Big Bad Rancher: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance

by Tia Siren

  I continued on with my work; I had an entire argument to prepare before Monday’s mock trial, and I didn’t want to be the person who lost it for our team.

  “You look like someone who could use a break,” I heard a voice say from behind.

  I whipped my head around and made myself dizzy in the process. When my vision cleared up, I saw a rather tall and large man standing behind me.

  He had a smile plastered on his face, with chiseled cheeks and high cheek bones accenting his somewhat silly expression. His eyes twinkled with a deep blue hue, and a tousle of blonde hair was neatly shaved atop his head.

  He walked his powerful build around and sat in the unoccupied seat beside me.

  “Hello?” I questioned.

  “Jeff,” he replied.

  “Ah, hello Jeff,” I said, “I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood for conversation, I have a lot of work that needs to be done.”

  He picked up one of the many books I had lying around and examined it closely.

  “Trial procedure,” he said in a monotonous tone.

  “What of it,” I asked.

  “Nothing, just trying to make sense of what you’re studying,” he replied.

  I let out a deep sigh and tried to drink from my empty coffee cup. I slipped my current studies into the book on the table to mark the page and closed the book.

  “If you need me to spell it out for you, the least you could have done is bring some coffee,” I said, shaking my cup.

  He raised his eyebrows in a gesture of understanding, or flirting; I didn’t know which, and sauntered off. Before long, he returned with a pot and filled my glass before returning to the seat beside me.

  “So, spell it out for me,” he said.

  “I am the prosecuting attorney in a mock trial, and I have to study for my case. You understand what a mock trial is, right?”

  “I think I get it,” he replied with a laugh.

  I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to shoo him away, or keep him around as a distraction. My work was beginning to get a little boring without someone to talk to. I might not look it, but I’m rather social when it comes down to it.

  “Is this what you do for fun,” he asked.

  It sounded like he was being condescending, but it might have been something I imagined. So I answered as honestly as I could.

  “It’s not like I seek this out for recreation, but I find the arguing enjoyable.”

  “I object,” he said, jokingly.

  I laughed awkwardly at his obvious attempt at a joke.

  “Is this what you do for fun?” I asked.

  “What, you mean making friends?” he asked in turn.

  “Yes,” I replied, “do you like bothering people for fun.”

  “I like bothering you,” he replied with a coy smirk.

  “I can tell you have a lot of friends,” I said.

  I started to gather up my things, wondering where else I could go to work on my studies. My room was still probably occupied with Pauline and her boyfriend.

  “Tell you what; I’m going to let you get on with your work. But, I won’t leave until I, at least, get your phone number.”

  He produced his phone from his pocket and held it out to me.

  I wanted to leave a fake number, but the sincerity in his face led me to believe that he wasn’t as bad a guy as he was portraying. He didn’t seem the arrogant and stuck up type, or at least, this just felt like a ruse. I punched in my phone number, somewhat begrudgingly.

  “Great! I’ll give you a call sometime next weekend?” he said.

  “We’ll see. I am a busy woman, after all,” I replied, gesturing to my work.

  “And, I’m late for practice,” replied, jumping over the chair and sprinting from the coffee shop.

  I stifled a giggle; I’d never seen anyone run that fast from a coffee shop before. I was still indecision about whether I’d say yes, were he to ask me out on a date. He was cute, but he was very different from the men I was used to.

  I preferred men that were interested in their future; men that studied hard to find their place. I wanted someone who was stable and down to earth, and he didn’t seem to be either of those.

  2.

  My afternoon runs were probably the only thing keeping me sane. It was the only time of the day I could tune out my roommate and my studies; I could listen to some of my favorite music and just enjoy the moment. Matt would sometimes join me, but we never really chatted while on runs. I never minded his company, and he was one of the few people that could keep up.

  The sidewalks were dotted with other students finishing their studies for the day. Thankfully the track was usually free for another hour, which made for a boring run, but it usually ended with Matt and me stopping for a smoothie.

  He was already in the middle of practice with the rest of the team. He was quite a creature to watch on the field; his agile steps could get him out of any tackle, and his ability to throw was second to none on the team. This worked in his favor and made him starting quarterback within one year. He was probably the quickest to rise to that level in the history of the school. But, he never passed it off as a big deal. He always praised the team, and his fellow players loved him for it.

  I continued my run, and amidst my third lap, I noticed another familiar face. It was Jeff, standing right in front of Matt. He was strong and confident, as well. When the play started, he showed his powerful build by easily holding back two other players. It was an impressive display, to say the least.

  I probably should have been watching where I was going, but as things happen I bumped into another runner on the track and lost my footing. I quickly apologized for my failure and limped my way to a nearby set of standing bleachers to nurse my injured leg.

  It wasn’t anything serious, to say the least, but I did take the chance to watch the guys play more football. I lingered longer than intended, and I’m pretty sure than neither of them noticed me.

  Practice was wrapping up, and I wondered what I should do. I would have liked to just go talk to Matt and grab a small bite to eat before returning to my studies while at the same time I had a feeling if I were to walk over I would have been pulled in to a conversation with Jeff.

