Chapter 2 #2
Although my mother had set everything up, Leif and I had made the sandwiches, and Colin and Gideon would clean up. We each had a set goal when it came to sharing chores, even though none of us lived here any longer.
I liked being able to come back home whenever I wanted, and I lived close enough to make that happen.
I worked for the family, though I had known that’s what I was going to do when I got out of college.
There were many businesses with my family, but I worked at one of the originals, the main construction company that my aunts and uncles had formed along with my grandfather.
It had taken different incarnations over the years, but now I worked directly with my Aunt Tabby as well as on my own with Montgomery Builders—the next generation version of the company.
Aunt Tabby was the head admin for their company and all the subsidiary companies that came from Montgomery Inc.
She could run everything with just her pinky and that planner of hers.
I had loved following Aunt Tabby around with my own little binder and stickers, making little notes in my planner.
My mother had just rolled her eyes and made sure I got a new yearly planner for school, and for life.
Then she would make sure that they were color coded, so I would know which is which.
I was still like that even though the majority of my life was online.
I loved the tactile feeling of paper and organizing.
I was one of the head admins for the company, and while my aunt worked with people face-to-face, as did most of my family, I did everything behind the scenes.
Meaning I worked from home most days. And when I visited Clover Lake or traveled with my siblings or friends, I was still able to work.
I was grateful that I was able to do that.
It gave me options that not everybody else had.
“So, what did I miss?” Leif asked as he walked in, Beau settled in his arms, in a new onesie and smelling all clean and like a baby.
“I want to know who Jamie is texting,” Gideon blurted.
Colin then threw me under the bus. “And why she’s all of a sudden so excited to visit Clover Lake.”
I glared but resisted the urge to flip them off. Not that my mother would care, as I had already done that in front of her once today, but no, because I wouldn’t flip off family in front of the baby. I had standards.
So I mouthed the words fuck you to both, making sure Beau couldn’t see, and promptly took a bite of my sandwich.
Leif whistled through his teeth, before my mother plucked the baby from his arms, and he sat down to lunch. This was my family, what I loved. And what I strived for. No matter how much I wanted to return that text, and visit Clover Lake next week, coming home to this was what mattered.
And I knew that was never going to change.
“You’re here!” Livvy said as she threw her arms around me. I’d barely been able to get out of my SUV—the same one that a wet and grumpy Sharp had gotten into—before she’d nearly knocked me down.
“I’m glad to be here too. I love you bunches.”
Livvy danced on her toes as she looked me over, that bright light of her eyes bringing me so much joy. She deserved this happiness. “I hope you packed enough to stay a whole month.”
I rolled my eyes. “I did. And I think you have this thing called a washer and dryer? Or are we so set in the frontier days of Wyoming that I’m going to have to use a bucket and beat my clothes with some rocks.”
“I see you’re making fun of Wyoming again,” Ewan said as he strolled forward, wearing his work jeans, boots, and a backwards baseball cap. Though to be honest, I’d been expecting a cowboy hat.
While a few people in Colorado wore them, I didn’t really head to the rural areas to see that happen.
I’d been to a couple of bars where tourists wore them, but unless I went to a place like the Grizzly Rose to line dance, they weren’t the norm.
The fact that the McBrides sometimes wore them for work and celebrations, and had different hats for each, always amused me.
They were real ranchers of Angus beef. Well, I thought it was Angus. Or maybe that was just Angus McBride, the patriarch of the family. I needed to learn more about how this ranch operated because this was Livvy’s family.
Nothing else.
My gaze slid over the crew as they welcomed me, and I hugged Becky McBride, Ewan’s mother, as well as Angus, and tried to spot the one face I was looking for. The one face I knew I shouldn’t.
Gwendolyn McBride, Ewan’s younger sister, ran forward and hugged me tightly. “I’m so glad that you’re here. We need more estrogen around this place.”
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with testosterone,” Galen said as he puffed out his chest. He looked like a blend of Ewan and Sharp, and it just reminded me that genetics were funny that way.
“Excuse me, are you really going to be the one discussing testosterone with me?” Ewan said dryly, as Galen moved forward and put his sister in a headlock.
“Kids. Seriously? We have company.”
I waved them off and hugged Becky harder. “It’s okay. I have three older brothers. I’m used to it.”
“And this is why I’m glad I just have the one younger brother,” Livvy said dryly, as she rolled her eyes.
I said hello to a few other McBrides, apparently the cousins who worked on the ranch or nearby, and a few ranch hands, before finally coming back and hugging Amelia as she wrapped her arms around my waist. I kissed the top of her head, realizing she was getting taller by the day, and held her close.
However, there was only one person I didn’t see.
I swallowed hard, trying to hide my disappointment.
He knew I was on my way. I’d texted him after all. It wasn’t like we had plans to see each other. It was probably better that we just texted anyway.
Livvy met my gaze and raised a single brow. Apparently, my look of disappointment hadn’t gone unnoticed. Not that it mattered. It was just a look. That’s what I told myself at least.
