It didn’t matter if no one else came here to see what I’d accomplished. I knew, and I was damn proud of it.
“Hello, there!”
The shout caught me off-guard, and Annie reared, throwing me back in the saddle.
Shit.
Two
Brea
I hummed as I looked at myself in the mirror. I’d chopped off more than eight inches of raven-black curls two weeks ago, and it was still strange seeing myself without it. I’d had long hair my whole life.
I knew what my mother, Blair, would say. I was manifesting my choice to live as a responsible adult by cutting off the hair I saw as a symbol of my childhood.
She’d planned to go into psychology before she’d met my dad, and while she’d never pursued it after they’d begun their whirlwind romance, she’d always loved to use what she remembered from her high school courses to make those sorts of pronouncements.
I’d gotten my hair and dusky complexion from her, and my dark eyes from my father. Both were smart, impulsive, and all about living life to the fullest. They’d been good parents, if unconventional. I knew that neither of them understood why I’d chosen to not completely embrace their way of doing things, but at least they accepted that it was my life and my choice to make.
I fastened my favorite necklace and straightened the wooden pendant. It was an infinity symbol carved into a round piece of ash, hung from a hemp choker. My parents had brought it back for me from a trip they’d taken when I was thirteen. I couldn’t remember exactly where they’d gone, but it’d been one of the times I’d stayed home. Well, wherever home happened to be at the time. I was pretty sure it had been a yurt in South America somewhere at that time. I remembered them leaving me with some twenty-something girl they’d both been seeing. She’d been around a few months, and we’d called her Rain – original, right? – but I doubted that was her actual name. Most of the twenty-somethings they picked up to join them went by things like Rainbow and Butterfly or Khaki and Apache.
“Don’t dwell on the troubles of the past,” I said to my reflection. “Focus on a positive future.”
I wasn’t saying it because I had some awful past I was trying to get over, but rather because everyone had some sort of baggage in their past that they could keep thinking about until it kept them from moving forward. A bad test, a missed appointment, a lost job, a broken relationship. I found that reminding myself to keep focused on the present and the future helped me reach the goals I set for myself.
My apartment was directly above my store, which meant I didn’t have far to go to begin my work day. I carried my container of homemade trail mix and a glass of water downstairs and set it next to my laptop. I liked to think I was a good balance between being a complete Luddite and being entirely dependent on technology.
I did my usual rounds to double-check that nothing had been disturbed in the night. I didn’t think anyone would ever bother to break in here, but the occasional rodent had been known to sneak inside and wreak havoc with some of my products.
Nothing looked out of place this morning though. I loved the way my storage room slash work room smelled. Lavender and sage and various citrus scents, mixing with ones that were harder to distinguish under the stronger ones. I knew them all, through sight, touch, smell, and taste.
I paused at my work table, lightly touching the stone mortar bowl and pestle I’d been given by Galina, the mentor I’d become close to while studying in the UK. We kept in touch even though it’d been nearly three years since I’d last seen her. She was as much responsible for Grow ‘n Heal as the money I’d inherited when I’d turned twenty-one. More so, in my opinion, since Kevin’s parents were dead, and Blair’s parents hadn’t approved or supported my decision to forgo college and essentially pick a vocation that I could learn through hands-on experience and assisting others like me. Not that I’d really heard much about it since I rarely had the opportunity to see them.
I pushed aside the negative feelings that thinking about my grandparents brought up. I’d never really had a relationship with them, and I didn’t plan on changing that any time soon. They’d never forgiven my mother for running away with my father.
Anyway, I didn’t need their approval. My shop was doing well. Rawlins, Wyoming was far from a large city, but I’d built a good reputation in just two years and I did a decent business. My online orders made up the majority of my profit – yet another reason why I made sure I was up on the latest technology. I probably could have done away with most of my online presence if I’d moved to a bigger city, but I didn’t want to leave Rawlins. I’d chosen it on purpose, after all.
It was the one place I’d lived that actually felt like home. Both of my parents had been here with me, and they hadn’t been bringing all sorts of other partners through the house. Granted, it had all been because Blair had needed some recovery time after having caught malaria while she and Kevin had been in some South American country. Kevin had wanted to write a book on their experiences, and they’d both decided that the atmosphere out West was the most conducive to health and creativity. He’d gotten halfway through it before getting bored. Not that it surprised me. That was how things went with him.
I loved my parents, and I knew they loved me, but they’d never quite understood why I didn’t think having parents in an open relationship who insisted I call them by their first name and travel around the world was the greatest thing.
I made my way back to the front of the store and flipped around my sign to say that I was open. The sun was finally out, and I took a moment to step outside. My dress was a bit thin for mid-March, but I let myself enjoy the combination of scents that I’d always associated with Rawlins at this time of year. A hint of spring with that sharp edge of snow.
