CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Rusty
U nder the vast, star-studded sky, Rusty Maguire sat alone on the porch of his ranch cabin. The weight of longing for Janice gnawed at his insides, an incessant ache that refused to subside. Right now, he was trying to hide that ache with a big bottle of whiskey, but it wasn’t helping much.
He had ruined everything. He couldn't help but reflect on his attempts to set things right with her father, Angus. He’d told Angus that he and Janice were no longer together, hoping it would be enough. But Angus's response was cold and unforgiving: "It's too late, Maguire. Don't call again."
Rusty clenched his fists, feeling the burden of guilt heavier than ever before. In the quiet darkness, he longed for the warmth of Janice's touch, the sound of her laughter, the comfort of her presence. He longed to hear her call him “Daddy” just one more time.
Rusty became aware of a silhouette walking toward him in the darkness. He knew who it was immediately: his brother Ethan. He’d recognize that determined stride anywhere.
"Rusty,” Ethan called out, “I've got some bad news."
"Can't be worse than what I'm already dealing with," Rusty replied, his voice cracking.
"Angus Jameson, that snake, kicked our cousins off our land in Colorado," Ethan said solemnly, anger simmering beneath his words. "He's claiming it as his own now."
Rusty clenched his jaw. He’d seen this coming and had been dreading it. “Fuck.”
"He told them it was all your fault. Any idea what he might be talkin’ about?"
Rusty sighed. “Yes,” he said. “I do.”
Ethan spat at the ground. “Care to share, brother?”
Rusty stood up, a little wobbly on his feet.
“You drunk?” Ethan asked.
“Not drunk enough,” said Rusty bitterly. “I fucked up. I called Angus Jameson to try to set things straight. I wanted him to see sense about me and Janice. I'm sorry.”
“But you and Janice are ancient history . . . aren’t you?”
Rusty took another swig of whiskey straight out of the bottle. It burned. “We kinda got back together for a while. Ended it a few days ago. Fucked it up again, didn’t I?”
Ethan surprised Rusty by putting a hand on his shoulder. “Brother, calling Angus was the right thing to do. You should’ve stood up to him a long time ago. I admire you for trying. But you’re gonna have to try to sort this mess out. We can’t lose the ranch. Our cousins deserve to live on that land.”
Rusty nodded. “I know, I know. Just another fuck-up in a long line of fuck-ups I need to fix.”
Ethan patted him on the shoulder. “Come see me in the morning when you’re sobered up, okay? We’ll find a way through this together. For what it’s worth, I’m glad you and Janice gave things another go. You were always good together. I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
With that, Ethan left.
Rusty took another large swig of whiskey, then moodily throwing the rest of the bottle down at the ground.
“Fuck it,” he spat. “Whiskey’s not the answer.”
Rusty stumbled toward Chuck’s cabin. Even though he’d stopped drinking, it turned out he’d gotten a lot drunker than he’d meant to.
Under the dim glow of a kerosene lamp, Rusty found Chuck sitting in his cabin with Millie, laughter dancing between them. Millie clutched a toy in her small hands, her eyes wide with wonder as she examined it.
"Rusty?" Chuck questioned, taking in his disheveled appearance and the smell of alcohol clinging to his breath. "What's going on, partner?"
"Chuck, I . . . I just can't take it anymore," Rusty slurred, tears threatening to spill from his hazel eyes. "I need your help."
"Millie, sweetheart, why don't you play with these toys over there?" Chuck suggested gently, pointing toward a corner filled with stuffed animals and dolls. Millie nodded obediently and scampered off, leaving Rusty and Chuck alone.
"Sit down, Rusty," Chuck instructed, patting the seat beside him. Rusty collapsed onto the cushion, his head hanging low as he tried to gather his thoughts.
"Janice and I got back together," Rusty confessed, his voice cracking with emotion. "But now, we've broken up again. Angus, her father, is trying to destroy our lives, and I just . . . I don't know what to do."
Chuck looked at him thoughtfully, stroking his beard as he took in what Rusty was saying.
"Rusty," he said finally, his voice firm yet compassionate. "Thank you for coming to me about this. You know we don’t like secret relationships at the ranch. It’s important to get it out in the open. Were you Janice’s Daddy Dom? Did you make it official?”
Rusty nodded. “We had a contract. We did things by the book. It felt good for a while. Incredible, actually. Like I’d turned back the clock. Then I messed it up by contacting her father. And then I freaked out thinking I’d screwed things up again, just like I did last time.”
“You can't let fear control your life,” said Chuck. “You love Janice, and that's something worth fighting for."
Rusty blinked at Chuck. “How’d you know I love her?”
“Rusty,” said Chuck softly. “You’ve loved Janice your whole life long. It’s obvious to everyone. I knew as much when you interviewed for the job here. Even before she came back into your life, you’ve been mooning over the girl.”
Rusty smiled weakly. “Guilty as charged.” He swallowed. “But it’s over now, and her father is still determined to ruin our lives. He's taking our land in Colorado, and I'm afraid he'll destroy Janice in the process."
"Sometimes," Chuck said thoughtfully, "the only way to fight fire is with fire. You need to stand up to Angus, not just for yourself, but for Janice too."
"Stand up to him? How?" Rusty asked, desperation coloring his words.
"By showing him you won't back down," Chuck responded, determination shining in his eyes. He looked over toward Millie. "Fight for your love, Rusty. It's a battle worth waging. Trust me, I know."
Rusty swallowed and shook his head. “Janice doesn’t want to be with me anymore. She told me so herself. She wants to focus on her work.”
Chuck arched an eyebrow. “Rusty, were you her Daddy Dom or not?”
“I was.”
“Did she tell you she loved you or not?”
“She did.”
“And do feelings like that disappear overnight?”
Rusty stared at his friend, Chuck's words seeping into his foggy mind, planting seeds of hope amidst the chaos of his emotions. “They don’t.”
Chuck shrugged. “Then I think you know what you have to do.”
Rusty nodded, gritting his teeth. “I hear you, Chuck. Loud and clear. It’s time for Rusty Maguire to get his damn act together. I’m gonna show Janice Jameson how goddamn special she is. Whether she’s the daughter of a fuckin’ Scottish Laird or not—she’s mine. And this time, no more damn screw-ups.”
Chuck smiled. “Good luck, Rusty.”