by H. J. Bellus
“Challis.” I look up to see Maverik waving me over once again. I take my time walking over to their table since I just refilled their drinks.
“Yeah.” I plant my hands on my hips.
“This is a terrible fucking idea, you guys,” Merek says without making eye contact.
“We want to hire you to work at Silver Star.” Maverik turns in his chair, facing me straight on.
“Excuse me?”
“Well, there’s been some talk around town about you busting ass to make money—” Marvel tries to talk.
“Wait.” I take a step back. “You fucking know nothing about me, and I sure as hell don’t need a Slatter to save me.”
“Told you she’s a good hand but has a rotten fucking attitude.”
“Excuse me, Merek? You have no fucking idea.”
He stands straight to his feet, throwing back his chair, and begins to growl in my face. “Then fill me the fuck in, ice queen.”
“Enough.” I hear Tori’s voice and then feel her pull me back.
“Go home, now. I’ll close up.” I lurch forward a couple of times toward Merek before finally giving up. By now everyone in the bar is staring at me. I untie my apron and throw it to the ground.
Tori finally leaves my side and I hear the music crank up and the endless chatter begins again in the bar. I look up to Merek and then back down to my apron with all my tips sprawled across the black material.
“I’m sorry, Challis.” I look up to Marvel, who has genuinely spoken up. “We are looking for some good hands to work some colts and thought you’d be perfect. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“It’s fine.” I kick my apron toward Merek. I go to say something but decide against it and just throw my hands up in the air and turn to leave.
“I’m leaving, Tori.” I rest against the bar.
“What in the Sam hell was that? Thank God I decided to check in on you. I only stopped because the parking lot is packed.”
I strum my fingers on the countertop. “I’d like to say it was their fault, but my head is so screwed up that I don’t know.”
Tori places her hand over mine. “You’re fighting a losing battle, Challis. You need to give up the dream of ever getting your daddy’s ranch back. I got this in the mail today, a copy came for me and for you. I’m guessing I got it since I’m the executrix of your dad’s will.”
She slides a white envelope under my hand, and when I look down I see my typed name across the front of it in a very professional font. My gut tells me it’s not good news and Tori finally saying the words to deflate any hope I had originally had.
“Thanks.” I take the envelope from her and walk away from the bar. Before exiting the bar, I send one last glance over to Merek, who is now being entertained by Madison.
My truck is parked under the streetlight. Going home to an empty house and reading this depressing letter doesn’t sound like fun at all. I pull down my tailgate and hop up on it. I stare at the envelope for several minutes before opening it.
Challis Jones,
This is the last letter you’ll be receiving on behalf of Mrs. Cody Jones. The ranch currently owned by her in Fulton County will be sold in forty days unless the full thirty-two thousand owed against it is paid in full to her. In addition, the full shares of savings, stocks, and bonds in Cody and Challis’s names are to be signed over to her.
Please be advised this will be your final notice.
Sincerely,
Harrison Clemens
Attorney
I wad the letter up and toss it into the parking lot. “More demands from the bitch. Every. Single. Damn. Time. She adds to her demands.”
My words are lost in the night air. That evil snake named Lola came into my life my senior year and has done nothing but leech her way into my daddy’s account. I fucking swear the monster danced on my daddy’s grave when he was finally buried. He always wanted a woman in his life and dated so many women while I was growing up but landed quite the humdinger.
She’s done nothing but fight to sell the ranch since the day he died, and it looks like in forty fucking days she’ll have her way. Daddy had a couple of clauses in his will preventing her from selling it the day he died. He was always a smart businessman, but how in the loving hell he thought I could ever fork over thousands to save it is beyond me.
His death wasn’t planned, and I know he had all sorts of money tied up in expanding his stock and traveling further west with his bucking bulls. The worst part of this story is that Lola would rather drain the tied up bank accounts than keep the ranch, and in all honesty the bank accounts are worth more than the stupid ranch, but it’s my history, pride, and roots that I want.
I pound my fists down into the tailgate and feel my anger spew over in the form of tears. And this time I don’t try to hold them back. The last flicker of hope I had is blown out with the letter.
“This is bullshit.”
I look up in the dark parking lot to see the outline of Merek holding the letter. I don’t even have the steam to comment back.
“What is this, Challis?” He steps up into the light, closing the distance between us.
“You know how to read.”
“Quit being a fucking bitch.” He waves the paper in front of my face. “I didn’t do this to you.”
“Nope, you sure didn’t.”
“So, what in the hell is going on?”
“Nothing for a carefree champ like you to worry about.”
His hand grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. “My dad has lost everything at the fucking horse races and put my granddad’s ranch into the red. He’s fucked over the wrong people with big money. So, don’t you ever throw that in my face again.”
I rip my face from his hold. “Want to know, Merek?”
He steps back, crosses his arms, and waits. It’s like the standoff that’s built up between us is about to go down with neither of us backing down. I slide off the tailgate and walk right up to him.
