9
WESLEY
I watch her leave with Cole and breath out in relief. Fuck Cole for not letting me know he’d have someone over. It’s not like him and I want to give him some grace. However, bringing Thea around means the inevitable is coming.
I’m not ready for it.
I can’t tell my brothers any of this—they won’t understand. They’ll tell me it’s been two years and I need to work through whatever shit I’m still holding onto. It isn’t that easy.
I catch Damian staring at me from the kitchen. “You good?”
What am I supposed to say? No? He isn’t any better. Both of us have certain emotions locked behind an airtight vault. “Yeah. All good.” I don’t hide that it’s a lie. We’ve known each other long enough that even if I tried, he’d pick up on it easily.
Staring down at my phone, I hope he gets the hint that I want to be left alone. This isn’t how I want to start my morning. I’m running my fingers through my hair when I feel a hand on my shoulder. Glancing up, I see Sutton.
“Trust me,” he says, squeezing. “This was the last thing in the world I was prepared for.”
He said they’ve known each other for years. It’s news to me. I’ve never heard him mention Thea’s name.
“How do you know her?”
Sutton pulls out a chair and sits down. “College.”
That tells me everything I need to know. Fuck me. “That’s her? That’s the girl you wouldn’t shut up about when you came back home?”
He nods and I feel guilty for wallowing in my feelings. He has it so much worse.
When Sutton moved back to Willow Hill after graduating, all we heard about was the girl he was too scared to make a move on for two years. She met some guy. He kept hoping it wouldn’t work out. He promised himself if they broke up, he wouldn’t let the opportunity pass him by again. But they didn’t break up, at least not while they were in college.
So we listened to him talk about her constantly. He’d tell us funny stories about the antics that young, stupid college kids get into. He’d tell us about this energy that seemed to connect them, all that woo-woo shit.
It was the other stuff that interested me the most.
They never hooked up, although he was pretty sure there was a mutual interest there before she started dating her ex. I don’t remember most of the shit he said. What I do remember is him talking about those sundresses she’d wear… Fuck, his words are still clear as day—to be fair, Sutton has always had a way with words and painting a picture with them.
He’d go on and on about how she’d wear them almost daily and that it was hard for him to keep his eyes off her lush thighs, his words not mine. They’d be watching a movie in his bed and she’d throw her leg over his, her dress pulling up higher. I’d get hard hearing him describe her curvy body, her bouncy tits, and full lips.
As good as he is with his words, she’s so much better in person. Cole’s clothes stretched out over her hips had me wanting to grab her by them, had me wanting to dig my fingers into her soft skin.
Jesus. My cock’s twitching just thinking about it.
As much as my body’s reacting to thinking about hers, it’s her eyes that are haunting me. I’ve only seen that shade of blue once before. Chills spread over my skin at the thought.
Pushing her from my mind, I sympathize with Sutton. “Sorry, bro.” I let some of my moodiness fall away.
I’ve always been protective of him, Damian too, but life hardened Damian and he toughened up quickly. Sutton took more time. Both were easy targets for bullies when they were younger. Sutton was a grade below us and scrawny. His reading problems didn’t help matters.
While Damian focused on getting physically stronger to become less appealing to his bullies, Sutton focused on overcoming his academic weakness, which only put more of a target on his back. He went from the kid who couldn’t read to the bookworm. It was only when he hit high school that he figured out a way to counteract his “nerdiness” as he’d call it.
His parents bought him his first motorcycle in his senior year when he turned eighteen. That’s all it took for the ladies to notice him and for that teacher’s pet reputation to fall away. Damian and I had graduated by then, but we talked every day. He’d tell us about the parties he’d get invited to and his latest girlfriend, all while secretly maintaining perfect grades.
I thought after high school the motorcycle thing would subside. It did for a while in college when his bike broke down, although as soon as Damian offered to buy him one, he jumped at the opportunity. The tattoos and piercings came next. I’m not completely used to this version of him. I still see him as that scrawny little kid I need to protect. However, this is one thing I can’t protect him or any of us from.
“Looks like this one is going to be trouble for all of us,” I finally say.
Damian lets out a laugh. “Good or bad?” He asks, half joking.
“Fuck if I know. Probably both,” I answer honestly. I glance at Sutton and see the concern on his face. “You know the rules, man.”
Sutton puts his face in his hands before running them over his head. “Yeah, I do,” he replies, annoyed. “Doesn’t mean I have to like them.”
There’s a knock at the door and I see Jessie’s face in the window as she opens it. “Morning boys!” Her voice is chipper, yet her face is tired.
She’s older, maybe in her fifties, with gray roots pushing into the dirty blonde that’s tied up messily on top of her head.
Jessie sets down the bucket of cleaning supplies. Looking around, her face contorts. “Shit, what happened?”