Wind gusted down the street, and I shivered, goosebumps prickling my skin. I stayed out a moment longer, waving at Mr. Kendrick who owned the barbershop across the street. He came out every morning to sweep or shovel the bit of sidewalk in front of his store. He’d done it when I was here as a kid too, and he’d seemed ancient even then. When I’d first moved back here, I’d asked him if I could help him in the mornings, but he’d insisted that he’d be out here rain or shine every day until he keeled over of a heart attack.
I had a bad feeling that, one day, he was going to do just that. At least his grandson Benji had joined him a few months ago. Maybe he’d be able to convince Mr. Kendrick to take it easy.
I’d take them over some tea later and see how they were doing. Maybe I’d mix up some of my granola bars too. I used local honey, just like I bought any local produce or grains that were available in the area. While my shop was more about herbal supplements and homeopathic remedies, I liked to have healthy snack options around too. I sold a decent amount of them, but they were mostly on hand, so I could snack throughout the day and not feel guilty.
I headed to my in-shop worktable and my less-sentimental mortar bowl and pestle. I needed to grind up some spices to put into the custom-made tea pouches I stocked, and I always left those to do during the workday since they didn’t require the sort of precise measuring that the more medicinal ones did.
By mid-morning, I’d finished everything except the ginger I was saving for last. When I was done with it, I’d brew a pot and take it across the street, then head over to the bakery for a few of their homemade poppy seed rolls.
My phone buzzed just as I was setting out the new supplies, and I headed over to the counter to check it.
A message from Blair. I swiped the screen.
Brea, darling, we have some exciting news we’d like to share in person. Please meet us this evening for dinner.
Dinner? Today? I frowned at the phone. The last I’d heard from them, they’d been living in Vermont with one of Kevin’s old philosophy professor buddies.
Are you flying me out?
After a moment, Blair’s response came back. I’m sorry, dear, we must have forgotten to tell you that we were in Rawlins.
In R
awlins? Since when? I blew out a breath and reminded myself not to be frustrated. She’d tell me everything, eventually. She just took her time getting there.
We’ll explain over dinner. Meet us at six o’clock.
The address was outside of Rawlins, but nowhere near Vermont. What in the world was going on?
Three
Blake
“Whoa! Easy, girl!” It only took me a second to react, and I ignored the underlying problem while I got Annie under control. She wasn’t an excitable horse usually, but I couldn’t blame her when she was startled like that.
As soon as she was calm enough for me to dismount, I jumped off, catching her reins so she wouldn’t go wandering. Only when I was sure Annie was safe did I turn toward the idiots who’d spooked her in the first place.
“What the fuck?!” Normally, I didn’t curse or snap at total strangers unless they did something like, well, like they’d just done. What sort of moron didn’t know they shouldn’t come sneaking onto someone’s property and scare a horse someone was riding?
Then I got a good look at them and realized what the first problem was.
These two were not farmers or ranchers. I’d been around both enough for the past few years to tell the difference between people who worked their asses off for a living and rich people who liked to play at life.
These two were in the rich category.
The man had the sort of tanned, leathery skin that a lot of men got from working long hours outside, but my gut told me he’d probably gotten it more from lounging on beaches than wrangling cattle. His hair was silver, and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses I knew were worth at least a few hundred dollars.
My oldest brother, Jax, had a pair by the same designer.
The woman was shorter than him and younger, but the way she clung to his arm told me she wasn’t his daughter. Both were wearing the sort of clothes that looked like they could have been straight out of a hippie commune, if they hadn’t been more expensive than my horses.
“I’m so sorry,” the man said, giving me one of those toothy grins I’d always hated. “I didn’t mean to startle your horse. Blair and I were just so eager to come over here and finally meet you, I guess my excitement just got the best of me.”
I kept glaring at them both; waiting for them to say something that made sense.
“I’m Blair McCormick,” the woman said, leaning forward as she held out a hand. “I’m Kevin’s partner.”
I considered not shaking her hand and blaming it on the fact that my hands were sweating inside my riding gloves, but then I reminded myself that I didn’t have any reason to be extra polite. I yanked off my glove and shook her hand, then turned to the man.
“Nice to meet you,” he said as he shook my hand, “Mr…?”
“Blake,” I said reluctantly. “Just Blake. You two shouldn’t be trespassing out here. You could end up on the business end of a shotgun or get torn up by a guard dog.”
The two exchanged a look I couldn’t read and then turned back to me with nearly identical smiles. Creepy smiles, if I was being honest.
Were they on something?
“We’re not here to trespass,” Kevin said. “We’re neighbors.”
I waited for the punchline. When it didn’t come, I took a closer look at where we were. I was near the front of my property again, and I could see the car now, a shiny red muscle car that told me Kevin was still doing the mid-life crisis thing. It sat at the end of my driveway, which meant they had to have just pulled in when they saw me coming and decided to park there.
