Dirty Stepbrother

by Alycia Taylor

  “That’s what Roger said when I showed him the horses. Didn’t you know?”

  She shook her head. Her eyes had grown large. “No, I didn’t know that.”

  “What’s the problem? I thought you rode horses all the time.”

  “I do. I just, well, they’re different from these ones. That’s all.”

  I laughed. “They’re different from these ones? What do you mean? How exactly are your horses different from mine?”

  “They just are.”

  I heaved an exasperated sigh. “Why won’t you just be honest about it?”

  “Be honest about what?”

  “The fact that you have no idea what you’re talking about. The fact that you are petrified to even touch a horse.”

  “That’s not true.”

  I sighed. “Really? Look, Sloan, you’re like a deer in the headlights here. Not only are you scared to be around horses, but your accent is completely wrong. If you’re going to pull this off, then you’re going to have to try a little harder. And lying about what you can and can’t do isn’t going to get you there. There’s no point in having a fancy Yale education if you can’t even survive a day in the country.”

  Her hands were on her hips now. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to look threatening, but it certainly wasn’t working. “I have a terrible accent? So you did hear me practicing out there. And fine. If you know so much about everything, then why don’t you teach me? Isn’t that what your job is? Aren’t you supposed to do what we ask?”

  “My job is to work on the ranch. My job is not to run after you. Anyway, there’s no point teaching the unteachable. Let’s be honest here; there’s not much hope for someone like you. You’re a city girl, through and through. And you wash your clothes,” I added in a western accent. “You don’t warsh them.”

  “You’re the most infuriating man I’ve ever met. But if you really knew so much about it all, you’d show me what to do. Clearly, you don’t know anything at all. If you were really so great, you’d teach me. And anyway, from what I’ve heard, that is your job while we’re here.”

  She stormed off, and I sighed. I patted Betty on the head and whispered to her. “Horses are so much better than humans.”

  I stayed in the barn for the next hour, cleaning and getting it ready. The moment I finished, I saw Harold, who called me over.

  “Hey, Brady. How’s it going?”

  I wanted to tell him how terrible things were and how much I hated working with these people. But Harold was still so happy, and I couldn’t bring myself to burst his bubble. Not only that, but he was my boss and I had to listen to what he had to say.

  “It’s going well,” I lied.

  “I think so too. Listen, Sloan came to talk to me a little while ago.”

  Uh oh! I thought. I figured he was going to tell me that Sloan had told him about our conversation in the barn.

  “Oh yeah? About what?” I said as casually as possible.

  “Well, she’s asked for help with the horses. She wants to learn as much as possible, and has specifically requested that you help her. Isn’t that nice? Sweet girl, that one. I told her that you wouldn’t mind at all. She’ll be here at around eight tomorrow morning.”

  I could easily imagine her batting her long eyelashes at Harold. I felt annoyed that she’d gone behind my back with something like this. Clearly this girl was out to get me. Fine, if she wanted to come out and make a fool of herself in front of me, I wasn’t going to stop her.

  “Sure. I’ll be there,” I said.

  Chapter Eight

  Sloan

  I set my alarm for seven that morning, figuring it would give me enough time to get ready and make my way to the farm to see Brady. Harold had told me to get there by eight but I highly doubted that I would even be there by nine. I didn’t think it would matter either way. Brady could wait. And I was sure he wouldn’t be there as early as eight, anyway. When my alarm went off, I took my time getting out of bed. They’d put us in a quaint hotel, more of a guesthouse really, but it was nothing like my apartment in New York, which I was starting to miss more and more each day. I couldn’t wait to be back in that bed again. I had plans for spending an entire day there, just stretching out and enjoying the space. When I finally got out of bed, I made some coffee and enjoyed some muesli and yogurt. I’d insisted on having a small fridge to keep my food in, and they’d happily obliged. What hotel didn’t give their guests a fridge? It was madness. After the breakfast, I hopped in the shower and then contemplated what I was going to wear for the day.

  I’d brought more than enough clothes to last me for at least two months, as I didn’t want to be seen wearing the same thing every day. I thought about how smug Brady had been when I last saw him, and I decided that I was finally going to show him a thing or two about who he was dealing with. I grinned when I thought of the outfit that I was going to wear. It was a tight black dress, with a neckline that was just low enough to give someone a hint of what was below. I’d been told before that the dress caused men to go crazy when they saw me in it. And while Brady wasn’t exactly like most people I knew, he was still a red-blooded male.

  I squeezed into the dress and decided to wear black boots with it. It wasn’t what I’d usually pair it with, but I didn’t feel like listening to him about how my heels weren’t right for the dirt. I put them on and looked in the mirror. The boots, as it turned out, looked incredible with the dress. I looked at the time. It was now quarter to nine, which I decided left just enough time to work on my hair and makeup. My hair was long and blonde, and a little bit too much for the Wyoming heat. So, I straightened it and put it up into a high ponytail, so that it would sway back and forth when I walked. I put on some foundation, added a bit of color to my cheeks, and then began working on my eyes and lips. By the time I was done, it was quarter to ten, and I looked incredible. I walked downstairs and asked the lady at reception if she could get a driver for me.

