Chapter 13 Aubree
THIRTEEN
AUbrEE
I burst through the front door of the big house, welcomed by the roar of a fire in the fireplace. At some point, Cookie’s been here. Even though he’s not making dinner for everyone, he took time out of his day to make sure I’d be warm when I get home.
I’m the only one who loves the fireplace.
It was the gathering spot for our family, and after my parents died, it hurt Truett to even look at it.
I’m the one who wanted it blazing at any given chance.
I’m the one who would sit in front of it and read books.
It’s the one thing I missed desperately while I was gone, and believe it or not, one of the main reasons I came home.
I needed familiarity and comfort, which is exactly what this fireplace represents.
The house is quiet. Has been since our parents died, and while this fireplace is my comfort, I hate the rest of the house.
In every nook and corner, there are memories of what life was like before we lost them, what I wish we could still have.
If only that drunk driver hadn’t crossed the yellow line.
“Truett,” I yell. “Are you here?”
I’m not surprised when he doesn’t answer. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since I moved back in, he’s hardly ever here. Not wanting to be by myself, I pick up my phone and cross my fingers that I have service. When I see that it’s connected, I place a FaceTime request to Nora.
She answers almost immediately. Her face is almost as familiar as my own.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
I sigh and sit back against the couch. “Can you talk?”
“I’m in between patients. What’s going on?”
I stare at the flames dancing in the fireplace, trying to figure out how to even begin this conversation. The warmth feels good against my skin, but there’s a chill inside me that has nothing to do with the weather outside.
“Something weird happened today at the feed store,” I finally say, tucking my legs underneath me. “Noah stopped me on my way out.”
Nora’s eyebrows raise. She knows Noah from high school, just like I do. “Deputy Sanchez? What did he want?”
“That’s just it. He was acting all official and serious, not like the Noah we grew up with.” I run my fingers through my honey-blonde hair, still damp from the rain. “He warned me about Truett and Jesse. Said they’re into something dangerous and I should be careful.”
The concern that flashes across Nora’s face makes my stomach drop. She adjusts her position, and I can see she’s in her office at the clinic, still wearing her scrubs.
“What exactly did he say?”
“He told me to watch myself around them. That they’re not the same people they used to be.” I pause, remembering the intensity in Noah’s eyes. “Nora, he looked scared. Actually scared. And you know, Noah. Nothing rattles him. He used to stare down that o-line without fear.”
“Aubree…” She hesitates, glancing around her office like someone might be listening. “I don’t know anything for certain, but there’s been talk around town.”
My heart starts racing. “What kind of talk?”
“People have noticed things. Cattle going missing from ranches in surrounding counties. Always small numbers, nothing that would trigger a major investigation, but enough that folks are starting to connect dots.” She lowers her voice.
“And your brother and Jesse, they’ve been spotted in areas where it’s happened. ”
I feel like someone just punched me in the gut. “Are you saying they’re stealing cattle?”
“I’m saying you need to be careful. I know you love Truett, and I know there’s history with Jesse, but if they’re involved in something illegal…” She trails off, but I can see the worry etched on her face.
I think about all the times Truett has been gone lately, all the hushed conversations that stop when I walk into a room.
The way Jesse looked at me tonight in the barn, not just with desire, but with something darker.
Something desperate. Even going back to after our parents died. How did we make it?
“They wouldn’t,” I whisper, but even as I say it, doubt creeps in. “They’re good men, Nora. They wouldn’t resort to stealing.”
“Good men do bad things when they’re desperate,” she says softly. “And from what I hear, both ranches have been struggling since your parents died.”
The fire crackles loudly, and I jump. Everything feels different now, like the walls of this house are closing in on me. The comfort I found here suddenly feels false, built on lies I didn’t know existed.
“How bad is the talk?” I ask.
“Bad enough that people are starting to watch them. Bad enough that Noah felt he needed to warn you.” She pauses. “Aubree, if they are involved in rustling, this isn’t just about a few stolen cows. This is federal-crime territory. Prison time.”
