by Vi Summers
“I see it’s take your pets to town day,” she sneered at Rory, while looking me over from head to toe.
I hated the insecurity Jolene managed to create within me from a single look. I planted my boots firmly on the ground and refused to budge when she tried to push through me.
As if premeditated, Jolene popped the top off the smoothie she carried, and tipped it down my front before I had the chance to duck to the side.
“Oh sorry, I was aiming for the trashcan.”
“There’s no fucking trashcan around here, Jolene,” Rory seethed.
One eyebrow arched high on Jolene’s face as she gave me a look of pure disdain. “Oh, but there is.”
Rory, the ever-faithful and fierce protector, stepped into her space, forcing Jolene back a pace.
“Get out of my fucking face, Jolene,” Rory boomed intentionally loud to attract attention.
Jolene’s stricken gaze darted left and right, and a pink hue crept onto her cheeks.
“Go on, life wrecker, get lost. And you can take your ridiculous petition and shove it up your uptight asshole.”
A strangled and disbelieving laugh caught in my throat. Shit, Rory was ruthless. It had the desired effect; Jolene went from calling the shots, to being shot down in all of two sentences.
Feeling bolstered by Rory’s badassery, I stepped up to her side and glared. Jolene’s apprehension was clear as her eyes snapped back and forth between us.
The stand-off lasted mere seconds before Jolene lifted her top lip in a scathing leer, then turned on her heel.
“I can’t believe you let her walk all over you like that,” Rory stated once Jolene was out of ear-shot.
“I don’t like confrontation, Rory. Especially not in public.”
“Who cares! She started it!”
“And she also has the power to take away my entire world.”
Rory scoffed. “She thinks she does, but she really doesn’t. She’s totally full of shit. Trust me. And trust me when I say, I’m going to get her back. This is the last time she messes with a Nash, and today she picked the wrong one.”
“It’s fine, Rory. Come on, let’s get back to the ranch so I can change.” I plucked at my shirt and cringed. The fruity smoothie now stuck to my skin and wafts of sickly-sweet pineapple assaulted my nose. “This is so disgusting.”
The back of my nose began to sting. I was so sick of being whaled on. So sick and tired of being defined as the source of everyone’s problems. Taking punch after punch of vented anger as if my own feelings didn’t matter. I sniffed the sensation away before it formed tears in my eyes.
Rory’s expression softened when she saw how hard I was trying to keep it all hidden.
“It’s not fine, Louisiana. It’s far from fine and I’m not letting her get away with bullying you.”
I studied her as her eyes narrowed in thought. “What are you going to do?”
She linked her arm through mine, and we started walking toward Brandon’s truck.
“I dunno yet. But I’m thinking somethin’ that will bring her down once and for all. Something big.”
Chapter 31
Brandon
“Where’s she going in one helluva hurry?” I glared at Rory’s truck tearing down my driveway at a fast pace, even for her.
Louisiana hummed. “I’m not sure. She’s been weird ever since we bumped into Jolene in town.”
I twisted toward her. “Oh shit, what happened?”
“Nothing really, just her being her. Saying things just to get to me. Rory had my back though.”
“Goddammit!” Anger rose in my veins. I was so pissed that this was still going on. “C’mere, sweetheart.” I reached for Louisiana and pulled her to me.
“It’s honestly fine, Brandon. Rory caused a bit of a scene which Jolene didn’t like.” A little giggle came from Lou’s mouth. “She couldn’t get away fast enough.”
I tsked. “Goddamn Rory. How bad was the scene?”
Louisiana giggled again and nuzzled into my chest. “It was loud enough to draw attention. I would love to have a sister like her.”
“She will be one day, darlin’.” I looked down into her summertime eyes and smiled. “And that’s a promise. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself in for, because she doesn’t come with a return label.”
Lou’s laughter made my heart skip. One week to go. One week before I could hold her hand in public, kiss her any time I wanted, and call her mine.
One week couldn’t ride by soon enough.
. . .
Two days later, I was in the machinery shed when a vehicle arrived in my yard. The instant I stepped into the daylight, my heart sank.
She was spittin’ tacks before I managed to get a word in. “Brandon Nash, I know you’ve got it. Where the hell is it?”
Erasing the yards between us, I met Jolene halfway between her car and my shed.
“What the hell are you talkin’ about?”
“The petition,” she yelled, almost shrill enough that only my dogs could hear.
“Darlin’, I ain’t got your petition, so you can walk your ass back to your car and leave.”
She lashed out, catching me on my forearm. “You’re lying to my face! I know you’ve got it, and I bet you sent in one of your criminals to steal it from my house.”
“I did nothing of the sort,” I scoffed indignantly. Nothing riled me more than my integrity being questioned.
To the left, Jake appeared in the open barn doorway and leaned against the wall, and to the right, I assumed Louisiana was watching the showdown from behind the house screen door.
Jolene snapped her attention to Jake, then set him in her sights. “You!” she screeched, pointing at him as she thundered toward him. “You dirty felon. Where the fuck is my petition.”
