Chapter Fifteen - Blaire
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Blaire
My moment of respite from the rest of Rile Ranch doesn’t last long. As soon as I got out of the shower, I passed out in my bed to catch up on some much needed sleep. But I wake up to the sound of yelling that I can only logically attribute to Kaylee shouting at one of her big brothers.
Something, something, pink.
S omething, ever learn, something.
Okay, I’ve got to see this.
I quickly brush my teeth and reduce my six-step skincare routine to only three steps, which I only do in emergency situations. I throw on a pair of wide leg jeans and a tank top and make my way to the kitchen, which seems to be the center of the storm.
Sunny comes running over to greet me and I get on the ground to give her a proper scratch behind the ear as I take in the scene.
Briggs is cooking lunch which smells insanely good. He flips a something in the pan and chuckles to himself as Kaylee’s tirade continues.
“Seriously, Reese,” she throws her hands out at the long wooden kitchen table, which I see now is covered in pink clothes all the same shade. “You’re almost thirty years old and you still can’t do a load of laundry?”
“Why did you have this tiny nuclear bomb of a sock hiding in the laundry? Who even owns red socks?” He holds up a small bright red ankle sock as if it’s rotten.
Missing those three skincare steps was so worth it.
I see movement in the corner of my eye and that’s when I notice Colt sitting down, leaning over a woman’s cowboy boot, which must belong to Kaylee as he polishes it with a rag.
“At the very least,” Kaylee continues berating Reese. “You should have noticed that the clothes you put in as white are now pink and thought twice before drying them.”
Reese runs his hand through his hair, flustered. “I’ll bleach them and mail them to you. Or hell, let’s just go buy new ones.”
“No time for that,” Colt pipes up, not even offering his brother a lifeline. Harsh.
Then I remember Kaylee is off to equestrian camp this afternoon and my stomach sinks for her. Okay, and even for Reese a little. The guy looks genuinely upset and obviously didn’t intentionally sabotage Kaylee’s clothes right before she leaves.
“Good afternoon everyone,” I say cheerily as I stand up.
Kaylee greets me back and smiles, even though I can tell she doesn’t feel like smiling right now.
“Hey Kaylee, today’s the day you’re off to camp, right?” I play dumb.
She nods, glancing sideways at the table before returning her eyes to me.
“Would you do me a favor? My stylist is sending me some new clothes. She secured some deal with a company where I have to wear their clothes for the next month and I really don’t want to lug all my other clothes around. Would you want to go through them and see what you want before you head off? I’d say we’re the same size.”
“Are you serious, Blaire?” Her eyes go big as her head snaps towards me. And then she looks at Colt, seemingly asking for approval.
He cocks an eyebrow at me. Okay, maybe I laid it on a little thick, but can we all just play nice and pretend this is the truth?
I smile back at Colt in a way that I hope says, ‘Are you really going to ruin your little sister’s day and say no?’.
A slight look of exasperation passes over his face before he brings his face back to his steely neutral.
“Go ahead, Kaylee.” Colt finally nods. “But nothing too crazy. Only things appropriate for camp.”
Kaylee claps in excitement and starts to skip in my direction.
Reese takes a deep breath and starts to put the laundry back in the basket.
I throw my arm around Kaylee’s shoulder as we head to my room. I’m not confident Kaylee should look to me for much, but this is one department I can really soar.
After about 10 minutes of her running around like, well, a teenager in a couture shop, I finally convince her to actually try some things on.
She struts out of the bathroom with one hand on her hip wearing a pale green Oscar de la Renta sundress. The silky fabric falls loosely on her athletic build while making her legs look a mile long. It suits her complexion wonderfully. The green brings out the pale pink of her cheeks.
“I was thinking of this for the goodbye dance,” she does a twirl and I giggle at her excitement .
“Almost perfect,” I say as I bend down in the closet and pull out a pair of strappy silver heels. “See if these fit you.”
“Blaire,” she shakes her head. “I can’t.”
“You can!” I insist. “And you’re also going to take these earrings and this blush.” I rummage through my jewelry box and then run to the bathroom to get a pale pink Dior blush. I open her hand, place them in, and close it around them.
She goes to protest again, but I interrupt her.
“You can pay me back by giving me a couple of riding lessons when you get back. You’ll save me from the smug looks on your brothers’ faces by not making me ask them.”
She looks at me skeptically, but this seems to placate her. “Deal.” She extends her hand and we shake on it.