  In my attempt to avoid the latter, I stayed toward the sidelines, doing my best to avoid both of their gazes. The two of them chatted and headed back toward the showers, but Matt was pulled aside by the coach. The two talked for a brief moment before splitting. I could tell it was good news. Matt didn’t always smile when he was happy, but being friends for more than ten years gave me an insight most didn’t possess.

  Before he started off to shower I caught his eye, he just nodded in recognition without coming over for a hello. I figured he’d probably return when he was cleaned up.

  I didn’t have to wait long, maybe fifteen minutes before he strolled back to me at the edge of the field. We started walking toward the row of shops that occupied the next block over.

  “What did the coach tell you?” I asked.

  “He told me that I could be team captain if I wanted to be, it’s a big honor,” he replied.

  “That’s great,” I said, “I’m sure everyone would be excited to have you as captain.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t know if I want to be,” he replied.

  “Why is that,” I asked.

  “It’s a big responsibility, and while I love being responsible, I have a lot of other things I am interested in besides football,” he said.

  He was a good student, and probably as smart as, if not smarter, than me. He’d mentioned on a few occasions that he wasn’t sure if he was going to pursue a career in football, and I always teased him about it. His scholarship was in sports, and he was only here because he played. He had to go pro, if he could.

  “How long do you have to decide?” I asked.

  “About a week,” he replied, “I’ll figure it out by Monday.”

  “How long has Jeff been on the team,” I asked.

  “You
know Jeff?”

  “More like, he ran into me in the coffee shop the other day after you left,” I said.

  “He’s been there since I started, but he’s only now getting into a starter position. He’s good. He’s in the running for team captain as well. Some of the guys don’t like him as much. He can be a bit of a glory hog from time to time,” Matt said.

  I went quiet for a little while as we continued to walk.

  “You’re not really interested in him, are you?” he asked.

  I really didn’t know what to say, but I had a feeling that Matt wouldn’t let me out of this without some kind of answer.

  “I don’t know,” I replied.

  “He’s really not your type,” Matt added.

  “Hey, I know he might not be my type, but it’s still my decision,” I replied in frustration.

  “Whoa, back off,” Matt said with a defensive gesture, “I’m not here to judge who you date, but I’m your friend, and I wouldn’t have expected you to even show the slightest amount of interested in someone like that.”

  “I’m really not sure if I have,” I replied.

  “He’ll probably be at my party if that entices you to come,” he said.

  “I’m still going, I give you my word,” I replied while giving him a friendly punch on the arm.

  We continued to talk and had a small bite before I broke off and returned home. I was partially hoping that I wouldn’t run into Jeff at the party, and partially hoping I would.

  3.

  I took special effort in getting ready for the party. I wore the sexiest underwear I owned, for one. For two, I picked up a slinky dress that I only wore once before. Matt even told me I shouldn’t wear it again because it garnered too much attention from somewhat unsavory characters.

  I felt the need to unwind tonight; my head was twisted in so many different directions. My classes were difficult and distracting, continually occupying every facet of my being. So, I prepared for fun.

  My dress did a lot to show off my long and toned legs; along with my slight and skinny curves. And, while I might not have had a gigantic chest, I knew how to make do with what I had.

  I left for Matt’s place at eight in the evening. It was getting chilly this time of the year, so I brought along a comfortable jacket. I glad that he didn’t live that far away, so I could just walk instead of taking a cab.

  “You made it!” Matt shouted when I stepped up to the door.

  He seemed to have some kind of sixth sense about my arrival as I hadn’t even knocked, yet. I rolled my eyes at his exuberance, an expression that he was more than used to seeing.

  “Hey, Matt,” I said sheepishly, trying to pull my dress back down to my knees.

  He looked me up and down and smiled broadly.

  “So, who are you trying to impress tonight,” he asked, “Cause I hope you know that I’m taken.”

  I punched him in the arm and entered, slipping my jacket off on the way in. There were only a couple other people there, and they were barely talking.

  “I thought you said this was going to be a party,” I said.

  “Most real parties don’t start until after ten; you’re early.”

  I made the most of my time; starting out I helped him set up a couple of tables and gathered a large bucket of ice. He constantly reassured me that I didn’t have to help, but I felt like a dutiful guest. I’ve thrown parties myself in the past, and while they weren’t the standard college affair, I never minded having help setting up.

  Then the door opened to a flood of guests. It didn’t take more than five minutes before there was a keg setup in the kitchen and enough snack food to serve a small army.

  I laughed at how efficient college students could be when they had something to do that they were interested in.

  I did my best to stay social, trying to talk to as many people as I could. Matt was hard to find in the midst of the chaos. He was a popular guy, so it was completely understandable that he would be hard to find. Still, he was one of the only people here that I knew. I would have liked to spend more time with him. Perhaps he could have introduced me to some people that I might have enjoyed talking to.

