by KB Winters
“Need a refresher course?” I heard the teasing in Holden’s tone and glared up at him.
“No, Holden, I don’t need a damn refresher on how to ride a horse.” I snorted at the insinuation. “I’ve been riding longer than I’ve been walking.” Which was the God’s honest truth. “But it has been a while, and I’d like to ease into it, which should be easy because menial ranch chores don’t require a horse.” At least they hadn’t when I was doing chores on Daddy’s ranch. “Right?”
“Why would you assume that?”
Something about his tone changed and, alarmed, I took a step back.
“Maybe because you led Peaches and Gunnar to assume you’ve actually worked the land before?”
Oh, he was angry. Well, too damn bad. Because so was I.
I straightened my body to my full height, which was still nearly a foot shorter than Holden and got in his face. “Are you kidding me? I’ve been working horses and cattle since I was four years old. We were all expected to learn the ins and outs of the ranch if we were gonna live off Daddy’s money.”
One of Daddy’s genius ideas that had produced some of the best times of my life. Of course, Holden didn’t believe me. He didn’t want to.
“My oldest sister, Sierra, she’s the ranch manager. She’ll get the biggest share when Daddy steps down, even though it kills him not to leave it to a man. Hell, Rosie and I, and even Pearl all learned the business. Rosie is a barrel racer, currently number two in the world.”
Holden whistled, finally impressed, I suppose. “What about Pearl?”
“She’s the rebel. Currently, in her second year of veterinary school.”
And here I was, doing nothing with my life. Nothing to contribute to society and nothing to do with ranching, which was in my blood. “What happened to me, that’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”
Holden shrugged, for once too polite to say what was really on his mind.
“Daddy wanted me to marry the son of a business associate to create an empire, or so he said. The guy was a world class creep, and I refused. After that, Daddy pretty much washed his hands of me.”
Thinking about it—never mind talking about it—hurt like hell. But Holden needed to know. “He wouldn’t let me help out on the ranch and stopped inviting me to dinners at the country club with the family. He pushed me out until my only option was to leave.”
I hated to think of how easy it was for my own father to basically boot me out of the family for choosing my own path, but the hurt had lessened with time. It had scabbed over and only ached when it was picked at, like now.
“Well, he’s a goddamn idiot because I never turn down help. But the so-called menial ranch chores, for now, are going to the prospect, Ford, over there.” He nodded to the beefy blond with the babyface who was carrying a saddle right toward us.
“A prospect? Is that like an intern or something?”
His lips twitched, telling me I’d gotten it all wrong, but he didn’t bother to explain. “Long story,” he said, and I watched his big body amble off, meeting Ford at the halfway point between them. Holden was a big man who moved with the capable grace of a dancer, but he definitely held himself like a soldier. A cowboy.
I wanted so bad to learn about the man he was today, but it was pointless. He tolerated me now because he had to, and that was fine. I’d finally learned my lesson about sticking around where I wasn’t wanted.
Holden finished with the prospect and walked back to me, carrying the saddle as if it weighed nothing. “Remember how to saddle a horse?”
I glared at him again and snatched the saddle from him, nearly toppling over at the weight of it, but a pair of big strong hands grabbed my waist before I hit the ground. “Thanks,” I mumbled and pulled out of his grasp, ignoring his barely suppressed laughter. “You used to be a lot nicer, you know.”
He laughed, but instead of bitter, the sound was almost wistful. “Yeah, well you used to be the girl of my dreams.”
It was impossible to explain how much Holden’s words stung me because I didn’t even know he had any words that could hurt me so much. But there they were, the dirty truth of the matter. I used to be that girl, the one that inspired men like Holden to believe I was some fantasy woman. Some prize to be had. And it was all the more hurtful knowing I was no longer that girl. Now I was nothing. I was nobody with no place to go.
Maybe Peaches was right and here with the misfits was exactly where I belonged.
