Chapter 8
Instead of going for a run, I find myself at Cole’s before dawn. A storm is on the horizon, hovering over the mountains with a promise to break. Dark clouds rumble above me as I open the front door and let myself in, needing to talk to my aunt and uncle about Cash being back in town.
The smell of bacon and eggs brings me to the kitchen, where I find them in their normal morning routine.
Aunt Annie is wearing a western-themed apron, cooking up eggs in a frying pan while soft country music plays from the stereo.
Uncle Cole sits at the kitchen island, wearing his reading glasses with a newspaper in one hand and a coffee mug in the other.
Being in this kitchen, along with the old, distressed wooden cabinets, brings back memories of my childhood. I used to spend every weekend at the ranch in the summertime. Always cooking in the kitchen with Annie to avoid the heat of the day.
“Good morning, Kit,” Cole smiles, noticing my presence.
In a flurry, my aunt sets down the spatula and runs up to me, wrapping her skinny arms around me. For a woman in her late fifties, Annie is quite youthful, with shoulder-length white hair. Always one of the best-dressed women in the room and covered in silver and turquoise jewelry.
“Oh, it’s been too long,” she says as she embraces me. The smell of orchids and roses fills my nose. She steps back, looking at me as if she’s checking for any ailments. “Have you been taking care of yourself?”
“Yes, Annie,” I chuckle.
She smiles, patting my arm. “Breakfast is almost ready.”
“Come sit down, son.” Cole gestures to the wooden stool next to him.
Cole is in his early sixties, with dark hair the color of charcoal, still in fit condition from his many years working on a cattle ranch.
He has a smile that makes you feel like you’ve known him your whole life.
Which, in my case, I had. Cole and Annie have been there for me when life was the hardest. At thirteen, Cole became a sort of father figure that I never had after my mom died.
If they hadn’t stepped in to take care of me, I honestly don’t know where I’d be.
I tuck my hands into my jeans. “I’m actually here to talk.” They pause, turning their attention towards me. “Cash is in town,” I continue, staring at the old, cracked tile, wishing I had better news. Slightly distracted by the distress of the room. “Saw him at the bar last night.”
“We know,” Cole sighs. “He came by.”
Annie turns back to her pan, nodding solemnly.
With a sigh, I plop down next to Cole. “So, what does he want this time? Another fancy suit? A pony?”
Cole snorts a laugh, finding amusement in my words. “We’re not sure yet.” He sips from his coffee mug, but he’s hiding something.
I’ve known him long enough to know the subtle expressions on his face, and something about him seems wrong…
distant. Dark circles cling to his eyes, and rigid lines form on his face.
He’s stressed about something, and I’ll bet it’s because he knows exactly what Cash wants, but why isn’t he telling me?
“So, how are you and Sadie getting on?” he asks with a smile, all the rigid lines vanishing in a second.
I frown. “We get on well enough.”
He nods. “Sounds about right.”
“Well, there are many here that seem to think there’s more going on between you two,” Annie teases, serving up eggs on a glass plate and then setting them in front of us.
“Like who?” I narrow my eyes, but Annie just smiles, like she’s intent on keeping it a secret. “There’s nothing going on between me and Sadie,” I grumble, clearing that ridiculous notion out of their heads.
Although tequila aside, I think Sadie was serious about her offer last night—and fuck, I almost let her. Call it a moment of weakness, but the thought of her lips wrapped around my dick is an image that’s now branded on my mind.
“She’s very pretty, Kit,” Annie says.
“Hard worker, too,” Cole adds with a smirk.
“Hard worker,” I mutter, leaning back on the stool. It’s not like I could deny that she’s attractive, but still. “Are you both in on this?”
Their complete silence frustrates me to my core.
“Unbelievable,” I stand, not wanting to talk anymore about Sadie. Especially not on a morning after she tried to take the length of me in her mouth. I’m already confused enough about being so attracted to someone I really don’t like.
“We’re just worried about you,” Annie murmurs. “You’re always alone in that house and—”
“Well, not anymore. Thanks to him.” I point a thumb at Cole. If they were that worried, they could’ve found a more accommodating person, surely. Someone who was mute and less distracting.
“Why her?” I turn to Cole.
“There’s just something about her,” he muses. Morning sunlight catches in his irises, brightening up his blue eyes with something like mischief lingering there. “Give it time, Kit. You’ll see,” he grins, going back to his newspaper. “I’ve got an eye for these things.”
Annie nods and agrees.
