Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
Brynn
It’s Wednesday night, another dinner and another day almost done. The kitchen is nearly spotless. The routine of it all, the scrubbing of stubborn spots on the dishes, is usually enough to take the frustration, the fear, or whatever else the day throws at me away, but not today.
Dad’s getting worse every day, and I don’t know how to handle it. It’s heart-wrenching to watch someone who was so strong and independent become confused and…weak. My heart can’t take this.
I wipe down the last bit of the counter, glancing out the window to see Olivia outside with Barney. Dad is upstairs asleep, and all the ranch hands are over at the bunkhouse. It’s just me in the kitchen now.
I fight back the tears that are threatening to fall. I’m so overwhelmed with everything, trying to figure out what the next steps will be with Dad, with the ranch if we don’t get rain, with…everything.
“Brynn, you’ve been at this all day. Let me help,” Jack says softly as he walks into the kitchen.
I shake my head, waving him off. “I’ve got it, really.”
But he doesn’t listen. Instead, he grabs a dish towel and starts drying the plates I just washed. I sigh, a little irritation bubbling up because I wanted to be alone.
Well, I thought I wanted to be alone. Why do I feel so relieved that he’s helping me?
We move around each other with an easy rhythm, like we’ve done this a hundred times before. It’s effortless the way we work together. I catch myself smiling and feeling relaxed, the overwhelm and anxiety slowly dissipating just by him being in the same room with me, helping.
When the last dish is put away, he turns to me, his hands still damp from drying. Without hesitation, he pulls me into his arms and presses a tender kiss to my lips. It’s soft at first, patient like he’s giving me the space to pull away if I want to. But I don’t.
His lips part from mine just enough for him to ask, “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” I answer quickly, looking away just as fast.
He pulls back, his eyes locking onto mine with unwavering intensity. “Brynn.”
I swallow hard, my heart hammering. I fidget, trying to pull out of his grip. I can’t think straight when I’m this close to him.
“I said I’m fine.”
He shakes his head, his thumb tracing along my cheek. “You’re a bad liar, you know that?” His voice is low, warm, and full of concern. And I feel myself relax a bit more. “You don’t need to sugarcoat things for me. I want the truth so I can help make it better.”
I look away, trying to step back again, but he won’t let me. His hands are firm yet gentle, holding me steady. “You’re strong,” he continues. “So damn resilient. The way you’ve taken care of everything, how patient you’ve been with your dad… I know it hasn’t been easy to see him like that.”
I let out a shaky breath, blinking hard against the sting of tears. “It’s just another day.”
“Brynn.” His voice is softer now, and all my defenses are slowly crumbling. “You don’t have to be the strong one all the time. I won’t think any less of you if you lean on me.”
I stare at him, caught between disbelief and the deep, aching desire to trust him. He sees me struggling, sees the way my emotions are threatening to break free, and he does the only thing he can—he kisses me again.
This time, it’s different. There’s heat, urgency, a silent plea for me to let go. And for once, I do. I melt against him.
The tension I’ve been carrying for weeks, months—maybe even years—unravels like a frayed rope finally snapping. My fingers dig into the muscles of his back, holding on like he’s the only thing keeping me from combusting.
My heart pounds against my ribs, a desperate rhythm that matches the unspoken emotions crashing over me. I don’t know what to do with them all—the fear, the exhaustion, the weight of holding everything together. But in his arms, for just a second, I don’t have to.
His lips press against mine, firm yet searching, and it’s like he’s trying to pull the truth from me without words. He already sees it and feels it in the way my body trembles against his.
I want to trust this. I want to trust him.
But the moment I start to let go, Barney’s barking shatters the quiet. A vicious, warning growl that sends ice straight through my veins.
Then Olivia’s voice slices through the night.
“Uncle Lane? What are you doing? Why are you here?”
Her voice is loud enough for me to hear, but it’s timid and full of fear.
Every part of me snaps back into place like a whip cracking in the cold.
“Jack,” I choke out, already moving. “Call 9-1-1.”
