Then when he turned, picked up the pitchfork, grabbed the last pile of fresh hay, and threw it into Cruella’s stall, I turned around. I had my answer, which was no answer. He had nothing to say.
I had just laid my heart out on the line for what? Nothing.
“Holland?” An icy chill slid down my spine when Reid called my name. I didn’t want him to see the tears that had started running down my cheeks, nor did I want to answer him. I didn’t want him to hear my voice crack, so I waited for him to say whatever it was he was going to say. “I’m just about finished, can you wait for me?”
I shook my head, unable to take anymore.
“Okay, guys, sorry, you’ll have to wait for apples. My girl can’t wait.”
What? His girl? Reid’s footsteps grew closer, and then I heard the soft thump as he dropped his gloves to the ground then the warm touch from his calloused hands that were cupping my face.
He lowered his mouth to my lips, sweeping his tongue against mine as I pressed closer to his body.
When we finally broke, he stared into my eyes. “Why are you crying?”
“You didn’t say anything, you just got back to work. I took that as your answer.”
Reid stepped back and looked down. “I couldn’t talk. You’re sore, and when you told me that you had feelings for me, all I could think about was ravaging you. I needed to get this head”—he pointed to his temple—“thinking straight, so that this head”—he looked back down at the front of his jeans—“wouldn’t jump you.” I grinned at his obviously hard cock. “Sure, laugh now.”
“I’ll wait for you to finish.” It took Reid less than ten minutes, and then he was sweeping me up into his arms and carrying me out the back and over to the fence. “Stay here,” he ordered then jumped over the fence. He came back with a stepladder and opened it on his side of the fence before climbing back over to my side. He then lifted me over the fence and set me on the ladder before jumping over yet again and lifting me back into his arms.
“Pretty ingenious.”
“I think so.” He smirked.
That evening, we didn’t talk. In fact, we didn’t do much of anything but hold each other and watch television.
“Stop, Holland.” Reid smacked my hand away for what had to be the fiftieth time. “I’m barely holding on. You need more time to heal.”
I giggled at the thought of seeing how mad I could drive him.
Chapter Twenty
Holland
“Hello, everyone, I’m glad that you were able to join us on such short notice.” Reid stood in front of the community center’s main room, and I sat in the audience, staring at my phone. We had rehearsed this a million times. “Over the last two weeks, there have been several new developments in regard to the purchase of our properties.” Reid met my eyes, and I shook my head, letting him know he needed to stall. “What many of you do not know is I hired an investigator to look into the road expansion as well as the steps of due process that are required when seizing land for eminent domain.” My phone buzzed, I looked down and saw my signal. I waved to Reid to give him the sign. He nodded. “It seems the Transportation Committee—” The front doors swung open and in walked Councilman Stuart, Johnson Holbrook, and his attorney, Michael Holbrook.
The three of them moved to the front of the room. “What’s going on here?” Stuart asked.
“We’re having a town meeting,” Reid answered with all sincerity.
“We weren’t notified.”
“Technically, you aren’t part of the town, so why would we notify you?”
Michael stepped up. “I believe this could be considered intimidation or coercion.”
“Funny that you should throw around terms that would reference me as being unethical.” Reid crossed his arms, ready to face off. I pressed send on my phone and less than ten seconds the front doors opened and Braden along with a detective and several other deputies swarmed into the room.
“What’s going on here?” Johnson demanded.
“They’re here to listen to what I was getting ready to share with my neighbors. Have a seat, gentlemen.” Reid pointed to the front row.
“We don’t have time for this.” Holbrook moved to snatch the stack of papers off the podium that Reid was getting ready to read from but he wasn’t fast enough.
“As I said, have a seat. Believe me, you aren’t going anywhere.” None of the men sat, which didn’t really surprise me. “Where was I? Oh, yeah, it seems the Transportation Committee was never interested in building an expansion road. In fact, they weren’t interested in our property at all.”
“That it not true!” Holbrook bellowed.
Reid went over each carefully documented piece of information while Paris and Ellie passed out copies so that the landowners all had their own set. Every so many sentences, Johnson would protest, but it was the councilman who appeared to turn a putrid shade of green. “You see, Johnson Holbrook was after phosphate, he was looking at finding several large, key areas that he could obtain and then muscle the other residents into moving out. This would leave it clear for him to buy and then combine once the owners moved out, I believe that he was banking on this. You all have copies from the tests performed by the geophysicist he hired. Not only did Mr. Holbrook trespass and conduct testing on our properties without authorization but also he damaged the Kellys’ land and left it in such a state that it could have killed someone. Unfortunately, Holland Kelly came across it and fell in, and she is very lucky to have survived the experience.” When Reid was finished, he looked over to Braden.
“Johnson Holbrook, you’re under arrest for culpable negligence, you have the right to remain silent . . .” Braden went through his spiel. It seemed that Braden was adding on several counts of trespassing as well. “Oh, and FYI, the DA’s office already has all of this paperwork, I’m just taking you in for the basics, so I would think he will have more charges for you very soon. I think someone mentioned fraud, impersonation with the intent to gain advantage—”
“I didn’t impersonate anyone.”
