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Hunter
“It’s not charity. It’s more like payback. You guys helped me when I needed it most. Now I’m repayin’ the favor.”
Mrs. T’s nose wrinkled. “I don’t know. I’m not sure how comfortable I am with a loan so big.”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t need to be reimbursed. Even if you made me take it, which you can’t, there’s no rush.”
She tapped the pencil against the register. “If you were an investor, you’d receive a share of the profits.”
“Which means I’d have a share in the ranch?” That concept was a little too appealing since my urge to leave Bride had gradually become less intense over the last few days. And I’d get to be around the Thayers more. And Bailey. If I were to be completely honest with myself, I didn’t really want leave Bride again. Since I’d been showing up at my parents’ house for no other reason but to hang out with them, they seemed slightly less cold, maybe a touch more manageable. We may never be as close as I would’ve liked, but at least I no longer had the urge to avoid them.
I wanted to stay in Bride and set up my practice here, water the roots I’d already grown in Bride.
Mrs. T grinned. “Why not? You’ve always been a part of this family. I’ll have papers drawn up. I can use some of the money I’d planned to put toward the mortgage on an attorney.”
“Can we keep this between us for now? Bailey’s perpetually irate with me these days.”
“Any particular reason she’s unhappy with you?” Mrs. T asked, her brows descending.
Now that Bailey had given me an explanation, I could tell her mother and Blake. But I didn’t know how to explain without revealing details of the Vegas disaster. I’d have to be vague.
“She says I was rude to her. Didn’t mean to be. I’m working on her, but if she thinks I’m going behind her back, it’ll make things worse.” I abandoned the chair, the need to get to work weighing on me.
Her eyes twinkled, as if she already had information I wouldn’t be privy to. “I’ll have a chat with her.”
“Whatever you could do to help would be great.” I let myself out and sailed off to the stables. Passing the lab, I poked my head in. “Everything all right?”
Bailey set some vials in the fridge. “Almost finished.”
“I’ll be in the stables.” I stopped at the tack room to grab a broom, rake, shovel and manure fork, then chucked them in a barrel. I loved caring for her horses, working with them and healing them. Mucking stalls, not so much. Thankfully, the horses generally spent the majority of time in one of the pastures and their stalls didn’t require daily cleaning.
Hours later, I’d cleaned twenty-something stalls and spread out new bedding. I was sweaty and smelled like horse urine, and all I wanted was a cool shower. It wasn’t four o’clock yet and I still had more work to do but I couldn’t stand my own smell.
I stumbled on my way to the house. The exertion of mucking stables had drained me and my balance was a bit off. Or maybe I was just hungry. Anxious to help Bailey, I’d forgotten to eat lunch when I’d arrived from Serenity Ranch. Yeah, food sounded so good. I returned the barrel and supplies to the tack room then rushed to the house.
Bailey sat on a stool at the kitchen’s island counter in front of a platter of fried chicken, scrolling through her phone. Good chance she was shopping for supplies. I’d rarely seen her not working since I’d arrived in Bride.
“You’ll ruin your appetite for dinner.”
Bailey jolted, dropping a leg of chicken and spinning on the stool. “You scared me. Too hungry to wait another hour.”
“Same here.” I intercepted the chicken leg as she raised it toward her lips and then I sunk my teeth into it.
Bailey’s eye twitched. “Nice manners. I was eating that.” She reached for the plate of chicken and chose a wing. I snagged that too, wrestling it from her hand. She slipped off the stool and threw a punch at my bicep. She used to always playfully beat on me.
“You want it?” I smashed the chicken leg on her face, smearing chicken fat around her mouth and coercing her lips apart.
She belly-laughed, throwing punches faster than I could dodge them. “Such a jerk.”
Jerk, yes. But she was laughing again. With me. I reached for a fresh drumstick and jammed that at her face too, swiping it across her cheek.
She crammed a wing into my nose, mainlining the spices and grease directly into my nostril. Her eyes lit with a familiar mischief before she squished the chicken into my hair.