And then I sprint out the door. The porch lights flood the yard in a dull glow. Olivia stands rigid, her arms wrapped around herself. Lane is a few feet away, yelling at Barney.
“Barney, no! Come here, boy!” she calls out. “Just stay still, Uncle Lane. He’s just protecting me.”
“This mutt,” he hisses as he lifts his foot and kicks Barney hard in the ribs.
“No!” Olivia and I both cry out at the same time.
I can barely process what’s happening before I see Lane brandishing a gun in his hand. He points the barrel at Barney.
“Olivia, come here!” I call, my voice trembling as I rush toward her. “Lane, what are you doing?”
“You can’t fire me, Brynn. I’m the reason this ranch is even making money,” he slurs.
Fear grips me as Olivia rushes into my arms. I pull her tightly into me, trying to cover her face.
“Barney, come here, boy. Come here, boy,” she cries on repeat.
The dog isn’t listening, though; he’s still growling and snapping at Lane.
“I will kill you, you stupid mutt!” he screams.
Jack barrels out of the house, his voice sharp and commanding. “Lane put the damn gun down.”
I feel a little sense of relief now that Jack’s here. His eyes meet mine and he nods, a silent gesture to let me know that the police are on their way. Now, we just have to get the gun away from Lane without anyone or anything getting shot.
It’s dark, but between the moonlight and the security lights, I can see that Lane’s eyes are bloodshot. He’s slurring. He’s either drunk or high or both.
From the barn, I see movement—Nick. He steps out behind Lane, unnoticed. The other ranch hands aren’t far off, watching, waiting.
I breathe a sigh of relief. If Lane doesn’t know they’re out here, that they’re close by, then we can handle this situation peacefully if the cops don’t get here soon.
The only problem with living out in the country is that it takes the police longer to get out here.
Jack keeps talking, his voice steady. “You don’t want to do this, Lane. Whatever’s going on, we can talk about it.”
But Lane isn’t listening. He’s wild-eyed, strung out.
“You fired me. You did this, Jack. I met your wife in town. Seems that you’re messing around with my sister-in-law when you’re a married man.”
He takes the gun off Barney and points it at Jack. I suck in a breath, my heart stopping as I pull Olivia in tighter to me. I try to cover her face, but she’s still trying to get away to get to her dog.
Barney finally comes over to her. She bends down to get him, and I hear a voice behind me, right in my ear.
“Hello, Brynn.”
I go rigid.
Why is he here? Why didn’t I hear his truck? Why didn’t I hear him walk up behind me? Fuck, does he see Nick and the other ranch hands? Did Lane bring more people out here with him?
My entire body is tense as I look around. I can smell the whiskey pouring out of him.
A sober Clay is manageable. A drunk Clay is terrifying.
“Jack,” I whisper as I feel Clay’s hand on my arm.
Jack turns, his expression shifting to shock. “What’s wrong?”
I can’t answer. My mind is spinning. Clay chuckles drily and steps toward Olivia.
He steps forward, his presence suffocating. He reaches for Olivia and pulls her into a tight grip. “Give your old man a hug.”
Olivia stiffens, panic flashing in her eyes. “Let me go!”
My stomach churns. “Clay, let her go.”
He barely acknowledges me. “She’s my daughter, I can do whatever I want.”
“She’s scared. Let her go.”
“You’re going to shut your damn mouth and stop interfering in my relationship with my daughter,” he hisses. “You’re also going to give my brother his job back. Because you owe us that much.”
Olivia struggles in his grip. “Let me go,” she says softly at first.
Barney gives out a low growl. Clay stomps at the ground to scare him off, still holding on to Olivia tightly. Barney snaps, growling more, his eyes locked onto Clay fiercely.
“Let me go!” Olivia screams this time, fighting hard to get away from her dad.
Barney lunges, flying through the air. Clay screams as Barney latches onto his arm. Olivia shrieks, barely getting out of her dad’s grasp. I lunge for her, just as Lane starts screaming.
“You stupid dog!”
A shot rings out.
“NOOOOOOO!!!!” I scream.