Chapter Sixteen
Holden
Ranch work meant long hard days, and my second full day working side by side with Aspen was exhausting as hell. She knew ranch work, a lot actually, but dammit, she smelled too good, and her jeans were too damn tight. It was hard to concentrate on the tasks at hand and believe me the list never seemed to get shorter.
After a quick, hot shower, I found myself standing in front of an empty fridge and willing it to have something in it. I would have taken week-old pizza or a leftover casserole Martha handed off on one of my visits to the big house. But no, there wasn’t a goddamn thing but an almost empty carton of milk and an unopened package of cheese.
Which meant that I was headed over to the big house for dinner. Again. As soon as I stepped inside the spacious, colorful space, I was set upon by a three-foot-tall munchkin.
“Holden, I missed you!” Maisie ran full speed in my direction, not stopping until her little body collided with mine and she had wrapped her arms tight around my legs.
It was a welcome greeting even from a kid who’d address the Easter Bunny the same way. It didn’t stop me from lifting her in my arms and holding her tight before I smacked a loud kiss on her rosy cheeks.
“Hey kiddo, I missed you, too. You haven’t been working the ranch like I expected.” She giggled when I poked her little belly, holding me tight as she let go, laughing with wild abandon. “I sure hope you saved me some dinner.”
“Nope,” she laughed. “We didn’t eat yet cuz Martha says Gunny moves like he has molasses in his ass.”
Laughter exploded from me at her unexpected words, even though I knew I faced the wrath of whatever adults lingered in the kitchen. Out of view.
“Maisie, watch your mouth!” Peaches’ loud voice boomed from the kitchen, but we could even hear her laughter from the living room.
“Sorry,” the kid said, not looking sorry at all.
“And you, Holden, you’re no better than her,” she shouted back, startled when we appeared in the doorway. “A bunch of kids, the whole damn lot of you.”
“You love it,” I told her with a wink. Other than Martha, no woman could command the guys better. “Where’s lover boy?”
At that moment the front door opened and smacked closed, followed by two sets of footsteps. One was unmistakably Gunnar’s. The other, Aspen. Both of them wore worried expressions that immediately put me on edge.
“What?” I said, waiting for either of them to answer.
“Nothing,” Aspen insisted, keeping her gaze down as she took the seat beside Peaches.
Fine, she didn’t want to tell me, she didn’t have to. I turned to Gunnar. "Well?"
"Ken's been blowing up her phone. Twenty calls and forty text messages since this morning. Non-fucking-stop.”
Shit. This guy had decided to go crazed stalker route instead of just giving up gracefully. “So what are the calls? Does he want to get back together or what?” My gaze fell to Aspen, looking pale and terrified, which meant she knew more than she was letting on.
She sighed, taking the small tumbler of whiskey Martha helpfully put in her hands. “It’ll settle your nerves girl, drink up. This is no time to worry about calories.”
“Thanks,” Aspen whispered, but even that was barely audible as Martha made a ton of noise, shuffling out the back door, leaving us all alone. Finally.
“He says he wants to get back together, but believe me, Ken has never been that invested in us. Plus, he’s frantic about getting back together, about me calling him back like
it’s something else.” Aspen shook her head again, damp blonde hair falling all around her shoulders. “I don’t know.” She sounded scared. Genuinely scared.
“What could it be then?” I felt a tug on my collar and looked down into Maisie’s concerned blue eyes, realizing this was not the time or place for this conversation.
“Later. We’ll talk more later because little Maisie promised me dinner.” I tickled her again, letting the sound of her laughter ease the tension from the kitchen.
Dinner was a mostly silent affair, more so now that most of the guys ate someplace else, mostly to give Gunnar and Peaches alone time, but also to avoid the viper twins. I sucked down two and a half helpings of Martha’s roast, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables, not to mention three biscuits topped with gravy. It was the best thing about ranch work. It burned a shit ton of calories, which meant there was always room for Martha’s delicious meals.
