Chapter 2
Chapter Two
R eid Mitchell’s plans for his life had never included being a parent to a belligerent teenager. He had never wanted kids. Kids were chaos in pint-sized bodies. Reid had never liked chaos. He liked things quiet and simple.
Which probably explained why he had never gotten along with his sister.
Bree was chaos with a capital C and had caused their mama more than her fair share of grief. She had smoked and taken drugs and gotten kicked out of school. At seventeen, she’d run off with some loser and never looked back. Occasionally, he or his mama had gotten a call from her saying she’d broken up with another deadbeat and needed money for her and Sophie—the daughter of one of those deadbeats—to start over. But mostly she lived her life and let Reid live his. When Mama passed away, he’d boxed up things he thought Bree might like and sent them to Oklahoma City where she had been living at the time. She didn’t reply. No thank you. No go to hell. Nothing. He didn’t hear a peep out of her until she called to tell him she had terminal cancer.
First, he’d felt stunned, like someone had sucker punched him without any warning at all. Then he’d felt sad. Overwhelmingly sad. Finally, he’d felt angry. Angry that she hadn’t even said goodbye to him when she’d left home and yet here she was calling to ask if he’d take care of her kid. Didn’t she have a boyfriend? A close friend or neighbor? Anyone would make a better father than her loner brother who preferred horses and cows to people.
But it turned out that the last few years of her life she had been as much of a loner as he was. There had been no boyfriend. No friends. He was the only one she could ask. He thought about refusing, but while she had been the irresponsible daughter, he had been the responsible son—the son who kept his room spotless, did all his homework, and worked a job after school to help his single mama pay the bills. The one who called the landlord to fix the leak in the roof and mowed the weeds when they got too high. The one who bought groceries and learned how to cook healthy meals for their diabetic mama. The one who had been sitting in his truck outside the quarantined hospital when the doctor had called him to say she’d passed away from covid.
As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t ignore his sister’s plea.
So he’d quit his job as foreman for a ranch outside of Amarillo and headed to Wichita Falls where his sister and niece had been living. The money he’d put away as a down payment for his own ranch had quickly been used to pay his sister’s mounting bills.
Five and half months later, Bree was gone and Reid had no job, no money, and custody of a belligerent, mourning teenager. He was completely clueless on how to deal with Sophie. He had never understood women. He still didn’t. He didn’t understand why his mama fell in love with a married man and had two kids with him. He didn’t understand why Bree had gotten with clones of their philandering daddy. He certainly didn’t understand why Sophie had stolen his truck and gone for a joyride in the middle of a rainstorm.
Woman were frustrating as hell and the woman sitting in the passenger seat chattering away like she hadn’t just been driving recklessly and could have killed an innocent young girl was no different.
“. . . I swear he looked just like Ryan Gosling. He was sitting at the table sipping his Starbucks and scrolling through his phone. I thought to myself, I can walk out of this coffee shop and spend the rest of my life wondering or I can get up enough courage to walk over and ask. So I walked right up to him and said, ‘Hey, where’s Barbie?’ When he glanced up, I knew immediately that he wasn’t Ryan. But he was still a pretty cute guy. He flashed a nice smile and said, ‘I’m not really into Barbie, but I do have a thing for Strawberry Shortcake.’”
“Who’s Strawberry Shortcake?” Sophie asked from the back seat.
“Good question,” Sunny said. “I didn’t know either. So the guy pulled up a picture on his phone and showed me. She’s a cute little doll with red hair. Sam—that was the guy’s name—said his big sister had one. And I guess he loved to carry it around when he was a toddler and give it kisses. Now he has a thing for redheads.”
If Reid had been participating in the conversation, he would have pointed out that Sunny’s hair wasn’t red. It was the color of a newly minted penny. Or a polished copper tub. Or the last hint of sunset before it dipped below the horizon.
Sophie clutched her chest. “Aww, that is so sweet. Did he ask you out on a date?”
“As a matter of fact, he did and I accepted.”
It figured. Airhead Ken was definitely Sunny’s type.
“So he’s your steady boyfriend?” Sophie asked.
“No. I don’t really do steady boyfriends.”
Reid could feel her gaze burning a hole into the side of his face, but he refused to glance over—just like he’d refused to look at her since she’d climbed into his truck. He might not understand women, but he was smart enough to know the ones he needed to stay away from.
Sunny Whitlock was a woman he needed to stay away from.
Far away from.
From what he’d heard, she was as flighty as his sister. She moved around a lot, had never been in a serious relationship, and didn’t have a job—at least not a real job. She painted country landscapes and lived off her brother’s money.
That brother just happened to be Reid’s boss.
