Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
A s far as ways to be woken up before the sun went, having sexy lips from an even sexier cowboy was a pretty good one. And when that cowboy was your Daddy made it even better. “Today’s the big day, babygirl. Time to rise and shine.”
After one more kiss, Boone pulled back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. Tildi squealed and tried to yank the covers back up, then realized the room was already warm. The aroma of warm apple cinnamon rolls filled the room, and she spied a steaming cup of coffee milk waiting for her.
“How long have you been up, Daddy? It’s still dark outside.” Not that anyone on a ranch went by that. By the time the sun made an appearance, breakfast was cooked, the animals fed and watered, the stall’s hay freshened, and who knew what else.
“Not too long.” He ruffled her hair and smiled. “Let’s get you dressed. Then we’ll eat and watch the snow coming down.”
Tildi sat up and looked at the window, shooting to her feet with a wince when her bottom pressed against the mattress. Man, her rear end was sore.
She sent a glare to her Daddy that said, “My bottom is sore and it’s all your fault.”
He raised her glare with one of his own that said, “The only one to blame for your sore rear is you. And if you don’t want a repeat of last night, you’d better check your attitude.”
Geez! Daddies sure could say a lot with their eyes. It seemed prudent to change the topic of unspoken conversation. Besides, there was snow to be watched and copious amounts of coffee milk to drink. Not to mention warm sweet rolls to consume. She grinned and darted toward her closet.
“Don’t run in the house,” Boone yelled.
Daddies were also overprotective. This was justified running because it was snowing. Sure, she’d seen it snow before, but that was Tennessee snow and Northeastern snow. This was Wyoming snow.
She pulled on a brown shirt that said Little Miss Gobble till you Wobble on the front and matching cream leggings with ruffles at the bottom. Eight hundred thousand centuries later, she sat in the lounge next to the kitchen. It was her favorite place so far, other than her bedroom. The lounge had a huge picture window, perfect for watching fat flakes of snow cascading down to play with all their friends already blanketing the ground. It was so peaceful and beautiful.
Before long Boone brought them both one of those huge cinnamon rolls to eat. They talked about the day to come and all the people who would be there. Knowing Ruby and Kenzie were already hard at work, Tildi ate as fast as she could, intent on helping in the kitchen.
After telling her to slow down twice, Boone took her plate and fed her himself.
He told her all the things he’d already done that morning. Honestly, Boone and his brothers did more before breakfast than most people did all day. She got tired just listening to him.
As soon as the holidays were over, she was going to ask Daddy to show her how to do some of those chores. He might not expect her to pitch in, but this was going to be her home, too. That meant she wanted to do whatever she could to help him. She was a fantastic helper.
As soon as she swallowed her last bite, they headed to the kitchen to put their plates in the sink. But before they reached the kitchen, they heard raised voices. What in the world?
Boone held her back when she tried to dash to see what all the commotion was about. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he lifted her off the floor. “Hold your horses, bluebell. We’ll find out what’s goin’ on soon enough.”
Chance’s voice, loud and laced with anger, echoed through the kitchen. “What the hell are you and your thugs doing here?”
Oh dear, that didn’t sound good at all.
“And how the fuck did you make it past the locked gate?” Tildi didn’t recognize that voice. But she didn’t have to wonder for long.
Ruby, obviously used to dealing with cowboys, ventured into the fray. “Grant Spicer! You watch that mouth. I know your mama’s number and don’t think I won’t call her.”
“Um, sorry, Miss Ruby. But you do know I am thirty two years old now. That threat don’t have the same weight it did when I was a kid.”
“Oh, really?” Ruby snapped. “Well, let me get my phone and we’ll just see about that.”
Boone took Tildi’s hand and stepped in front of her, leading her into the warm, if somewhat tension filled kitchen. She tried to step around him so she could see what was happening but had to settle for peeking around his arm when he stepped over to block her.
A tall, muscular man sighed as he gazed down at his feet, hat in one hand and the other rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s all right, Miss Ruby. I apologize for my phraseology.” Then lifting his gaze to glare at one of three men wearing suits. Grant singled out the one who sat at the table, calmly eating a cinnamon roll. “That don’t mean you ain’t got to answer my question.”
Grant’s words seemed to trigger everyone’s questions. And they all wanted them answered at the same time. Tildi was tempted to cover her ears.
Boone spoke up, his voice booming over the other conversation taking place. “Quiet down! That’s on me, Grant. This is Sev Midnight. He’s a friend of mine from Vancouver. I gave Sev the code to the front gate.” It was Boone’s turn to glare at Sevin. “I didn’t realize he was bringing anyone with him.”
Sev smirked at Boone and shrugged. “I thought I might get lonely.” His gaze slid to Kenzie. “I can see I didn’t need to bother.”