“That is enough,” I roared, literally seeing red and shaking with fury. “Don’t you come onto my property and attack-”
“Boss, I got this,” Jake drawled. While his stance and voice remained nonchalant, it was the edge in his tone that matched the sharp flash in his eyes that held the warning.
Jake loomed over Jolene until she physically shrank back. “Know what I think about bitches like you?”
Jolene gulped, but otherwise remained wordless.
“Your nose is stuck so far up your own rosy asshole that you’ve become immune to the white privilege you’ve been spoon-fed since birth. You blame everyone else for your own downfalls because it covers up how many you have. You know it, I know it, and guess what, sweetheart, your own fucking parents know it.
“You’re a selfish, self-centered redneck who does nothin’ but creates problems for others purely to hide your own. You may think you’re all high and mighty with your blue-blood, but that doesn’t count for shit in the real world—the real world where common people like me can see straight through your uptight exterior to where you cower inside. Cower because you know you’ll never be enough. Never be enough to be respected, never be enough to sit on the throne you think you’re entitled to, and never be enough for good men like Brandon.
“Now, here’s what you’re gon’ do. You’re gonna to take your white ass back to your sporty little car that yo daddy paid for, and you’re gonna get the fuck off my boss’ property before you get removed. We clear?”
Jake’s dark brown eyes burned with hatred as Jolene’s face flamed. He’d well and truly shocked her into speechlessness, and she jolted to life when Jake barked, “I said, are we fucking clear?”
“Y-yes. We’re clear.” With a fleeting regret-filled look at me, Jolene turned on her heel and stiffly walked back to her car like she was trying not to crap herself.
“Christ, man,” I hissed after she’d shut the door and started the engine.
Jake didn’t take his eyes off her for a nanosecond. “Ain’t nothin’ but the truth, boss, and she needed to hear it. You think she pissed a little?”
I chuckled under my breath while watching her car disappear down my driveway. “I
think she did a little more than that, dude.”
Jake turned his glinting eyes on me. “I fucking hope so. Remind her that no matter what colour our skin or what’s in our past, our shit all smells the same.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
My focus drew back to the house as Louisiana pushed her way through the screen door and let it bang closed behind her. I got the overwhelming urge to wrap her in my arms. To hell with the rules. I needed to kiss her so damn hard it constricted my chest.
I strode in her direction as Jake’s laughter rose above me.
“I know that urge, Bran,” he crowed.
I flipped him off, then took the steps in two bounds. Louisiana was in my arms a moment later, and Lord, save my soul. I kissed her until my knees all but gave out.
Chapter 32
Brandon
My heart swelled while watching Louisiana bounce on the balls of her feet. Her happiness was contagious, and I was so goddamn relieved to see the heartache Jolene created in town last week was now nothing but a distant memory.
Nothing, nothing, would destroy my woman’s happiness at this moment.
I woke earlier than necessary this morning knowing that today was the day; the sheriff was due to arrive any minute with Louisiana’s release papers.
I never would have thought three months ago she would have taken to ranching like a duck to water. She even looked forward to riding Dottie now.
After battling over everything from her jeans and boots, to which side of the bed she slept on, we settled on the ground rules of keeping it professional by day, then falling into bed and making up for the lost hours by night. That way Jake didn’t cop an eyeful, and if there was a spot inspection by the sheriff, we didn’t jeopardize her place in the program.
Jolene had been weirdly quiet, but I wasn’t letting that lull me into a false security. I knew she was biding her time, waiting to strike like a snake in the grass when we least expected it.
I’d heard through the town rumor mill that she was struggling to get enough signatures for her petition to be worthwhile, so she was no-doubt scrambling further afield to collect more. Whatever the reason, I kept it in the back of my mind while making the most of Louisiana’s joy. After all, tonight we planned to celebrate this milestone for as long as our eyes remained open. Then tomorrow, she would be reunited with Ollie.
Each minute before the sheriff arrived seemed like ten, and it didn’t help that Louisiana paced until she saw his car drive into the yard. He stepped out with a wide smile and the documents held high.
“Howdy, Miss Carlyle. Waitin’ on these?”
Louisiana squealed and hastened down the steps. She threw her arms around Wilson’s shoulders and hugged him hard. He briefly hugged her back, then got down to business right there on the hood of his patrol car.
“You wanna come inside?” I offered, making my way over to them.
“Another time, Nash. I want to get these pushed through and processed as soon as possible.”
I gave him a satisfied nod. “Sounds like a mighty fine idea.”
After Louisiana signed on the dotted line, I followed suit, then pushed the document Wilson’s way. He scrawled his signature with a flourish, then extended his hand to Louisiana.
“Congrats, Miss Carlyle, you are now officially a free woman.”
She shook his hand vigorously while happy tears trickled down her cheeks. “Thank you so much.”
He dipped his head and then shook my hand. “Until next time, Brandon.”
I smirked. “And you can bet your ass there will be a next time.”
A half-cocked smile tugged his mouth. “Pleasure doin’ business with you again.”
With a final dip of his chin, he made his way to his car and drove from my property.
Louisiana managed to hold it together until the millisecond Wilson’s car was out of sight. She then squealed and jumped in the air with her arms and hair flying in all directions.
“I can’t believe it!”
