Chapter Six
Chapter Si x
Thayne
I was sure my mother was punishing me from the grave for not being more trusting towards people. Before Odessa, it was only me who ran the bar and that was how I liked it. Only I was severely paying the price tonight.
She’d called me up this morning with a fever and I told her to stay home and rest. She often happily overworked despite me attempting to split the shifts evenly between us so I knew this day would eventually come. Her first sick day.
Not only was the bar ridiculously busy, but I had the task of watching over the woman captivating everyone's attention.
Emberli.
She stands with Colton’s guitar looped around her neck, strumming the chords effortlessly to Carrie Underwoods` ‘Undo it’ per the request of Willow who is hellbent on showing up for her and who is in the middle of the dancefloor with Lynnie belting out the lyrics Emberli is singing. Her voice was raspy and annoyingly good. And as if I couldn’t see for myself, the locals just had to rub it in. I couldn’t feel more like an asshole than I already did when I turned up at the motel a few nights ago. She hasn’t spoken much to me since, but I guess it’s a good thing we both keep a distance.
It’s clear that she doesn’t like me very much and the feeling is mutual. I don’t trust her intentions with this town and the people in it one bit, regardless of if she’s a good singer or not. She wears a thin strapped, long dress of silky black material with small roses dotted around it. Her hair falls to her shoulders in bouncy waves, more tightened than usual and she wears a full face of make-up. As much as it pains me to say it, she’s stunning. And the men of the town all crowd her, looking more lively than I’ve ever seen them look as she leaves the stage, squeezing her way towards me for her drink that sits at the end of the bar. I hear her apologize profusely and decide I can’t keep watching her struggle.
“Move out the way!” I snap, rounding the bar and shoving them to the side, left and right as I grab her wrist and pull her out of the swarm of masculinity she suffocates in.
“Thanks.” She breathes out before reaching for her drink.
“That was good, chick.” Billy says.
“Yeah?”
“Real good. Your mom a good singer?”
“The best. But she doesn’t sing professionally. Just around the house.”
I find myself wanting to know more about Emberli’s background and her parents but due to the cold shoulder she gives me, I don’t think I’m going to know more about her anytime soon.
Her focus is solely on Billy as the two of them chat away, it’s as if she’s doing everything in her power to not look my way and this, for some reason, irritates me.
“Bet your dad’s proud of you.” Billy speaks from beside her and she turns to him. A look of shock on her face before she gulps down a few sips, nodding.
“I hope so.”
“He is. I know it.” Billy confirms.
This obviously means something to Emberli. I can see it in her eyes as they soften. “Thanks Billy.”
Billy nods, taking another sip of his beer just as her gaze loiters on him slightly longer.
It becomes apparent to me at that moment that perhaps she isn’t as callous as I’d assumed.
Maybe I’d got her all wrong.
***
“How do I look?” Flint asks as he poses in front of his ranch, his question is directed at me, but Lynnie cuts in.
Flint had asked me to get some photos of him and the ranch, claiming that he wanted to put us more on the market and eventually open up the ranch to the outside world.
“As stiff as the fence behind you. Wouldn’t kill you to smile more either!” Lynnie yells from beside me.
I can’t help but laugh as he glares at her. “I don’t smile.”
She snorts. “Captain obvious over here.”
“Why are you even here?” Flint bites. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“Nope. This is brilliant.”
I chuckle, taking a few more photos of him with the main house behind him. It’s in desperate need of a repaint, but no one is ever willing to do it.
The sound of a truck pulling up on the gravel pulls me from my thoughts as Colton and Ryker step out of it.
“Finally. Where have you been?” Flint grumbles.
“Downtown. There was a sale at Lacey’s.”
“Get in there.” I gesture next to Flint. Colton and Ryker both groan before taking a side each next to Flint.
“What are you even doing?” Colt looks from me to Flint, who continues to look as displeased as ever .
“Can’t you see? Flint’s changing his career to modelling.” Lynnie laughs.
“Still don’t get why you’re here.” Flint sighs.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Now chin up, look more approachable. Nobody's going to want to visit this place if you look the way you do. We need a full reset.”
“And who the hell put you in charge?”
“Shut up and smile.” Flint puts on his biggest smile yet, looking at Lynnie as if to say ‘This good enough?’
