Chapter 17 Aubree
SEVENTEEN
AUbrEE
Two hours later, Jesse and I arrive at Grizzly River Ranch. Truett is sitting on the front porch, looking fit to be tied.
“Where the hell have you been?” he questions, his voice as angry as I’ve ever heard it.
“With Jesse,” I answer. There’s no shame in that statement, and I’m not expecting what happens next.
Truett gets up, strides across the gravel, and takes a good look at Jesse. He doesn’t flinch as Truett looks him up and down. The glare is enough to frighten me, but Jesse doesn’t back down. “My fuckin’ sister? You could have anyone, and it had to be my fuckin’ sister?”
Jesse shakes his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows roughly. “Yeah, it’s always been your sister.”
Before those words make it completely out from between his lips, Truett’s fist meets his face.
“Truett!” I scream. “He’s your best friend.”
“And you’re my sister. He knows you’re off-limits.”
Jesse doesn’t fall, but he’s knocked so that his back is resting against the pickup truck. It’s holding him up as he struggles to get his bearings. “It was always her,” Jesse says again, shaking his head. “You knew it, I knew it, and so did she.”
Truett pulls back again, but I rush forward, grabbing hold of his forearm.
“Please stop, please,” I beg, my voice smaller than I mean for it to be.
There are tears pooled in my eyes, and I’m trying desperately to hold on to them.
I don’t want Truett to see me as his little sister who can’t handle the hard things.
It’s why he never told me about the trouble the ranches were in to begin with.
“He knows how I feel about you. He never should’ve looked twice at you, Aubree. Judging from the hickey on your neck and the fact you’re still wearing the clothes you left here in last night, he’s done much more than that.”
I can’t deny it. It’d be stupid to. “I’m also a grown-ass woman who knows what I want. You’re not my dad, Truett. No matter the situation we were dealt.”
“I’ve acted like it,” he argues.
“And I’ve let you. That’s my fault. I should’ve never let you take that much responsibility.
You were a kid, just like me. Maybe over the age of eighteen, but you were still a kid.
Both of you were.” I lick my lips, my eyes going to Truett’s.
“And we’ve had so much loss in our lives, True.
I always come back to Jesse. Regardless of whether you like it or know it, I always do. Let me have some joy and happiness.”
“I know who he is,” Truett says quietly. “He’ll hurt you.”
“Life has hurt me. He can’t do anything that life hasn’t already done, True. Let me have the joy before this life goes dark and there’s no chance for any of us. Can you please do that?” I plead, breathless. “For me. Can you do that for me?”
“I’ll do it for you.” He pushes the words out between gritted teeth. “Not for him, but I’ll do it for you.”
Reaching up, I cup his cheek with the palm of my hand. “That’s all I ask, True. If he hurts me, I’ll let you handle it.”
He turns to Jesse. “You know I’ll fuckin’ handle it and you. Watch yourself. Best friend or not, I will end you.”
Jesse spits blood, wiping at his cheek. “I’d expect nothing less.”
The three of us head inside, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
Truett’s jaw is still set in that hard line I know means trouble, while Jesse holds a bandana to his split lip.
The silence stretches between us as we settle into the living room, Truett in Dad’s old recliner, Jesse on the couch, and me perched on the edge of the coffee table between them like some kind of mediator.
In the background, the fireplace, which has always brought me comfort, stands like a beacon in a storm.
“We need to talk,” I say, breaking the quiet. “Jesse told me about the job you two are planning.”
Truett’s head snaps toward Jesse so fast I’m surprised he doesn’t get whiplash. “You told her? What the fuck, man? The whole point was keeping her out of this.”
“Don’t blame him,” I interrupt before Jesse can respond. “I asked him not to lie to me anymore. About anything. He was respecting that.”
“Respecting that?” Truett’s voice climbs an octave. “Aubree, this isn’t some game. This is dangerous shit, and the less you know, the safer you are.”
I stand up, crossing my arms. “I’m already in danger, Truett. We all are. The ranch is failing, we owe money we don’t have, and, apparently, there are people who want to hurt us. Keeping me in the dark doesn’t make me safer. It makes me unprepared.”
Jesse finally speaks up, his voice rough. “She’s right, True. She deserves to know what’s happening in her own life.”
“This is exactly why I didn’t want this to happen,” Truett says, gesturing between Jesse and me. “Now you’re taking her side over mine.”
“There are no sides here,” I say firmly. “We’re family. All of us. And family doesn’t lie to each other, no matter how good the intentions.”
Truett runs both hands through his hair, a gesture so familiar it makes my chest ache. He’s done that since he was little whenever he felt overwhelmed. “Fine. We’re doing the Morrison job, and now you have no plausible deniability.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. “I knew you were, but you know…”
“Dangerous as hell, I know,” he continues. “Which is why I’m not putting you in any more danger than you already are. But I can make sure we let you know when we’re safe.”
My heart hammers against my ribs. “When are you doing this?”
Truett looks at Jesse, something passing between them in that silent communication they’ve perfected over years of friendship. “Tonight.”