“Anyway, we’re going to set you up in the guest cabin. I know you stayed at our house last time, but since you’re going to be here a whole month to work, and to spend time with us, I figured you’d like your own space.”
I beamed at that. “Really? A cabin on a ranch? I don’t know if I brought the right stickers for my planner.”
“I have stickers for you, Aunt Jamie,” Amelia said as we swung our arms together, walking towards the cabin.
“Those are the words to a girl’s heart,” I teased.
“She has her own little planner,” Ewan said dryly before they brought up something about the ranch I didn’t understand. I smiled, listening as they spoke of their plans for the workday, and what needed to happen on the ranch.
While Clover Lake was a small town, one right outside of Sheridan, about five hours or so from Fort Collins, the Cabell Ranch pretty much engulfed the west side of it.
The McBride Ranch covered I think 1,400 acres last time they mentioned it, and they raised Angus and a few other things, their neighbors raised Hedford.
I had to look up what each of those were.
They also had sheep for wool, and they set aside acres that they rotated for hay.
They had a few horses, and I knew that Sharp wanted to bring in more because he had texted me about it.
They weren’t a horse ranch, or whatever that was called, but he had a few that he used for breeding and wanted to add more to the business.
From what the text said, Angus McBride was excited about it, though I didn’t know if they had talked about it more.
Not that it was my business.
The cabin was close by, on the east side of Ewan and Livvy’s home, but as I looked around, I realized there was another home a little bit closer.
“That is Sharp’s house,” Ewan said, and I determinedly didn’t look at Livvy.
“If you need anything, and the phone’s out or something, you just head over to Sharp. He knows what he’s doing.”
“Oh. Really?” Well, my voice had definitely squeaked just then, and not only had Livvy noticed, but Ewan did too. “So what are you guys doing today? Anything I can help with?”
“Are you going to become a ranch hand?” Ewan asked, teasing.
“You want me nowhere near anything that I could break. There’s a reason that I’m an admin with the construction crew.”
“Good to know. Well come on, I’ll show you what we’ve been working on, especially with the expansion, after we drop everything in the cabin.”
“That sounds great. I’ve been sitting for so long, I could use the walk.”
“You’ll be walking around here a lot,” Livvy said, as she hugged me again. “I’m truly so glad that you’re here. The fact that you can take a whole month to work while you’re visiting just means the world to me.”
I kissed my cousin’s cheek and held on tight.
“Of course. We miss you down there, but I know we all visit enough that it has to be annoying at times.”
“Never,” Livvy and Ewan said at the same time, and as Livvy let go of me, she met her husband’s gaze, and the love I saw there nearly staggered me.
I swallowed hard and made my way through the home.
The place was gorgeous with its tall ceilings and arched doorways.
There were multiple open areas so the family could gather, but also closed off areas so the noise wouldn’t overwhelm quiet sections.
It was absolutely brilliant and stunning.
I wasn’t jealous of my cousin. Not really.
But I loved that kind of love, and I didn’t even know what it felt like.
I pushed those thoughts to the side as they had no place here and followed the small family as they made their way towards the main ranch.
We had to get in a golf cart of all things, because it was such a large spread, but I didn’t mind.
Amelia was buckled next to me, talking a mile a minute, and I settled in, knowing that while I had to work, it would be good to relax.
“We’re setting up an expansion for more horses.
It’s Sharp’s baby, and he’s been focusing on that.
That’s why he didn’t stop by to say hello and greet you,” Ewan said, as he took Livvy’s hand and moved her towards the edge of the paddock.
At least I thought it was a paddock. I truly needed to look up the names of these things.
I smiled as I watched different horses moving in different sections.
I wanted to bring out my planner notebook and take down notes.
I liked learning things, and it was the part of me that always made my mom smile.
Ewan explained a few more things, and I listened with half an ear, as I leaned against the metal grate, smiling as everything settled in. This was Livvy’s home, and it was gorgeous. It wasn’t Denver, it wasn’t family, and yet, it called to me. Or maybe I was just too tired.
When I looked up, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I realized that there was somebody coming towards us.
I swallowed hard as Sharp moved forward, his hat shielding his eyes from the sun, his thick thighs covered in dirt, his boots even more marred in clay. But he had a grin on his face, as he called out something I couldn’t quite hear.
My heart raced, and I nearly kicked myself. What the hell was wrong with me?
This was Sharp. Just a friend who I texted. I was not here for him. Not only was he probably still in love with Jo, he was my cousin’s brother-in-law. That made him off limits.
But then his gaze met mine, and I blinked, feeling as if someone punched me in the chest. I staggered back, my shoulder hitting the metal pin holding the gate closed.
Sharp’s eyes widened, as he began to pick up his pace, and then everything moved slowly. The gate behind me swung open, and I fell, hands outstretched, as my back hit the packed dirt.
My elbow hit the ground hard, and stars buzzed in front of my eyes, as the sound of hooves hitting soil hammered behind me.
And then somebody screamed.