Tanner snapped to attention. “Oh, hell, no.”
He stomped toward Sev. Sev’s two men closed ranks and blocked Tanner’s approach. They stood wide with their jackets open. Bored but alert expressions graced their faces, standing there with their hands clasped in front. They looked like every mafia soldier she’d ever seen. And she’d seen plenty over the past year.
With friends like Sev, she could see why her Daddy had been upset with her last night.
She almost jumped out of her skin when the kitchen door burst open so hard it slammed into the wall. It would have bounced back closed if Grif, Dutch, and another man she didn’t know hadn’t run through the doorway, guns drawn and pointed at the men in suits.
The men had their guns drawn before Tildi even saw them move.
Chance made it to Kenzie and Ruby in two long strides, pulling the women behind him. “Put those damn guns away. Now. What in the hell is the matter with you. Boone, I’m getting the women out of here. I’d be obliged if you’d sort this shit before I get back.”
Chance disappeared through the door on the opposite side of the room, keeping Ruby and a furiously protesting Kenzie in front of him.
Sev appeared amused. “Lovely vacation getaway you’ve got here. I may have to book a longer stay this summer.”
Sidestepping again, Tildi tried to stand beside her Daddy. He had a big mess to clean up and might need her help. She had experience with mafia soldiers. Even better, with Midnight mafia soldiers. Well, Nico Midnight soldiers anyway.
Boone immediately tried to tug her back behind him. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ve got this. I won’t let them hurt you.”
The response in the room was less than encouraging. Boone growled. Tanner and Trace hit her with a look she’d only seen them use with Kenzie up until that point. Grif and Dutch were annoyed. And Sev’s men glared at her like she’d insulted their manhood.
The only one who looked impressed was Sev. He was also the only one smiling. “That’s all right, piccola , I admire your bravery. Of course, if you were my Little girl, that would be another matter. I suspect that’s why your Daddy is frowning so hard.”
“Damn straight.” Boone scowled, first at her then at Sev. “I told you to call me when you got here. Not drive all the way to my house and make yourself at home.”
“You did.” Sev held his smile. “We drove all this way. The last thing we want to do is hurt anyone. Vinnie, Tino, put your guns away. We’re among friends.” His gaze dared Boone to follow suit.
“Grif, Dutch, Kai, stand down.” Boone’s men obeyed his command without hesitation. Looking down at Tildi, eyes blazing, he spoke in a voice only she could hear. “And if you ever want to sit comfortably again, you will get your pretty little ass behind me.”
Such a bossy Daddy. If he was never going to let her protect him, he shouldn’t have taught her to shoot a pistol. But when her Daddy’s hand twitched, she decided to take her cue from his men and do as she was told.
Once she was safely behind the wall that was Fort Boone, he turned his attention to his friend. “When we talked last night, he said you’d head this way, but I didn’t think you meant overnight. What did you find that has you here so soon? Without so much as a call.”
Sev rose to his feet. Stepping in front of his men, Sev had a quiet word with his men then approached Boone. There was something in Sev’s eyes she couldn’t identify, but it unnerved.
Sev turned his attention back to Boone. “I’m not sure now is the ideal time to go into details. Suffice it to say after our phone conversation, I dug deeper into who could have sent the texts and how. Based on what I found, I decided we needed to speak sooner than later. In the current circumstances, I didn’t feel comfortable talking over the phone. So, I grabbed the men I knew I could trust and came to talk with you in person.”
Boone rubbed his hands over his face. “Fuck. Okay, do you have a place for you and your men to stay?”
Sev nodded. “We do.”
“And how long do you think our discussions will take?”
“It’s hard to say. There are more players than I realized at first. And the players are more dangerous.”
“Fuck! Okay, so we need to talk. We have a big event going on today, so unless something is imminent, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Hold on a minute. Just how many men are we talking about,” Ruby called from the same doorway Chance had escorted her out of a few minutes before. Kenzie stood behind her, peeking out in much the same way Tildi was.
“Eight. But?—”
Ruby cut him off. “Eight big, strapping boys like the three of you? Land sakes alive. Well, there’s nothing for it. You’re here to help our family.”
“I’m here to help Boone,” Sev clarified.
Ruby turned to Boone. “Does he not know you’re family?”
Tildi had scootched to the side enough to see her Daddy’s lips twitch. Without looking at her, he stuck out his arm and swiped her back behind him. Darn it.
“As I was saying,” Ruby continued. “You’re here for us, so we’ll keep you fed. But I’m up to my elbow getting things ready for the Friendsgiving celebration, so you’re going to have to make a run to Wilder for more supplies.”