“Actually, you did. You impersonated being a state appointed contractor to try to seize property.”
I smiled because Michael and the councilman were being cuffed as well.
Call me a bitch, go ahead, do it.
I stood and clapped as Braden and the other officers escorted the three men out the door. Thankfully, Ellie joined in. I glanced over at Reid, who was shaking his head.
We stood around talking to the ranchers as they shared their thanks and said goodnight. “You ready to go home, Tiger?”
I nodded.
It was only a ten-minute ride, but even that, Reid had to hold my hand the entire way. After he pulled into his garage, he climbed out and came around to my side to help me down. For the most part, I was getting around fine, but I still hurt getting up or out of his truck. And he refused to let me drive since the strap of the safety belt rested on my right side. In all truthfulness, I wasn’t sure that I could drive yet, so I didn’t give him a hard time about it.
We had just plopped down on the sofa in the sunroom when Ellie came in and sat on the edge of the coffee table. “Can I talk with you both?”
Reid grabbed the remote and turned the television off. “Sure, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, really.” She reached forward and patted Reid’s knee. “It’s actually Holland who I want to talk with.”
“Okay?” I was surprised. We had always got along but we weren’t the chatty sort of friends. “What can I do for you?”
“I love that you’re staying here, and I truly, truly hope that you move in.” Ellie leaned forward and grabbed hold of my hand and squeezed.
“I like where this is going.”
“I’m not sure if you’ve talked about it at all?”
“No, we haven’t.” I looked up at Reid, wondering where in the hell Ellie was going with this.
She squeezed my hand again. “I’m not in a hurry, I just want to put this out there . . .
”
“Okay?” I was a little scared of whatever she was about to say.
“When you two do get to that point, can I move into your apartment?” I burst out laughing. “Don’t laugh, I’m serious. Syd lives in our apartment and yours is so cute. I don’t want to move too far away since all of you are here and the closest apartments are near the university . . . yuck. Don’t want to be surrounded by college kids, not to mention, where would I park my grooming van?”
“Ellie, I’m not sure you’ve really paid close attention to my apartment, it is tiny, minuscule.” I pinched my index finger and thumb closer together.
“Let me rephrase that, I don’t want to hear you two or see you two in any stage of private activity.” Ellie covered her ears and then her eyes with her hands.
I let out a laugh. “Okay, when that time comes, if I decide to move out of my apartment”—I wasn’t going to say move in here because Reid had gotten very quiet—“you will be the first person I call.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Ellie stood.
“Is that all?”
“Yep. I’m heading out.” She waved and was gone.
“Not a bad idea.” Reid pulled my head over and kissed the top.
“What? Ellie moving into my apartment when I move out?”
“You moving in here. I’d love to have you all the time.”
“Slow down there, buddy.”
Reid brought his mouth to mine, and I smiled against his lips. Okay, maybe it won’t be such a long time away after all.
Chapter Twenty-One
Holland
Early May just a few months later . . .
“Get me out of here,” I whispered into the phone. “I think that I just saw Scarlett.”
“Scarlett who?” London asked.
“Scarlett fucking O’Hara, or maybe it was Audrey in that movie My Fair Lady. You know with the big hats?”
London laughed. “Yeah, I know, Eliza Doolittle. Just don’t shout for the horse to move his blooming ass like she did.”
“Umm, that would be arse, they were in England, after all,” I corrected her.
“Just remember you’re in Kentucky and trying to make a good impression on Reid’s family, don’t make them think we are a bunch of hicks, please.”
“I promise not to eat dessert with my salad fork, but only if I can remember which fork is the salad fork so I can avoid using it. Oh, never mind, I just won’t eat anything. Problem solved.”
“Calm down, you’ll be fine! Now, go. Be good and have fun.”
I disconnected and made my way back over to Reid, who slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him.
“Are you okay, Tiger?”
“Yeah, fine, just anxious to get this over with.”
“Come on. My family isn’t that bad.”
I took a deep breath and Reid pushed open a door, a bell chimed overhead, and a woman wearing an extravagant hat greeted us, “Welcome to Steeplechase, have a drink. Let me know if I can be of help.” She held out two champagne flutes.
“Thank you, we’re meeting the Brooks party,” Reid said as he took the glasses and handed me one.
“They’re in the back.”
“What is this?” I asked the woman.
“It’s a mint julep.” I could just hear the words the woman didn’t say—don’t you know anything, darling?
“Oh, a salad and a drink.” I took a sip and tried to avoid all the green leafy shit they had tossed in. I glanced up at Reid, and he was fighting to hold back a grin.
“Like it?”
I shook my head. He took it from me.
“Me neither.” As we walked to the back of the store, he set it on a table we passed. Reid pulled back a curtain to a private area, and everyone shouted.
“Reid, you’re here.”
I glanced around at the women sitting on large poofs. There were several small rooms off to the sides and a large dais in the center of five mirrors that made an open pentagon. When he said that his mother and sisters were picking up their Derby dresses, he wasn’t lying, there were dresses everywhere. I imagine this what backstage of a beauty pageant must look like. Just then one of the doors to a small room opened and out walked Ellie.
