Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Damian
I stood at the bottom of the stairs, my hand on the railing, and was ready to head up to Geraldine’s room.
The house was quiet, the morning sun had just started to creep through the windows, and I’d been up for an hour with coffee in hand, and I thought about her.
Yesterday had been good and too good with her in that blue dress at the diner, her hand in mine, and the way she’d leaned on me in the truck.
It stuck with me, and I wanted to see her and maybe steal a few more minutes alone before the day got busy.
My boots creaked on the first step when I heard the rumble of a truck pull into the yard, loud and familiar.
Cosmo and Christian were back a day early, and my stomach tightened.
I let go of the railing and stepped back, the moment slipped away.
The front door banged open, and Cosmo strolled in first, his duffel slung over his shoulder, and grinned widely. “We’re home, boss!” he said and dropped the bag with a thud and kicked off his boots. “Did you miss us?”
“Not really,” I said and crossed my arms and leaned against the wall. Christian followed and had his hat in hand and looked tired but smirked, his own bag hit the floor next to Cosmo’s.
“Liar,” Christian said and stretched his arms over his head. “The place looks too clean without us.”
“Yeah,” Cosmo said and glanced around. “Where’s Geraldine? Did she survive you?”
“She’s fine,” I said and kept my voice steady, but my jaw clenched a little. “She’s upstairs and probably still asleep.”
“Not for long,” Cosmo said and bounded up the stairs two at a time, his voice echoing. “Geri! Your VIPs are back!”
“Jesus,” I muttered and rubbed my neck as Christian laughed and followed him, and was slower but just as eager. I stayed put and listened to their boots thud on the wood, and then her door creaked open, her voice sleepy but bright.
“No way,” she said, and I could hear the grin in it. “You’re early!”
“We couldn’t stay away,” Cosmo said, and her laugh rang out loud and easy, the kind I’d gotten used to hearing just for me these past few days.
My chest tightened with a sharp twist I didn’t want to name, and I pushed off the wall and headed to the kitchen to refill my coffee.
I didn’t need to see it, but I couldn’t stop picturing them up there and crowded her space, and pulling her into their orbit.
I was pouring the coffee when they came down, her footsteps light between their heavier ones.
She walked in first, her hair messy from sleep, and wore a loose t-shirt and shorts, and Cosmo had his arm slung around her shoulders, Christian trailed close with a grin.
“Look who we found,” Cosmo said and squeezed her against him. “Our favorite city girl.”
“I missed you clowns,” she said and laughed and ducked out from under his arm, but she didn’t pull away far. “How’d it go?”
“Rough,” Christian said and flopped into a chair at the table. “The cattle deal was a mess, but we sorted it. Did you hold down the fort?”
“Barely,” she said and smirked and leaned against the counter near me. “Damian kept me busy.”
“Yeah?” Cosmo said and grabbed a mug from the cabinet, and brushed past her to get to the coffee pot. “What’d he make you do? Paperwork?”
“Some,” she said and shot me a look, her eyes warm. “And horse cleaning. We got muddy.”
“I wish I’d seen that,” Christian said and laughed and kicked his legs out. “I bet you looked good covered in mud.”
“She did,” I said, and took a sip of my coffee and keeping my tone flat, but my grip on the mug tightened. They both grinned at her, and she laughed again. the sound hit me like a jab. I wanted it to be mine and just mine and not split between them like this.
“Tell us,” Cosmo said and leaned on the counter next to her, and he was too close; his shoulder bumped hers. “What else? Did Damian bore you to death?”
“Nah,” she said and nudged him back, and was playful. “We went to the diner yesterday. We had pie. It was nice.”
“Pie without us?” Christian said and clutched his chest like he was wounded. “That’s betrayal, Geri.”
“You’ll live,” she said and stuck her tongue out at him, and they both laughed loud and easy like they’d never left.
Cosmo slung his arm around her again and pulled her into a half-hug, and she let him and leaned into it while Christian reached over and ruffled her hair.
My stomach twisted harder, and I set my mug down, the clink louder than I meant it to be.
“Are you two done?” I said and crossed my arms, and leaned against the sink. “She’s not a damn toy.”
“Relax, boss,” Cosmo said and grinned at me, his arm still around her. “We’re just catching up. Right, Geri?”
“Yeah,” she said and smiled, but she slipped out from under him and moved closer to me, her hip brushed the counter. “They’re clingy today.”
“Always,” Christian said and smirked and leaned back in his chair. “We missed our girl.”
“Your girl?” I said and raised an eyebrow, my voice sharper than I wanted. “She’s been fine here without you.”
“Aw, don’t be jealous,” Cosmo said and laughed and poured his coffee and was oblivious. “She’s got room for all of us.”
“Speak for yourself,” I said and grabbed my mug again, and took a long sip to keep my hands busy. Geraldine looked at me, her eyes narrowed a little like she caught something in my tone, but she didn’t say anything and just smiled softly and turned back to them.
“So, what’s the plan now?” she asked and hopped up to sit on the counter, swinging her legs. “You’re back early, so have you got big stuff lined up?”
“Feed run later,” Christian said and stretched again. “And checking the herd. Wanna come?”
“Only if I get to drive the truck,” she said and grinned and kicked her foot at him. He caught it and tugged, and she laughed and pulled it back. Cosmo joined in with a fake pout.
“No fair,” Cosmo said and leaned against her side, his hand on her knee. “I wanna ride with you.”
“Get in line,” Christian said and winked at her, and she laughed again, loud and bright, her head tipped back.
I watched them, her caught between their easy chatter and touches, and my chest burned.
I wanted her like that with me, and just me and not split three ways.
These past few days, it’d been ours with her laugh and her teasing and her warmth, and now they were back and claimed it like nothing had changed.
“Alright,” I said and set my mug in the sink, and cut through their noise. “Enough. We’ve got work to do.”
“Grump’s back,” Cosmo said and smirked at me, but he stepped away from her and grabbed his coffee. “What’s first, boss?”
“Feed shed,” I said, and headed for the door. “Get moving.”
“Coming,” Christian said and stood and stretched one last time. “Are you in, Geri?”
“Yeah,” she said and slid off the counter and brushed her hands on her shorts. “Let me grab my boots.”
She darted upstairs, and Cosmo followed her. his voice trailed off as he teased her about something. Christian lingered and grabbed a banana from the table and glanced at me. “Are you good?” he asked and peeled it slow.
“I’m fine,” I said, and kept my face blank, and pulled my hat from the hook by the door. “I’m just ready to get shit done.”
“Sure,” he said and took a bite, his grin easy. “She’s fun, huh?”
“Yeah,” I said and walked out and let the screen door slam behind me.
I headed for the barn, my boots crunched on the gravel, and I tried to shake it off.
They were back, and she was theirs again and laughed and was easy, and I hated how much it bugged me.
I wanted her to myself with her smile and her time and all of it, and watched them cling to her like that twisted something sharp in me.
I kicked a rock out of the way and kept moving, The day stretched out too long already.