Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Sharp
Two weeks later.
“You’re taking the entire afternoon off? It’s like I don’t even know you.” Galen lifted another box out of the truck and handed it to me. My muscles ached under the weight, but I ignored it. Just like I ignored my brother’s teasing.
“Yes. An entire afternoon off. Something I know you enjoy doing. Often.”
Galen rolled his eyes. “I’d flip you off, but my hands are already exhausted.”
I smirked. “From having to jerk yourself off since you can’t get a date?”
“Ha-ha,” Galen said dryly. “You’re so funny. I can’t even.”
“I’m just kidding. I’m sure you can get a date.”
“Yes. I can. Much like you’re dating a certain Montgomery.”
I pressed my lips together, hoping that I didn’t look too smug. Even though I was still fucking nervous. “We’re not dating. We’re just hanging out.”
“She’s only here for another couple of weeks, bruh.”
“I realized that. It’s why we’re just hanging out.”
“If you’re sure. It worries me.”
“Don’t be worried. I’m just taking it easy. It’s Jamie. I’m not going to hurt her.” My voice was soft enough at the end of my words that my brother gave me a look.
“I know you don’t want to hurt her, but it could still happen. And she could hurt you.”
“Galen.”
“No. No. Go have fun, enjoy your afternoon off. And make sure that I take all the extra work for you.”
“Yes, because I can see you’re struggling here,” I said dryly.
“I could be, you asshole.”
“Language,” Mom said as she came forward and kissed my cheek. “Get down off that truck, Galen. And come say hello to your mother.”
“Didn’t I say hello to you this morning?
” Galen teased, before he leaped off the back of the truck and picked Mom up.
He twirled her around, and she laughed as if she were a young girl, and I just rolled my eyes.
My mother didn’t have favorites. But sometimes I thought maybe Galen would be it.
They just got along so well. Much like my sister and our father were practically best friends.
Of course, I loved my parents, and we would do anything for each other, but my bond tended to be with Ewan.
We all paired up nicely in this crazy family of ours.
“I’m headed to town. That damn town council meeting is going to be an entire afternoon event.”
“Are you taking Dad with you?” I asked with a cringe.
“Yes. Because if I don’t, who’s going to hold me back from beating somebody up?” she asked.
“That’s my mom, the one who’s going to end up in jail for beating up a certain townie.” Galen met my gaze, and I winced.
“We’re not beating up that family.” Again. I barely resisted the urge to smile at the memory of my mother putting my near-mother-in-law into a headlock.
Mom snorted. “No? They deserve it. You haven’t heard the latest.”
I winced. “What now?” My hands fisted at my sides.
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
After a moment of silence, I leaned forward. “Mom.”
“Seriously, everything’s fine.”
“You say that and yet I don’t believe you.”
“I’m just going to have to take that woman down a peg or two. The more she talks about my son and this family, the more she’s going to regret it.”
“As long as she doesn’t hurt you.” I sighed. “Hell, as long as she doesn’t hurt any of our family. Even though we could take them.”
“Damn straight. As is evidenced by the fact that they keep running their mouths because they know it’s the only thing keeping them relevant. That woman is already married, and seemingly happy with that waste of space. I don’t know why they feel it necessary to bring up old wounds.”
I cursed under my breath, and once again reminded myself that this was my fault.
If I’d just done anything different and not been so selfish when it came to my relationships, we wouldn’t have to deal with town council meetings and Jo’s family.
I knew they were still trying their best to create issues when it came to Jamie as well.
It was frustrating when I couldn’t protect her from the looks or the whispers.
But she was holding her own every time she went to town.
And like I had told Galen, she and I weren’t dating.
Because dating each other would be a mistake.
We didn’t live near each other, but we were spending time together.
Every evening, and sometimes in the afternoons.
But she worked and so did I. And her cabin was only a hundred feet from my house.
Sometimes that hundred feet felt like a canyon.
Sometimes it felt like it was next door.
But a few kisses, a few caresses, didn’t make a relationship.