This was war. And, what the hell, I needed a shower anyway.
I shoved her against the counter, about to stuff the chicken leg down the front of her shirt and froze, my gaze locking onto the creamy swells at her neckline. Her chest rose and fell with each pant and my gaze met hers. She licked her lips, then focused on my mouth.
Not one to let a perfect opportunity pass, I seized the moment and leaned in. She slanted her head to accommodate me. Our lips touched tentatively before her arms slipped over my shoulders and wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer. When our tongues brushed, a flame ignited in my belly.
Bailey pressed closer, the length of her body against mine. I didn’t remember her feeling this good, this right. My one hand circled her waist, then crept along her spine to anchor my fingers at the nape of her neck. My other arm hooked into the waistband of her jeans, dragging her closer to me.
She slammed a palm into my stomach then ducked, escaping my clutches. “See, this is the kind of thing that led to our little situation last year. From now on, keep your distance, Evermond. Also, you stink.” She grimaced, slapped a tainted drumstick into my hand and stormed out.
Okay, but her reaction to my playfulness only proved she didn’t hate me and I could still get through to her. Eventually.
And once she was no longer irate with me, then what? Could I go back to playing big brother? After the scorching kiss just now against the counter, no doubt I’d never view her as anything but a real woman. A prospect.
The truth I’d been avoiding hit me full force. I wanted Bailey.
But if I ever got my way with her and we tumbled into bed, our relationship would go nowhere, like any other relationship I’d ever had. When it ended, we’d wind up further apart than before. Trying to imagine forever wasn’t any more possible with Bailey than with any other woman. I’d left my comfort zone with her and could no longer see her as a sister, but I didn’t love her the way a man should love a woman. I wasn’t capable of forming the kind of love that binds one to another for a lifetime. My parents had made sure I could never deliver like I needed to. Bailey deserved nothing less than the whole fairy tale. She deserved better than me.
From now on, I couldn’t entertain any thoughts of getting intimate with her. I couldn’t ever think of her as any kind of possibility. Period. I’d get my act together, apologize for crossing the line and try to repair any damage I’d done. Hopefully, she wasn’t more upset now than before.
After a snack and a shower, I wandered the house looking for Bailey, not finding her anywhere. I strolled outside to the stables, finally locating her in the lab.
“I’m sorry about earlier. Extremely inappropriate.”
She jolted, then set the box on the floor and stood. “Would you quit sneaking up on me?”
I frowned. “Not my fault you’re as jumpy as a cat, no matter how much noise I make. But I promise to keep my hands to myself.” I paused, choosing my words carefully. “Listen, Bailey, I know you’ve been upset with me. But you have to know I’d never intentionally hurt you. You’re my family.”
She stretched her shoulders, then picked up the box again. “I know. I’m trying to make peace with the Vegas thing. Honestly, I’m probably madder at myself than you.”
Bailey didn’t dote on me like she used to. She didn’t seem emotionally invested in me at all. So, why she’d be mad at herself, I didn’t know. But I wasn’t going to pry, because I didn’t entirely understand why she’d been so upset with me in the first place. And since I’d finally cracked her armor, I didn’t want to lose my momentum. I’d keep my distance, not do anything else to incite her wrath.
By the time she learned how I had weaseled myself into being part of the ranch, we’d already be back to normal and she’d have no reason to be mad at me all over again. Maybe by then we’d be showing some profit, or a glimpse of it anyway, and she’d see my actions had been for the best. She might even appreciate my efforts. Maybe she’d even like me again.
Bailey swiveled to face the Styrofoam and inserted a piece into each box. She dipped into the freezer, withdrew an icepack, then counted how many others were there. Satisfied the boxes were ready to ship out semen tomorrow, she straightened. “Did you need something to do? Because the horses need to be brought in from pasture, then watered and fed.”
