Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Maddox
The morning sun beats down on my neck, sweat soaking through my t-shirt as I shovel manure from the stalls. By far the worst part of the job. The rumble of a motorcycle engine cuts through the quiet morning and I straighten up, squinting against the sun as a black Harley tears up our driveway.
My grip on the shovel tightens when I spot Della’s arms wrapped around Shadow’s waist. She’s wearing the same clothes as she did yesterday, and there is an ease between them that makes me clench my jaw.
Shadow kills the engine in front of our house, and I watch as my sister dismounts, laughing at something he says. Then she disappears inside the house, and I make my move. I toss the shovel to the ground, and stalk toward Shadow, my boots crunching on the gravel loud enough to announce my presence.
Shadow turns to me, flipping his sunglasses on top of his head as I come to a stop right in front of him
“You and I need to talk,” I say, cutting straight to the chase. “You want to tell me what the hell you’re doing with my sister?”
Shadow hooks his helmet on the handlebar, clearly in no rush to answer me. When his eyes finally lock with mine, there’s a challenge there that makes me want to put my fist through his face.
“My guess is the same thing you’re doing with my cousin.” He crosses one foot over the other, a smug expression flitting across his face.
The hypocrisy isn’t lost on me. However, I haven’t heard so much as a peep from Amelia since she agreed to me teaching Dylan, which means this bastard is doing fuck of a lot more with my sister than I’m currently doing with his cousin.
“Heard you’re giving Dylan riding lessons.”
“Teaching her kid to ride isn’t the same as bringing my sister home at…” My voice trails and I check my watch. “…ten in the morning wearing yesterday’s clothes.”
He scoffs. “You don’t want to go there with me, Maddox. Della’s a grown woman.”
“That may be so, but she’s been hurt. Badly. She’s just finding her footing again. The last thing she needs is to get mixed up with you.”
“Amelia’s been hurt too, Mad, and I’m not getting on your case, am I?”
Guilt swarms my gut. He’s right, and if he knew that I was the started the downward spiral of all Amelia’s trouble, I’m sure we’d be having a very different conversation.
“I’m not looking to hurt your sister, Mad. Now, I ain’t gonna sit here and have my ass handed to me by you. I respect you, and I respect your sister, but what happens between us is none of your damn business. Just like whatever goes on with you and Amelia isn’t mine. Can you agree with me on that?”
I consider that for a moment. It wouldn’t be good for any of the parties involved if Shadow and I were at odds, and I’m a little late in claiming the role of the protective brother.
“Fine,” I grunt. “But all bets are off if you hurt her.”
“Same goes for you.” Silence falls over us as we call a truce.
After another beat, he continues, “For what it’s worth, I think it’s really great of you to be giving Dylan riding lessons.
He’s a good kid. His father doesn’t do much with him.
Hell, I don’t think he’s ever taught the kid to throw a ball. ”
At the mention of Russell, my mind wanders back to the other night, and I recall the annoyed look on Dylan’s face when he emerged from his room and asked Amelia to speak with his dad about not calling him anymore.
It says a lot about a man when his twelve-year-old son wants nothing to do with him.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I meet Shadow’s gaze. “You know he’s still giving them shit after that whole scene he pulled last week at the bar, right?”
Shadow’s brows draw tight and he straightens his shoulders. “What do you mean?”
“I stopped by Amelia’s the other night, and Dylan came out of his room with his phone in his hand, complaining that Russell was calling him. He asked her to tell him to stop.”
“He was spam calling the kid?”
I shrug. “Seemed that way to me. I don’t know if Amelia called him after I left, but I can’t imagine that conversation went well.”
Shadow clenches his jaw and shakes his head. “Fucking guy. He never quits.”
“You might want to check in with Amelia. See how that went for her. If Russell is bothering her or Dylan—”
He cuts me off. “Isn’t it your job to check in with Amelia about these kind of things? If her ex is giving her shit, you gotta man up and show him she and Dylan are not to be fucked with anymore.”
I uncross my arms and let them hang at my sides.
“That’s easier said than done, brother. I’m not going to get into it with you, but Amelia has a lot of reservations when it comes to me.
I got a lot of walls to break through before I can properly claim her.
That’s why I’m asking you to check in with her and make sure that motherfucker is not causing any more harm. ”
He sits with those words for a moment. “I’ll have a talk with her. See if Russell is giving her trouble. If he is, I’ll handle it.”
I don’t want to rely on Shadow. If Amelia is having problems with Russell, then I want to be the guy who fixes things for her. But before I do that, I gotta convince her that she’s mine.
