Chapter Sixteen
Rhett
Walking up to the door, I hope to surprise Brynlee. It’s Halloween, and she’s a little nervous about going into town for the party at the bar. We’ve kept a relatively low profile since the incident at the grocery store, but I need to integrate her into the community.
My biggest fear, besides her telling me our time is over, is Brynlee leaving Copperwood and going back to Chicago because she feels she doesn’t have a place here.
Knocking, I walk into the house like I have for weeks now. I stay here every night, and she’s offered me space in the closet. Which, from what I’ve heard from my sisters, is a great sign.
Brynlee hurries out of the hallway, stopping short as soon as she sees me. The corner of my mouth turns up as I smile. “Hey, baby.”
Her jaw drops. “Wow.”
“Do you like?”
“How?”
She finally moves towards me, circling around with an amazed look on her face that makes me chuckle. “Darla. I wanted to go all out for you.”
“She did good. I’m gonna have to fight the women off with a baseball bat. Good thing I’m channeling my inner Beth Dutton.”
We’ve watched TV together, and our tastes couldn’t be more different.
I like sports, and she likes the Food Network and HGTV.
But we both became obsessed with Yellowstone while binge watching it one weekend, and I’m more than pleasantly surprised to find her attracted to Rip rather than Kayce.
Or Jamie. She does love her some Kevin Costner, though, which did shock me a bit.
“I’m so glad we decided on a couple’s costume,” she says with a wide smile. “You look amazing, baby. I mean, you always look good, but wow. I really feel like I’m looking at a slimmer version of Rip.”
Well, if that comment didn’t just boost my self-esteem higher than it’s ever been. “You look even better than Kelly Reilly.”
“That’s a lie, but I’ll take it,” she says. “I can’t stop staring.”
She looks fantastic in her floral, flowy dress and tall suede boots. Stepping into the shoes of Beth Dutton wouldn’t be hard for Brynlee. She doesn’t quite have the attitude down, but she has the look. And I’m as close to a cowboy without ranching as it gets.
Her fingers reach up and touch my hair that Darla temporarily dyed black. “It feels like cheating if I take you to bed, but I don’t think I can keep my hands off you.”
Laughing, I pull her into my arms and kiss her. “I plan to make love to you the same way Rip would to Beth, but we need to make an appearance tonight. Darla and Carter are waitin’ for us.”
“We’re going to have to leave early,” she says, her hand taking mine as we walk to the pickup.
Her body wraps around my arm as we drive, and I know for a fact we’re leaving early. Not just because I can’t get enough of her—as Brynlee or Beth—but because I have a plan to show her something those city boys she’s dated can’t give her.
We walk into the bar, and Darla runs over. “You two look perfect!”
“You make a great Monica,” Brynlee says. “Is Kayce around someone?”
Carter walks around the corner, and even I’m shocked. Sighing, Darla shakes her head. “He insisted on bein’ Jamie instead of Kayce. So much for a couples costume.”
“I don’t get to wear suits very often. Besides, I think I look dashin’,” he says.
His frame is slimmer, and he does pull off a suit pretty well. “Not bad, actually. Although, you know most people hate Jamie, right?”
“I’m channelin’ Jamie from the first season. We didn’t hate him that much then, right?”
Rolling her eyes, Darla takes Brynlee’s hand. “Let’s get a drink. Beer for Rhett, a Cosmo for Carter, straight tequila for me, and a soda for you.”
“Hey!” Carter calls.
“I just don’t really like the taste of alcohol,” Brynlee says, letting Darla pull her away.
When she glances back and gives me her bedroom eyes, I smirk back. She’ll have me. She has all of me.
“You two could heat a small country with the fire between you,” Carter says and slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Things are still goin’ well?”
“Amazin’,” I say. “I’m takin’ your advice. I’m no longer preparin’ to get left. That woman owns me, man, and whatever happens, happens.”
“I know the feelin’,” he says. “Has she said anythin’ about what she and Darla are doin’ when they get together?”
Shaking my head, I shrug. “Nope. Do you want me to ask?”
“She’ll probably tell you the same bullshit thing Darla tells me.
