25. Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Brynn
D id I really just blow the foreman in the barn? Yup, sure did. The bad part is, I would do it again. I hurry back to the main house, pulling my hair up in a bun, I can imagine how wild it is after Colt's strong hands were wrapped in it. I walk into the main house and go straight to the kitchen.
"Where's Colt?" Whitney asks.
"He was finishing up with Honey in the barn," I say, trying to keep from looking at her.
"Hmm. What was he doing?"
"Not sure," I say quickly, turning on the faucet to wash my hands. Hoping Whit stops with the questions.
"Put your hair up?" Whit asks, a knowing grin on her face.
"Yes, it was so hot in the barn."
"I bet it was," Whitney says as she finishes fixing her plate. "Oh, by the way, you might wanna brush that dirt off before you come to the table. "
I instantly look down at my legs, but there is no dirt. I whip my head up to glare at Whitney. "Gotcha!" Her smile is pure evil. "We will be talking more about this later."
I groan and finish making my plate. As I sit down at the kitchen table beside Whit, Colt comes through the front door and heads straight to the kitchen. It takes him a few minutes to get his plate made and then he comes to sit down. Of course, the only seat left is the one right beside me. Colt takes a seat, and my brothers begin to question him about the fence he was repairing and how many trail cams they have out now.
I busy myself with eating my dinner. "Brynn?"
I look up to see the entire table is staring at me. "What?" I say around a mouth full of mashed potatoes.
"We were asking how long you think dad will need you here. The new horses we bought are going to be here this weekend and we need to get them situated. Are you going to be here until then?"
"Not sure; the meeting with the therapist will decide what type of care he needs," I say after chewing my bite of food.
"How many horses are you getting?" Callie asks as she cuts up more food for Millie.
"We have 3 coming. Two are rescues that haven't been treated very well, and one is an older mare who needs a place to retire. I just couldn't say no," Blake says with a shrug of his shoulders .
"I love horses," Millie says as she takes a big bite of mashed potatoes. "They are my favorite animal."
"Millie, don't talk with your mouth full, please," Callie scolds.
Colt takes a large scoop of potatoes on his fork and shoves it in his mouth. "Yeah Millie. Mind your manners."
Callie rolls her eyes and Millie snickers. "Uncle Colt is gonna have to sit in time out."
"Nah, I'm a good boy." He throws a wink in my direction.
I feel my cheeks flush, and Whitney pokes me in the side. "Busted," she whispers in my ear. I roll my eyes at her and finish my dinner.
"I helped Miss Brynn make cookies!" Millie says loudly and everyone chuckles.
"Are you ready for a cookie sweet girl?" I ask her as I stand from my seat and start to pick up everyone's empty plates.
Colt puts his hand on mine to stop me. "You ladies cooked, we will clean up." He looks to my brothers who are looking at him like they can't believe what he just said.
Whitney kicks Brooks under the table, "Uhh, yeah. Would love to clean up." He stands from his seat and Blake just crosses his arms.
I give him my best stare. "If you want dessert, you better go help in the kitchen. "
"Fine," he grumbles as he stands to walk into the kitchen to join Brooks and Colt.
"Are you guys staying with Colt, or do you want to sleep in the big house?" I ask Callie before taking a sip of water.
"I think we are going to take you up on your offer of staying upstairs. I don't want to encroach on my brother's space."
"I bet you want to encroach all over that space," Whit whispers so only I can hear. I shove her shoulder playfully and give her my 'knock it off' eyes. She just laughs.
Blake and Brooks come back in the kitchen with ice cream, cookies, hot fudge, cherries, sprinkles and bowls and spoons. "Let's make some sundaes," Brooks says, as they spread the ingredients out across the table.
Millie's eyes go wide. "Mommy, can I have a sundae?"
"Yes, just not too much, or you'll never fall asleep tonight," Callie says as Blake hands her a bowl of ice cream. She smiles and I think I see a little bit of a blush across her cheeks.
"Don't forget the whipped cream; it's the best part," Colt says as he squirts some on Millie's nose.
"Uncle Colt. Mommy is going to punish you if you don't behave," Millie says as she swipes the dollop off her nose.
Colt leans in close to me, his breath hot on my ear. "Maybe later you can give me my punishment." I squeeze my thighs together at the images popping up in my head after words like that .
Whit raises her eyebrows as if she heard and starts to squirt some whipped cream on her sundae. "He's right. The squirt of cream really is the best part."
I slap her thigh. "Behave. There are children present," I chastise quietly.
Whit laughs and takes a bite of her sundae. I'm the last to make my sundae, and then we all start devouring our dessert.
"Brain freeze," Brooks hisses as he holds his forehead.
"You'd have to have a brain for that to happen," Whit clips.
"Well, you are my best friend, so what's that say about you?" Brooks sticks his tongue out at her playfully.
"I needed someone in my life to constantly ridicule," Whitney says as she points her spoon at Brooks. He rolls his eyes, and we all laugh at their weirdness.
"I need to go check on dad. I bet he might like some ice cream, too." I get up and walk down the hallway to my dad's room. I knock on the door a couple of times and don't hear him say anything in response. I open the door slowly, thinking he is probably asleep. I open the door a little wider and see his feet on the floor.
"Dad!" I yell and can hear the sound of boots running but after that, it all goes silent. My breathing is rapid, my eyes are blurry. I can feel a large, warm hand on my back.
The sounds of voices are muffled. My dad is unmoving, his chest is not expanding. I cry out again, "Dad, wake up!" Big, muscular hands are pulling me from the floor where I collapsed beside my dad. The sobs are uncontrollable. I can't help it. I cry into the hard chest of someone.
"Brynn," Whit's voice breaks through my sobs. "Brynn, I need you to leave the room, honey." I am then being picked up and carried up the stairs. I feel like I am floating. This can't be happening. Why didn't he wake up?
"I need to go back downstairs. I need to save him!" I blurt out as I am being gently placed on my bed. I try to sit up, but it's no use. My body doesn't seem to listen as I try to move.
"Brynn," Colt's deep voice says. I can hear the emotion behind it. "I need you to look at me, baby."
My eyes find his, the whiskey color I could drown in. "My dad." The tears are rapidly flowing down my cheeks as Colt tries to thumb them away.
"I know, baby." He pulls me in close to him and I breathe in his scent, hoping to calm myself down. I hear the faint wail of emergency vehicles in the distance. "I got you. You are safe."
Those words make me cry even harder.