“You’re here, thank god.” She ran to me and then gripped me into a tight hug.
“What am I doing here? I don’t fit in.”
“It’s one weekend a year, I promise. Reid loves race weekend so you’re doing it for him.” I nodded because I would do anything for him. “I picked out several dresses that I thought would look great on you. Sharlene”—Ellie pointed to a tall thin woman”—“promised mother that she would have it altered in time.”
“We’re so fortunate to have Sharlene as a friend, she is a miracle worker. She always makes a few extra dresses just in case there are any last minute emergencies or attendees.” The woman, who I assumed was Reid’s mother, smiled brightly as she held out her hand. “You must be Holland, I’m Sutton, Reid’s mother.” She kept her hands on my shoulders but turned to Reid. “Reid, she is just adorable.”
Oh, great, I was now the equivalent of a puppy. I met Ellie’s eyes, and she was fighting to hold back a grin.
“That is Lennon, Reid’s older sister.” Reid’s mother said, gesturing to the woman on the far left poof before waving to the next. “That is Elizabeth, she’s married to Adler, our oldest son, and the stunning woman over there is Apple, she’s married to Cooper, he’s just a year older than Reid.” Reid’s mother leaned in and whispered, “Yes, her name is Apple.”
I gave a slight wave to all of them.
“Enough chatting, let’s get dresses on.” Ellie placed her hands on Reid. “Go. We will meet you for dinner.”
I glanced at Reid, who just leaned a bit closer and whispered, “Yeah, I owe you, I know, you’re going to make me pay for this.”
“Damn straight,” I whispered back.
“I can’t wait.” He ever so slowly moved his hand to my butt and pinched. I wanted to say something, but my mouth would probably give his mother a heart attack.
“So, Holland, let us see the ring,” Apple practically squealed. I was going to have a hard time getting used to people saying that but I held out my left hand and showed off the one-carat simple round solitaire, it wasn’t fancy, it was perfect.
“That’s nice, that’s real nice,” Apple murmured. “But the proposal, that was elaborate, wasn’t it?”
“Well, I was in his stable to see one of his horses that I’d grown attached to.”
“He proposed in the stables?” She looked a bit appalled by the idea. “A horse?”
“Yes.” I glanced over at Ellie and she was just smiling wide, so I continued, “He’d told me that he needed to talk to me about Hightower, but when I got there, he wasn’t around. When I got near Hightower’s stall, I saw an envelope pinned around his neck. I pulled it off, and saw that it was addressed to Holland Brooks.” Reid’s mother let out a gasp, Apple’s face was scrunched in disgust, and Elizabeth looked puzzled. “I turned to go find him and ask what it was about and there he was, on one knee with my perfect ring. He asked me to marry him, and after I said yes, he told me that he’d bought Hightower for me.”
“A horse? Wouldn’t you rather go on a trip or something?” Apple asked.
“No.” I shook my head.
Reid’s mother put one arm around Apple’s shoulders. “Apple, not everyone wants to travel or shop or cares about designers and fashion.”
“They should.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Okay, let’s get on with the dresses. We’ve already hung several outfits for you in the first dressing room,” Reid’s mom said.
I opened the door and was dumbfounded. “Why so many?”
“You’ll need a different outfit for each event plus a variety of hats. We have the Barnstable Brown Gala, the Unbridled, the Fillies and Lillies . . .”
I cringed but walked inside as I reminded myself that I would do anything for Reid. The
room looked like Dylan’s Candy Bar, there were dresses in bubble-gum pink, puffy stuff that was as fluffy as cotton candy, and hats with pieces of ribbon in a variety of colors like fruit roll-ups. That queasy feeling hit me again, but it wasn’t from thinking about Reid this time, no it was pure nausea at the thought of me wearing this stuff. I wasn’t a girly girl. I’d never even worn heels taller than the ones on my cowboy boots.
“You ready in there?” Reid’s mother called through the door.
“Not yet.” I pulled off my clothes and grabbed the first dress I saw, which was a muted purple one with blue-gray undertones. I slipped it over my head and gasped, this was a hard no.
“I heard you gasp, is that a good gasp?”
“No. I can’t wear this, it’s too revealing.”
“Open the door and let us see.” Reid’s mother had that I-won’t-take-no-for-an-answer tone, so I pulled the door open. The group let out oohs and aahs right before my veto on the dress was overturned.
Great.
Dress after dress, we went through the same routine. I would put it on, they would demand to see it, and then Sharlene would mark it up for alterations. When all was said and done, I had six dresses, sit hats, and six pairs of kitten heels that everyone promised even a toddler could walk in.
Each outfit was carefully hung up in a garment bag and all coordinating pieces put with it. The name of the event that I was supposed to wear it was clearly labeled. It didn’t take long for his family to realize that I didn’t retain information about stuff like that. I would much rather be in the stables.
On Saturday morning of race day, the guys left, and Ellie and I got ready in her room. “You think that I can get away with wearing these?” I held up a brand new pair of Corral cowboy boots. “Look how girly they are. They have all this creamy lace and they have a pointy toe.”
Steadfast (Iron Horse Book 3) Page 14