Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
SIENNA
The phone rang for so long I wasn’t sure Louise would actually pick up.
We’d texted off and on since I’d got to the ranch, but I’d been avoiding my phone for the most part.
Even though everything was set to ‘do not disturb’ and I’d deleted all my socials, as well as anything else that might give me news alerts, I was still hesitant to look at the device.
In all honesty, aside from chatting with Louise, I didn’t miss looking at it.
Having fans think they knew me because of a carefully curated feed on a social network had never come easily to me, so the break was a breath of fresh air.
I’d taken a peek at social media and that had been enough.
My dad’s face had been plastered everywhere, though I had been surprised by the faction of fans (both his and mine) that were openly protesting the violation of privacy involved in leaking the autopsy report.
To my lack of surprise, and displeasure, Kennedy Zats had been the first to break the news with the ridiculous headline: Kenneth Slay-de?
The truth behind the late-musician’s death, revealed
That had been enough internet for one day.
A hum in my ear told me the call had connected and Louise’s chirpy hello made a smile flit across my face. “Hey yourself, just calling to check in.”
“How’re things?”
I shrugged and then remembered she couldn’t see me. “Fine. I saw the horses today and that was nice.”
“And the red-head?”
“He’s, uh…” I cleared my throat and tried to push the thoughts of August’s naked body out of my head.
“Hard. I mean—complicated,” I amended, grateful we’d opted to do a phone call rather than video chat because Louise wouldn’t be able to see the scarlet state of my face.
“It’s fine, just awkward,” I continued, trying to diffuse whatever curiosity Louise had brewing. “Are there any updates from the label?”
Thankfully, she let the change in conversation slide.
“Well, the one good thing to come out of them leaking the story to the press is that it gave me the ammunition I needed to push them to dissolve your contract. They’d essentially violated their own clause to act in your best interests — not that they openly admitted to anything, of course, and they’re trying to spin your recent ‘antics’ as a result of ‘learning the truth’.
But, despite all of that… I think we did it. ”
I rolled my eyes before her last words registered. “You mean…” I swallowed, the words refusing to come up and out of my dry mouth as I sat up straight on my bed.
“You’re free,” Louise said, the words gentle, but my heart was pounding too loudly to hear her. “You can do things your way, whatever you need.”
What did I need?
It was like the room was a vacuum all of a sudden, the words disappearing into the echoing spaces as the possibilities yawned ahead of me.
All I’d really wanted was to be in charge of my own fate, to make music as the real Sienna Slade and not the overproduced pantomime of myself the studio had packaged up and sold.
“Thank you.” My voice was hoarse. I hadn’t realized I was crying until a tear dripped onto my lap.
Muffin jumped up onto the bed and climbed into the circle of my legs, peering up at me in concern.
The soft texture of her fur was grounding as I blew out a long breath, nodding to myself and then kissed her on her warm nose. “When are you coming over?”
“Soon. I have a few things to take care of here and then Cade and I will be there.”
“You should see if River wants to come too.”
“August’s brother?” The shock in Louise’s voice made me hesitate before I nodded.
“Yeah. I mean, it’s not like August is going to stay here forever.” So maybe if River came to the ranch too, it would be a reminder of his real life without me and he would leave with him.
It would stop drawing out the inevitable.
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.” My voice was firm, and my logic was sound. It was time to stop playing pretend with August. We may have agreed to a fake relationship, but the jig was up and now I needed to protect my heart. Before I did something stupid, like giving it to a man who was leaving.
August
Sienna had rushed off as soon as we’d got inside, so I’d busied myself by playing with Muffin, shooting a couple messages off to River, and then rummaged through the fridge and cupboards to see what food we had in the house.
The community Sienna had built here on the ranch was impressive. Bronwyn had stopped by briefly with bags of groceries and I’d thanked her profusely, considering our only other option would have been heading into town ourselves or having whatever I could make out of white rice and hot sauce.
They looked out for each other here. After being in the city for so long, it was a change of pace that was nice. The faces you passed were familiar, and someone always had your back — being neighbours actually meant something out here.
After a couple hours passed and Sienna still hadn’t re-emerged, I’d decided to watch a movie on the large flatscreen until it was time to cook dinner. I didn’t want to wander around outside where I might get in the way, and if Sienna needed her space then that was fine by me too.
Some action flick filled the screen and a couple hours went by easily before my stomach growled and Muffin reappeared to whine at me plaintively.
I ran my hand over her silky head and frowned. “You’ll have to talk to your mom about dinner. I don’t know what you eat.”
Muffin meowed, like the answer was unacceptable, and walked away with her tail straight up in the air. Chuckling, I began looking through the cupboards again, trying to remember where I’d seen the pots and pans and knives for chopping.
I wasn’t an amazing cook or anything, but I could get by and I figured making us dinner was the least I could do after I’d essentially invited myself on this trip.
The selection of vegetables from the fridge sat spread out on the chopping board and I became so lost in the rhythm of chopping I didn’t hear Sienna approach until her fingertips touched my shoulder.
“What’re you making?”
“Vegetable pasta.” I glanced over my shoulder at her and then wished I hadn’t. When our eyes caught and locked, I nearly cut off a finger before I managed to drag my eyes away from her.
“Enough for two?” she said hopefully and I grinned, scooping up the onions, garlic, and tomatoes and adding them to the hot pan.
“You really think I’d only cook dinner for myself?”
She shrugged, backing away from me and pulling out a chair at the kitchen island. “I haven’t been a very good host.”
I flashed her a quick smile as I stirred the pot, letting the onions brown and sizzle. “It’s okay, it’s not like you asked me to tag along with you. I just watched a movie — although I think Muffin is hungry.”
