Chapter 27
CASSIDY
Butch breathed slowly beside me as we stalked toward the vehicle that simply idled in front of the main house. “Cassidy,” he began as we reached the bottom of the hill. “We don’t have actual guns; you know that, right? Yours is—”
“I know. But they don’t know that. Look, I only agreed to have you with me to get Briar to go home.” I stopped and spun to face him. Placing a hand against his chest, I shook my head. “Now, it’s your turn to get lost.”
“What?” Butch gasped. “No. I won’t let you deal with whatever’s going on alone. I know it has something to do with her and that horse she showed up with. I know it has to do with whatever reason there was blood on your floor and a nasty bruise on your rib when I stopped by earlier. You can play everything off all you want, but I’m not a kid anymore.”
Clenching my jaw, I shot one last glance at the vehicle holding death so close, and then looked back at my nephew who suddenly seemed way too grown. “Alright,” I answered. He nodded once, clamping a hand on my shoulder.
Man, things had changed so fast. Too fast. This kid was supposed to still be that—a kid just learning about girls, just beginning to experience the ups and downs of growing up. But he was right. He stood nearly as tall as me, nearly as broad, and I was in the wrong for seeing him still as that lanky child he wasn’t anymore.
“Alright,” I said one more time.
Then we turned around, and like the grim reaper coming to collect his dues, we stalked straight toward the Escalade.
The passenger door swung open, and my hand flew to the empty holster on my hip. Crap! Millie still had my airsoft gun. So, I wasn’t just armed with something fake, I wasn’t armed at all.
Butch’s fingers rested on the hilt of his pistol as a pair of white, strappy high heels plunked against the rocky dirt road. We both stopped, staring at the strangest sight my eyes had ever laid on here at The Duke Ranch—which was saying something, ’cause I’d seen some things in my life.
Tanned legs appeared from the vehicle next, followed by a black miniskirt and an-off-the-shoulder lavender blouse. Bleached blonde hair, and not the beautiful silky sheen like Briar’s, hung in coarse waves, framing a face with sharp features and pronounced cheekbones. A pair of massive, dark sunglasses hid this familiar woman’s eyes from view.
Butch looked as if he was about to drool all over the road as a smile caressed her perfectly painted lips. A smile that told me she knew she was absolutely gorgeous and always got what she wanted.
Pulling my own lips into a thin line, I watched this uninvited guest raise her freshly manicured fingers to her sunglasses and gently slide them from her face.
Then I inhaled a deep, fresh breath of relief.
“Well, hello there, cowboys!” she exclaimed, shutting the door behind her.
“H…Hi,” Butch gushed, his cheeks turning red, and I whacked him over the back of his head. “Ow.” He rubbed where I’d hit him.
“You’ve met her before, and she’s married, numbnuts,” I hissed at him and then turned toward our visitor. “Hey, Trixie,” I said, giving her a small smile as Butch’s cheeks blazed bright red and he ran a hand over the back of his neck.
The smile didn’t falter from her lips as she took a couple of wobbly steps toward us. “These were not the right shoes at all, were they?” She giggled, stopped, and quickly kicked them off. Snatching them up, she returned her attention toward me as the driver’s side door popped open.
“Tenley and Weston aren’t back from the hospital yet,” I said, shoving my hands in my pockets.
She giggled as a tall, thin, light brown-haired man stepped out. He had perfectly gelled hair and a pair of slacks that had never seen a speck of dirt before. Her husband, Simon, walked to the back of the vehicle. “I know that, silly; I’m here to help set up for their small ‘Welcome to This World, Baby Girl’ party. And before you say anything, it was her mom’s idea, and you know as best friend, I volunteered to be the host so she wouldn’t have to do any cleaning or anything.”
Butch chuckled beside me. “Sounds like Mom.”
“Yeah, her and Rosemary are quite the pair,” I agreed and shifted my attention back to Trixie. “So, is this happening at the main house?”