I get up, not wanting to get into it again. I’m heading downstairs, but not before I hear Damian’s voice.
“We need everything with gluten in it tossed out. If you aren’t sure, just get rid of it. The kitchen needs a deep clean, fully sanitized.”
There’s a pause. I can see Jessie’s what-the-fuck face in my head. “Did something happen?”
“Cole got himself a girlfriend. She can’t have gluten.”
“Oh, fuck,” she groans. She isn’t saying it about the gluten thing. Jessie’s been our housekeeper for years. She knows more about what goes on in this house than anyone else. Which means she knows what’s about to happen.
It’s been two years since any of us brought someone home. Well, someone we’d consider a serious relationship with. The last one went down in flames. So yeah... “Oh, fuck” about covers it.
I jog down the steps and push my door open. Flicking on the bathroom light, I grab the bottle of pills sitting on the sink, open it, and pop one into my mouth. It’ll take the edge off soon.
In the meantime, I need to use my body to work out these feelings.
Pushing the small white headphones into my ears, I find my go-to playlist and hit play. I max out the volume as the screaming vocals drown out all of my thoughts.
Opening the door to the gym, I hit the lights and start my workout before I have to meet my first client of the day.
THEA
“Are you sure this looks alright? I feel silly in this position.” The woman posing in front of the mirror scrunches her face, not seeing what I do. But this is part of my job. She needs to know how beautiful she is.
“Kam, if you do this pose, exactly how I showed you, I’ll let you see how it turns out. I promise it’ll be amazing. You just have to trust me.”
The woman nods, her blonde curls bouncing with the movement. “Okay, I trust you, Thea.”
I have her laying on the floor, belly down, with one hand propping up her chin and the other outstretched towards me. Her knee is pushed out so that I can see her thigh. From this angle, it’s sexy, yet it’s the view she can’t see that I’m most excited about.
In the mirror, I have a perfect shot of her ass in the red lacy panties she brought with her.
Click. Click. Click.
As promised, I turn the camera to her. In the viewfinder, I scroll through the pictures I took. A tear rolls down her cheek. “I didn’t realize how beautiful I was.” I grab a tissue from the pocket of the apron I wear and pat away the wetness on her face.
“You are stunning. Now that you fully trust me, are you ready to give it your all?” She nods excitedly. “Let’s get wet!”
The rest of Kam’s shoot was a breeze. This is how most of my sessions go. I know the drill. Take a few photos and show the client so they can see how amazing they look. It’s smooth sailing after that. It’s the second best feeling of the job. The first is when they get their book and I get to see their reactions as they flip through it. It’s magic and makes my entire day.
“Tell me you’re finished for the evening.” Cassie pops her head in.
“Yes, ma’am. Busy day?” She strolls in and plops down on the velvet couch.
Rubbing her eyes, she huffs, “You have no idea.” She glances around, seeing that I’m cleaning up after my last client. “Well, maybe you do.”
Cassie pushes up from the couch and starts stripping the bed while I squeegee the plexiglass I used for a makeshift shower scene.
“Could be worse,” I offer. “We could have no clients at all.”
“So…” She stares at me expectantly. When I give her a look of confusion, she pushes. “Last night? I want to know everything!”
I’m torn. Everything felt perfect until my talk with Sutton this morning. Maybe she’ll have some good advice, she usually does. I tell Cassie about the note in my car and the guy that Cole rescued me from. Then about meeting his brothers and knowing Sutton.
The name is familiar to her. I’d mentioned him occasionally over the years. Then about Sutton’s worries. That he doesn’t want Cole or me to get hurt because no one has stuck around long in the past.
By the time I finish, Cassie’s jaw has dropped at least five times and she can’t stop saying, “you’ve got to be fucking kidding.” I assure her I’m not. I don’t know what to do. Cole is near perfect. However, I don’t want to come between him and his brothers. I’m also not okay with being second best—I’ve done that before and it’s a deal breaker.
When the shock wears off, Cassie shakes her head in confusion. “Wait. How did the note get in your truck? Was your window broken?”
I chew the corner of my mouth. “Not exactly.”
“Thea…” She broaches cautiously. “Tell me you didn’t.”
My eyes shift away. “It was an accident. I don’t usually forget to lock my doors!”
Cassie shakes her head. We both know it’s a lie. I change the subject.
“Do you know anything about these guys? You’ve been here a few years. There has to be some info on them.” It feels wrong to pry this way, yet I can’t help myself.
Cassie thinks for a second. “Not much and what I do know…I’m not sure if there’s much truth to it. Are you sure you want to hear the town gossip?”
No, I don’t. But I need to. “Yes, it can’t be too bad.”