Jake chuckled. “How does it feel, jailbird?”
“Ha!” she stabbed a finger at him. “You can’t call me that anymore; I’m a free bird now. And it feels amazing!” she shouted, throwing herself into my arms. “So does this.”
I didn’t think my grin could get wider, but I was proved wrong. “We ain’t breaking rules now, darlin’. So, c’mere and kiss me like you mean it.”
Swallowing Lou’s laughter, the playful nips I placed on her mouth turned heated the moment she grabbed me by the ears and yanked me closer.
When Jake’s muttering and footsteps grew distant, I used the moment of privacy to kiss her like she was my last dying breath. I’d fallen head over heels for her before I was entitled to, and soon the fantasy future with her and Ollie would be reality. One more sleep. Until then, I planned to make the most of having my woman all to myself.
Groaning with pleasure, then with reluctance when our kiss eased, I caught Louisiana’s smile before she gently set her forehead against my chin.
“What are you smilin’ at, sweetheart?”
“Just happy,” she replied, looking up at me with dazzling blue eyes that never ceased to make me want more.
“And that means I’m happy.” I bumped the tip of her nose with mine, coaxing hers to wrinkle with a cute little laugh.
“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” she asked.
I dashed my tongue over my lower lip and flicked my gaze between hers. “Not nervous; I’m looking forward to it.”
Ollie was being dropped off in the morning by his foster parents. They had become overly attached to the little guy, and after much discussion between them and Louisiana, Lou agreed to allow them to visit every once in a while. When she asked for my opinion, I promptly bowed out of the debate after stating that as long as they weren’t causing trouble, they were welcome at the ranch as often as she wanted.
Louisiana had bitten her lip—just like she did right now—and decided to give the arrangement a chance.
I cupped her face and ran a thumb over her lower lip until she released it from her teeth.
“Are you nervous about tonight?”
She hummed. “Yes. No one has ever thrown me a party before.”
“Well, darlin’, tonight is all about you, and tomorrow is all about Ollie.”
The deep affection in her eyes melted me on the spot. In moments like these, I could never say no to her, no matter what she asked for. The flip side of that was, right from day one, Louisiana hadn’t asked for handouts, and I respected the hell out of her for it.
Her arms were like home when they wove around my waist and squeezed. “You’re too good, Brandon.”
Pressing my nose into her hair, I inhaled her intoxicating scent and released a content sigh. “I like to think I’m just the right amount of good, sweetheart.”
Lou’s giggle turned into joyous laughter when Jake came from the work shed with an armload of fireworks.
“Christ, man,” I laughed.
He grinned and did his best to shrug. “When in Rome.”
Jake didn’t often let loose with us, but the party was on our ranch tonight and it was one he declared he wasn’t going to miss.
“As long as my barn doesn’t go up in flames, go for gold,” I cautioned.
“That’s why I set up the bonfire in the back pasture.” Jake dashed his head toward the rear of the house where a large open field lay. It was used mostly during winter when we had to bring the cattle down off the hills, then left to grow feed.
“It’s gonna be a big night, isn’t it?” Louisiana asked.
“If Rory has anything to do with it, then yes,” I drawled. My sister was goddamn trouble at the best of times.
“How long do we have?” Lou asked.
I flicked my wrist to check the time. “Couple of hours.”
A now-familiar glint entered her expression. “I think I need some help deciding what to wear.”
Snapping upright, I pretended to doff my hat. “I’m
at your service, darlin’.”
As Lou beamed a mischievous smile, Jake scoffed and let out a loud mutter. “I gotta go paint my nails or some shit.”
“Have fun with that, dude.” I opened the screen door and guided Louisiana through by the small of her back.
“I’ll see you in five,” Jake called with a smirk.
I grinned back at him. “Five is just the warm-up—I’ll see you in thirty.”
“Brandon!” Lou summoned me from the stairs.
“Yes, ma’am.” I ran for the stairs and hustled her into my bedroom, blindly slamming the door behind us.
I’d just settled into kissing Louisiana with everything I had when Jake’s shout came from out in the yard, easily loud enough to reach us through the open window.
“I give it ten, tops. She’ll fucking break you, Bran.”
Louisiana threw her head back and laughed, gifting me with access to her slender neck.
“She already goddamn has,” I murmured, nipping my way down to her cleavage.
The hum within Lou’s chest vibrated against my lips, and her laughter fell away the farther I worked down her body.
“I love you, Brandon,” she whispered.
Smiling against her belly button, I kissed either side of the indent.
“Love you too, darlin’. Now, keep talkin’—I need a way to draw this out for thirty minutes, because the way I’m feelin’ right now, Jake is right about the five.”
A playful slap landed on my shoulder, and Louisiana’s breathy giggle came from above.
“Best you stay dressed for the moment then.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I mumbled while I concentrated on working down the waistband of her jeans.
“And stop calling me ma’am, damnit!”
“Yes, ma’am,” I uttered a second time with an exaggerated drawl—just the way she liked.
Chapter 33
Brandon
“Where the hell is Rory?” I complained, exasperated that she couldn’t follow a simple damn timing despite having the entire day to organize herself.