Sienna rolled her eyes. “When isn’t Muffin hungry would be the better question. But yeah, I’m sorry. I was on the phone to Louise and then I fell asleep. I didn’t get much last night.”
“Me either,” I murmured before I thought better of it and then continued on like I’d said nothing at all as I added chopped herbs and mushrooms to the pan, along with some ground beef. “How’s Louise?”
“Fine.”
There was something in her voice that made me set down the wooden spoon and turn to face her, eyebrows raised as I leaned back against the counter. “Just fine?”
She hesitated and when she spoke there was a fragile hope in her voice that made it shake as she played with the ends of her hair. I did my best to ignore the long ponytail she’d thrown it up into, but it was hard. When I’d seen her this morning I’d wanted to wrap that hair around my fist and—
“We got the contract terminated.” Her words pulled me out of my head and my eyes widened.
“That’s amazing! Are you happy?”
The sizzle of the oil in the pan had me turning back around before I could analyse the look on her face any further, but it seemed like happy was too simple a term for how she was feeling.
“Yes,” she said finally and I nodded to tell her I was still listening as I dropped pasta shells into hot water. “But it’s also…”
“Scary?” I supplied when she seemed to run out of words. “I get that. Change is always hard. But at least you’re in control now.”
“Yeah, true. I guess I just wish it didn’t take them leaking the stuff about my dad for us to get out of the contract.”
“Secrets have a funny way of coming out one way or another.” The pasta bobbed happily in the water as bubbles began to form on the surface and I turned down the heat so it wouldn’t overflow before I sat down opposite Sienna. “But whatever happens now, your future is what you make it.”
She rolled her eyes but her lips curved up into a small smile that pleased me. “You’re such an optimist.”
Was I? “I don’t think anyone has ever said that to me before.”
“Maybe I just feel especially grumpy in comparison to you,” she teased, smile becoming a full grin that made her brown eyes sparkle.
I frowned, taking her hand and pulling it away from the ends of her hair where she was messing with the strands again.
“Maybe you just haven’t had much to smile about recently.
” She didn’t seem to know what to say in response, the silence between us growing until it felt oppressive and I either needed to move or kiss her.
I cleared my throat. “Of course, my gourmet pasta dish is going to change all that.”
She laughed warmly and I turned away, stirring the contents of the pans so she wouldn’t see my answering smile.
“Can you find us some plates?” I prodded the pasta and nodded to myself, before taking it off the heat and moving to the deep sink to drain it.
The clattering behind me said Sienna had done as I’d asked, and by the time I’d got rid of the majority of the pasta water they were laid out on the counter top.
“And maybe feed Muffin before she tries to eat our dinner.” I grinned, nodding towards the cat who was now twining around my legs and meowing loud enough to wake the horses.
I finished plating up while Sienna gave Muffin her food and then pulled out the bread I’d had warming in the oven, slathering it with the last of the garlic I’d chopped and stacking the slices on the sides of our plates.
“This looks amazing,” Sienna mumbled, eyes on the mountain of food I’d handed her. She looked like she was about to drool. “I slept through lunch.”
“I know.” I pointed to the extra garlic bread I’d given her. “That’s why I made extra bread for you.” I sat down opposite her and tried to fight the blush that worked its way over my cheeks when she groaned at the first bite.
The pasta burned my tongue and I gulped back some water, avoiding her eyes as I tried to focus on unsexy thoughts and not how Sienna might look with her eyes rolled back in pleasure and a mouthful of my cock instead of garlic bread.
“Thank you,” she said once she’d swallowed.
I wanted to scream, because those doe eyes looking up at me as she licked a drop of tomato sauce from her lip was not helping.
Pasta wasn’t supposed to be sexy. It was almost a rule, somewhere.
It was a messy, stinky dish that made your mouth orange and your breath infused with garlic and onion — and yet.
I shifted on the chair, trying to adjust myself subtly while I gave Sienna what was probably a pained smile. “You’re welcome.”
“Did your mom teach you how to cook?”
My mother. Finally, safe territory. “A little. I took a class once, mostly because when I’m working out I have to eat right too, and I didn’t want to rely only on the nutritionists.”
Sienna smiled, eyes a little faraway. “I’m a terrible cook, honestly.
Like, my food is fine. It does the job. But I can bake thanks to Grams—Lisette,” she corrected, half-absently and I wondered about the way she switched between the two names.
It must have been strange to wake up one day and just have a grandmother you didn’t know about.
“Nobody bothered to teach me to cook before that.”
Not for the first time, I wished her dad was still alive so I could lay him out for not treating her right. I’d seen River struggle trying to make the best choices for his kid and, by all accounts, Kenneth Slade hadn’t seemed to give a shit about doing the right thing for his.
“I’m sorry.” My voice was gruff as I tried to swallow my anger. But it was hard, she’d deserved so, so much better. I smiled but let it drop, deciding to try and change the subject instead. “What’s your favourite thing to bake?”
“What?”
“You said you can bake.”
“Oh.” She wrung her hands, lifting a shoulder and letting it drop. “I don’t get the chance to do it much, only when I’m with Lisette really. But I like making pies — cherry especially. Although, one time we made this lemon and blueberry loaf cake—”
She lit up and I couldn’t look away. It really put into perspective how rarely I’d seen Sienna happy since I’d met her. But this, telling me about the cakes she liked to bake and what she wanted to try next, I could have listened to her for hours.
This was more than just attraction, it had to be. Maybe that was why ordinary conversations and eating dinner together had me hard as a fucking rock beneath the table. Either that, or I was losing my goddamn mind.