My hands shake as I process her words. Prison. The thought of losing Truett to something like this makes me sick. And Jesse…God, Jesse. After everything we’ve been through, everything we lost, how could they risk throwing their lives away?
“What am I supposed to do? Confront them? They’ll just lie to me anyway.”
“You could leave again,” Nora suggests gently. “Come stay with me in town until this blows over.”
“No.” The word comes out stronger than I feel. “I just got home. I’m not running again.”
“Then be smart. Keep your eyes open, don’t ask too many questions, and whatever you do, don’t get involved. If they are doing what people think they’re doing, the last thing you need is to become an accessory.”
The word accessory hits me like a slap. The idea that I could somehow be implicated in whatever they’re doing makes my chest tight.
“There’s something else,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “Tonight in the barn, Jesse was…different. Intense. Like he was barely holding himself together.”
“Different how?”
I think about the way his green eyes burned when he looked at me, the desperation in his touch when he pulled me against him. “Like a man with nothing left to lose.”
Nora is quiet for a long moment. “Those are the most dangerous kind, Aubree. Men with nothing left to lose will do anything to protect what little they have left.”
“He kissed me,” I blurt out.
“What?”
“Jesse kissed me. And God help me, I kissed him back.” I cover my face with my hands. “It was like all these years just disappeared, and I was eighteen again.”
“Oh, honey.”
“I know it’s stupid. I know I should stay away from him, especially if what you’re saying is true. But Nora, when he touched me, it felt like coming home.”
“Listen to me very carefully,” she says, her voice taking on that no-nonsense tone she uses when she’s being serious.
“Whatever you’re feeling for Jesse, whatever history you two have, you cannot let that cloud your judgment.
If he’s involved in criminal activity, getting close to him will only drag you down with him. ”
I know she’s right, but knowing and feeling are two different things. The memory of Jesse’s hands on me, his mouth claiming mine, sends heat through my body even as fear chills my blood.
“I should have stayed in Chicago,” I whisper.
“Maybe. But you’re here now, and you have to deal with the reality of the situation.” Her voice softens. “I love you, and I want you to be safe. That means keeping your distance from whatever Truett and Jesse are involved in.”
A sound outside makes me freeze. Car doors slamming. Voices.
“Someone’s here,” I whisper.
“Who?”
I creep to the window and peek through the curtains. Truett’s truck is in the driveway, but there’s another vehicle too. Through the rain, I can make out two figures walking toward the house.
“It’s Truett and Jesse.”
“Aubree, listen to me. Act normal. Don’t let them know you suspect anything. And for God’s sake, don’t be alone with Jesse.”
“I have to go.”
“Call me tomorrow. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
I end the call just as the front door opens. Truett walks in first, shaking rain from his jacket. Jesse follows, his dark hair wet, his green eyes immediately finding mine across the room.
“Hey, sis,” Truett says, hanging his hat on the hook by the door. “Didn’t expect you to be up.”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I lie, my heart pounding. “The storm’s pretty bad out there.”
“Yeah, it is.” He glances at me, his eyes closed off. A look I’ve seen before but never understood until now. “I was just checking on some fencing that might’ve come down.” He’s lying, and I know it.
The lie rolls off his tongue so easily, it makes me sick. How many other lies has he told me since I’ve been back?
“Everything okay?” he asks, his voice rough.
“Fine,” I say quickly. Too quickly. “Just tired.”
Truett takes a step closer, his gaze intense. “You sure? You look pale.”
“I’m fine, Truett.” I stand up, needing distance between us. “I’m going to bed.”
As I walk past him toward the stairs, he reaches out. “Aubree.”
I look up at him, and for a moment, I see my brother, the one who saved me from all the bad stuff. My hero when our parents died. Before life got complicated, before we lost everything that mattered.
“Get some sleep,” he says softly, releasing my arm. “Things will look better in the morning.”
Only this time, I don’t believe him.