Girl time. At least it’s given me a chance to miss my wife again with all of the hours she doesn’t have at work.
I swear, Doris wants to run the business into the ground before she retires.
I don’t think she understands that the more profitable the business, the higher she can sell it for. ”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to sell it? Maybe she’d rather let it die with her.”
He sighs. “I don’t know, but at least Darla seems happier. I’m finally gettin’ some again, so I can’t really complain too much about whatever it is she’s doin’ with your girl.”
Shocked, I stare at him. “You weren’t havin’ sex?”
“Life, you know?”
No, I don’t know, actually. It’s been about a month since Brynlee and I met, and we haven’t stopped ravaging each other since she offered herself to me that terrible day that turned out to be the best of my life. We don’t have two kids and money issues weighing us down, I suppose.
“You two still goin’ at it like rabbits?”
I just smile and lick my lips as Brynlee and I lock eyes while she stands beside the bar with Darla waiting for our drinks. “She looks like such a good girl, but she has a naughty side to her.”
“You’re so damn lucky with that.”
“You have no idea. She has a drawer full of lingerie, and I haven’t seen it all yet. There’s no one out here like her, Carter.”
“Have you told her you’re in love with her yet?”
Tearing my eyes from my sexy girlfriend, I shake my head. “Still seems too soon. I don’t want to scare her off.”
“I don’t think it’ll scare her off.”
“I need to be sure before I do.”
“What’s the deal with her ex? Darla commented that she was engaged to some guy in Chicago?”
I shrug. “We don’t talk about it. I don’t really want to know about the ones before me. Less to compare myself to, you know?”
Tim walks up to us with Sandy, the woman I lost my virginity to at eighteen. She winks at me, and Tim stops and stares. “You and Brynlee are a real thing? Like… still?”
“Yes, they are,” Carter says and squares up in case Tim steps out of line.
“Calm down, Mr. Wall Street stockbroker. I’m just askin’. I can see you’re into the couple costumes. That’s so… cute.”
It’s hard to hold in my laughter at his jealousy. He’s dressed as a boxer while Sandy wears some type of milkmaid outfit, I think. “At least we make sense together.”
“But do you?” he asks.
Nodding, Sandy shrugs. “No offense, Rhett, but he’s right. I mean, look at her.”
“You realize that you just insulted yourself, right? Since you’ve also slept with Rhett,” Carter points out.
This appears to be news to Tim as he snaps his head to look at his date with his mouth open. “You slept with Dillon?”
“A long time ago. Like, high school.”
“What the hell is goin’ on? Rhett’s with the hottest chick in town, and he also slept with you before I did. Nothin’ in my life makes sense anyone,” he says, drops his arm from around her shoulders, and walks away.
I know I should be insulted, but I’m actually flattered. Especially when Sandy saunters over and closes the small gap we had between us to run her finger along my chest. “So, how serious are you two, anyway?”
“Pretty serious,” Brynlee says from behind her.
Sandy whips around, and even I’m surprised by the look on Brynlee’s face. “I was just askin’.”
“I think you mean that you were just leaving,” she says and steps in front of me. “Now.”
Giving her an approving nod, Sandy holds her hands up and walks back into the crowd Tim disappeared into. Darla claps her hands. “Beautiful.”
“I may not be willing to break a bottle over her head, but I’m not going to just stand by while she flirts with my man.”
Her man. She knows exactly what I love to hear. “Dance with me.”
“Oh, are you done flirting with other women? I don’t want to interrupt.”
Taking her hand, I guide her to the dance floor and hold her close. “You know you’re the only one I have eyes for.”
“Then I guess you haven’t noticed how almost every woman in here is staring at you?”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
Her eyebrows lift, and I look around. Sure enough, many women around the room watch me. The same way most of the men watch Brynlee. “Are we the couple everyone’s jealous of?”
“You’re surprised?”
“Of you? No, not really. Me? Hell yes.”
She clasps her hands behind my neck and gently pulls my face down to hers. “They’re able to see what I see all the time when I look at you. How you make my knees weak every time you look at me like you do.”