I knew that. And she knew that. And yet, it felt like if I didn’t touch her soon, I would break.
She was the only person I could think of, and she was constantly on my mind, and that was a fucking problem.
Because she would go home soon, leaving me behind, like she should, and I wasn’t sure what the hell I was supposed to do with that.
“Darling? What’s wrong?”
I shook my head and pulled myself out of my dreary thoughts. “Nothing’s wrong. Just thinking.”
“About a certain date this afternoon?”
I glared at Galen, who held up his hands.
“Don’t blame your brother. I saw your name on the list this afternoon for wanting time off, because we are a business and we know everything.
And I know that you asked Franklin to get not only Giuseppe ready, but Rose as well,” Mom said, speaking of my horse, and a gentle trail horse that I knew Jamie could handle.
She wasn’t comfortable in the saddle yet, and our ride this afternoon wasn’t going to be long.
But I would never put her on a horse that would hurt her.
“Oh, you’re taking Rose out for her? Just make sure there’s enough room on the door,” Galen teased, and then ducked my fist.
“Boys. Stop fighting, especially when that joke wasn’t even good,” Mom deadpan.
“Hey. That’s not nice. I’m your baby boy.”
“And so is this baby boy. Now. Finish your chores and I’ll go deal with Jo and her family of evil.”
“Mom. You shouldn’t have to.”
“I was dealing with that woman’s mother for longer than you decided to stick your wick where you shouldn’t have.”
I sputtered, as Galen threw his head back and laughed. “Mom,” I complained.
“What? It’s the truth, isn’t it? Now. I will continue to deal with that woman because we are a small town, and that is what we do.
But she’s a hazard. And she always has been.
And she’ll just have to learn not to mess the McBrides.
She’s jealous. She’s jealous of our family, of our land, and of our place in this community. And she’s nothing.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too. Now, go be a good son and take care of Jamie. She deserves a good afternoon.”
“And by take care of, you mean?” Galen asked, before he ran away from our mother’s glare.
“Why did you have to have another kid? I mean, Gwen’s amazing. You could’ve skipped one.”
“And not have my favorite? How dare you.”
My mouth dropped as my mother just laughed, and she kissed me on the cheek. “Have fun. And remember, you’re allowed to be happy, you know.”
“Mom. We’re just friends.”
“Don’t lie to me. I see the way that you look at each other.”
“She doesn’t live here, Mom. Being more than friends would be a mistake.”
“Would it?” she asked, as she tilted her head, and then she left me alone, leaving me wondering what the hell I was going to do.
I finished setting up my project, knowing that I was lucky as hell to be a part of this family.
We were a cow ranch, with a few other projects, but we didn’t usually dabble in horses.
But I wanted to add a breeding program. We had the space, and between my colleagues and myself, we had the expertise.
We weren’t going to be a large breeding program.
Just large enough to ensure that we could get in the black soon, and provide a service for the town that we didn’t have.
Yes, Jo’s family also bred horses, which was another point of contention, but we weren’t going to be in the same realm.
We wanted different things, which was always the problem when it came to me and Jo.
I just hated the fact that my family had to deal with any of the consequences of my actions.
I had been the one who had been cheated on, and yet some of the town still blamed me.
However, that was what Jo wanted, and I was going to walk away from it.
Because this afternoon was all about me and Jamie. And that brought a smile to my face.
With a sigh, I headed back to my house, jumped in the shower because I was covered in dust from work, though I knew I’d end up covered in more after the ride.
But I wanted to smell nice for Jamie. Because we were friends.
Who occasionally made out. And I was about to take her on a ride down one of my favorite trails.
This wasn’t going to backfire at all.
I made it to the kitchens to pick up the picnic basket Cindy, our longtime cook, had prepped for me.
She was the one had made sure that our family could stay alive during our childhood, since Mom and Dad had been working far too many hours to keep the ranch afloat.
Then I headed to the barn for Giuseppe and Rose.
Jamie was already there, talking with Franklin at the end of the stalls, and my heart kicked.
This was going to be another problem. Because whenever I saw Jamie, everything froze.