My stare burns into them. “You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Getting a bit old to be meddling in my business, don’t you think?”
It’s like I was thirteen all over again.
“Oh, but it’s the meddling that keeps us young,” Annie grins, twinkling her eyes as she places her hands on Cole’s shoulders. “I still want grandchildren,” she teases.
Of course, it’s a joke, but I can’t stop my throat from closing. Nor can I stop the memories from coming to the surface, like a tidal wave destroying everything in its path. I think of June, the grandchild, and the little girl we all lost because of Dakota’s selfishness.
Her blonde curls, soft smile, and melodic laugh...
The walls around me close in, and I’m somewhere else. Back in the house that I designed for a family I would never have. A family I was never good enough for.
Daddy, she cried as I left for reasons she’d never understand. I would always just be the Daddy that left.
“Kit, I didn’t mean…” Annie’s voice brings me back. “We miss June, of course. I just mean—”
“Annie’s only worried about you,” Cole chimes in. “We both are.”
I know she didn’t mean to say it like that, but it doesn’t hurt any less.
I shake it off, pushing it deep into what’s left of my broken heart.
“I’m fine.” I glance at the clock on the stove.
“Look, I need to get going.” There are plenty of cows waiting to be fed, and plenty of places I’d rather be than in this house having this conversation.
Annie walks up to me and hugs me once more, tight enough to take my breath away. “It was good to see you,” she smiles. “You don’t come around often enough.”
“I wonder why,” sarcasm laces my tone.
She chuckles. “Maybe next time you come around, you can renovate my kitchen. It’s well overdue.”
“There are plenty of contractors you can hire to do that.”
“No one can do it like you, Kit,” Annie confirms.
Cole nods in agreement. “You’ve already helped rebuild so much of this ranch in the past ten years. No one could complete your work but you, son.”
Warmth rushes to my heart from his compliment.
Working in construction was a thing of the past, a thing that once brought me joy. Now it only reminds me of the man who got his heart broken in two.
But I do have to admit, their kitchen is in desperate need of a makeover. “Well, when you both stop meddling, I’ll think about it.”
Annie smiles with warmth in her cheeks.
I offer a smile back, tipping my ballcap to them, and leave. Heading out into the frosty morning air, clearing my mind for the long day ahead on Lone Pine Ranch.
I zip up my navy Carhartt as a cold breeze blows through the field.
It’s about three o’clock in the afternoon, but the thick clouds covering the sun make it feel much later.
Most of the snow melted early this morning, but the air still has a mean bite to it.
I yawn, rubbing my face to wake myself up.
Last day before the weekend, and thank God for it.
There’s way too much I need to process. Alaska’s pregnancy, the run-in with Cash, and lastly, the fact that I cannot stop imagining Sadie on her knees. Or her coming towards me with that wild look in her eyes.
Did she really want me?
Or was it just the tequila talking?
I shake my head, not wanting to think any more about last night without a clear head.
Hudson and I hop off our horses, closing the gate behind a herd of cattle we moved into a new pasture, successfully finishing our day, and not a moment too soon, because I feel like I’m about to drop.
Hudson is easily my favorite rancher to work with.
We could communicate with nods and whistles.
Going hours on end without saying a single word.
Some days, I swear we were the same person, except for his medium-length blonde hair and his clean-shaven face.
Both of us preferred quiet lifestyles and a cold beer at the end of the day.
We’d probably hang out more if we didn’t prefer solitude and Ryker didn’t take up all my free time.
“Isn’t that the new girl?” Hudson asks.
I follow his gaze to Sadie, leaning against the fence with her golden horse at her side. “Sure is.”
“She doesn’t look like the others describe her.”
Well, not today she doesn’t. Today, she looks exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes. Her caramel hair is in a messy bun with bright highlights peeking through. Her outfit lacks its usual luster: a brown hoodie and jeans, but at least she showed up to work this morning.
Bonus points for her after having six shots of tequila and then trying to go to her knees for her neighbor.
“I’m gonna go check on her.” I pull my ballcap lower. “Make sure she’s alright.”
Hudson nods.
Her brown eyes drift to mine as I approach with Smoke’s leather reins in my hands.
Sadie stays silent, to my surprise, blushing a shade of crimson.
My pulse spikes, thinking about her words last night.
I wonder if that’s what she’s thinking about, too, or the fact that she had her hands all over me as heat fills her cheeks.
“You don’t look so good,” I say, clearing my throat as Smoke quietly stands next to me.