Our lips touch, and I lose all sense of anything around us. The music fades away, everyone disappears, and the lights dim. It’s just the two of us, our tongues dancing as we sway to the music I can’t hear anymore.
Someone bumps us, and I’m brought back to the bar. The slow song has changed to something faster, and I smirk when she giggles. We leave the dance floor hand in hand, and Darla gives Brynlee a look that earns her a glare in response.
“What’s that about?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Brynlee says, her eyes locked on Darla.
Lifting her hands up, Darla smirks. “Nothin’, I guess.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about the two of you bein’ friends like this,” I say, pulling my girl onto my lap rather than letting her take the seat next to me.
“Like it,” she says. “I do.”
“Me, too,” Darla says.
Carter leans forward onto his elbows, his pink drink Darla bought him sitting in front of the empty seat. “I don’t hate it, either.”
This earns him an eye roll from his wife, but she doesn’t say anything. Even though it seems like things are getting better for them, moments like this make me doubt it.
Everett and Honor walk in, neither dressed up. We all look surprised considering how much Carter’s twin loves the holiday. Everett refused to give up trick-or-treating until we were sophomores in high school because of his love of Halloween.
“Hello,” Honor says as they walk over to our table. “I see you all watch a lot of Yellowstone.”
“Where’s your costume, Ev?” Darla asks.
“Halloween is for kids,” she answers for him. “We’re not children.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I mutter, earning a laugh from Brynlee as she sips her soda.
My ex-girlfriend glares at me. “Comin’ from the man whose girlfriend doesn’t drink and sits on his lap? Good one.”
“I don’t need to inebriated to have fun,” Brynlee says. “And what Rhett offers makes this more like sitting on Santa’s lap. Only so much better.”
Her hips shimmy, and I can’t stop my hitching breath as I harden. “That’s just mean.”
“It’s not like you won’t get relief for it later on tonight,” she whispers in my ear. “Multiple times.”
My hands slide over her belly, just beneath her chest, and her breathing mirrors mine. “Two can play this game.”
“You’re puttin’ on a show,” Honor says. “Have somethin’ to prove to people?”
“No, we just like each other. If you’re so offended by this display of public affection, walk away,” Brynlee says with a shrug.
Whipping her hair as she turns, Honor stomps towards the bar. Everett just sighs. “Good to see you guys.”
“You know, you can dress up and come hang out with us,” Darla says. “You don’t have to do everythin’ Honor wants.”
“It’s not that simple,” he admits. “But if it makes you feel better, I was goin’ to go as Kayce.”
“You could have rounded out the group,” I say. “Go change and come back. We’ll wait for you.”
It’s the first time the two of us have said much more than greetings since he started dating Honor, and everyone looks as shocked as I feel by my comment. Not even I thought I’d get to a point where I could tolerate him with someone I cared about. Brynlee really has changed things.
He opens his mouth to say something, but Honor shouts his name. Groaning, he smiles at me. “Thanks, but I gotta go,” he says and taps the table before walking away.
Turning in my lap, Brynlee looks at me with her head tilted. “How did you put up with that?”
“I was basically a puppy dog and followed her wherever she went, so she never had to shout at me for attention,” I say, hating how honestly I answer her. Talk about humiliating.
She cups my face and gives me a sweet kiss. “I’m glad you’re away from her. You’re not a puppy.”
“Want to get out of here? I have somethin’ I want to show you.”
A devilish smirk appears on her face, and she glances down at my waist. “Yeah?”
“Not that. Well, yes, you don’t even have to ask for that, but it’s not what I’m talkin’ about.”
“Are you two makin’ plans to go and have sex?” Darla asks.
“Hopefully,” Brynlee says with a smile.
My best friend bursts out laughing and points at her. “I like you.”
“Carter, you’re married. Your wife is right there. And my man is dressed like Rip Wheeler while you’re Jamie Dutton. None of this will end well for you.”
Both Darla and I snort with laughter, and Carter nods, leaning back. “Okay, okay, I see you.”
“I love you,” Darla says.
Brynlee snaps her head to glare, but before I can ask what that’s about, she stands. “Ready?”
“Always.”