Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Thre e
Thayne
T he drive back to the ranch is relatively quiet. But only because I like hearing Emberli sing Dolly Parton when she comes on the radio.
Her excitement and voice is like no other, and for that reason, I let her fumble around with the radio in my car the way I’d never let anyone else. It’s evident the hold she has on me goes beyond my reach.
At first, I wondered if the tattoo was too much. But seeing Emberli’s reaction made it worthwhile. I wanted something to remember her by if Willow’s plan to get her to stay failed. And I realized when I was looking at her in the tattoo parlor today, I didn’t want her to leave.
“Have you thought of any baby names?” She shakes her head at this.
“Have you got any ideas?”
Her curiosity for my ideas is heartening and I shrug. “I’ve always liked the name Tucker.”
“Tucker.” She nods. “I like it. Any reason why? ”
“No reason.” I tell her honestly. “Wanna know what other name I like?”
“Go ahead.”
“Emberli.”
Her lips stretch into a smile and she looks away as quickly as she can, but not before I
catch her blushing.
“Or we could name it after a character from The Lion King ?” I suggest.
She laughs at this. “How about Simba?”
“Perfect.” I grin.
“Thank you for today.”
I glance over at Emberli, who turns from looking out her window to me.
“You’re welcome, trouble.”
“I mean it. Thank you.” Her eyes are laced with softness and sincerity.
I turned to her. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“Your argument is void.” She tells me. “You literally got a tattoo that resembles me.”
I snort a laugh, glancing over to her once again, only this time she squeals, grabbing the wheel and pulling us back onto the road.
“That’s a bin!”
I swerve, dodging Miss.Callyman’s wheelie bin just in time.
Definitely should focus more on the road and not the beautiful distraction next to me, but it’s something I can’t help.
“Jesus! I thought I was bad at driving!” She slams her hand to her chest, a movement that takes me back to when Sally was first teaching me how to drive. I must have put that poor woman on the verge of a heart attack several times and not just with my driving.
I was not the most obedient kid growing up, yet Sally and Doug never gave up on me despite all the times I gave them numerous reasons to.
“I highly doubt you can be bad at anything, trouble. ”
Emberli tilts her head to the side. “Thayne Rawlins. Are you flirting with me right now?”
I shoot her another look and she squeals, pushing my face to keep my eyes on the road. “I’m going to die today.”
“You’re not going to die.” This woman had no idea the lengths I’d go to in order to protect her and the unborn baby inside of her. And even if I told her, I’m not sure she’d believe me due to my admittingly horrendous driving.
“I sure hope not.” She mumbles. “I’m not ready to die yet.”
“Well you’re in luck.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Her laughter slows when we pull up to the drive. Her face automatically drops and I watch all happiness drain from her face. Suddenly I want to punch whoever made all that pretty light drain from her.
Sitting on the porch,with his guitar, is a man I don’t recognise with his guitar. Mack stands over him with a classic Mack stance, both hands on his hips like our grandpa used to do.
I immediately assume the worst from Emberli’s reaction, and it isn’t until her hand grabs mine that I turn to her, letting go of my door.
“Why did you get the tattoo?”
“What?”
“Why did you get the tattoo, Thayne?”
Her eyes burn into my own with desperation as she waits for my answer, I’m unsure of why we’re doing this now. But I give it to her anyway.
“I care about you.” There it is. “And I wanted to have something to remember you by in case you left.”
Emberli’s hand squeezes mine. “I don’t want to go.”
Her truth has me reeling in my thoughts at just how perfect she is. “Thayne I… I want to stay here.”
I swallow down a lump in my throat. “Then stay.”
“Okay.” She breathes out before her hand retracts. “Hold on to that okay?”
“Hold on to what - Emberli! What are you…” I watch as she jumps out of the truck and rounds the hood of it, quickly stepping towards the guy on the stairs who stands at the sight of her. Which is my cue to get out. Who is this fucker?
I step down from my truck after turning the ignition off and follow behind Emberli.
“What are you doing here, Joel?” Emberli’s arms cross over her chest and I stop once I reach my brother.
“Who’s this?”
“Joel Peters. Elijah’s bandmate. Turned up not long after you left.”
“What does he want?” I growl.
“Wanted to hand himself in for a crime and give me intel on Elijah.”
“What’s the catch?”
Mack nods his head towards Emberli. “He wanted to apologize to her. I’ve been trying to get hold of you but no answer.”
“Sorry. I didn’t hear it ring.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He shakes his head. “I have it handled. Honestly, I’m glad to see you’re enjoying yourself for once.” Mack grumbles, glancing at the interaction in front of us.
“Would it make you feel better if you punched me in the face?” the asshole, Joel, asks sheepishly. Emberli only turns her head away with a scoff before she bites out bitterly. “Yes but I’m not going to do it.”
I crack a smile. That’s my girl.
“Why are you here, Joel?”
“I heard you were here and I wanted to apologize. I quit the band. Figured I’d hand myself in before Elijah did.”
“What do you mean?”
“I stole some shit. Not my finest moment but, Elijah found out. I never wanted to leave you, Em. But I didn’t have a choice. Elijah blackmailed me once he heard I wanted to leave the band and I was shit scared.”
