Shane, too, took advantage of her. For that, Ian was ready to knock his brother on the head. It was enough she took care of their house and cooked their dinners every night, but here, at her own home too? Where Shane was considered a guest? Ian usually refused to eat there despite multiple invitations. He just said he’d already eaten even if he hadn’t. He got so freaking tired of watching her serve everyone else.
Finally, she cleaned it all up and the kitchen sparkled. She was quiet and didn’t add much to her brothers’ and Shane’s constant ribbing. They didn’t know anything about what happened with Drew; and for that small blessing, he was grateful. He could imagine all the dick jokes they’d be telling. It would have humiliated Kailynn, and no doubt, sent her cowering into her room, probably never to reemerge.
“Come on, man, let’s do it.”
Ian tuned back into the conversation, lifting his gaze off Lynnie’s ass. She had a rounded one, which she often hid under too large shirts, probably intended to hide her too large breasts, he suspected. But her butt was every bit as nice as her boobs. Ian was just better than most men at masking his interest.
“Do what?” he asked in reply to Caleb’s statement.
“Go up to Hunter’s Creek. Five days. I really want to go scouting before hunting season. And man, I could use the vacation.”
Vacation from what? Did Caleb work even twenty hours this month? Ian didn’t think so. Hunter’s Creek was wilderness land where his family had a private camp. It was located along a forgotten and small creek, about ten miles from the trailhead. He and Jack tried to go there every year; and sometimes, Shane or Joey went, but rarely. Jack skipped it last year after getting together with Erin, and that looked to be the same for this year. They usually loaded the horses with pack gear and went totally off the grid for the week. No cell phones. No internet. No communication at all was possible. They were miles from the nearest human being. Their favorite place was one their father used to take them to. They would set up their wall tent, hoping to spend a few blissful days up in the mountains, away from normal life.
Eventually, Shane decided that Caleb and Jordan should come along. Ian tried to veto it and lost. He didn’t want them there. He feared they would tell the world about it and they had stuff stashed up there that was not totally legal. After all, it was wilderness land and permanent camps were forbidden. Theirs was so off the beaten track, no one could have found it… without help, of course.
But Shane was their brother so he had just as much ownership of the camp as Ian and Jack. And if Shane wanted to invite his friends up there, Ian really had no right to object. But he didn’t trust the Hayes brothers and Shane together up there. He often worried they would kill themselves. Not that it was overly dangerous, but those three together could manage to make it so. They didn’t really know how to handle horses very well, much less, with all the necessary gear. Ian and Jack did, but Shane only rode horses to get up there and back, and that was about the only time Shane rode, actually.
“Ah, all of you?”
“Yeah, man, of course. You coming too?” Shane didn’t glance at him, so he missed Ian’s disapproving expression.
“I’m certainly not sending my horses alone with you three. So yeah, I guess I’m leading you in there.”
Shane threw a pillow at his head. “You’re such a dickhead. They’re my horses too.”
He caught the pillow and tucked it behind his head. Unfortunately, the horses technically did belong to Shane. It wasn’t right; and Shane could have cared less about them. Ian looked after the horses, while Jack lived and breathed them. There had to be a better way to divide their legacy. How can you split one ranch into four equal pieces? Ian knew the time was fast approaching for them to do so, before they ended up with nothing more to offer each other.
Kailynn came into the room and primly sat down on the couch next to Shane, since it was the only open spot. How did Shane fail to notice the way she held her body, like she was sort of closing in on herself? Or how primly she tried to behave? Crossing her legs, she always kept her body parts from brushing his. Shane, meanwhile, sprawled unceremoniously beside her without a second thought before scratching his balls. Shane wasn’t a loser like Drew; he just wasn’t what Kailynn wanted. How could she not see that? And how could Shane not see her obvious crush on him?
At least, Ian wasn’t so obvious. It irked him no end that he even had a crush on Kailynn. He never before in his life cared about any person enough to want them in any capacity except how they already were.
“Could I come?”
