”
His eyes sober as he watches me, and then he nods and pushes out of the 4Runner.
I follow him up the stairs of the porch and inside, where we shed our coats and boots. Polly comes around a corner and smiles when she sees me.
“I thought you’d be working today,” I say as I catch her up in a hug. “What with it being almost Christmas.”
“I wasn’t feeling well this morning.” She shrugs. “My girls are covering for me.”
“Are you okay?” I frown down at her. Polly is a tiny little woman with fiery red hair, and she’s currently pregnant, which has all of us brothers on edge.
“Oh, I’m fine. It was just a horrible bout of morning sickness.”
“You might have caught a bug.” I tell them about Holly and Daisy getting sick. “Could have been a stomach thing.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Polly admits with a shrug. “Could have been, I suppose.”
“You need to be in bed,” Ryan reminds her, kissing her on the head.
“I was just grabbing some water when I heard the door. Don’t worry, I’m taking it easy.” She smiles up at me. “He hovers.”
“I’m allowed to worry,” he replies before Polly leaves to go sit on the couch, cuddled up with a blanket and the remote. “We’ll be in the office.”
Ryan’s office is big. And it should be. As the owner of Wild Industries, he has a lot of responsibility and a lot of work to do, most of which he does out of this home office.
“Have a seat,” he offers, and I lower myself into the chair on the other side of the desk from him. “What’s up?”
“Well, it looks like I’m about to come into a lot of money, and we’ll need to invest.”
That piques his interest, as always, and I fill him in on the sponsorship opportunities that Sandy called about just this morning.
“You’re pretty fucking badass, Brady.”
“Yeah, I know. Now, let’s make this money grow because this is my last year on the circuit.”
That has his head whipping up. “What? Why?”
“I’m old,” I reply.
“You’re thirty-three.”
“In the rodeo world, that’s old as fuck. You know my list of injuries, and I’ll only injure easier as I get older. I don’t want to be forced out, I want to leave on my own terms. I’m sore, and I’m tired. Hell, sometimes I have the walk of a sixty-year-old man, and I knew that I was signing up for that, but it’s time to step down. And given that I’m retiring at the age of thirty-three, half the age of normal retirement, I have to make the money stretch.”
“Rem would pay you for the work you do at the ranch.”
“Fuck that.” I shake my head in disgust. “That’s my family. I don’t get paid for taking care of my family. Besides, I live there for free. That’s all I need.”
“You’re really going to live in that tiny cabin for the rest of your life?” The look he sends me says, get real.
“Probably not. Maybe I’ll build something out there.”
“Well, you’re a wealthy man, Brady.” He taps the keys on his computer, logging into my portfolio, which I let him dick with. Having a billionaire brother has its benefits. “Even before being paid for these new sponsorships, you’re well into the eight figures. Rodeo has done well for you.”
“Yeah. It has.”
“You can build whatever you want. Pretty much any where you want. I don’t see any reason why you can’t comfortably retire from riding after this season and then do whatever pleases you.”
“Good.” I nod, satisfied that Ryan has my financial stuff under control. “I figured that was the case, but I wanted to talk it through.”
“I’m proud of you,” he says, his eyes earnest. “Looks like I’ll be buying a bunch of new hats and boots soon.”
“Don’t forget the jeans.”
He grins. “Trust me. I won’t forget.”
Abbi: Please don’t feel pressured to stop at the store for me. But if you’re willing, here’s my list: OJ (no pulp), …
I read through her list and feel myself grinning as I pull a cart from the carousel and head for the produce. Her list isn’t short, and I don’t mind a bit. I know she’d rather stay home while her daughter recovers, so I’ll gladly take this chore off her plate.
Noticing that the strawberries actually look good for this time of year, I check Abbi’s list and see that she didn’t have any on it, but I add them to the cart anyway. For the next hour, this is how it goes. I am sure to get everything that Abbi’s noted and toss in a few extra things that I think they might enjoy. I know that Abbi loves chips and salsa from the cookouts we’ve had together, so I grab those. Daisy has a sweet tooth, like me, but I know that Abbi tries to keep the sweets for treats, so I just add some whipped cream for the strawberries. And, maybe, I snag a little bag of sour candies, too.
