Chapter 39 #2
Poppy bares her teeth at him like a rabid dog before we move to her car, hopping in quick and locking the doors. Spencer Sharp continues to stare at us through the windshield, and I have to shove Poppy’s hand down out of view when she tries to flip him off.
“Reporters have been to Cherry Peak before, but not for a few years now. It was crazy for a while after Brody’s first few singles dropped and the world wanted a closer look at his life back home.
The hype of the small town wore off, though.
The people here won’t be happy to have that guy in town.
He’ll be run out quick, don’t worry,” she rambles as we pull away from the studio and down the main street.
Tucking my hands between my thighs, I attempt to fight off the shock panging through me long enough to come up with a response. Poppy speaks for me.
“You need to call Brody. Tell him what happened.”
“He’s busy,” I mumble, but even I can admit that’s a cop-out. It’s a reason to keep this to myself so he doesn’t freak out. The moment he hears what happened, he’ll come home, and it’s too soon for that.
If he was ready to come home, he’d already be here. There are still things he needs to work out in Nashville.
She stares at the rear-view mirror before saying, “Call him, or I will.”
“Neither of us are calling him. I’m a big girl, Poppy.”
“I’m not saying you aren’t. But that douchebag is following us in his fancy rental car right now, and there’s no way I’m leading him right to your house. So call your man and ask him what he wants me to do here.”
I spin in my seat, mouth gaping at the headlights beaming in the back seat. My fingers are shaking when I pull my phone out and dial his number. He answers on the third ring, sounding so happy to talk to me that I almost pretend to lose service before having to tell him what’s happening.
“Hey, sweetheart. How was class?”
I swallow. “Good. I’m sore, though.”
“Need a massage?” The smirk is obvious in his voice.
A laugh rises in my throat before evaporating into nothing. “Can you talk right now? Are you busy?”
“What’s wrong?” he asks stiffly, suddenly on alert.
The headlights behind us continue to flash in the side mirror, making me wince. “There’s a guy in town. Says he’s from Country Capital . He asked me about you.”
“When? Where?”
“A couple of minutes ago outside of BB.”
“That’s not all!” Poppy shouts. I glare at her.
“What’s going on?”
I hate this. Really, really hate this. “It seems he didn’t appreciate being turned down for a statement. He’s following us.”
Something slams in the background of the call, so loud I can hear it over the sharp curse Brody spits. “Don’t go to your place. Poppy’s either.”
I relay the information to Poppy, and she asks, “Where do I go, then?”
“The ranch. I’ll let my grandparents know you’re comin’. Spencer won’t get on the property. Poppy can stay with you too. We don’t need him knowin’ where you both live.”
“I’m not bringing him to the ranch and making him your family’s problem, Brody. Give me an alternative route.”
“You are family. And that fucker won’t dare step a foot on our land without permission. I’ll be home tomorrow.”
My next exhale is heavy, tired. “Don’t come home because of this. You’re not done there yet.”
“I’m comin’ home. I’m not okay with you gettin’ accosted by the media because of me. I can’t just sit back and let your life get mucked up by this. Don’t fight me on it. I’m comin’,” he declares, and I know I’ve lost the battle.
I’m not stubborn enough to keep fighting him on it, especially not when the annoying part of me wants to beat my chest with pride, knowing he wants to come home early.
“Please give them a heads-up, then, Brody. I want to make sure they’re okay with me being there before I just show up.”
“I’ll call them right now and then call you back.” He pauses then, a shaky inhale loud in my ear. “I’m so fuckin’ sorry, baby. I didn’t think they’d show up there. Should have known better.”
“Don’t. This isn’t your fault, and I don’t blame you for it. Get all that out of your head.”
Poppy drives another lap around the same block, stalling leading the reporter anywhere close to where either of us lives.
“Yeah, alright. I’m going to call them now. Tell Poppy to head to the ranch, and I’ll call back in a minute.”
“I love you, Brody,” I say sternly, making sure he hears it before dropping the call.