Hallie Holiday might run the Holiday Ranch, but Corbin Whitlock owned the large spread. While he stayed out of ranch business, there was little doubt he’d step in if one of the ranch’s employees was messing around with his little sister. Corbin was a fair man, but he wore blinders when it came to Sunny. She had bamboozled him and all the other Holidays into believing she was this sweet little ray of sunshine. But having grown up with his sister, Reid knew trouble when he saw it.
He needed this job. Not only because it paid well, but also because Wilder was a nice place to live. The townsfolk had welcomed him and Sophie with open arms. The high school football coach, Jace Carson, had made Sophie his kicker and given her lots of encouragement. Mimi and Darla Holiday were constantly bringing them casseroles and pies. And once Corbin and Belle’s house had been completed, Corbin had moved his old mobile home to the ranch for Reid and Sophie to live in so they wouldn’t have to continue to live in Reid’s small travel trailer.
The Holidays were good folks. Reid wasn’t going to screw up the heaven-sent situation he’d landed in because of a little sexual attraction.
And as much as he wanted to deny it, he was sexually attracted to Sunny.
But what man wouldn’t be?
She was a stunningly beautiful woman with a mane of strawberry blond hair and deep chocolate brown eyes that any man would be happy to drown in. When she’d sat down next to him at the Holidays’ Thanksgiving feast and turned those pretty eyes on him, he couldn’t even string two words together . . . until she’d punched him hard in the arm and knocked some sense into him. At first, he’d thought it was her way of being friendly. After all, she had two rough and tumble brothers. But when she continued to do it all through the meal, he’d decided she was just a little crazy.
Beautiful, crazy women needed to be avoided at all costs.
“Reid?” The way Sunny said his name made his gut tighten. “Umm . . . do you think you could maybe not tell my brother exactly what happened.”
“Please, Uncle Reid,” Sophie pleaded. “Don’t tattle on Sunny. Nobody was hurt.”
He kept his gaze on the dirt road that led to the Whitlocks’ house and refused to notice the way Sunny’s wet jean skirt had inched up her tanned thighs. “But they could have been. And I don’t keep secrets.” He glanced in the rearview mirror at his niece. “And don’t think you’ve gotten off, Soph. You’re in big trouble for taking my truck without permission.”
Sophie released a frustrated groan he’d heard at least a hundred times in the last few months and shot him a belligerent look. He wanted to say something else, something fatherly and wise. But he wasn’t fatherly and he certainly wasn’t wise where kids were concerned. Now if she had been a cow or horse, things would be different. He could handle any animal on a ranch.
Teenage girls?
Not at all.
Holding in his own groan of frustration, he pulled in front of Corbin and Belle’s house before jumping out. When he came around the front of his truck, Sunny was waiting for him. Again, he refused to notice the way her wet shirt clung to her full breasts or the outline of her pebbled nipples.
“Okay, I get it,” she said. “You’re upset that Sophie could have been hurt and you want to make me pay for being so irresponsible. But I’m not a fifteen-year-old kid that Corbin is going to discipline. He’ll yell a little, but he’ll be more upset and worried than angry. And I hate to worry my brother. So let’s just keep what happened between us, shall we? We can just say I had car trouble and you came to my rescue. That will earn you much more brownie points with my brother than telling him the truth.” She hesitated, biting down on her plump bottom lip, then releasing it in a slow, slick slide. “And as far as paying for my actions goes, I’ll be happy to take whatever discipline you want to dish out.”
There was no denying the sexual innuendo. Or the reaction his body had to it. Desire slammed into him and his cock hardened so quickly he felt lightheaded. But he had spent his entire life ignoring his body’s fickle desires. He refused to be his father. Or his sister.
He was stronger than that.
“I don’t think you’d like the way I dish out discipline, Ms. Whitlock.”
He expected the amused twinkle to leave her eyes. He did not expect it to be replaced with heat. So much heat that those eyes looked like two steamy cups of strong coffee. Before he could get over her unexpected reaction to his words, Corbin came out the front door with a tiger-striped kitten tucked in his arm and a huge fuzzy dog bouncing around his heels.
“Sunny?”
She sent Reid a pleading look before she pinned on a smile and turned to her brother. “Surprise!”
The dog raced down the steps and jumped on her, knocking her back into Reid. She giggled as the hairy beast licked her face, completely unaware of the sexual turmoil the brush of her lithe body caused. He steadied her and quickly stepped away as she greeted the dog.
“Hey, Gilley, you big ol’ ball of fur.” She gave him a good ear scratch before she pushed him down and headed up the porch steps. “And how’s my sweet Tay-Tay?” She stroked the kitten’s head. “As spoiled as always, I see.”
“Speaking of spoiled.” Corbin shifted the kitten to his other arm and pulled Sunny in for a tight hug. “I thought I told you to stay in Houston until after the storm. You’re soaking wet.” He glanced at Reid. “Why is Reid bringing you home?”
Reid started to explain, but Sunny cut him off.