“I’ll help you with all of that, but I’ve been mucking stables and doing slave labor since I flew in. I’ve barely had a chance to see the ranch. Mind doing a walk-through with me? I’d love to get your take on whatever you feel needs fixin’.”
She chewed the side of her mouth, contemplating. “Sure, after we bring in the horses. And if I take time for a tour, you’ll be feeding and watering them.”
I’d expected to work a bit longer anyway. “But isn’t this kind of early to put the horses in for the night?”
“Yes, but Mom wants it done now.” She left the lab and ventured into one of the pastures, me right behind her. “I’m exhausted and too tired to walk them all in.” She climbed onto a horse bareback, and herded the others into their paddock.
Her grace and ability to control horses dazzled me. Lots of people rode bareback, including myself, and I shouldn’t have been so impressed. But she did it with such style and ease. Why was that so sexy to me now?
I longed for the days when all I required was a nice rack and a great ass to be mesmerized. Bailey had raised the bar.
She slid off a gelding then led him into the stable. I joined in, capturing the bridle of the gelding closest to me and walked him into his stall. As I cornered the last mare and gave her muzzle a rub, I turned to see Bailey on her last horse. “Free now?”
“Still so much to do today. But now’s as good a time as any.” She strode out of the stable and I followed. “Nothing major has changed since you were last here. Dad had planned to install an eco-friendly draining system in all the stalls, but he never had a chance.”
I made a mental note, adding one more thing to my list of upgrades.
She kept a brisk pace along the walkway toward the breeding shed. I steeled myself to not think about breeding with Bailey. If I continued letting myself go there, I was going to totally screw things up with her again.
“You have four empty stalls after selling the mares, right?” When my new acquisitions arrived—or rather when I collected them on Monday—I wanted to make sure they had a place to stay and that Bailey wouldn’t be out of sorts over me ruining any plans she had for them.
“More spare stalls than four. Plenty of room at the inn.” She pivoted and continued walking the dirt path toward the exercise pen. “Blake and I already agreed to save them for any future horses we add.”
“Good.” Following her lead, I stopped. “I wanted to talk about the vet visits. No need to hire anyone while I’m here. You may as well take advantage of me and save the money. I can do anything he’d do, unless a horse needs surgery or something.”
“Thank you.” Bailey’s forehead smoothed out, worry fading from her face. “They all need annuals and shots. We’re overdue, in fact. Especially Iesha since I’ll have to prove she’s up to date before taking part in the competition.”
“I’ll have to wait until the vaccines arrive, but I have everything else needed to start tomorrow.”
Her mouth curved up as she cast me a glance. “I’m sorry for being a jerk lately.”
I’d finally broken through her anger and even been rewarded with a smile. My heart swelled, filling with her. The sun had lowered, casting a soft shadow across her face and making her prettier than ever. And all I could think about was kissing her.
Do not look at her lips. “What do you say we go to the Stable one of these evenings after work?”
She inched back, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “I thought we were going to keep a reasonable amount of distance.”
Damn, yes, that had been the final decision. I didn’t want her as merely a coworker though, someone I saw in passing throughout the day. I wanted time with her away from the ranch. But she was right. We couldn’t put ourselves in a position where we might reenact any part of the Vegas incident. “I meant a bunch of us. Besides, we’ll see people we know there. We’ll be far from alone.”
I convinced my trap to stay shut and not ask about the nerd or anything else too personal which could provoke her. I would be strictly business, and maybe keep the progress I’d made.
“I’ll find out who else wants to come and then we’ll figure out a day.” She flicked a hand toward the chicken coop. “We have some termite damage and a few hens have escaped. We need to renovate the hen house soon.”
As we passed the coop, I eyed the structure, noting some wood requiring replacement and other needed reinforcements.
We circled back toward the stables and she sighed as we walked the long passageway between stalls. Heads poked out occasionally, begging for a nose rub. I extended my arm to stroke their soft muzzles.