“My daddy died about four months ago. Gored to death by one of his prized bucking bulls that I told him to sell a long time ago, but it was good bucker and all the talk in the circuit.”
“Elvis,” he whispers.
“Yep, Elvis was more fucking important to my daddy than his common sense or even his health. But wait, let me back up a few years. He married Lola the summer after my senior year, and she’s a royal cunt, but I bit my tongue since she seemed to make my daddy happy. Well, guess what, he’s dead now and Lola wants money and a lot of it.”
“This.” He holds up the crumpled letter.
“That. I’ve already drained all my accounts with just my name on them and paid her over two hundred thousand dollars. Sold my calves, the bucking bulls I owned with my dad, my extra saddles, tack, right down to the underwear I’m wearing. I kept Teebaby, my truck, and trailer in hopes of making some more money this summer.”
Breathless and on the edge of hyperventilating, I bend over and rest my palms on my knees and try to cool down. “My three months just went to forty fucking days, and I have nothing now.”
“How much do you still need to pay?”
“Eighteen thousand and sign over all my daddy’s accounts, which are fucking worth nearly one point two million.” I throw my hands up in the air. “Her newest and latest demand. It’s like she just keeps taunting me since she knows I’ll never make it.”
“Then why is she dicking with you paying her eighteen thousand.”
I stand straight up and cover my chest. “Because it’s her last fucking dagger to my heart, tormenting me with the fact I can never go back home to the one place I love the most in this world. The one place where all my memories are and the soil that my daddy is buried in.”
“I’ve got that money, Challis.”
Those five words cause me to lose my shit.
“No, Merek. No,” I scream and back up.
“I’ve got it. You can be as bullheaded as you like, Challis.”
“Stop.�
�� Tears begin streaming down my face. “I wasn’t raised to be a victim.”
I take another step back and trip over something, falling to the ground and let out a twisted giggle between the tears, considering I’ve hit rock bottom finally. Picture-perfect, in the parking lot of a bar with Merek Slatter witness to it all.
“Calm down.” I feel my arms being lifted and then my body pressed against Merek’s.
“I just want to forget it all, Merek, all of it. Why can’t I just move on? Go down the road and rodeo, leaving behind everything.”
He leans back, grips my face, and begins brushing away my tears. “Because it’s your roots and you never leave those. We have wild hearts, but always know where home is.”
“So, I just die trying and get my heart broken in the end?”
“The way I see it, you have two choices, Challis. Take my money, or come work for us on the ranch and we can hit as many rodeos together as possible.”
“Well, I’m not taking your fucking money, Champ.”
“Then it looks like I just hired your ass.”
I bury my face in his chest and shake my head. “God, my life. I would’ve bet my left nut I’d never be in this predicament.”
Merek laughs hardily into the top of my hair. “Let’s get out of here.”
“To where?”
Chapter 7
Merek
Challis stays glued to the passenger door and stares out her window as I drive us to my favorite spot on the ranch. We already made one stop picking up a piping hot pepperoni pizza, a case of beer, and some girly junk food.
“Ever wonder if we are all just destined to be fucked over?” Her voice is low and full of defeat.
“Every time before I climb on the back of a bucker, but it’s the chance I take and then relish in the afterglow when I kick life’s ass.”
“I think you missed your calling in life, Merek.”
I look over at her and finally make eye contact. I hold my hand out and have to hold myself together when she places her hand in mine. “What’s that?”
“Writing self-help books. You’re pretty inspirational.” She stops and clutches my hand. “Why are you being so nice to me right now?”
“Because you bought my beers tonight and put a cute little apology note on one of them. A heart and xoxo would have sweetened the deal. Just saying.”
I lie like a rotten bastard, because the truth is something I can’t even comprehend. And it goes a little like this…the moment I came into contact with her green eyes she captured me. I fell like a brick for the free-spirited cowgirl and know I’ll never get enough of her. She definitely did something to my lonely heart and is going to devastate me, but it’s the only storm I want to be in.
Her giggles fill the cab of my truck. “I’m serious, girl, next I expect hearts and flowers.”
“Isn’t that what the girl is supposed to want?”
“Yeah, but I have a feeling you’re going to crush me in the end, and I just want to enjoy the ride.”
This time I cringe at the honest words that flow from my lips. And I’m relieved when Challis doesn’t respond and only flops her head back on the headrest. We ride the remainder of the way in silence. I’m lost in the tornado of everything Challis Jones and wish she wasn’t such a stubborn jackass. It would be nothing for me to fork over the money, and I’d do it in a heartbeat with no strings attached. Seeing her broken down the other night after her run at the rodeo and then again tonight in the parking lot killed me.
I’d do it just for her to be able to go home and live out her own fairy tale on her daddy’s ranch. With the shit storm going down on Silver Star, I understand how real the threat can be and how I’d go to the ends of the earth to save it for my granddad.
“We’re here.” I put the truck into park and hop out.
“And here is exactly where?”