By the time I check out, I’ve far surpassed the twenty or so items on Abbi’s list, and I don’t really give a shit. I’m discovering that I enjoy doing things for Abbi and Daisy. I like being with them. We’ve said we’re going to take it one day at a time in this—whatever it is—and I’m still nervous as hell to start something when I’m still going to be riding a bull in just a couple of months. But by fall, I’ll be retired.
Maybe I can hang in there for that long. Maybe I won’t try to date her or touch her or hell, anything, until then. It sucks, and it won’t be easy, but I can do it.
And then, I won’t have any of the what-ifs hanging over my head when I finally do allow myself to feel something for a woman.
I can finally make promises. It’s the right thing to do, for both of them.
With that decided, I load the groceries into the back of the 4Runner and drive over to Abbi’s townhouse. I back into the driveway so there’s not as far to go with the bags and open the tailgate to retrieve them.
The front door opens, and Abbi comes jogging out, grinning. “Hey there, Cowboy.” When she sees the pile of white plastic bags, her eyes go wide. “I know I didn’t have that much on my list.”
“I might have found a few extra things,” I reply with a shrug as she loads up, and we walk inside. “You stay in, I’ll get the rest.”
“I can help?—”
“It’s too damn cold,” I reply, shaking my head as I set the bags near the front door so I don’t track snow through the house. “I’ll be right back.”
I’m able to get the rest of the groceries in one trip, drop them off inside, and then hurry back out to close the tailgate. When I close the front door behind me, intending to just talk to her for a minute before I head home, Abbi’s frowning at me from the kitchen where she’s unloading the groceries.
“What’s wrong? Is that the wrong kind of salsa?”
“No, it’s actually my favorite salsa, but I didn’t have it on my list.”
“I know, but you like chips and salsa, so I grabbed it.” I shrug and shift on my feet. “How’s Daisy?”
“She’s napping, but she’s much better. I think she’ll be as good as new tomorrow.”
“Good.” I nod, relief flooding through me. “That’s good.
“Thank you,” she says, leaning on the counter that separates us. “For last night and for this. I’ll get you some cash.”
“No.” Her gaze whips over to mine, pausing on her way to her purse. “I don’t want your money, Abs.”
“You don’t have to buy my groceries.”
I don’t respond to that. I’ll be damned if Abbi will give me a dime for anything, ever. “I should probably head home?—”
“Before you do,” she interrupts, taking a small, hesitant step toward me. Jesus, if she gets any closer, I won’t be able to make it one hour into my new plan of holding off with her until the fall. One. Fucking. Hour. She stops and bites her lip, then squares her shoulders. “Our collective is hosting a New Year’s Eve party, and I’d like to take you. As my date. Jesus, my daughter had no problem at all asking you to be her date, and I’m nervous as hell.”
I soften at that, and there’s no way I can stop my feet from crossing to her and cupping her face. I brush my lips over hers, careful not to take it too deep.
“I’d love that,” I whisper. “What time should I pick you up?”
“I’ll be at the ranch,” she says and swallows hard. “You can pick me up at your brother’s at eight.”
“Done. Is it fancy?”
She grins, clearly excited. “Hell yes, it’s fancy.”
“I figured.” I nod, and it takes every fiber of strength to back away from her. “It’s a date. But I’ll see you at Ryan’s in a couple of days for Christmas. Right?”
“Yes. Daisy’s excited to spend the day with your family. If it’s okay with you, that is.”
“Of course, it’s okay. I’ll see you there. Call me if you need anything.”
She nods. “Thank you.”
I hate this sudden awkwardness between us. It wasn’t there last night when we were taking care of Daisy and talking the night away.
But today, my insecurities are back. I feel like an ass.
And suddenly, Abbi moves quickly, closing the gap between us, and wraps her arms around me in a hug, pressing that gorgeous, curvy body against me. It’s not a desperate hug.
It’s…sweet.
“Aside from Daisy,” she murmurs softly, “I don’t hug very much. But this is nice.”
“Yeah.” I kiss the top of her head and wish with all my might that I could retire today. “This is nice.”