God, I’d missed this, the smell of horses, hay and leather. I’d missed the feel of their coat, the tickle of their mouths as they looked for treats, their kisses. Hell, I almost missed mucking the stables. I halted, spotting the most gorgeous chestnut mare ever to be foaled. I’d only caught glimpses of her since I’d returned to Bride and hadn’t had time to give her the attention she deserved. “Hey, beautiful. I’ve missed you the most.” I rubbed her jaw, mussed her mane. She whinnied and puckered her lips, earning a chuckle from me. “What a charmer.”
“Don’t let Liza fool you.” Bailey brushed my shoulder with hers as she reached out to pat the beauty. “She escaped the other day and showed a couple others the way out, practically starting a mutiny.”
Bailey was close. Too close. I unconsciously shifted toward her and ended up with our faces inches apart. My gaze instantly went to her full mouth.
Her eyes darkened, that gorgeous pouty mouth turning down. “Tour’s over and I have to shower. You’re feeding and watering the horses, right?” Without waiting for a reply, she took off toward the house at a brisk pace as though she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. Seconds later, the front door slammed.
Damn, I may have just lost all the progress I’d made earlier. If only I hadn’t gotten distracted by my hormones. Again. If only she hadn’t accidentally touched me. If only those lips weren’t so sexy.
Which made the whole thing her fault.
Except she probably hadn’t expected me to act like such a guy. Why couldn’t I hold it together around her? What the hell was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I manage to prevent an image of her naked in the shower from invading my head? If I was going to repair the damage between Bailey and me for real, I needed to do much better than ogle her and unwittingly act like a hormone-crazed teenager.
I trudged back into the house and flopped onto the recliner across from the sofa where Blake lay. Chester was hogging the other half of the sofa, his head resting on Blake. By the smell in the kitchen and a couple dirty plates on the counter, they’d had an early dinner.
He regarded me curiously, absently rubbing Chester’s ears. “How did you piss her off this time?”
Bailey and I had obviously been talking too loud outside. Sometimes, I missed the freeway noise and traffic of Los Angeles to muffle private conversations yards away. And after she’d slammed the front door, she had probably stamped through the house in a huff.
I shuffled to the fridge and opened it, then glanced at him. “I looked at her wrong. Hey, I thought you were going to find out for me what’s buggin’ her.”
As soon as the words had hit the air, I regretted them. The last thing I wanted was for Blake to find out anything about Vegas.
“Tried. She insisted everything’s fine.” Blake rolled his eyes. “Load of crap, I know.”
I’d dodged a bullet with Blake this time. But what if I never fully fixed this with Bailey? What if we never went back to cute banter and playful wrestling? My stomach twisted.
“How’s it going with your parents?” he called out, sounding farther away now. “Bailey says you’re trying to get them on defrost. Any luck?”
I scoffed, making my way to the living room with an apple. “Hard to tell. My dad is harder to melt, but I’ll have a chance when we build the gazebo together.”
“At their age, you think they’ll change, that they’re capable of bonding like normal people?” Blake cast me a skeptical glance.
“Maybe not.” I leaned against a wall, then bit into the apple. “But I have to try.”
Blake nodded several times, then snatched the remote. “Great. Good. Are we done with the girl talk? Because the game’s about to start.”
I laughed and slogged outside to feed and water the horses.
~~~
AFTER I FINISHED IN the stables and all the animals had been fed and watered, I trudged through the front door and lodged myself on the couch near the recliner currently occupied by Blake. His attention was glued to the football game.
A moment later, Bailey waltzed by. I’d finally stopped thinking about her and now I had to start from scratch all over again. Worse, she was showered, wearing snug jeans and a skimpy blue top. Her compact purse hung from her shoulder and I squinted at the screen on my phone, noting it was just after five.
“Where are you going? It’s too early for dancing at the Stable.” I assumed she wasn’t going out to dinner since she’d eaten not too long ago.
Her gaze locked onto mine and one side of her mouth curved up. “Out.”
“With Trevor?” As soon as the question passed through my lips, I regretted it. Sure, I had no right to ask about her love life. But technically, she was still my wife. A married woman should have the decency to stay home. With her husband.