She shook her head as Simon popped open the trunk. “No, at Weston and Tenley’s house, obviously. That way if she needs to disappear to nap or something, Tenley doesn’t have to go anywhere.”
“Ah, well, alright. Do you need any help?” I offered, watching as Simon slowly began unloading boxes with unknown contents I assumed were for the party.
“Just point us in the right direction. Believe it or not, I’ve never actually been to Tenley’s house,” she said as Simon slowly lifted a stack of boxes that were teetering, threatening to tip over at any minute.
I chuckled, watching the delicate balancing act. “’Fraid it’s too far to walk and carry all of that stuff. But we can load whatever you’ve got to a Razor; I can take you up to their house that way.”
“Oh, wonderful!” She gave me another smile as one box slid sideways and plunked to the ground.
“Sure you don’t want some help with the stuff?” I asked.
“No, he’s got it. It’s not really that much. I just had us get here this early to make sure that everything was set up in time and the house is clean.”
I snorted. “Weston doesn’t leave a mess around his house, ever.” Shaking my head, I glanced at the ground. “Anyway, I bet she’s going to be very excited to see you. Though, if you were planning to stay here, the ranch is already—”
“Oh, don’t worry. We’ve got a place in town we’ll be staying at for a week or so. I really am just wanting to be a help for her, that’s all.” Her hazel eyes widened, a startling innocence dawning the face of someone who seemed so used to being a seductress. This woman was suited for the city life—not one to get taken advantage of, but definitely also a genuine person.
My gaze flickered to her husband, who teetered again and finally plunked the entire stack of cardboard boxes onto the ground. He shut the tailgate, his tanned face turning slightly red from exertion.
“Look, Butch and I can help load those into the Razor. It’s not a big deal,” I said.
She waved her hand. “Oh, don’t even worry. You just show me which Razor to put this stuff in and then lead the way, and we’ll manage.”
And as I watched her husband slowly begin to stack the boxes that had labels of baby stuff all over them, my heart squeezed in my chest.
Change.
So much change was happening as things settled in the pit of my stomach. The next time I saw my brother, he’d be with his wife and daughter. A brand new baby had entered this world. Everyone’s life was moving forward, all around me progression was happening for everyone else, and yet here I was, still the same man that I’d become the moment I returned to this ranch all those years ago.
That was what Briar was so upset about. She’d figured out that deep down, my desire for more had never really left, I’d just never put effort into pursuing it. How she figured it out so soon was something I’d blame on Rooney. But it didn’t really matter how she figured it out, she was right. I deserved that more—that freedom I’d been searching for all these years.
And she deserved that more too.
This wasn’t just something I wanted for myself anymore; this was something I wanted for me to have a chance at having an “us.” I wanted to have my friends show up for us like Trixie was for Tenley. I wanted an “us” in a way I’d never wanted before. With her.
For her.
And she was right. My penance that I’d been trying to repay all these years, I’d fulfilled. The evidence of that fact was all around me in all of this change. Surrounding me in a warm embrace of reassurance that it was okay to find my own life outside of any debts that I’d accrued as a child. Those debts had been paid and closed far too long ago, and I’d been too blind to see it.
A startling gasp left the mouth of the woman standing in front of me, snapping me from my new shift in reality. Following her stare over my shoulder, my gaze landed on the most incredible creature I’d ever seen.
Briar shouldered the shotgun she was carrying as her long, honey-hued braid swung behind her back with each step she took. Her legs that I wanted wrapped around my waist again were hidden behind her usual, grungy pair of men’s jeans that made her backside look rather nice. Everything in my body lit on fire, roaring hot with desire and yearning for this incredible woman. The T-shirt she was wearing gently billowed in the light breeze as her gentle features shifted toward me, her swirling eyes locking onto mine.
“Who’s that?” Trixie gushed as shuffling happened behind me. A grunt from who I assumed was her husband met my ears as Briar slowed, taking in the scene that didn’t require the rescue that she had been returning to give. Pink flushed her beautiful cheeks, clearly feeling every set of eyes on her.