“I love you. I’ll be right back.”
When he ends the call, I swipe a hand over my hair and mutter, “He wants me at the ranch. You’re welcome to stay too.”
Poppy nods and changes direction, heading out of town. Spencer’s headlights follow.
“Let him come home, babe. I know you’re sitting there stirring about it, but trust me when I say that that man won’t know peace until he knows you’re taken care of. He’s not going to want to hear it from anyone else either. I doubt you’ll ever be able to convince him otherwise,” she says.
“What if he resents me for dragging him back so soon?”
Poppy laughs, but it isn’t a warm sound. It’s sad. “Something tells me that if he never had to leave, he wouldn’t. He’s probably relieved to have an excuse to come back.”
“His career is important,” I whisper.
“That ex of yours really skewered the way you see relationships, Anna. Sometimes being with the person you love outweighs everything else. Even important careers. I’d do anything to have what you two have.
To know that I had someone who would drop absolutely anything they were doing to come take care of me when I needed them to. ”
I reach across the car to touch her hand, my mouth lifting at the corners. “You’re very wise, Poppy. Wise and sweet and smart and drop-dead gorgeous. You’ll find someone who appreciates you the way you deserve.”
She offers me a weak smile. “Thank you. But don’t worry about me. I just want you to start accepting more from people. More support and care and love. You deserve it, okay?”
“I’ll work on it.”
“Good girl,” she says, shooting me a wink across the dark cab. My laugh isn’t as strained as I anticipated.
The familiar Steele Ranch gate appears up ahead, and I let some of the tension drain from my muscles. It pisses me off that this reporter is going to be anywhere close to this place, but knowing there’s no chance in hell he gets on the property is enough for now.
Poppy slows the car as we turn onto the small section of road leading up to the gate and blows out a breath. “Uh-oh. Grandpa Steele is ready to kick some reporter ass.”
It takes me a beat to make him out in the dark, but when I do, it’s to find him standing in front of the gate, his arms crossed and scowl cold.
His usual hat is tipped low over his forehead, and if I didn’t know the man the way I do, I’d turn and run for the hills the moment he takes a step toward Poppy’s car and waves us through the gate.
Brody hasn’t called back yet, and if I had to guess, I’d say he’s still speaking to his grandma.
“Do you think Spencer will turn and leave?” I ask her.
“No. If he’s stupid enough to try and back Brody’s girlfriend into a corner while knowing damn well he’s in another country, there’s not much help for him.”
“I want to hear what happens,” I admit.
Poppy stops the car right then and there. Pulling out the keys, she pushes open her door, and I follow suit, the wind harsher in the openness of the ranch.
Deep male voices ripple through the night.
“You’re lucky to be dealing with me and not my grandson after cornerin’ his woman like that and followin’ her back here,” Wade barks, voice like a whip.
“I just need a single statement. It doesn’t have to be from Anna. If either you or your wife?—”
“Get the fuck off my land, boy, before I remove you myself.”
An exasperated sigh. “Please. One statement.”
I close the space between Wade and me, coming to a standstill beside him while Poppy lingers back a few paces. The older man looks far scarier than I do in my pair of baggy sweatpants and Brody’s jacket, but I do my best. Spencer’s eyes focus on me, and he takes a step forward.
Wade is moving in the blink of an eye. His arm snaps out, and he grips Spencer’s wrist, tugging it hard enough to send him stumbling.
“I’ll tell you one more time. Get. Off. My. Land,” he spits, releasing Spencer suddenly. The reporter trips over his feet and tumbles into the snowbank, sinking deep. “Come any closer and I’ll call the cops.”
I watch the entire confrontation with wide eyes and a soaring heart.
It isn’t Brody here standing up for me but his family, and that hits me so deep I’m fighting back tears as the reporter stumbles upright and, with a shake of his head, gets back in his vehicle.
It takes Wade lightly grabbing my arm and leading me back through the gate for my legs to move.
“Thank you,” I croak.
Wade drops his arm over my shoulder as he says, “Anything for family.”