  I got more looks from the guys than I was expecting. I constantly would shuffle and adjust my dress to make sure it wouldn’t ride up so much. To say the least, I was regretting wearing something so revealing.

  Then I saw someone that I really didn’t want to see in the slightest. Albert walked in the front door with another girl in tow. I didn’t recognize her at all, but I was flustered seeing my ex already in a new relationship.

  I ducked behind a dividing wall in the hopes that he wouldn’t notice me.

  “Who are we hiding from,” said a familiar voice.

  I looked over, and Jeff was sidled up to the wall with a handful of cheese puffs. I didn’t know how to put things gently, so I just put them bluntly.

  “I’m hiding from my ex,” I said.

  “Which one is he?” he asked.

  I pointed at him from around the corner. His new girl was about my height with short hair and a curvy body. I bet she was the one I caught him in bed with. I was furiously reliving the entire event when Jeff looked at me with a mouthful of those cheese puffs, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “He doesn’t look like much,” Jeff said.

  “Yeah, but he has everything that I look for in a man,” I said.

  Jeff cocked an eye while staring at Albert and appeared to be deep in thought before he turned back to me.

  “Boring?” he asked.

  I laughed again. He wasn’t completely wrong.

  “Boring guys aren’t really boring; they’re just stable. You know what to expect,” I explained.

  “Then why did you guys break up?” he asked while sipping on a beer.

  “He cheated on me,” I said.

  “With her?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t get a good enough look when I caught them in his bed,” I said.

  “Wow, sounds like there are a lot of girls interested in boring guys,” Jeff said, “I bet you didn’t see that coming.”

  I smacked my head against the wall, perhaps a little too hard. I didn’t even think Albert went to parties like this.

  “Funny that he’s out with Carol; she’s slept with half the starting lineup, not me, though, she’s a little too … err … open when it comes to relationships,” Jeff commented.

  I giggled. While he wasn’t exactly the most cultured person I met, I found a special charm in his ability to just tell things as they are.

  “Hey Carol,” Jeff shouted and walked toward the two of them.

  I peeked around the corner since Jeff probably had the two of them distracted. Over the music, I could just barely make out their conversation.

  “I was, but I met Albert here a couple of weeks ago, and I just can’t imagine being with anyone else,” Carol said, kissing Albert on the cheek.

  Albert had a weird and disgusting smile on his face. I wanted to walk over and smack it off his face.

  “You mean, forever? Or just this week,” Jeff asked.

  I blurted with laughter which I immediately had to staunch with my hand. I hoped they hadn’t heard me, and it didn’t look like they had.

  “No, Jeff. Albert is a good guy; he’s much better than all the other guys I dated,” she said.

  “Well,” started Jeff, “you might want to speak a little quieter because just about all the other guys you dated are at this party.”

  Carol had a frustrated look on her face, and she looked at Albert to defend her, but unfortunately for her, he remained tight-lipped.

  “I didn’t come out tonight to get made fun of by a linebacker,” Carol said in a vain attempt to puff herself up.

  “I didn’t know I was making fun of you. I just wanted Albert, here, to know what he was getting himself into,” Jeff said.

  Carol, obviously flustered, stormed out the front door, followed closely by her date of the evening. I coul
dn’t stop laughing at how handily Jeff had dealt with the couple.

  “You didn’t want them here, right,” Jeff asked as he walked back up, “cause if you want them back, I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

  I reached out and wrapped my arm in his.

  “Jeff, you just made my night,” I said.

  “Let’s get you a drink and pick up where we left off the other day,” Jeff said.

  I nodded, and he poured me a glass from the keg. I wasn’t much of a beer drinker, nor was I much of a drinker in general, but Jeff had earned at least one drink from me.

  We adjourned to the tiny backyard of the house. Christmas lights were wrapped neatly around the trunks of the sparse trees that provided cover in the backyard. A picnic table sat against the fence, and the tables that Matt and I had setup earlier were currently occupied by people trying their best at beer pong.

  We grabbed a couple camping chairs and sat them on the grass away from the crowd so we could chat.

  “I didn’t know you were a linebacker,” I said.

  “Well, I don’t exactly advertise my position. Besides, the people that come see the games know my position; the people that don’t see the games just don’t care. I don’t care enough to tell everyone my life story.”

  “So you’re saying you don’t tell people that don’t watch games because you don’t think they’ll really care that much,” I asked.

  “Exactly. It’s like your mock trials, why would I care if someone was a judge or a prosecutor, it kinda just feels like an unnecessary label, doesn’t it?” he said.

  I laughed at the silly train of thought. But, he had a few good points, I honestly didn’t care what his position was, and knowing it wouldn’t have made me think any more or less of him.

  “How’s your mock trial prep?” he asked.

  “It’s going well,” I said.

  “That’s all I get?” he said.

  “Well, what else am I to say? It’s just busy work. Besides, it’s been driving me crazy lately.”

  “How so?” he asked.

  “If you want to present a good case, you have to do a lot of research. You have to check precedent cases, and gather any evidence you can in order to defend your client. I think I’m in a good position, but there’s really not much to tell.”