  “Of course,” she said. She called the driver and told me that he’d be there in a few minutes. Then she looked at me breathlessly. “You look incredible,” she said.

  I smiled at her. That was exactly the type of reaction I was hoping to get from people. I thanked her and made my way outside to wait for the car.

  The driver, a youngish man with a long beard, barely looked at me. Which, in contrast to the receptionist, was not the reaction I was looking for. I figured he was just having a bad day.

  When we got to the ranch, it was just after ten in the morning, and I was looking forward to spending a day showing off in front of Brady.

  I made my way to the ranch, marveling at how much easier it was with boots on, and found Brady sitting in the barn again. For a few seconds, he didn’t see me standing there, and I watched in amazement as he kissed the horse. It was a rare moment of love and kindness that I hadn’t seen in him before, and I had to admit that it suited him. He was actually a very attractive man when he let his guard down. But when he turned around and scowled at me, I took it all back. He was also an incredibly frustrating man.

  “You were supposed to be here at eight,” he said.

  “Don’t I even get a hello?”

  “Why are you two hours late? Did something happen?”

  “Well, no. But I thought eight just seemed a bit early. I didn’t expect you to actually be here, to be honest.”

  He laughed. “Typical,” he muttered under his breath.

  “Well, what time did you get here?” I asked.

  “I’ve been here since six.”

  “Six? What on earth for? Are you crazy?”

  He shook his head. “No, I’m not crazy. Do you know how hot it gets here? The middle of the day is a scorcher. I get here early to get some work done before it gets too hot. Also, the earlier it is, the better it is for me to teach you how to ride the horses. Trust me; you’re not going to want to do that in the heat.”

  “Oh, so you were going to teach me?” I teased.

  “Like you said,” h
e mumbled, “I’m here at your service.”

  “Well, I’m sorry about that. I didn’t think you’d be here. Eight seemed early to me.”

  “I’m sure it was. What are you wearing, anyway? I thought you wanted to learn how to ride horses today. Isn’t that what we were supposed to be doing?”

  “Well, yes.”

  “So, why are you wearing a dress? You look like you’re going to a nightclub. This is a ranch, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  I felt the color rise to my face. So much for impressing him with my outfit. If he didn’t like this one, then I wasn’t sure what he’d like. Maybe he’s just not into girls.

  “I know I’m at a ranch. I just thought you were going to show me what you do. I didn’t think we’d actually go riding.”

  “What? Are you serious? How are you supposed to learn how to ride a horse if you don’t actually get on one? Are you for real?”

  “You don’t have to be so mean about it,” I said. I couldn’t believe this guy. I wasn’t sure what I had even done to make him so angry. I shook my head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.”

  “Look, Sloan, I promised you that I would teach you how to ride horses. And I’m a man of my word. But I can’t teach you if you’re dressed like that. And it’s already getting late. So, why don’t you just go on for now and come back tomorrow?”

  “You want me to leave?”

  “Yeah, there’s nothing I can show you today. And if you go change clothes and come back it’s just going to be too late for us to do anything. Just come back tomorrow and wear something a bit more sensible. Think about the fact that you’re going to be climbing onto a horse. Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty in. I realize that you probably don’t own anything like that, but do your best. And be here at eight tomorrow. If you’re not, then I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to get someone else to help you. I will help you tomorrow, but only if you stick to those rules.”

  I stared at him. A million thoughts and insults were running through my head, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I was too angry, and I was close to tears. The last thing I wanted was for this man to see me crying. He already thought I was an idiot and crying in front of him would only make things worse. I turned around and walked away. I thought he’d call after me, but he didn’t. I couldn’t believe that I’d spent my entire morning trying to look nice for this man. Why did I even care? What a waste of my time and energy that was.

  I stormed back to the car and saw the owner of the farm. He had just parked his car next to mine and waved me over.

  “Oh, hi, Sloan,” he said. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

  I shot him a grateful smile. At least he was a man that could appreciate my effort. “Thank you, Harry.”

  “It’s Harold,” he said.

  “Sorry, Harold. I knew that. I’m just having a bad day.”

  “What’s wrong? I thought you had a lesson with Brady today?”

  “Yeah, I did. Well, I was supposed to at least. But he told me to go home and come back tomorrow wearing something more sensible. And he wasn’t happy that I got here so late. It wasn’t even that late, but according to him, it was unacceptable. But what do I know? I’m just a girl from New York who is trying to figure things out. I don’t want to look like a fool in front of the whole world, and I’m just trying to learn the most that I can. But he’s not making it easy.”

  Harold chuckled. “Ah, he’s not a bad kid. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that Brady is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He’s just an old cowboy with a good heart. He just doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, that’s all. And he’s not used to changes. This whole production thing has really rattled him. But he’s not a bad person at all.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that. He hadn’t exactly been very nice to me since I’d arrived. “He’s a very closed off man, isn’t he?”

  “Oh, that’s for sure. He likes to keep to himself.”

  “Did something happen to him when he was younger to make him like that?” I asked. I wasn’t sure why I was even asking, but I was still quite curious about this angry cowboy that seemed to hate me.