The four of them turned their attention back to the movie they were half watching. Kailynn’s voice was soft and breathy. Feminine. They all glanced at her.
“Come where?” Caleb asked, munching on the pile of chips before him.
“Hunter’s Creek?”
Ian sat up straight. Why would Kailynn want to go there? She rarely came out to the barns, and hadn’t ridden a horse in more than five years that he knew of. She never asked about the horses, or the ranch, or what he or Jack did. She only ever asked about Shane. And now she wanted to embark on a ten-mile ride in the middle of the wilderness and set up camp for five days with four guys?
Shane whipped his head down and frowned. Obviously, he wanted to drink and just be with his boys, not dragging a girl along who could only cramp their not-so-attractive, manly ways.
“I’d like to try it. I’ve never done anything like it. Please? You guys talk about it all the time,” Kailynn pleaded.
Yeah, they did. Or at least Shane, Caleb and Jordan did. They were mostly drunk the entire time they spent there. Ian did most of the work that would have, no doubt, made it not so much fun for them.
“Well, hell, Lynnie, I guess so. But this is no hairdryer kind of shit. No girlie crying over spiders. This is peeing in the woods and roughing it. You get the drift.”
Her face exploded in pink. They were always embarrassing her, and not one of them ever knew, or cared, they were. She was kind of prim and proper and reserved. There was a certain way she liked people to talk around her. She didn’t like their constant crude statements about sex and bodily functions, which they seemed to think were so funny. She didn’t comment when they did that, although none of them ever picked up on it. And yet, Shane remained the one she was so freaking captivated by.
“Yes, I understand we’ll be roughing it.”
“Yeah, roughing it. There’s no bathing, no toilets, no creature comforts. It’s awesome.” Jordan interjected.
Ian watched her eyes growing bigger. He shifted forward, leaning on his elbows, which he rested on his knees. “It’s not that bad. We haul in cots, and there are plenty of creature comforts. It won’t be a total culture shock for you.”
She lifted her gaze finally and searched out his face, glancing at him, then at Shane, and back to him. Directing her plea to Ian, she seemed to finally comprehend that he was the brains and leader behind the whole adventure. He seemed to have no other options, at least, in his book. “Can I come?”
She hadn’t spoken to him directly since the night Drew tore out of the driveway. She was timid and embarrassed to say anything to him after that. He didn’t let on that his heart increased a few beats at hearing her question. Yeah, she could come. Maybe he’d find a way to show her that his idiot brother was not the one she wanted, even if she couldn’t seem to see that on her own.
“Yeah.”
“Yeah, I can come?” she inquired almost incredulously.
Ian always annoyed her, although he didn’t mean to. He didn’t explain his thoughts enough for her to understand. He knew it was why she clenched her teeth and sometimes, snapped at him. He didn’t mean to frustrate her; it’s just the way he was. He wasn’t one to articulate what he felt, either. He answered whatever was asked of him, but didn’t generally start or create conversations. He didn’t mean to annoy her, but managed to anyway.
Shane, however, could embarrass her and make her turn red, but that never annoyed
her. Go figure.
“Yes, you can come.”
That set off the next discussion regarding what day, what time, and what to bring. Ian interjected only once or twice when the other men were being complete idiots. He often felt like he was their babysitter. Weird how Kailynn was younger than all three of them and he never felt that way toward her. She didn’t add much more to the topic, but he saw her stealing a few glances at Shane with her eyes bright in anticipation. What did she think? She might get her chance with Shane if they got away from real life?
He clenched his fist. If she did, it wasn’t his damn business then, was it? He’d bow out, and she’d never know he harbored any feelings for her. He’d never again annoy her.
As for the trip, he knew he’d end up repacking most of the other guys’ stuff and leaving half of it behind. They didn’t seem to grasp the whole concept of horses having to carry in all their equipment. The packing had to be done with absolutely perfect precision, or they would never make it to the campsite.