“Tonight?” The word comes out as barely a whisper.
“Which means we need you to do something normal,” Truett continues. “Something that throws attention off of us. Be seen around town, establish an alibi.”
I nod, my mind already racing. “I’ll call Nora. Ask if she wants to go shopping this afternoon, maybe have dinner together.”
“Perfect,” Jesse says, and when our eyes meet, there’s something there—relief mixed with worry. “Just act normal. Don’t do anything that might draw attention.”
I pull out my phone and dial Nora’s number, putting it on speaker so the guys can hear.
“Hey, girl!” Nora’s cheerful voice fills the room. “What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping this afternoon? Maybe grab dinner after? I’m going a little stir-crazy out here.”
“Yes! This week has been crazy at the vet’s office. Want to meet at Murphy’s?”
Murphy’s General Store is the only real shopping option in Grizzly River, unless you count the gas station’s limited selection of toiletries and snacks. “Sounds perfect. What time?”
“How about two? We can browse around, maybe grab some of those cookies Mrs. Murphy makes, then head to the diner for an early dinner.”
“Perfect. See you then.”
After I hang up, Truett nods approvingly. “Good. That’ll keep you visible and accounted for.”
The next few hours crawl by. I try to act normal, but normal feels impossible when the two most important men in my life are about to risk everything on a plan that could get them arrested, or worse, killed.
Jesse helps Truett with some repairs on the barn roof, and I busy myself with laundry and cleaning, anything to keep my hands occupied and my mind from spiraling.
At quarter to two, I change into clean jeans and a sweater, tie my hair back, and drive into town. Grizzly River looks the same as always, a main street lined with weathered storefronts, pickup trucks parked at angles, and the general sense that time moves a little slower here than everywhere else.
Nora is already waiting outside Murphy’s when I pull up, her red hair caught up in a messy bun and a bright smile on her face. “There’s my mysterious friend,” she says as I approach. “You’ve been scarce lately.”
“Just dealing with ranch stuff,” I tell her, which isn’t exactly a lie.
We spend the next hour wandering Murphy’s aisles, picking through the limited selection of clothes, books, and household goods.
Nora chatters about her job at the vet, her mother’s latest attempts at matchmaking, and the gossip floating around town.
I try to focus, to respond appropriately, but my mind keeps drifting to what Jesse and Truett might be doing right now.
“Oh, look who’s here,” Nora says, nudging me toward the small pharmacy section at the back of the store.
Behind the counter, counting pills into bottles with careful precision, is Atlee, Lennon’s little sister. She’s twenty-one now, with the same dark hair as her sister but a sharper jawline and a more serious expression.
“Hey, Atlee,” I call out, and she looks up with a smile.
“Aubree! Nora! How are you two?”
“Good,” I say, moving closer to the counter. “How do you like working here?”
“It’s not bad. Keeps me busy, and it’s good money. I’m trying to figure out if I want to go all in on pharmacy or not.” She holds up a bottle of pills. “Right now, I’m mostly just doing inventory and basic stuff, but it’s interesting.”
“That’s great,” Nora says. “You always were good with details.”
We chat for a few more minutes about her work, her brother’s new job in Billings, and the general happenings around town. It’s normal, mundane conversation, but I’m grateful for it. It makes me feel anchored to something real and stable.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to find a text from Jesse.
J
Heading out now.
My blood turns to ice water in my veins. They’re really doing this. Right now, while I’m standing here talking about pharmacy certifications and town gossip, Jesse and Truett are driving toward what could be the most dangerous night of their lives.
“You okay?” Nora asks, studying my face with concern. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Just tired,” I manage to say, slipping my phone back into my pocket. “Maybe we should head to the diner?”
We say goodbye to Atlee and make our way back to the main street.
As we’re walking toward the diner, I catch sight of a familiar vehicle parked across the street—Noah’s squad car.
He’s sitting behind the wheel, talking on his radio, and something about his posture makes my stomach clench with dread.
“Nora,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual. “What do you think Noah’s doing over there?”
She glances over and shrugs, looking at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “Probably just routine patrol stuff. You know how quiet it gets around here. He’s probably bored out of his mind.”
But I don’t think it’s routine. There’s something alert about the way he’s sitting, something focused about his attention that speaks of more than boredom. My phone feels heavy in my pocket, Jesse’s message burning in my mind like a brand.
The bad feeling that’s been lurking at the edges of my consciousness all day suddenly roars to life, settling in my chest like a living thing with claws and teeth. Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong.
“Actually,” I say, grabbing Nora’s arm, “let’s step it up. I’m starving.”
I need to get us somewhere public, somewhere normal, somewhere with other people around. Because if my instincts are right, if Noah knows something, if this whole plan is about to go sideways, I need to be exactly where I’m supposed to be when it all falls apart.
As we walk into the diner, the little bell above the door chiming our arrival, I send up a silent prayer to whatever gods might be listening. Keep them safe. Please just keep them safe.
But the feeling in my gut tells me it might already be too late.