Mine to hold and care for.
To honor and respect.
To love and to fuck.
Mine to protect.
I bring the mug to my lips and take a long sip of coffee as I watch the passenger door to Amelia’s car fly open before she can properly shift it into park.
Dylan jumps out and slams the door behind him.
The kid is bursting with energy, trying his hardest to mask it as he shoves his hands into his pockets.
I don’t blame him.
I’ve been counting down the minutes too.
“Morning,” I call out to him.
He lifts his head, and a crooked smile flashes across his face. “Hey, Maddox.”
Amelia emerges from the driver’s side, all tight jeans and worried eyes. It’s cute as fuck and makes me want to kiss that worried look right off her pretty little face.
I set my mug down on the step and stand to my full height, my gaze zeroing in on Dylan. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Yes,” Amelia answers. “He blew through a box of Pop-Tarts and two bowls of cereal.”
Dylan shrugs a shoulder. “I was hungry.” He glances back at me. “Can I see the horses now?”
“In a minute,” Amelia cuts in before I can answer.
She puts her hand on Dylan’s shoulder. “First, we need to go over some things.” She turns to me.
“He has no allergies, but he sunburns easily. I packed sunscreen in his bag. And you need to remind him to drink water. He prefers soda, but in this heat it’s important that he stays hydrated. ”
“Mom,” Dylan groans, mortified. “I’m not five.”
“Maybe not, but you’re not grown either.” She glances back at me. “I got him boots yesterday, but I couldn’t find a helmet.”
Keeping my eyes pinned to his mother, I regard Dylan. “Buddy, why don’t you go to the paddock and meet Bluebell while I talk to your mom. She’s been waiting for you.”
Dylan doesn’t need to be told twice. The kid runs for the paddock like his ass is on fire.
Once he’s out of earshot, I turn back to Amelia and lift my hands to cradle her face. Her eyes flicker with annoyance, but they quickly soften as my thumb caresses her soft skin.
God, I’ve missed her.
“You’re way too tense. I can help you with that.”
“I bet you can.” She blows out a ragged breath. “You didn’t answer me.”
“I don’t recall you asking a question.”
An exasperated sigh escapes her throat, and I lean close, my lips near her ear. “You know if your son wasn’t standing twenty feet away, I’d take you to the barn and fuck the tension out of you.”
“Jesus, Maddox. Focus. He needs a helmet.”
“Relax,” I murmur. “I have everything he needs.”
“You do?”
I nod, my thumb slowly moving to trace her lower lip. “I went yesterday to pick up a few things. Wanted to be prepared.”
I also knew she’d be a nervous wreck, and I didn’t want her to worry so much while he was with me. I’ll wrap the kid in bubble wrap so long as she has a little peace of mind. I doubt Dylan would appreciate that, though.
She lifts her hands and her fingers circle my wrists, her gaze boring into mine. “That was nice of you.”
I shrug. “What can I say? I’m a nice guy.”
She rolls her eyes and pulls my hands away from her face. “I’ve gotta go or I’ll be late. I should be back by twelve.”
“We’ll be here.”
Pulling her lower lip between her teeth, she nods. “Okay. Well, then I’m just going to go say goodbye to Dylan and be on my way.”
I shove my hands into my pockets. “Have at it.”
She walks toward the paddock, her hips swaying seductively. When she reaches Dylan, he barely pays her any mind as she ruffles his hair and presses a kiss to his forehead.
The sight makes my chest ache.
Something shifts inside me—a feeling I’ve never experienced before. It’s like the ground beneath my feet has suddenly become solid.
They belong here. Both of them.
I can see Dylan growing up on this ranch, learning to ride, helping with chores, becoming the kind of man who understands hard work and responsibility.
And Amelia... Christ, she fits here too.
I can picture her in my kitchen in the mornings, sunlight streaming through the windows as she works on her soaps.
That little business of hers could really take off with the right support.
We could build her a workshop, maybe even set up a farm stand near the entrance to the property where she could sell her products to locals.
The image solidifies in my mind—the three of us having breakfast together before Dylan catches the bus for school, Amelia and I stealing kisses when he’s not looking. Weekends spent riding, fixing fences, learning the rhythms of the land.
Maybe even adding more kids someday. A little girl with Amelia’s eyes and my stubbornness. Another boy. He’d follow his older brother all over this land.
This ranch has been in my family for generations, but it’s never felt more like a home than when I imagine them being part of it.