But despite all the extra work, there was a strange flutter in Ian’s stomach. Excitement? When did he ever get excited? He didn’t. Never. He was always kind of calm and slow to react to things. Few things could manage to excite him, but apparently, this did.
****
Kailynn glanced out as she heard the truck downshifting before it came to a halt. She jumped up off the sofa and grabbed her duffel bag, her excitement turning her cheeks pink and widening her smile. She managed to get invited! Well, more or less after some gentle persuasion. The days of contemplating the whole Drew episode were over, and she decided it was time to go after Shane. Time to make Shane realize she was right there all along, just waiting for him. She was it for him. And he for her. This trip would provide her with the how of making her dream happen. No more loser guys to fill in the gap. No more waiting for Shane to take the first step. She intended to do it.
Now. On this trip.
Her heart tipped and felt like it shrunk. Damn. It was Ian’s truck. He had the large horse trailer in tow. Why didn’t Shane drive up to get her? Her brothers took all their stuff down an hour ago while she finished cleaning up the trailer. It was early, not even six-thirty in the morning. They promised to come get her. Not Ian, whom she saw alone in the cab of his truck. In a few minutes, the giant rig was flipped around before he turned it off. Ian stretched his long legs as he exited from the cab, and her shoulders sagged with disappointment.
She had to clench her teeth together just to keep in the growl of dismay. She stomped to the door when he knocked and flung it open. She was even more uncomfortable with him now since the whole Drew episode. Now he knew she’d been in the room doing something with Drew’s penis, which still embarrassed her no end.
“Hi,” she said in a cold, curt tone.
“Hey, that your stuff?”
“Yes. Where is everyone?”
“They headed out in Shane’s truck. Had to grab some alcohol when I told them they weren’t hauling in cases of beer. We need meals for us and the horses more than they need to drink. They, however, chose to exchange some of their clothes for bottles of hard liquor, which they have to carry in their own packs.” He frowned as he hefted up her bag. Then, to her utter shock, he unzipped her bag and stuck his hands inside, shuffling them around in her stuff. She rushed forward and yanked it from him when she saw he was handling her underwear. And a giant bra. She hated her bras. What was he? A perverted voyeur?
“What are you doing?”
“Checking to make sure you packed the right stuff. You didn’t. I figured Jordan or Caleb weren’t smart enough to advise you on what to pack.”
“Hey, they are my brothers. Quit insulting them. And I packed just fine.”
“Am I wrong about them?”
She pursed her lips in dismay. No, he wasn’t, but she sensed he was probably including Shane in his comment. She finally shook her head.
“I know it’s mild temperature-wise and nice here, but we’ll be five thousand feet higher, up in the mountains. The nights get cold and so are the mornings. You need snow pants, and long underwear. A heavy coat, hat, gloves. Got all that?”
“Um, no.”
“Can I look through your bag now? I’d rather you brought what you needed, despite you being embarrassed that I saw your bra and underwear. Little secret, I already figured that you wore them.” Did he just make a joke with her? Never. No. Ian didn’t joke.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Were you trying to be funny?”
He gently took her bag back, replying, “I was trying to get you to overcome your bashfulness. Look, on this trip, there’s not so much privacy. You wanted to come. You’d better accept that right now, or stay here. And you don’t know what to expect, as you shouldn’t. But I do. So why don’t you listen to me?”
Bashful? What was he? Eighty years old? Who said bashful anymore? And she was not shy and mute… he was! Completely and totally refusing to talk. Now he was saying she had the problem?
But he did bring up a few good points.
She tossed the bag back to him and spun on her heel before stomping to her bedroom, embarrassed again. He followed her and filled the space as all men did. But this felt different than Drew, or her other loser boyfriends. She just was… more aware of him. Way too aware of him.
“Do you have snow pants?” She grabbed her black pair off the hanger and handed them to him silently. “Wool socks? Warm boots?”
“I packed those already.”
“Good. How about long underwear?”
She started compiling what he requested. He took out much of what she originally planned on taking. All her cute stuff… gone. The only garments left were warm, bulky clothes with just a few t-shirts and jeans. “Are you sure I need all of this?”