“I had car trouble.” When Corbin’s eyebrows lowered, she held up a hand. “I know I should have heeded your warning and waited until tomorrow to drive here.” She flashed him a wide-eyed, innocent look. “But I just missed you and Jesse and my new sisters so much that I couldn’t stay away a second longer.”
“You wouldn’t miss us if you moved here like we all want you to.”
She swatted his arm. “Now you know it wouldn’t be any fun to live in the same town as my overprotective big brothers, Cory.”
Corbin glanced up at the gray skies that were still spitting rain and scowled. “You need to be protected. I’m surprised you didn’t get in an accident in this weather.”
“Here safe and sound.” She shot Reid a bright smile. “Thanks to Reid coming to my rescue. You should give the man a raise for being such a sweet hero.”
Corbin laughed. “If he had to put up with your chatter all the way here, he probably deserves one.” He smiled at Reid. “Thank you for coming to her rescue, Reid. I’ll call a tow truck and have them pick up her car.”
“I already did,” Sunny said. “Now if you’re through being the overprotective brother, I need to change out of these wet clothes.” Her gaze returned to Reid. “And you need to get out of your wet clothes too, Reid.” Her eyes ran over him like a steam iron set on high before they lifted. “I wouldn’t want you to catch a nasty cold all because of little ol’ me.” With one more sultry look that heated him from the inside out, she turned and headed into the house.
Once she was gone, Corbin shook his head. “She’s a handful that one. I hope she didn’t talk your ear off on the drive over.”
This was where Reid should tell the truth. But it was too late for that. Now, in order to tell the truth, he’d have to call Sunny a liar. Somehow he didn’t think that would ingratiate him to Corbin.
“No, sir. She was fine.” He walked back to the truck to get her suitcase. It was expensive leather and covered in the designer’s logo. Reid’s luggage was Glad trash bags. Just another reminder of how different he and Sunny were and why he needed to stay far away from her.
“Everything okay with your new home?” Corbin asked as Reid set the luggage down on the porch.
“Yes, sir. I sure appreciate you getting it all set up for us. Making sure we have water and electricity couldn’t have been cheap. I’d be happy to repay you for any costs.”
“We had to run lines for the house as well so it wasn’t a big deal.”
Reid glanced at the two-story home with its wraparound porch and brand-new everything. It was huge, but similar to the Holidays’ big farmhouse, still homey.
“It turned out real nice, Mr. Whitlock.”
“It was all Belle. She knew exactly what she wanted and I just kept my mouth shut and signed the checks.” His gaze moved to Gilley who was jumping up on Reid’s truck. “Gilley! Get down from—” He cut off when the window rolled down and Sophie stuck her head out to greet the dog. “Hey, Sophie! I didn’t realize you were with your uncle. Get down, Gilley. I’m sure Sophie doesn’t want dog slobbers.”
Sophie scratched the dog’s floppy ears. “It’s okay. I love dogs.” Reid was surprised. He hadn’t thought his niece liked much of anything.
“So how’s school?” Corbin asked.
“Okay.”
It was the same answer she gave Reid every time he asked. While Reid would usually nod and go on about his business, Corbin didn’t let it go.
“It’s tough adjusting to a new school, isn’t it? Everyone is already in their friend groups and you feel like the odd one out.”
To Reid’s surprise, Sophie nodded sadly. “Yeah.”
Corbin sent Sophie an understanding look. “Believe me, I get it. Sunny and I are experts on moving to new schools and feeling like the odd ones out. So if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here.”
Sophie shared one of her rare smiles. “Thanks, Mr. Whitlock.”
Corbin winked. “Call me Corbin. I’ve told your uncle the same thing, but he refuses to listen.”
“He’s stubborn like that.”
Corbin laughed and glanced over at Reid. “I’m figuring that out.”
On the drive back to the trailer, Reid had planned on lecturing Sophie about taking his truck without permission. But now he had a bigger concern.
“You feel like the odd man out at school?” He glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
She huffed and flopped back in the seat out of his line of vision. “Please don’t make it into a big deal.”
“But if you’re feeling ostracized at school, it is a big deal, Soph. You told me everything was okay.”
She kicked the back of his seat so hard that he jerked forward and his seatbelt tightened. “Well, it’s not okay. Nothing is okay. But I’m not going to talk about it with someone who never understood my mom and will never understand me.”
Reid wanted to deny it, but couldn’t. She was right. He hadn’t understood her mom. And he certainly didn’t understand Sophie. He had spent his life being an introvert who preferred his own company. He’d had friends, but never close ones. The same was true with girlfriends. He’d dated, but never seriously. When women got to close, he’d broken things off.
Now he had this person he needed to get close to. And he just didn’t know how.
He squeezed the steering wheel in frustration and said the only thing that came to mind. “You want frozen pizza for dinner?”