“It’s fine.” Emberli says. “There’s nothing you can do about it now.”
“No. There is something I can do.” Joel grabs Emberli’s hands in his and in my imagination I’d mauled him for it. “If you take him to court, Em. For everything. I’ll be right beside you.”
“Court? I can’t take him to court, Joel. I’d lose.”
I find myself spiraling. Emberli hadn’t spoken much about what happened in their relationship and I never pushed her because I knew how it felt to not want to speak about something that had hurt you. But now I find myself reeling at her words, a pit of indignation vibrates throughout my body at not only her mindset, but at Elijah. But he’s not here right now, so I take the closest thing to him by the shirt and yank him towards me. “You’ve got about five seconds to tell me where that dickhead is before I shove your own fist so far down your throat.”
“Thayne!” Emberli yelps from behind me.
Joel’s hand rises in defence as he shakes his head at me. “Look, I'll tell you anything you want to know.”
Damn right you fucking will.
I let go of his shirt and he stumbles back a few meters, keeping a reasonable distance away from me. As far as I was concerned, the dumbass in front of me had also left Emberli stranded and took her car. He had just as much part in this as Elijah did. And I wasn’t about to let him forget that.
Emberli appears in front of me, eyes wide and flashing with alert. “Why don’t we go inside?” She asks cautiously.
I don’t like the idea and only oblige just because Emberli suggests it. The soft spot I have for this woman may as well be a pool of sand at this rate.
Her hand slips into mine like a perfect fit and she gives it a reassuring squeeze, completely unaware that she makes my breath reach a standstill in my lungs .
It turns out Elijah is staying two hours north with a new gig just outside of the city and instead of letting the police up there handle it, Mack was hellbent on going on himself and bringing him back down. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but Mack had never been one to listen, regardless.
He claimed he needed to leave as soon as possible in case Elijah was on the move and that he wanted peace for our family once and for all, so we all waved him goodbye as he took off in his truck the next morning before breakfast.
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Willow asks.
“He’ll be fine, Wills. Mack can handle his own,” Ryker assures her.
“It still doesn’t mean he should have gone alone. He should have let the local authorities deal with him.” Lynnie sighs.
“Who’s bike is that?” I ask, once Mack’s truck uncovers the pink and black motorcycle that perches on the gravel before the main house.
“Oh that’s mine.” Willow reveals.
If I had a dollar for every time she tried something new and nearly made me go into cardiac arrest in the process, I’d be rich and living in luxury. It wasn’t easy having a younger sister who was set on going against you and your wishes to keep her safe.
I pinch the bridge of my nose in an attempt to compose myself when Flint takes the lead.
“Are you crazy? You’ve lost your fucking mind.”
“My mind is very much in my head. Thank you very much.” My sister glares.
“There’s no way in hell you’re riding a motorcycle around.”
“I am because I’m old enough to make my own decisions.”
“Obviously not!” The two bicker back and forth before Lynnie steps in, shielding Willow.
“Flint. Shut up. She can do what she wants.” Lynnie snaps.
Silence fills the ranch. Only the sounds of birds singing and the distant sounds of horses neighing in the stables surround us .
Lynnie and Flint engage in what appears to be a dangerous stare off. Her hands are balled like she’s about to unleash them onto my brother, who glares back at her with the exact same fire that’s in her eyes.
The two of them were as headstrong as the bulls we had on the ranch. Neither of them seemed to like the idea of letting the other win, or have the last word. It had been a scene we’d all watched before, numerous times. And, as entertaining as it was, it was also highly annoying and often caused a divide between Willow and Flint.
I love my brother, but he is the walking definition of overbearing. It hurt to see their relationship like it was and I knew it wasn’t easy on either of them.
“Okayyy.” Colt sings as he steps between them, slinging an arm around both of their shoulders. “What do you say we crack open a few beers and watch the game?”
“Are we seriously just going to ignore the fact that our baby sister has a fucking motorbike? The same baby sister who crashed our tractor four times in a month.”
“That was not my fault.” Willow objects. “I didn’t see the barrels of hay.”
Flint looks at me for some help in the situation but Willow looks at me hopeful, like she’s asking for me to take her side. I think back to what she said, about being an adult and wanting to be treated like one. And against the internal argument that bickers inside of me, I say, “Colt’s right. Let’s go inside.”
My sister beams happily at this, jumping at me and hugging me tightly. “Thank you, Thayne. I mean it.”
Willow was right. She was old enough to make her own decisions and although I might not agree with most of them, she was still my baby sister and I wanted her to be happy.
When everyone else piles inside, Emberli’s arm links with my own and pulls us back before her lips press lightly against my cheek.
“That was really sweet of you.” She says once we reach the porch. The two of us stop and the world continues spinning past us.
Her eyes search mine and a smile plays at her lips, like she’s about to say something else. I wait patiently in front of her just before Colton slams his hands beside him on the doorframe, interrupting us.
“Hurry up, lovebirds! Or I’m going to eat all the pancakes!”
This captures Emberli’s attention as she glares at him. “You dare!”