  Harold shrugged. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about his past at all. It’s something that he’s very closed off about. He doesn’t like to talk about it. All I know is that he’s a very good man and the hardest working person I know. I couldn’t ask for anyone better working for me.”

  “Hmm, well, he certainly hides it well,” I said. “Anyway, I’m going to go back and spend the day practicing my lines. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  I wasn’t even sure why I had decided to come back the following day. Maybe it was because I really needed the lessons for the role. Or perhaps I just wanted to prove to him that I could do it. I wasn’t sure. The only thing I did know was that I was going to be there.

  Chapter Nine

  Brady

  As usual, I was at the ranch early the following morning. Sunday was usually the one day that I didn’t come into work, but I didn’t mind. I liked being there without all the other workers around. I knew that only a few workers came in on a Sunday, and most of them would only start coming in later. It was nice to have the place to myself.

  I highly doubted that Sloan was going to show up that morning. First of all, eight was just too early for a woman like her. And second, she didn’t seem happy with me when I called her out for her impractical outfit. Perhaps I had actually been a bit too harsh on her, but I couldn’t help myself. What was she thinking, coming for horseback lessons dressed in such a tight dress? So far, she didn’t seem to care about anything other than herself. And why should I be the one that helps her to do well in her role as a cowgirl? It wasn’t really fair that the whole world would watch her in the movie and think of her as this incredibly down-to-earth person, when really she was just the opposite.

  I had to force myself to stop thinking about her and how much she annoyed me. I spent some time working in the barn and making sure that everything was ready just in case she didn’t show up. I would give her until five minutes past eight. And if she didn’t arrive, then I would take Betty out for a ride by myself. It had been a while since I’d taken her out, especially with so much going on at the farm at the moment. And I was looking forward to spending some time with her. I walked up to her and kissed her. “My favorite girl,” I whispered.

  I was just about to do some more work when I heard a noise outside. I looked at my watch and saw that it was only seven thirty. It obviously couldn’t be Sloan. Perhaps it was Grant coming for a visit like he’d promised, or maybe it was Harold. I dropped what I was doing and headed outside to investigate the source of the sound.

  I walked out of the barn and turned the corner. I was wrong. It wasn’t Grant or Harold—it was Sloan. She was half an hour early and was dressed in the most casual clothes I’d seen her in so far. Granted, they were still better clothes than most people in this town wore, but they were at least comfortable and suitable for horseback riding. She was wearing light blue jeans, a dark green shirt, and boots. And as I realized when I got closer, she had no makeup on. For the first time since meeting her, I thought that she could actually pull off being a cowgirl. Also, she looked far more beautiful like this than she did when she dressed to show off. But I wasn’t going to tell her that. She didn’t need a bigger head than she already had.

  I nodded at her. “Seven thirty; this is impressive.”

  She smiled. “And I’ll admit, it wasn’t easy. But I’m here.”

  “You’re here. So, seeing as though you’re so early, would you like a cup of coffee? I was just about to get one myself.”

  She beamed. I wanted to tell her that she should smile like that more often. There was a big difference in a smile that reached her eyes comapred to the usual grimace she showed me.

  “I would love a cup of coffee. Thank you,” she said gratefully.

  “Sure. Be right back,” I said.

  I made my wa
y over to the kitchen, heated two cups of coffee that I’d already brewed when I’d arrived, and walked back to give her a cup.

  She took a sip and smiled. “This is amazing.”

  “Thanks. I couldn’t live without my coffee,” I said.

  “Really? I didn’t peg you for a coffee man.”

  I laughed. “I’m useless without caffeine. I love coffee. I grind my own beans and all. I’m a bit of a coffee snob, I’ll have you know.”

  I quickly took a sip of my coffee and berated myself for talking so much. I wasn’t usually such a big talker. I think I was just still so surprised to see her standing in front of me so early in the morning that I forgot to be mad at her.

  “Life without coffee is no life at all,” she said and grinned.

  “Well, drink up. We have a busy morning ahead of us.”

  “Yes sir,” she said.

  After the coffee, we got to work with the horses. I spent some showing her how to talk to them, and focused mostly on Betty because I knew that she was used to being around people.

  “Betty is a great starting horse. She’s good with people. Now, the most important thing that you have to realize is that horses demand respect and love just in the same way as a human would. If you treat them badly, they will respond badly back. You have to show them that you care for them and that you mean them no harm. Always be gentle with them. And rule number one: never stand behind a horse.”

  “Why not?” she asked. I glanced at her and was surprised to find that she seemed genuinely interested in finding out more.

  “Well, if you’re behind them they are going to think that you are up to no good. They might get a fright and react badly without meaning to. And the last thing you want to have happen is to be kicked in the face by a horse.”

  She pulled a face, “Ouch. Yeah, I don’t want that to happen. Okay then, duly noted.”

  “Good, now I want you to reach out and touch her. Just gently.”

  “Uh, do I have to?”

  I laughed. “Sloan, you have to. Come on,” I said. I took her hand and gently put it on the side of Betty’s face. Her hands were soft and small inside mine, and as she touched Betty’s fur, she grinned.