I inwardly groaned at the thought. Clearly, I needed to sort out and resolve my feelings for Bailey. I longed for the old days. But viewing her as anything remotely similar to a sibling had proved impossible. She was a beautiful, independent woman and, as much as I didn’t want to be, I was insanely attracted to her.
Blake decreased the volume on the TV and set aside the remote, his attention riveted to Bailey and me.
Bailey’s perfectly arched brow lifted. “And risk anyone getting a black eye? News flash. You’re not my brother. Even if you were, I still wouldn’t have to tell you a thing.”
Damn it, she had me there. My nostrils flared involuntarily as I stared at Blake. “Don’t you have anything to say to her?”
Blake’s gaze bounced between Bailey and me. “Bailey doesn’t like it when I hover. But she knows if she needs help, I’ll be there.”
She grinned, then bent and delivered a kiss on the top of his head. Without even a glance my way, she disappeared out the door.
He studied me, tapping his lip. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have thing for my sister.”
I made a guttural sound in disgust, then realized I probably shouldn’t protest too loudly. “It’s not what you think. I’m extra frustrated because even if things got better with her, I still wouldn’t know why she’s been mad at me. All this is messin’ with my head.”
“We’ve been friends a long time and I’ve seen how you operate.” He stared hard at me. “If you hurt my sister, none of our history matters. I’ll pound you into a pulp.”
I grunted. “First, you’d never win a fight with me. Second, I’d never intentionally hurt your sister. Trust me, there’s nothin’ going on between us.” And there wouldn’t be, especially since she made it impossible. And though I’d been freakishly drawn to her, I knew the pull wouldn’t last. Once my weird obsession with her faded, we’d be friends again and all this would be nothing but a bad memory.
“Good.” Blake’s focus drifted back to the TV screen.
As soon as I relaxed, I began to wonder again where Bailey had gone. Out with friends? Trevor? Or was she dating a different guy? I wanted to ask Blake what he thought of Trevor but that would raise red flags.
I did my best to get lost in the football game but I wasn’t a big fan of the teams and the occasional noises from the kitchen distracted me. A snack seemed like a great idea, but I didn’t want to move again. To keep my mind off Bailey, I dug out my phone from my pocket and checked my email.
“Darlin’, would you help me in the kitchen?”
I flinched, knowing this “help” wouldn’t involve cooking, since they’d already had dinner. Anything was better than obsessing on Bailey and who might be pawing her. “Be right there, Mrs. T.”
Blake snickered as I crossed the living room.
When I got to the threshold, Mrs. T was already pointing at a cabinet above the stove. “Would you get me that vase?”
“Sure.” Even though I was knowingly walking into a trap, I adjusted the step stool she nudged toward me, and prepared to take whatever lecture she dished out. I reached into the cupboard and pulled out the only vase there. “This one?”
“Yes, thank you.”
I descended, handed her the vase then folded the step stool and leaned on the counter. “I’m bettin’ you could’ve fetched the vase yourself. So why am I really here?”
“Don’t be silly. My ankle is misbehavin’.” She ran water into the vase. For having an injured ankle, she sure had been busy creating a fancy food spread. Trays lined the counters, some stacked on the stove, ranging from vegetable platters to fruit salad. Serving bowls held a variety of chips and dip. I didn’t have to wonder why she’d been making so much noise earlier.
“Expectin’ us to be unusually hungry later?”
One side of her mouth lifted. “I’ve arranged a gathering this evenin’ and I’ll need your help with the guests. Since they’re here to celebrate your return to Bride, you should stick around.”
She had to be kidding. I’d been slaving all week and these last hours mucking stalls had finished me off. I hadn’t done this kind of manual labor since graduating high school. Sure, I hit the gym at least a couple times a week, but that was a totally different kind of activity which used different muscles. And the rest of my time had been spent studying or treating animals. Exhaustion threatened almost every cell in my body. But for Mrs. T, I’d tough it out. Besides, might be good to talk to folks I hadn’t seen in a while. And her sentiment warmed me.