“My girl,” I said, unable to stop the words from falling from my tongue. Briar wasn’t close enough to hear it, which was a shame, and I took a mental note to make sure she was very aware that I had claimed her in no less than a few words.
Butch bumped me with his shoulder, clearly hearing what I’d said, and I felt nothing but roaring excitement.
“She’s stunning,” Trixie squealed beside me. “What I would give to pick out her outfits. I could work some magic with a body like that, make her—”
“Nah, I like her just like that,” I cut her off, shutting down the idea of having her wearing anything but what she was. I didn’t want Briar to be anything but herself, for anyone.
Briar’s already large eyes widened, and she slid the gun from her shoulder, then scrunched them up to her ears, attempting to hide herself.
“She’s quite shy, isn’t she?” Trixie asked.
“She’s not really used to attention like this, that’s for sure,” I replied.
“How come Tenley hasn’t told me about your girlfriend?”
“She’s not.”
“Huh?”
I chuckled. “She showed up about three or so weeks ago.”
“Just…Just showed up?” Trixie asked, bewildered.
“Long story,” I answered.
“Anything to do with the bruise on your jaw?” She lifted a brow.
“Exactly what I want to know,” Butch grumbled in agreement as Briar finally joined our little group
All I did was nod, unable to stop the absolute, blissful peace from spreading a smile on my face.
“Hey, Goldie,” I said, and the blush deepened on her cheeks. Reaching forward, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulled her into my body, tipped her cowgirl hat up, and pressed my lips against her forehead.
“Okay, you two are adorable,” Trixie gushed.
I smiled against Briar’s warm skin. “This is Tenley’s best friend Trixie,” I explained to the beautiful woman beside me.
“Hi,” she whispered, her voice squeaking. “I’m assuming you don’t need this.” She wiggled the shotgun.
“No, but I sure appreciate you bringing this, even if that meant leaving Keaton and Millie alone at my house,” I answered and raised a brow.
“I’ll go get them,” Butch inserted, chuckling, and shook his head. “Bye, Trixie,” he added and then walked away.
Returning my attention to the woman in my arms, I smiled. “I’ve gotta show Trixie and her husband up to Weston and Tenley’s house, and then when I get back, how ’bout some dinner and a movie just us two?” I nonchalantly asked, moving away enough to look down at her eyes.
“Why does something so casual sound so strange?” she suspiciously said, narrowing her gaze.
I chuckled. “Well, pretty sure tonight is the first night we haven’t nearly died, so that’s gotta be it,” I teased.
She gently slapped my side, her heart-shaped lips spreading into a gentle smile. “I’ll see you in a bit.” Briar looked at Trixie and her husband. “Nice to meet you,” she politely said and then slipped out of my embrace.
A sigh, one filled with the most incredible comfort, escaped my mouth as I watched her saunter away. All of those butterflies that had graced my stomach the moment she arrived at this ranch returned. If I died tonight, I would have only one regret—that my time with her had been cut short. But I also knew she’d be worth whatever sacrifice was required to give her everything. “She’s going to be the death of me,” I muttered in awe.
“Welcome to the “whipped by a woman” club, man,” Simon spoke for the first time, patting my back.
I chuckled, kicking at some dirt. “I think I like this club.”
“Best one in existence,” he responded.
Even if Briar wasn’t entirely certain of me. Even though we still had a long road ahead of us to make sure that she was safe, at least when it came to me and dating, I was done. This was it. She was it. That was all there was to it.
No one else would compare to her.
Crap… Weston was right. This was what he was talking about when he said I’d know it when it happened. Yeah, there was no way I’d ever tell him that I agreed with him. He did not need to know that I’d figured it out, but he was right.
All it took was a feisty woman showing up with a horse she’d stolen and danger nipping at her heels to flip my entire world upside down—in all the right ways.