Despite what he may say, I know Flint cares about what Lynnie thinks. She’s always been good at artistic visions and she was exactly what Flint needed for the upcoming revamp on the ranch.
“You should take your tops off!” I whip my head round to the familiar voice of Emberli, who is walking towards us with a huge grin on her face, dragging along our mare, Becky, next to her.
To her right is Willow, who makes a gagging sound at the unexpected yet surprising suggestion from Emberli.
“If you wanted to see me topless, you only had to ask.” Colton winks at her. He was definitely the most flirty out of all of us, with Mack closing in at a tight second place. But whilst Colton flirted with everything that walked and talked, Mack’s fixation was Odessa and it had been that way since she strolled into town a month ago.
“Em’s got a point. It may attract more clients.” Lynnie shrugs.
Em?
For fuck’s sake. They’re even on a nickname basis now.
“I am not taking my top off for this.” Flint grumbles.
“Then get out of the shot.”
Lynnie and Flint compete in a small stare off before my brother slides his shirt over his head. “Happy?”
Lynnie rolls her eyes and I hear Willow gag again. Emberli, however, claps her hands together and squeals excitedly. “Hope you three don’t mind being objectified for a minute or two.” She blurts out. “Hormones are high at the moment. ”
“Am I supposed to feel offended?” Ryker questions.
“Right? Because I don’t feel offended.” Colton flexes his biceps with a grin on his face, earning a jab to the ribs from Flint.
“Alright. Let's just get on with it.” Flint grumbles and I raise my camera, attempting to ignore the small giggles from Emberli behind me, who seems to be lapping this up.
“The world is going to luurrve this!” She exclaims.
“Where have you two been anyway?” I murmur, attempting to distract myself from how good Emberli manages to look in a simple pair of gray pants and a black vest top.
I couldn’t understand how Elijah managed to score with the woman behind me. It was evident her standards were low.
“I was just giving Emberli a tour of the meadows in Shadow Peaks. We took the horses.” Willow explains and I turn to them both.
“You rode?”
The two of them nod.
“And that’s a good idea?” I gesture to Emberli’s growing bump.
“Becky’s a good girl aren’t you mama?” Willow pats down the horse who is only after the treats hanging out of Willow’s pocket. “Besides, Emberli has horses back home. It’s not like she doesn’t know how to ride.”
“She faster than you, spark?” Aca appears with a toolbox in hand, a huge grin on his face when he sees the boys propped up against the fence. He was never going to let his brother live this down, that was for sure.
“Not yet.” Willow winks at Emberli. “But she’s fast.”
“And what the fuck is going on here?” Aca tips his head to his younger brother, who just mumbles a “Don’t ask.”
“Speaking of things to ask…” My little sister wraps her arm around my own and smiles at me with a smile I know all too well.
She wants something.
Willow always used to smile the same signature smile even when she was younger. Beaming up at me with a pleading look on her face. “Can you give Odessa Wednesday night off?”
I raise an eyebrow.
“Please? I need her for Woo Woo Wednesday.”
“Woo Woo Wednesday? What’s that?” Emberli asks.
“You know the cocktail? Spooky Hoots does an entire night dedicated to them, courtesy of Odessa of course. No chance this guy would come up with such brilliance on his own.” Lynnie gestures her thumb behind her at me.
“Thanks Lyn. It’s not like I’m right here or anything.” I grumble, setting my camera down as the guys get dressed.
“So what do you say? Please? I want the four of us to have our first girls night.” She nods over at Emberli before turning back to me, mouthing please over and over again until I eventually nod.
“Fine. I’ll take her off Wednesday.”
“Great. And can you pay her too?”
She sees the unimpressed look on my face and smiles sheepishly. “Please? I’ll even work a few shifts if you need me to make up for it. I want her to come but I know she won’t take the day off willingly.” Willow was right and I hate the idea of letting her down when all she seems to want to do is have a girls’ night. I’d be a dick to turn her down when I can afford it. And like the pushover older brother I am, I give in.
“Fine. Wednesday only. And you help me out Friday and Saturday.”
“Done. Love you.” She hugs me tightly before high fiving the girls, thinking I don’t hear her when she says, “Works every time.”