Chapter Four
Chapter Fou r
Thayne
"B een hearing nothing but good reviews on that singer you had last night.” Flint speaks from across the table the next morning.
Flint was a few years younger than me and a brother that I relied on excessively.
At first, the ranch was supposed to fall under my name when dad died and then I’d own it. But I never wanted it, not like Flint.
To me, It was a constant reminder of my dad and I wanted no part of that. He was a lot harder on me than my other siblings, which is what I wanted. But unlike my siblings' relationship with my dad, mine was severed. Flint took good care of the ranch and its business and I took care of mine, occasionally helping out here when I could.
“Emberli.” Willow’s eyes dance with excitement as she sips her coffee. Despite being out until early hours of the morning, she somehow manages to pull herself together with no hangover. The same cannot be said for Lynnie, who sits next to her with her head in the palms of her hands. I’m pretty certain she’s fallen asleep.
“She’s great Flint. Such a good singer.” Willow nods .
“She’s a looker too, right? That’s what I heard this morning at Big Al’s,” Sally says. Her eyes glanced around at us all for confirmation.
“She’s pretty.” Mack nods. “Don’t you think, Thayne?” A smirk widens on his lips and I raise an eyebrow.
“I’m just saying.” Mack raises his hands in defence. “She’s a pretty lady.”
Eyes around the table bounce back and forth at my brother and I.
I have no clue what he’s playing at. But the less I entertain it, the better.
Granted, he was right. Emberli was an attractive woman and it was clear I wasn’t the only one who noticed it.
I saw the looks she’d received last night through the security footage. Near enough all the men in my bar couldn’t keep their eyes off of her. My brother included.
“Why don’t you ask Colton? He seemed pretty friendly with her last night.”
Before my brother can defend himself, Willow shoots her index finger out at him. “I swear to God, Colt. You stay away from her. Lyn? Don’t you agree? Lyn?”
Yep. Lynnie was definitely asleep.
She’d been Willow's best and only friend since I could remember. Willow had a lot of trouble growing up making friends with the other girls of the town. We’d grown up with Lynnie as our next door neighbor for some time and the two of them were inseparable from the get go.
Her parents owned the ranch next door to us until they packed up and left one day without their daughter. No one knew where they went. No one knew why they left Lynnie behind either. Sally and Doug swooped in and took her under their wing the same way they did us.
Sally once told me that she and Doug had wished for a big family. Only when they tried for more after Ryker, it just didn’t happen .
She called it fate, that we were all brought together, but honestly I never believed in that, or that everything happens for a reason like Willow always says. I couldn’t understand how bad things happen to good people. If there was supposedly a reason for everything, why did those things happen?
Lynnie never spoke much of her parents when we were younger. Even now as an adult, she still doesn't. But I’m glad she sticks around. She’s a part of the family, always has been and always will be.
“Listen. All I did was talk to her.” Colton argues.
“Bullshit. I know your tricks, Colt. Please don’t ruin this for me. That goes for all of you.” she says, glancing around the room. “I really like her and I want to help her. I want her to stay.”
“And what happens if she doesn’t want to?”
“She will.” Willow shoots at me. “If we show her what it means to be a family, she’ll stay.”
How did I feel about that?
Uncertainty looms over me, I didn’t like how much hope Willow had for Emberli staying.
I didn’t think she would. She was a musician, and they were always on the road. I was worried she’d leave once she got her fix and I knew it would tear Willow in two. I’d built her back up far too many times.
All she’s ever known is people disappearing from her life, which is why it was so infuriating how purehearted she was. I’d be damned if I let another person take advantage of that, of her.
“Am I understood?” Willow asks. “No one scares her off.”
Once she gets a satisfactory amount of nods, she turns to Lynnie, nudging her with her elbow.
"Lyn? What do you say? Should we binge The Twilight Saga today?"
Lynnie resurrects from her slumber at this, looking at my sister absolutely horrified. “I couldn't think of anything worse."
“I don’t get it.” Willow sighs, shaking her head. “You hate Twilight but you literally write romances like it!”
“I can’t believe you’ve just insulted my books and I like that.”
“What’s wrong with Twilight ? I like it.” Flint says.
“Of course you do.” Lynnie huffs. “Everything is wrong with that franchise. Team Bella.”
“Who hurt you?” Willow looks beside her, concerned.
“How much time have you got?”
***
I slam the door to my truck as I pull up at the motel, scanning the doors in the hope of one of them revealing which one Emberli is in. After seeing the way Willow was regarding her earlier, I knew I couldn’t not say anything any longer. I had to confront Emberli.
Bingo.
She appears in the doorway, closing the door behind her as she beelines for the vending machine. She reminds me of Willow when she was studying for her finals, she’d only ever come out of her room for lunch and dinner or the occasional carton of chocolate milk we had downstairs.
“Hey!” I call and she turns, eyes narrowing into a suspicious glance as she looks around, hugging herself.
“Hey?”
“I came to talk to you.”
I had been thinking about what I’d say the entire ride here. And it’s stupid because usually I wouldn’t think too much into it. I’d just tell her how I feel, however I had this small voice in the back of my head telling me to be considerate of her own feelings. That voice belonged to Willow.
“Okay. Do you want to go inside or…”
“No. ”
“Right.” Her eyes squint in confusion and I’m about to speak when a loud shatter of something that sounds like glass rings out.
Emberli stands, unfazed. “That’s my next door neighbor. I call her Noisy Nadia. I don’t actually know who she is, or if she has anything left to break.” There’s a thud right on cue before the person in there grunts loudly. “Obviously she does.”
“I wanted to talk to you about my sister. She speaks highly of you and so I wanted to ask what your plans were.”
“My plans?”
“Yeah. How long are you planning on staying here?”
“I don’t… I can’t even think about that right now.”
“Look. She gets attached too easily and I’m worried that she’s going to be disappointed when you eventually leave. Because let's face the facts here, Emberli. You’re not the type of person to stay.”
“You don’t know the type of person I am, Thayne.”
“I can sure guess.”
She scoffs, looking out into the parking lot for a few beats until she turns back to me, a hardened look on her face.
“My life was literally uprooted not even a week ago. I… I haven’t even wrapped my head around it all yet. All I know is that I’m really enjoying my time here and I’m grateful for your family’s help.”
“Yeah. Everyone is. Until they’re done and then they just fuck off. Willow deserves better than that.”
“And I get that, but I’m, I don’t know.”
“Look. I’m just going to come out and say it. Your boyfriend has hurt a lot of people. My family included. You being here is just a reminder of that.”
“Are you speaking for yourself or for your family?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Of course.” She laughs bitterly. “Because God forbid anyone else has an opinion around you.”
“You’re not very likeable.” I tell her.
“Feelings mutual, shithead. ”
“I’m looking out for my family.”
“Then let me look out for mine.” Her hand darts down to her stomach before she brushes past me. I hear the door open before it slams shut and I let out a long breath.
Well, that went well.