“Technically,” I said, “you are trespassing. This is my property.”
Neither one of them seemed to care that I was being rude.
Blair beamed at me like I’d given them a warm welcome. “We’ve just been so excited to come meet you, and this was the first time we’d seen you since we’ve come out here, so we thought we’d just seize the day, you know?”
Shit. She was one of those sunshiny happy people.
“You bought one of the ranches?” I needed to figure out which one, so I could avoid it at all costs. Not that I’d ever been a neighbor-visiting person. I just had a bad feeling that these two would be the sort who’d ‘pop over’ now and again, and I wanted to make sure I had some sort of warning system in place to keep this from happening ever again.
Security cameras. I needed more security cameras.
“We did,” Kevin said. “We actually used to live in Rawlins years ago, so when we decided to retire, there was only one place either of us wanted to go. There’s no better place for communing with nature, and the harmony here has always been magnificent.”
Yeah, he was one of those.
“We just want you to know that we’re sending good vibes out to all of our neighbors, wishing you, health and happiness.” Blair reached out but stopped before she touched me.
Smart move.
I doubted they’d like to hear that the way they could make me happy was by getting back into their car and getting the hell off my property.
“Thanks,” I said gruffly. “I have work to do.”
“You are so lucky,” Kevin said. “To live in a beautiful place like this. To spend your days in such a paradise. The blue skies, and the sun, and the trees, and all of it. To be in tune with the world around you.”
I didn’t bother telling him that I hadn’t grown up here. It wasn’t any of his damn business, and I never intended on being in a position where it was their business.
I just waited.
I’d learned years ago that if I wanted out of a situation or conversation, a great way to do it was to be quiet and wait. Not quiet like my brother Cai. His quiet was calm and all that sort of shit. My quiet…my silence had always felt like I was just waiting for everything to blow up. Like I was in some sort of pressure cooker or something equally hostile.
So, I didn’t say a word.
“Was this your family land?” Blair looked around like she expected to see generations of my family suddenly riding up. “I can see how amazing it would be to hand something like this down through generations.”
I finally saw something real on her face, but it didn’t interest me enough to ask about it. These two were driving me nuts.
“Anyway,” Kevin continued, “we wanted to make sure you knew you were welcome to come over to our retreat any time. I’m sure all of this can block your chi, and everyone wants a little time to meditate, am I right?”
“Oh, and if you happen to see anyone wandering onto your property, don’t be alarmed. We’re going to encourage our guests to explore, and we never know where our life path will take us–”
I was tired of waiting for them to figure out I didn’t want them here.
“You came over to introduce yourselves. Consider yourselves introduced. You know where you parked.”
If it annoyed them, neither of them showed it. In fact, if anything, their smiles grew wider.
“Of course, of course,” Kevin said with that obnoxiously patronizing tone that my brothers always used with me.
Big. Mistake.
“Look,” I said, “I don’t give a fuck what you’re doing over there. Go back to your retreat or whatever and stay off my land.”
I turned my back on them and headed toward the barn. I would’ve preferred to ride, but I didn’t trust them not to spook Annie again.
Idiots.
Four
Brea
I turned off at the ranch exit Blair had given me and frowned as the car bounced a little. I rarely drove, and this was just one of the many reasons why. I wasn’t the sort of person who thought everyone everywhere could completely stop using vehicles, but I like to cut my carbon footprint down as much as possible.
It was absolutely beautiful out here, I thought as I found the driveway Blair had described. If I hadn’t wanted to live close enough to my shop to walk, I would’ve loved to have gotten a place like this. Maybe, if I could expand, I’d be able to…
&nbs
p; I pushed the thought aside. I wasn’t looking to become a businesswoman. I owned a business, sure, but that wasn’t the same thing. I was happy with where my life was right now, and I was going to be happy and content.
Before I went any further down that path, I came around a line of trees – planted in too straight a line to have been natural – and saw a massive ranch house that seemed to be in the process of being converted into something else. I couldn’t quite tell what, or how much work was left to do, but I had a feeling whatever it was, it was the reason I was here.
“Brea!” Blair was hurrying toward me before I’d made it two steps toward the front door.
No matter how strange my relationship with my parents was, there was still something comforting about seeing those familiar features, the long flowing skirt, and fuzzy cardigan.
“Hi,” I said, wrapping my arms around my mother. The familiar scent of cloves and cinnamon enveloped me. She’d worn these little sachets for as long as I could remember, and even though we’d never stayed in one place for long, that smell to me had been home.
“You cut your hair,” she said as she took a step back and let Kevin come forward to give me a hug.
“I did,” I said with a smile.
My parents might not have been the most conventional when it came to marriage and family, or even the most observant about things, but I’d never doubted their love for me.
“You look lovely, as always,” she said, linking her arm through my father’s.
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