Chapter 2 #2
He’s kind and funny and cares about economic impacts of trade and all the other things that I really don’t care about, but being with him is easy.
“I’m not sure.”
“After you told me that shit about how he said you should want more than just being a horse trainer, I wanted to kill him then, but you made me stop.”
“Yes, that was just once, though,” I lie. Jeremy brings it up randomly. How I could join his family’s company and make more money, do something other than what everyone before me has done.
“He almost redeemed himself since he had your car towed here.”
I blink, staring at him. “What?”
“Your truck. It showed up here about two hours ago.”
“It did?” I ask, completely confused.
“I mean, unless that’s someone else’s truck that looks like yours.”
Jeremy had my car towed here? I don’t…that doesn’t make sense. He didn’t even know where the truck was, let alone know how to get it here. I mean, sure, it’s not like it’s a deserted road, and I’m sure if he drove past it, then he might’ve known it was mine, but still, that doesn’t sound right.
“Right. No. I’m just…confused.”
“Well, if he didn’t do it, who did?”
Yeah, that’s the million-dollar question, and my gut tells me that there’s only one person who could’ve done it, and I’m sure as hell not saying his name aloud.
Tristan Stone knew where my truck was, and he definitely knows how to tow a truck.
But he wouldn’t, right? He wouldn’t go out of his way for…me, would he?
All I know is that it wasn’t Jeremy.
“Yeah, no clue,” I say, feeling even more confused and needing someone to talk my emotions through with. “Deac?” I call my brother’s name carefully.
He leans against the barn wall, eyes assessing. “Yes?”
“Can I ask you something?”
My brother’s brows furrow, and I can see him gearing up for this. “A woman asking that question almost always leads to trouble.”
I huff and put my hands on my hips, staring into his green eyes that are at least a little contrite. “Maybe it’s because men can’t help but say stupid things.”
“Could be, but I’m betting you’re about to ask me something that’s going to trigger a response you really don’t want to hear.”
“Probably a bit of both,” I concede.
Truly, he’s not going to like it, but I need a male perspective that does not come from the enemy who might have towed my truck to me.
“Ask your question.”
This is a mistake, but I’m in too deep now. “If you were dating someone and she called you needing help, would you go?”
“Of course I would.”
“Even if you didn’t know how to help?”
Jeremy knows nothing about trucks or mud or pulling cars out with a winch. He’s more of a “call the local farmers to get them to do it” type of guy.
At that he laughs. “I know how to help.”
“Oh my God,” I grumble. “Seriously, like, let’s say she’s stuck at a party for work, and she needs someone to get her out without a scene.”
There, my brother has never attended a work party.
Deacon grins. “If the woman I was dating said she needed me, I wouldn’t fucking care what was going on, I’d go to her.
If she needed out of the party, I’d stroll in, tuck her to my side, and walk her out.
There’s no situation that I wouldn’t at least try to fix.
I’m sure I’d fuck it up, but that’s what you do for the person you’re with. ”
I close my eyes, hating everything he said, but also knowing he’s right.
I know that if Jeremy had called me for help, I would’ve gone or at least tried.
Deacon and Ryan would’ve tried to stop me, because it probably wasn’t the safest thing, but I would’ve fought and basically told them to fuck off.
Jeremy didn’t.
“I’m going to tell you something, and I swear to God, you’d better react like a normal human and listen completely.” I do my best to forewarn my brother that he isn’t going to like what I have to say, but I need him to behave—or try to.
His jaw sets and his shoulders look broader.
Great.
“Tell me.”
“I told you and Ryan that I broke down last night and the tire was flat after you idiots removed the spare.”
“Yes, thanks to you, we had to listen to a lecture from Dad for an hour this morning.”
He’s not going to make this easy on me. Not in the least.
“Okay, and you know I got a ride home—they helped me get the truck off the road because I wasn’t far enough over when I stopped, and I was stuck in the mud thanks to the downpour. Anyway, before that, I’d called Jeremy and asked him to come help me.”
Deacon’s green eyes flash with anger as he starts to piece it together. “That fucking prick left you there? In the fucking storm?”
“Well, he didn’t leave me since he wasn’t with me, but he didn’t come either.”
“I’ll kill him.” His fists clench, and I know we’re about to have a nuclear explosion if I don’t quell this.
“So glad to see you’re reacting like a rational human,” I say, throwing my hands up.
Seriously, they wonder why I can’t talk to them about things. It’s because they act like idiots and go off the deep end.
“Lark, you’re my sister! You don’t get left on the side of the road!”
“It was storming!”
Deacon doesn’t look at all appeased by that. Not that I was, either, but I really do worry he’ll beat the shit out of Jeremy if he sees him again.
“I don’t care if it was the great flood from the Bible! You needed help. You called your stupid-ass boyfriend, and he didn’t show. Fuck him, now the truck showing up here means nothing.”
“Again with the flood,” I say under my breath, but apparently Deacon is in the mood to listen more than he ever has.
“What was that?”
Oops. Almost let that slip a little too far.
“Nothing,” I mutter and lean against a horse stall.
“So who brought you home, because you didn’t call me or Ryan or Dad.”
Aww shit. Okay, well, I’m going to be vague and then use evasive maneuvers if I have to. “A Good Samaritan stopped.”
“That’s nice. Who? No one just rolls through Infinity Ridge.”
“Some people do,” I remind him. “We do have a highway.”
Deacon scoffs. “We have a road with a light, not exactly a highway.”
“It’s called a highway,” I remind him. I’m going to stick to this for as long as I can.
It’s all about misdirection. If he goes one way, I’m going another.
“Lark. You’re driving me nuts.” He throws his hands in the air, walking around in circles, avoiding a large puddle.
I shrug. “That’s nothing new. Listen, I think…I need to break up with Jeremy. He’s sweet, but…I was really hurt when I called him and he didn’t do anything to help. He just suggested I call you.”
My brother looks like he could smash through a wall right now.
“Of course you should’ve called me, because I would’ve been in the fucking car to you in minutes.
There wouldn’t have been a pause. That’s the kind of man you need, Lark.
You…Jesus, you’re the best of us, and the fact that you spent any time on the side of a road—in a storm—not knowing if help was coming has me ready to punch something. ”
I walk closer, taking his hand in mine and reaching up to kiss his cheek. I’m not reminding him that he wouldn’t have come anyway because he was a six-pack deep, but that’s semantics. “And that’s why you’re the best of us.”
He doesn’t look mollified, but he doesn’t have steam coming out of his ears either.
My brother has a ton of faults—a ton—but love and sacrifice aren’t things he struggles with. For the people in his life, he will do anything. He is truly a guy who would give you the shirt off his back. I’ve watched him do it.
To Deacon, this must be the ultimate sin.
“You’re a grown woman, and I can’t tell you what to do, but I suggest keeping Jeremy away from me if you don’t break up with him.”
“I’m going to end it.”
“Good, because I might’ve had to end him.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re so dramatic. He’s not bad, just not the right guy for me.”
“There is no right guy for you. You’re the best of us, and there isn’t a man alive who is worthy of you.”
“Aww, that was so sweet,” I say, my heart near to bursting from that unusual show of brotherly love.
He snorts. “Yeah, yeah. I love you, Tornado.”
And good feeling gone. “You had to ruin it, didn’t you?”
He finally smiles and wraps his arms around me in a bear hug before releasing me. “Last one to the stalls has to muck out them all!”
He takes off and I run after him, grateful I didn’t have to reveal the identity of my mystery savior.