“I’ve heard of them referred to as the Wolfe Creek Four. Something about all of them naming their businesses with Wolfe Creek. Cole has Wolfe Creek Bakery. Sutton has Wolfe Creek Bookstore. Wesley owns Wolfe Creek Adventures. I’m not sure of Damian’s business, although I can only assume it’s named similarly. They even changed their last names.”
Sutton’s comment about leaning into the wolf thing resurfaces.
“That was before my time,” she continues. “They grew up here and went their separate ways after high school, but eventually made it back. They keep to themselves, mostly. Damian, I know almost nothing about. Cole and Sutton are in town more than him since they own businesses on Main Street. I’ve heard that Wesley is kind of the town’s favorite. He’s really outgoing and friendly.”
“I’m sorry, Wesley’s what?” I stop in my tracks. Friendly and outgoing. There’s no way in hell. “I can tell you, without a doubt, that your info on him is bad.”
Cassie lets out a barking laugh. “Why do you say that?”
I narrow my eyes at her. “He’s as bad as Damian. They both have logs shoved so far up their asses that it’s the only explanation for their shitty attitudes.”
Cassie doubles over, laughing. “Sorry,” she pants out. “I was imagining how that would work.”
“Lots of lube,” I offer.
Our laughter settles and I mention one of the odd things I noticed. Maybe she’ll have more info.
“They all wear this wolf ring with red stone eyes.” I echo my earlier sentiment to Sutton. “Comes off culty,” I say.
She nods in confirmation. “Yeah…” She hesitates for a moment. “Some of the pious people here have made certain claims. All ridiculous, of course,” she includes quickly. “Just the regular witchcraft, Satan worshiper crap. For the record, I know it’s not true.”
Cassie can be a judgmental person, by her own admission. So, I can tell that she’s saying this so that I don’t think she’s criticizing me for keeping company with Cole.
Her eyes shift away. I know what that means. There’s something she hasn’t told me or doesn’t want to. My brows raise in anticipation.
She sighs before continuing. “From what I’ve heard, they don’t make it a habit of dating local women. You’re the first I know of.”
This surprises me. “Are women not beating down their doors? Have you seen those guys? They could be in an underwear ad.”
“Oh, trust me, most of the eligible women have certainly tried, although they shut it down pretty quickly.” She sits back down on the couch and I join her.
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before? Girl code!” I squirt her with my shower scene water bottle.
Cassie wipes away the droplets on her arm. “Thea, you told me that this was a test date. It was supposed to be casual.” She crosses her arms. “Is this no longer casual? God, it’s only been a few days. Don’t tie yourself down to one guy just yet.” I can feel my face redden at her words. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s nothing, probably.” Her chin tips down and her brows creep upwards. “I overheard Cole talking to his brothers last night. He was telling them about my health issues and they all went into action mode or something.” I don’t know how to fully explain it. It was more of a feeling like I was being protected, but that makes no sense. “Sutton told them how bad it would be if I got sick. And Damian told them he would have someone named Jessie get rid of anything in the house with gluten and sanitize the kitchen.” Cassie’s head cocks in confusion. “Then Damian asked Cole if he could see this getting serious and he said yes.”
Cassie dramatically throws her arm over her forehead and slides off of the couch, which draws out a cackle from me. “C’mon, I’ll throw my back out if I have to pick you up off the floor.” She opens one eye and starts laughing as she pulls back up onto the couch.
“Tell me what you’re doing to bring this man to his knees. Give me some tips cause I’m still waiting for Anthony to propose.” She taps her wrist impatiently.
“Listen, Anthony isn’t going anywhere. It’ll come when you least expect it. Knowing him, I’m sure that he wants to buy you the perfect ring and do it all the right way. I mean, you’re kind of a perfectionist.” My shoulder bumps into hers as the teasing words leave my mouth.
“Yeah, yeah. Well, enough about these men. We need to talk business. How are your numbers looking this month?”
These are my least favorite conversations with Cassie. Mainly because I’m still feeling a bit in over my head. Her books are nearly filled to capacity. I’m booking clients, although not as many as I need if we want to purchase some property this year. I don’t want to worry her, so I keep my concerns to myself and give her my projected numbers, hoping she has more faith in me than I do right now.
We’re walking out of the studio together when I realize what day it is—Thursday. This time last week I was getting ready to go out to the bar. The urge to continue the routine is strong despite the man forcing himself on me a week ago.
It’s a craving that’s hard to kill.
I think of Cole. What would he think if he saw me scantily clad, flirting with some guy at a bar? The thought sends a sharp pain to my heart. I couldn’t hurt him like that. What I have with him is new and we aren’t exclusive by any means, but he’s a kind person who doesn’t deserve that.
I decide to forego the bar and text him instead. He could give me my fix, that has to be healthier. Right?