I grinned, rounding the counter to gather her into a bear hug. “You’re the best. Thank you.”
She giggled, patting me on the back. “Put me down, silly.”
I obeyed, lowering her to the ground and dropping a kiss on the top of her head, then claimed a stool. If I hung around long enough, I’d find out what Mrs. T wanted. “Need help with anything else?”
“Not now, since I’m finished. But I could use the company.” She smiled as she inserted one flower at a time. At that rate, she’d be at it a while.
Knowing her, she had lured me into the kitchen for conversation. Probably about my feelings—never a topic I liked. But for Mrs. T, I’d do anything. Settling in, I planted my elbows on the counter, resting my temple against my knuckles. “Other than daily ranch worries, things been okay while I was away?”
She gave a subtle shake of her head, whistling out a breath. “Mostly, yes. Bailey’s been a pill ever since y’all went to Las Vegas last year. Do you know why?”
And there it was, the reason she’d called me for help. But I refused to divulge the secret Bailey had sworn me to.
My palms flew up, like they were pressed against glass in front of me. “I’d give you the details if I could.” Because, other than the marriage and inevitable divorce, I genuinely didn’t know what was bothering Bailey. Sure, I’d been callous and she’d been wounded. But beyond that, I couldn’t fathom what had sparked such bitter resentment toward me. I had nothing to give Mrs. T.
“Something is going on between you and my daughter.” She glanced at me from her flower arrangement, long enough to make me fidget, then she plunged another stem into the vase.
“I’ll admit, it’s been a little weird, but it’s not for lack of trying on my part. She’s not cooperatin’.” My mind drifted to Bailey. What was she doing now? Who was she with?
“I see.” She removed two flowers, mixed the others around again, then put the two back that she’d taken out. The flower arrangement looked exactly as it did moments ago.
“When you figure out what’s goin’ on, do let me know. I could use some help with your daughter.”
She eyed the flowers once more, then her expression softened as she slid the vase aside. “I’ll do what I can, sugar.”
I meandered into the living room to find Blake conked out on the sofa, his cast propped up on the coffee table and Chester wallowing all over him. A movement beyond the front window caught my eye. Bailey hopped out of her white Explorer, then sprinted to the back and opened the hatch. After a minute, she became visible again, carrying a case of water bottles. Oh, hell.
Bolting out the front door, I left it open. “Let me help you with that.”
She brushed past me, shifting the case of water aside as though unwilling to relinquish the heavy load. “There’s more to bring in.”
A pang of sadness blanketed me. If she wouldn’t let me do a little slave labor for her, I still had a ways to go to mending her wounds.
I saw case after case of every beverage I could imagine, from beer to soda. Mrs. T must have invited the whole town. The depression faded, replaced by joy—Bailey had been running errands, not hanging out with another guy. Specifically, Trevor. At least, not that I knew of. The depth of my relief worried me. As much as I wanted to feel brotherly toward Bailey and watch out for her, and make sure she didn’t date any losers who might take advantage of her, I could no longer avoid the truth.
I didn’t like Bailey dating Trevor because I wanted her for myself. She had been crystal clear about not wanting me anywhere near her. Probably for the best since I couldn’t guarantee how long before any interest in her faded. Best not to start anything that could end worse than our Vegas fiasco and cause even more damage to our friendship. So I would control myself. I had to.
Irritation crept in and blindsided me. But what had I done to warrant this kind of anger? I hadn’t been as considerate as I should’ve been in Vegas. But it was unintentional and I’d apologized. What was I supposed to do, bend over backwards and suck up to her for the rest of my life?
Between being on the defensive and dodging my wild attraction to her, I was mentally fried. And nothing would change anytime soon because she was still mad and I still wanted to drag her to my bed. How the hell was I going to endure her mom’s party without going a little nuts, much less survive the next few weeks?