Sev jerked in surprise. “That’s not necessary. We don’t want to impose on your plans. We’ll just?—”
Again, Ruby interrupted him. “I don’t take kindly to people talkin’ back. We’re not very well going to have visitors in town and not take care of them while they’re here.”
“The Friendsgiving celeb?—”
“Yes, that’s what I said. And every other meal.” Turning to Boone, she said, “Honestly son, where do you find these people?” Returning her gaze to Sev, Ruby kept going. “And you, Boone evidently hasn’t warned you about my wooden spoon. That’s what happens to people who try to argue with me.” She took her weapon from her apron pocket and smacked her hand as evidence of her veracity.
Tildi put her hand over her mouth so Ruby wouldn’t see her smile. Sev and his men didn’t seem to know what to make of this aggressive, spoon wielding woman. The last thing she needed today was to have Ruby smacking her aching bottom with a wooden spoon. Much better if she concentrated all her wooden spoon wielding on Sev and his men.
Sev gave Boone a look of sheer panic. Boone grinned. “The woman does swing a wicked wooden spoon.”
Shaking his head, Sev forced a smile. “Then I suppose I must thank you for your hospitality. We’ll be happy to gather whatever you need. Boone, this is obviously not the time or place for a business discussion. Maybe we can talk on our shopping trip.”
Ruby moved from the doorway toward the kitchen, motioning for Kenzie to join her. She picked up the knife she’d been using before and went back to work chopping something for yet another casserole they’d be serving.
Boone pulled Tildi to stand beside him. She lifted his arm and cuddled in closer. She loved it when his arms were around her. Without thinking, she slid her arms around his waist. She could still catch the faint scent of smoke and a spice that was just Boone. And she loved it.
Instead of joining Ruby, Kenzie stood in front of Boone with her hand resting on her cocked hip. “Tildi can’t be the only girl shopping for groceries with a bunch of guys, so I’m coming, too. That way, you can’t all gang up on her and come home with six-packs of Fat Tire instead of the bottles of Moscato and Reisling I know are on her list.”
“If you’re going to buy those you might as well save your money and buy grape juice.” Boone shrugged. “But if it gets us in and out of the store faster so we can get back to the ranch, I’m all for it.”
“Yay!” Kenzie clapped and hopped.
Laughing, Boone put a hand on the top of his sister’s head and pretended to be unable to hold her down. “Calm yourself, Tiger.”
“Tiger?” Sev’s deep, confident voice broke into their conversation. “Looks more like a Tigger than a tiger to me.”
Kenzie whirled to face him, cheeks flushed and eyes shooting sparks. “My friends call me Tiger. You can call me Kenzie.”
“I see we’re on the same page. I definitely don’t see us as friends, either.”
That seemed to bring Kenzie up short. Tildi didn’t know her new friend well enough to be sure, but she thought she saw a flash of hurt in Kenzie’s eyes. “Good. Same page. Fine.”
She’d never seen Kenzie so out of sorts. Grabbing her hand, Tildi tugged her toward the mudroom. “Come on, Kenzie. Let’s go get our coats.”
Kenzie grabbed Tildi’s hand like it was a lifeline. “Let’s do that. Boone, we’ll meet you out front.”
The next thing Tildi knew, Kenzie was hauling her across the kitchen to grab their coats and they were on their way out the door.
On the way to the SUV Kenzie pulled Tildi closer. “Will you sit in the backseat with me? I don’t want to be trapped back there with that man.”
“You mean Sevin?”
Kenzie rolled her eyes. “It figures he’d be named after an odd number. It suits him.”
Tildi giggled. “You two seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot.”
“Didn’t you hear him call me Tigger? What other foot is there after that? Tigger bounces around everywhere and people don’t want him around. You can’t get on more of a wrong foot than that.”
“Um, if you say so.” Tildi wasn’t sure that was what Sev had meant, but the way Kenzie was scuffing her feet and kicking clods of snow as if they were Sevin’s head made Tildi think it wasn’t the time to say that to her friend. “I’m glad you’re going. I’m sure Daddy, I mean, Boone, wouldn’t mind.”
Kenzie snorted. “You can call him Daddy. But I don’t want any details about… things… cause, he’s my brother, and that’s just gross.”
“I won’t,” Tildi promised.
It turned out she didn’t have to ask about sitting in the backseat. Boone was waiting and had the back door open when they reached the car. Sev had the backdoor open on the other side, too. Kenzie climbed in Tildi’s side and scooted over.
Tildi hopped in and then winced again as her bottom contacted the seat.
Boone’s lips twitched, that meanie. As he buckled her seatbelt, he whispered, “Remember that if you think about misbehaving in town.”