The truth is, it really is nothing to me. Actually, no, that’s not the truth. The real truth is that it is something, but something good. I really enjoy it. All of my clothes, jewelry, and makeup are expertly picked out for me with one goal in mind- to make me idolized. Because the more people idolize me, the more my team and anyone associated with me succeed. So the thought of all of that effort instead going toward a teenager who just wants to have a really great time at camp? Well, it feels like a more noble goal than anything else I’ve been a part of lately.
A knock sounds on the door before Briggs enters carrying a huge plate of food. He rests the tray down on the antique trunk at the end of my bed.
“I figured we could break the rules today and you could eat in here while you finish packing up, Kay.” Briggs smiles at her. Out of the three guys, Briggs has the softest disposition. He’s the biggest of all three of them. His body type is thick and towering compared to Colt and Reese’s lean athletic bodies. He might be intimidating if he didn’t almost always have crested eyes from smiling and Sunny following close behind him wagging her tail .
“Thanks, Big Rig.” Kaylee grins as she pops a sweet potato fry in her mouth. “What do you think?” She twirls in her dress, now with the shoes and earrings on. The shoes are a little big but not noticeable and she looks amazing in the full outfit.
“I think you look like a movie star,” he grins and looks between Kaylee and I. I laugh at his corny expression.
“Har har har,” Kaylee teases him. “Good one.”
“Admit you’re going to miss my jokes while you’re gone,” he says, unloading two plates from the tray and setting them out. He fills one plate with breaded chicken, sweet potato fries, and creamed spinach and hands it to Kaylee.
“I’m going to miss your cooking, that’s for sure.” She says, grabbing more fries and shoving them in her mouth.
“I’ll take it,” Briggs shrugs. “Anything you don’t eat?” He looks up at me expectantly as he gets ready to load the second plate, apparently for me.
“Oh, I have a green drink in my bag that I’ll just have,” my knee-jerk reaction answers for me before I can think about what I’m saying.
I see Kaylee put down a fry out of the corner of my eye.
Shit.
This is exactly why I’m not worthy of being any kind of influence on her or any young girl. The proof of that is that I basically just fry-shamed her. I didn’t mean to, but I’m just doing what I’m used to. There’s a running tally in my head at all times counting calories and already today it’s maxed out from breakfast. I became this way ever since I gained a little too much weight one summer and it sent my entire team into a tailspin. I was immediately coached by a nutritionist and a personal trainer to be hyperaware of my calories. I think back to that summer and realize it was when I was 16. The same age Kaylee is now.
I see Briggs notice Kaylee stopped eating too and shame washes over me.
“Actually, on second thought, load me up,” I say. “I was saving room for lunch at the diner, but I totally forgot Lacey canceled on me.”
It’s a blatant lie, but I see Briggs’ shoulders visibly relax. Sunny’s tail starts wagging as Briggs begins moving food to my plate.
I’m relieved to see that Kaylee resumes eating again, leaning her head forward to protect the dress from any incidents.
“Okay.” Kaylee places down her plate. “Next outfit.”
She grabs a dark blue athleisure dress and a linen button-up and heads to the bathroom.
“I guess this isn’t your typical L.A. lunch?” He says when he knows Kaylee can’t hear.
I shrug. “This isn’t L.A.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” he sits on the edge of my bed and I ignore the flutter I feel seeing his big frame press into the blankets I was wrapped in less than an hour ago. His eyes meet mine. His green eyes are soft, and full of kindness, just like I remember from that last time I saw him. But there’s something new there now, a weariness. Maybe from grief or maybe he’s just had a rough night’s sleep. I don’t know him well enough anymore to guess.
“Well, I appreciate all you’re doing for her.” He says after a moment. “We do the best we can, but there are still things we can never do for her.”
I smile softly. “You’re telling me that you’re not an expert at accessorizing?”
He laughs a generous belly laugh and Sunny scoots into him close, her tail thwacking against the floor. The sight warms that giant ice block wall I’ve had up since I’ve been here.
“There is one thing you could help me with, actually,” I say in a whisper. “There’s not actually a shipment of clothes coming.”
“Yeah,” his smile creases his eyes. “I gathered that.”
“So, could you take me somewhere I could go shopping? Maybe even for things that might work a bit better around the ranch?”
His eyebrows raise in approval. “Oh, now that’s something within my wheelhouse. Eat up, you’re going to need the energy.”
I do as I’m told and take a big mouthful of fries. And the sixteen-year girl that’s still in me somewhere thinks it’s damn delicious.