“My favorite place on Silver Star.”
“Wow.” Challis’s jaw drops when she looks out the front window.
We are on the back of the property we call Slatter lot. It’s an expansive pasture with rolling hills and a large pond in the center of it. Granddad built us boys a fort and hung a swing under a large willow tree that sits atop a rolling hill facing the pond. And tonight the moon lights up the pond with thousands of stars decorating the pitch-black sky.
“Pretty cool, uh?”
“It’s gorgeous, Champ.” I watch as Challis stares straight ahead to the pond and clambers to find the handle.
I snag the pizza, beer, and junk food from the back seat and hop out.
“Challis, there’s a blanket under the back seat. Grab it.”
She rounds the front of the truck with the blanket in her hand. “How many girls have you done on this?”
“None.” I can’t help but laugh.
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying. But I’d like to nail one girl on it.” I send her a quick wink and lay the blanket out.
We settle in on our own sides of the blanket, digging into the pizza and both of us throwing back our fair share of beer.
“Do you ever swim in that?”
“Yeah, when I was younger.”
“Why not now?”
“To be honest, I’m not home that often. This is the longest in years.”
“Why home now?”
“Taking a break and trying to be here for the family.”
“Hey.” Challis scoots over, placing a hand on my upper thigh. “I’m sorry about your ranch problems and being such a judgy pants.”
I just nod, not even wanting to think about the mess my father has us in.
“I’ll take the job, but the pay better be good, and I’ll need to travel to as many rodeos as possible.”
“That a girl.”
“I’m not going to give up, Merek. There’s no doubt I’ll probably lose this war with Lola, but I’d never forgive myself if I gave up now.”
I lean over and place a light kiss on her forehead.
“Only one stipulation, Challis.”
Her defenses go straight back up. “You take me as your traveling partner to your rodeos.”
“Won’t I cramp your style?”
“Yes, but I’ll enter up with you.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to.”
“Want to what?” Challis leans in closer.
“Rodeo with you.”
“But why?” she asks, leaning in so close her breath tickles the skin on my jaw.
“I want to be with you.”
“Good answer, Champ.” She reaches up and places a light kiss on my cheek.
“God, I hate that nickname.” I surprise her by flipping her onto her back and covering her body. “But it’s so sweet coming from your lips.”
“What are we doing, Merek? If it hasn’t been made clear, I’m not so good at this type of stuff.” She gestures between the two of us with her hands.
“We are saving our roots, going to work our asses off, rodeo together, and see where this takes us.”
“Kay.”
“Are you good with that, Challis?”
“I think I can give it a try, but you have to understand, I’m a fucking mess.”
“Two train wrecks about to collide together.” I smile down at her.
I feel her arms wrap around the back of my neck and tug me down closer to her.
“Shut up and kiss me.”
“This seems to be your favorite line.”
My lips find hers and relish in the sensation again. Her taste is something I never want to forget. I waste no time darting my tongue into her mouth, and Challis welcomes me and kisses me back just as hard and fast. I feel her hands ripping at my shirt, tearing it away from my chest. Then her nimble fingers fumble with the button of my jeans, and I do her a favor by raising up a bit allowing her to unbutton them.
I plant my elbows on the blanket and cradle her head, cementing her lips closer to mine. Desire courses through my veins and once this starts I’m afraid I’l
l never be able to stop. She rubs her palms up and down my back and then goes back to my fly, coaxing me to kiss her harder. Her tender touch sends my senses spinning and brings out a carnal desire in me.
I pull away from her lips. “Challis, you need to slow down.”
“Why?” She offers up a pouty face.
“I’m not going to be able to stop if you keep pushing me.”
She slowly raises her head and roams her lips over the tender skin on my neck and then darts out her tongue leaving a wet trail along my skin. Her hands go back to my zipper and dart under my boxers this time. Her actions cause me to gasp out loud.
I hear my cellphone go off in the cab of the truck and ignore it as I pull Challis’s shirt up over her head, leaving her exposed only in a bra. Slowly, I pull one perked nipple from underneath the lace of her bra and dip my head. My tongue swirls around the peaked flesh, and this time it’s Challis moaning and bucking underneath me. The sounds of her pleasure send me into overdrive. My teeth sink into her nipple as my hand wanders down to her zipper. My phone goes off several more times.
“You better go answer that,” Challis says breathlessly.
I growl around her nipple, but deep down, agree with her.
“Don’t move a muscle.”
I race to the truck and see Maverik’s number scrolling across the screen.
“Somebody or something better be on fire,” I growl into the phone.
“It’s Granddad. They rushed him to the hospital.”
My world stops as all the blood drains from my face.
“I’m coming, Mav.”
I end the call and toss the cell across the dash.
“Challis.”
“I’m here. Let’s go.”
“Challis.”
“Breathe, Merek, breathe. Get in the truck.”
She tucks me into the passenger seat, rounds the corner to the driver’s seat, and hauls ass.
Chapter 8
Challis