He didn’t need to tell her. After last night, she was never misbehaving again. Although, parts of the evening were incredible. A delicious shiver wiggled from her pussy to the nipples. A shiver her Daddy didn’t miss if his knowing grin was anything to go by. Gah!
“I can do it myself!” Tildi’s gaze shot to Kenzie, who was fighting to take the buckle of her seatbelt away from Sevin.
“I’m aware,” Sev said, his voice deep and smooth as velvet. “And yet good manners dictate you allow me.”
With an aggrieved sigh, Kenzie released the buckle and flung herself against the back of her seat. “Fine!”
“Thank you, Mackenzie.” Sev grinned as he locked her belt in place. After closing the door, he climbed in the front with Boone.
They made it into town without any trouble. No, trouble didn’t find them until they were in the produce section of The Mountain Market.
Tildi and Kenzie were giggling over how much a double cranberry Kenzie found looked like someone’s backside. Across from them were two women, who by the looks of their skintight clothing, didn’t mind the cold at all. If Tildi had to guess, she’d say they were at least twice her age.
Because she was a nice person, she smiled at them. Even as they looked past her and ogled someone walking up behind her.
“Jeez, blatant, much?” Kenzie muttered.
“Hey there, Boone. It’s good to see you.” The bleached blonde spoke first, shamelessly raking her eyes up and down Boone’s body, pausing at his crotch for a longer look. “Real nice to see you.”
Tildi’s smile evaporated like snow in the midday sun. Pardon her Greek, but who in the Hades did this floozy thing she was?
“Cindy,” Boone said pleasantly.
He knew this woman? A burn that could not be jealousy, she didn’t get jealous, sizzled through her chest.
He must have noticed her stiffen and clench her fists because he stopped beside her, tucking his hand behind her and gently tapping her bottom.
She appreciated his reminder, but this was war. And this two bit tart had fired the first shot. She took one giant step forward, which was as far as she could go before Boone snagged the back of her coat.
“Um, excuse me, ah… ladies. But he’s taken.”
Both women turned their gazes back to her. They took her in, then turned to each other and smiled. But it wasn’t a friendly smile. Well, if a barracuda’s smile could be called friendly, then maybe. Tildi notched up her chin, refusing to feel uncomfortable about her wardrobe choices.
“You’re not from these parts, are you sweetie,” Lucinda said. “That’s a Wild Man,” she said, pointing to Boone. “A Wild Man needs a real woman, not one who wants to pretend she’s a Little girl.”
The other woman, who’d applied her lipstick like a two year old with their first crayon, laughed until her amusement triggered her smoker’s cough.
Tildi saw red. She’d been through a lot to finally find the Daddy of her dreams. She wasn’t about to have him lured away by this bottom feeding catfish.
“And what would you know about being a real woman? You’ve got more fake parts than a 3-D printed kewpie doll, Lucretia Morehead,” Kenzie said to Ms. Lipstick.
“It’s Lucinda,” the woman snapped.
Kenzie shrugged. “Whatever. You and your pathetic, wannabe cougar friend need to turn around and get gone. The meter ran out on your walker as I came in.”
“Why you twisted little freak! Do you think I don’t know what happens out there at that ranch? Everyone knows the sick—eeeek!”
Tildi stared in shock as a screaming Kenzie launched herself at Lucinda. She grabbed and yanked, but instead of twisting the woman’s hair, her wig came off in her hand.
The woman covered her head with her hands as best she could and dropped to the floor, hiding behind the ripe bananas display.
Kenzie stared in horror at the wig in her hand then tossed it at Tildi. Boone reached out and caught the hair before Tildi could touch it.
“Sev!” Boone roared.
“I’ve got her,” Sev answered. Catching Kenzie by the waist, he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
“Put me down!” she yelled.
“No,” Sevin growled back. “I’m not taking a chance on where you’d bounce next, Little Tigger. You need a keeper.”
Tildi lost their conversation when Boone grabbed her wrist. “We’ll have to make do with what we have at home.” Crossing to the still crouching Cindy, he handed her hair to her and said, “It was good to see you again, Cindy. Sorry about the hair.”
Then he pulled Tildi toward the door. “Sorry about the ruckus, Henry. Put the cost of any damages on my tab. I’ll be in to pay it off next week.”
“Are you kidding? That was the best show I’ve seen since Tatum’s bull got loose in the heifer pen at the cattle auction.”
Boone didn’t slow down until they got back to the car. Loading everyone up, Boone headed home.
Silence reigned until Sev burst out laughing. “I can see why you were so eager to get back to the ranch. It’s quite the adventure you’re living here.”
Tildi couldn’t be sure, but she was almost positive her Daddy’s lips bore the ghost of a smile. “Sev?”
Controlling his amusement, Sev managed to say, “Yes, Boone?”
“Shut the fuck up.”