As always, after one of the cook’s feasts, I needed a cold beer and some fresh air. The land was now drenched in darkness, but I still marveled at the beauty of it. I’d stood on this porch with two previous owners, talking ranch business mostly. Now, conversations were a little different.
The door smacked shut when Gunnar stepped out to join me. “You getting the feeling this, the brothers from before and now Ken, is all somehow related?”
“The thought had crossed my mind. What are the odds that all this shit has come to this little town in Texas and it’s not all related?”
“Pretty fucking slim,” he grunted out before taking a long pull of his beer. “Peaches thinks it all comes back to Farnsworth.”
Shit. “Isn’t that guy dead?” This shit was starting to make my head spin.
“Yeah, but it’s a name they all use, like a goddamn factory that keeps creating the same person over and over. He never dies, which makes him terrifying, or so I’m told.” Gunnar didn’t sound any happier about it than I felt, which provided some comfort.
“How do you think Ken is mixed up in all this?” Because Farnsworth was a problem that wouldn’t go away, we needed to know how far this guy was willing to go to get to Peaches. “And do you think we can trust Aspen?”
Gunnar laughed. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”
“No. Haven’t known her since she was a girl, and even then, she wasn’t the girl I thought she was.” That was as much of an explanation as I planned to give. “She seems genuinely afraid, but she could just be a good actress.”
“Yeah, I’ve thought about that, but unless she’s a psychopath, I don’t think this is the kind of excitement she’s after. And she has her own money.”
A fact Ken had to have known. “Why do you think he didn’t go after her money?”
“Maybe she doesn’t have access to it yet. You said she was a rich girl. Don’t they have trust funds and shit?”
“Yeah, but she’s over twenty-one. She has to have access to it by now.” And the fact that he hadn’t touched it was bothering the shit out of me. “Doesn’t make sense.”
“I don’t think I was—or am—part of the plan.”
Aspen’s voice sounded from the door. Gunnar and I both turned to face Peaches and Aspen.
“You’re right,” she said. Those blue eyes seared me, filled with disappointment and embarrassment and fear, and they never looked away. “I always wondered why Ken never asked for money, even when his gambling got out of hand or he forgot to pay someone back. I wondered, but never asked why he paid for the condo outright when I just as easily could have. For a while I thought it was love.”
Her last words were clipped and bitter.
“And now what do you think?”
“Holden,” Peaches admonished and put a protective hand on Aspen’s shoulder.
“No, it’s all right. I think he’s an asshole.”
Gunnar frowned and opened the door, forcing the women back. I followed them all back to the table. “How long have you been in Opey?”
She shrugged. “About nine, maybe ten months. I met Ken about an hour from here, that roadside diner with all the Dallas Cowboys memorabilia? Both of us suffered tire fatalities from the same stretch of road and commiserated while the guy overcharged us both for the privilege.”
“And?”
She blinked at my tone and offered up an apologetic smile. “My car didn’t get fixed. We spent the night together. That was about a year ago, give or take a few months.” It was clear she had more to say, so I kept my mouth shut for once. “We were living in San Antonio, and then out of the blue he wanted to move to Opey for a job opportunity, but he never said what it was.”
Gunnar leaned forward, trying to be patient and gentle even though he had to be as frustrated as I was about the slow trickle of information. “You said he gambled and had debts? Any idea who he owes?”
She shook her head and gave another shrug. “No. Honestly, I never bothered myself with the details because I didn’t care since I didn’t need his money. But I’ve been thinking. It would have been weird for a guy like him to move to a town like this on his own. He would have stood out.” She directed the words at me since we both grew up in a small town where there were no secrets and no strangers.
“You’re right.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Plus your, uh, club. Having a partner helps or so I’m told.”
Ah, shit. Now I would have to tell her the truth. “He’s been to the club before. Ford said he’s been a regular for months.”
She barked out a bitter laugh. “I’m not actually surprised, but I have no idea who that woman was he was with…last time.”
Peaches stood unceremoniously and ran up the stairs, returning a minute later with one of her laptops.
