Chapter Four #2
“How about a dance with your brother, who hardly sees you?” Tucker’s deep voice next to my ear pulls me out of my thoughts with a start, and I realize I was staring at Jax.
With a smile, I turn to my younger brother, who towers over me, as Jax lets go of my hand and executes an exaggerated bow as he backs away. Tucker just laughs and spins me once as I put my other hand in his.
The next song starts, and Tucker is leading me in a flawless two-step on the dance floor.
Out of all my brothers, Tucker inherited more of my mom’s auburn coloring.
One of my fondest childhood memories is of brushing my mom’s hair in the evening while we watched TV, she had beautiful auburn hair down her back and the kindest hazel eyes, another feature of my mother that he, Gray, and Kinley got.
Mason, Breanna, and I got our dad’s blue eyes.
Tucker’s just as tall as Mason and built the same, but he’s the smartest of all of us.
He was in advanced classes starting in the fourth grade, the school sent home a letter letting my dad know he was too advanced and bored in class.
From that day, my dad encouraged him to follow where his brain took him instead of working the ranch.
We all thought he might go into college after school and study something that would be a cush, easy-money career.
Instead, he joined the Air Force right out of high school and excelled quickly in the ranks into the Air Command.
When I asked him once why he didn’t do something easy, he told me he’s too much of an introvert for a nine-to-five job, but he gets bored and enjoys the extreme life the Air Force provides.
“How are you, Tuck?” I ask, smiling up at him.
His smile turns serious and his eyes volley between mine. “I’m fine, but Kinley called and told me what was going on around here and I’m more concerned about you.”
Mentally cursing Kinley, I cut my eyes to the side, but I should have expected it, she and Tucker were close growing up like me and Mason since they were closer in age when mom died.
I think Kinley needed someone to take care of to take her mind off her grief, and Tuck was just young enough that he needed to be taken care of.
Kinley can be an overly independent brat sometimes, but I know she told him about the fire in my stable a few months ago because she loves me and is worried.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me girlie, did you think no one would tell me about the fire? Or about your nightmares since then?”
Tipping my head to the side, my lips gently tip up. “I’m fine, Tuck, I promise. The nightmares are not every night and I’ve got Gray and Mason watching my every move. Annoyingly so.”
His gaze moves over my head to look at something or someone for a moment, and then back to me. “I heard there is more than just Gray and Mason watching your every move. Kinley says that Jax has been at the ranch a lot lately.”
It’s true, Jax has been to the ranch maybe five or six times in the last eight months, but since the fire, he’s been around much more.
“He’s Mason’s best friend, Tuck. They meet up at the ranch sometimes when they go out on jobs.
It’s no different from when Jesse comes with you when you’re on leave sometimes.
” I shrug my shoulder as I divert the conversation by mentioning his friend he serves with.
Looking at him through my eyelashes with an eyebrow lifted, I say, “Don’t read anything into it. ”
To be honest, Jax has started to grow on me. I’ve noticed he goes out of his way to help me, and he hangs around my stables a lot when he is here.
“Not reading, just making sure my sister is comfortable and feels safe. Especially in her home. I know that you have Mason and Gray here, but if I need to come home for any reason, all you have to do is call.” Tucker shares the same protective streak as Mason and Gray.
Where Mason is a smart-ass and Gray is the responsible grump, Tucker watches and observes, thinking of every possible outcome.
Tilting my head again, I smile up at him. “I love you, too, but everyone here is fine.”
The deep rumble of a V-8 crunching gravel in the driveway has both of us turning our heads toward the house. A black Dodge Charger with nearly blacked-out windows comes to a stop near the house.
Without looking at me, his voice low, Tucker asks, “Know who that is?”
“Uh-uh.” I shake my head as I hold my hand up to shade my eyes.
Who would show up at a wedding after the ceremony?
A man wearing more clothes than necessary in the slight June heat gets out of the car.
His longer black hair is pulled into a man bun on his crown, and he casually turns in a circle, taking in his surroundings like he has all the time in the world.
The muscles in Tucker’s arm tense under my hand.
There’s something about the guy that makes me want to hide.
A gasp to my left near the wedding party table gets my attention and I look to see Hallie stand and clap her hand over her mouth. All the blood drains from her face and she seems to visibly shrink into herself. I immediately look for Mason.
His head is dipped to Sloane, who is whispering in his ear.
From one second to the next, he rights himself and all hint of humor or good nature falls from him, and he transforms into a soldier.
Tucker keeps my hand in his and pulls me to Mason.
We get to him at the same time Jax does.
He seems to appear out of nowhere next to us.
Mason keeps his eyes on the stranger by the house and turns his head just enough to talk to Tucker and Jax without taking his eyes off the menacing figure next to his car. “It’s Hallie’s ex, the one who beat her and put her in the hospital.”
My heart beats erratically in my chest and I take an instinctive step behind Tucker who’s also taken a soldier’s stance, his hands curled into fists at his sides. His arm curls around my torso and pushes me behind him.
The setting sun is casting shadows over the driveway, so it’s hard to see details from our distance, but he looks like an angry person.
His long five o’clock shadow looks purposeful and if he didn’t look so angry, he might be handsome, but I already know what he’s capable of and it makes him ugly to me.
The energy around me turns static, and Jax’s head swivels in my direction.
What I see in his eyes has me sucking in a startled breath, something feral is hiding in those icy blue orbs and has come close to the surface.
He looks over my head, his eyes scanning the area behind me, and takes a step that puts him next to me, the heat from his body warming my skin.
“Go with your father.” His voice is low, but gentle. I look up at him, my breath coming fast. His finger brushes my forearm so softly that I wonder if he really did it. “I won’t let anything happen, don’t be afraid.”
“Marley, Sloane.” My father’s deep, gravelly voice is right behind me. For a second, Jax holds my eyes and gives me a small nod before I feel my father’s hand grab mine and I turn to go with him.