“Yup.” That was it. Yup. He added her ugliest boots. Waterproof and warm, she only wore them in the winter and when absolutely necessary. She never wore them in front of any people.
“Do you have a better coat than this?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s not warm enough. You can borrow one of mine. I have a couple in the trailer. You can try them on and see which one fits best.”
Why? Why did he always seem to think ahead and plan for her? Why, when no else did, did he? She turned away from him, feeling slightly annoyed, but also grateful. As they slid into the cab, she hooked the seat belt and stared out ahead. Silence descended between them as he drove down the road.
She had five days off! She was so excited, she nearly bounced on the seat. Not with quiet Ian, however. She would have maybe if he were Shane, as her fantasy dictated.
They pulled into the trailhead after the hour-long drive. It took a long time to get up the mountain to that spot even. The one-lane, dusty road was peppered with potholes. Ian had to crawl along slowly, in order to take it easy on the horses. The trailer bounced and jolted up the godforsaken road. Soon, all signs of human occupation vanished, and it was only Ponderosa pines and sagebrush filling the landscape. The mountains started to change from the rounded ones that were typical of the lower valley becoming more ridged and tall.
Once they pulled in and Ian turned off the truck, the silence grew unbearably thick. It was early still and not another soul seemed to be around. Ian got out without a word or even a look. The sun was just starting to climb and slanted in through the trees that surrounded the turnaround. An old corral made up of rough-hewn logs was set up at one of the clearing. Aspen trees shimmered and shook in the early morning breeze. It was cool, and smelled like mint and other sweet spices. In a word, it was lovely. She followed Ian as he unlocked the door on the tack room of the trailer and started throwing stuff out. The small room was stacked up almost to the ceiling. He finally brought out some ropes, which he threw to the ground. Picking one up, he indicated for Kailynn to do the same.
She followed him to the back of the trailer and her palms started to sweat. Maybe she’d overshot this. She wasn’t adept with horses and had o
nly sat on a horse’s back a few times in her life. Despite working for Ian’s family for more than four years, she rarely ventured beyond the house. When the metal doors opened with a clank she saw the four horses all standing in there, tied to the sides of the trailer. She stepped back as a couple clomped their hooves down on the metal while grunting and neighing in protest. Their breaths steamed out like they were exhaling smoke.
She only wanted to come on the trip so she could be alone with Shane and figure out how to make some kind of move on him, and win his heart forever. She hadn’t really given much thought to handling the horses, or their gear, much less to riding them. Or even setting up the camp. She glanced at the start of the trail, which was barely visible under the thick cover of mountain forest. It looked foreboding and isolated, despite the fresh morning air and sun.
“Uh, I’m not very good with horses. Maybe we should wait for our brothers…”
Ian had already stepped inside and clipped the lead rope to the horse’s halter as he unclipped the rope that tethered the horse to the trailer. Glancing over his shoulder at her, he replied, “Just tell me what you don’t want to do. I can handle everything else. No sense in making all of them stay cooped up in here.” He patted the neck of the gray and black mare beside him.
Tugging the lead rope, Ian led the giant animal, which eagerly followed behind him. Kailynn’s heart felt like it lodged in her tonsils as she pictured those long, legs and sharp hooves trampling Ian. But nothing like that happened. They walked across the grass and he led the horse into the corral, where he unhooked the lead rope, closed the gate, and walked back.
Stepping back into the trailer, he had to adjust the metal gate for the next horse and said, “You could open and shut the gate as I bring the other one out. We’ll get the other two ready to be saddled.”
Yes, she could do that. She scurried off to stand beside the gate, pulling up on the latch and getting ready for Ian. She watched him closely for the next fifteen minutes as he unloaded each horse and calmly settled them. The last two were tied to the side of the trailer, where they stood facing forward, their tails flickering and their hooves stomping periodically.
River's Escape (River's End Series, #2) Page 7