“Okay, Aspen, you spit those details back at me, and we’ll see what I can find. You boys go talk or plot or whatever.” She flashed a sweet smile at Gunnar. “Love you, babe.”
Gunnar and I took the hint, this time grabbing our beers and heading to the front porch. “If he’s in debt, anyone could have bought it.” Frustration radiated off his broad shoulders.
“Including this Farnsworth asshole.”
“Feels like we’re already thick in the shit, and we haven’t even ID’d what kind of shit it is yet.”
The man definitely had a way with words, and I clapped him on the back and told him as much. “It’s shit. Does the kind really matter? We gotta flush it, bury it, or burn it, Prez.”
Gunnar’s lips twitched, and he punched my shoulder.
“Now he remembers.” It was a moment of forgiveness between men. No words were needed. We’d forgotten all the shit from the past few weeks in the face of something bigger than us. His smile faded along with mine.
“We need to figure out what Ken has to do with this. And Aspen, and sooner rather than fucking later.”
“Got it.” I knew what I had to do. Get close to Aspen to get all the details I could. The Reckless Bastards needed me to come through, and I wouldn’t fuck it up.
Chapter Seventeen
Aspen
“Aspen, babe, call me back. Look I know you’re pissed, but I really need to talk to you.”
I ended and deleted that message quickly. I didn’t want to hear anything Ken had to say. I wasn’t heartbroken, either. I was angry. So angry with myself that I’d wasted so much time on a man who clearly had never been into me. Beyond the sex, anyway.
A whole fucking year wasted on a man not worth more than one night. I was determined that I wouldn’t waste another minute on him, but his nonstop calls made it difficult.
A knock sounded on the bunkhouse door, which was weird. No one ever knocked. Not even the other guys who never seemed appropriately apologetic about it, either.
“Come in.”
Seconds later, Holden made his appearance, looking good enough to eat in his standard jeans and t-shirt, except today everything was clean and with significantly fewer holes. Too bad, because those little peeks of skin helped make the long hot days on the ranch bearable.
“Sorry to bother you so early.” He looked nervous, which honestly, was a little bit shocking.
“That’s all right. Am I late for something?”
At my question, Holden’s broad shoulders squared. “No,” he said, and he stood a little taller. “I thought maybe you might want some help to pick up the rest of your things from Ken’s place.”
“You did?” It didn’t make sense. Sure things with Holden were now civil, but he’d shown no signs over the past week that he was ready to be friendly, never mind friends.
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Maybe if he sees you’ve replaced him with someone who can kick his ass, he’ll leave you alone.”
I didn’t believe him, not at all, but it would be nice to have a pair of strong arms to help me carry my stuff. Something was going on around here, and I didn’t know what, but I was starting to notice a few things. Like the way Peaches reacted to the name Farnsworth and all the questions they had about Ken. I needed to be careful and wary.
“Sure,” I said and followed him to the plot of land outside used as a parking lot. I watched the dusty miles roll by, lost in my own thoughts until we pulled into town.
“You ready to see him if he’s there?” Holden’s deep drawl cut through the silence in the truck as he shifted into park and killed the engine.
“No, but I’m a big girl, and I can handle it.”
He nodded, accepting my answer, but at the end of the day, Holden was still a man. “Want me to come in with you?”
“No. That’ll only make things worse if he’s there.” I had to do this on my own. Ken was my choice and my mess, and I would clean it up myself. With Holden in the pickup for backup if necessary.
Luckily, Ken wasn’t home, but the place did look ransacked, so I left the door open and crept inside, going straight for the bedroom closet where I’d stored my suitcases. I laid two Louis Vuitton bags open on the bed and filled them faster than I’d ever packed, throwing in whatever I could find because this would be my last trip to this address. When I left it behind this time, I was gone forever. Packing in twenty minutes had to be a record for me. It was odd that no one around to pat me on the back for my achievement, so I did it myself.