Weston Ranch, Fisher's Story

by Stephanie Maddux

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  PUBLISHED BY:

  Ehaven Publishing

  Weston Ranch, Fisher’s Story

  Copyright © 2012 by Stephanie Maddux

  This e-book is license for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given away to other people. Please leave feedback! I am looking for more ways to improve in my writing and story line ideas. If you have comments and ideas, feel free to share. I am always open to suggestions. You will find a link to my email at the end of the book. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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  This is a piece of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. All rights are reserved.

  Thanks to Marie, my Editor

  Thanks to Ellen, my Cover Artist

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  Novella one of a four novella series. This is a stand-alone Novella

  Approximate length: 21k words total/80 print pages

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  Claire moved back home to start her business and to let go of the past.

  Fisher isn't keen on Claire arriving home after six long years of absence.

  She wants something he isn't willing to give.

  He wants something she isn’t ready to handle.

  *****Contains Profanity, Explicit Sexual content, 18+ only******

  Weston Ranch

  Fisher’s Story

  So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains

  And we never even know we have the key.

  The Eagles:

  1974 On the Border album

  Chapter One

  Claire Hicks stepped off the elevator at the Dallas International Airport and breathed a sigh of relief. It had been six years since she left her home state of Texas. Now, having graduated with honors, she was home at last. She worked her ass off for her Master’s degree in Special Education, and now she needed to put the second part of her ambitious plan into motion.

  She maneuvered around the bustling crowd. It was extremely busy at the airport. People were impatiently trying to make their flights as well as the people impatiently trying to get home. Claire walked out of the automatic doors. Her twin sisters were outside already pulled up to the curb, waiting for her.

  "About time your aero-plane landed," Lexie said in her deeply distinguished Texas drawl. Claire smiled at her sisters. Lexie and Maddie, short for Alexandra and Madelyn, were identical in every way, except with their attitude. With her sisters’ help, they loaded her small amount of luggage into a new gleaming black Land Rover. All her other things, including her truck were being delivered, via a moving company, by the end of the week.

  "You glad to be home?" Maddie asked as she swung around the passenger seat to face her.

  "Yes. I’m tired of the cold," Claire said as she leaned into the cold leather seat, exhausted with jet lag. Thankful that her sisters had the air on full blast, it was hot as hell outside. It would take a few days to adjust to the simmering heat.

  "So, what happens now that you are back?" Lexie asked, looking into the rear view mirror, and then pulled away from the curb.

  "I am going to buy some land and open my camp," she answered.

  "You still want to do that after all these years?" Maddie asked.

  "Yep. Bailey, Texas is a lovely place as any. It is away from the city, but close enough for families to drive their children to. It’s not actually a camp, more of a special needs facility that will host camps through the summer and fall.”

  "Well, we will just call it the camp for now, until you figure everything out. The Weston's are selling some of their land if you are interested. Apparently, they are facing some tough times. Although, Fisher stepped in to help earlier this year," Lexie piped up, gaining a glare from her sister.

  "I suppose I can look into their land if I have too," Claire sighed.

  "You would have to deal with Asher," Lexie reminded her.

  Asher Weston was an ex-boyfriend, her high school sweetheart. However, it wasn't Asher she was worried about. It was his older brother Fisher that made her heart race. She had thought he would be in New York still, where he went to make his fortune after college.

  They had an hour ride home from the airport. Lexie and Maddie told her about the current news, gossips, and new businesses that have cropped up over the years. As she listened to them ramble, her minded wondered back to her high school years.

  Asher and she dated for two years before she left for college. Claire could have easily went to Texas A & M like Asher did, but she needed to get as far away from Fisher as soon as she could. Ohio State seemed like a good place to go. She kept in touch with Asher through the years with regular emails, endless phone calls and daily text messages. She would have loved for him to pick her up from the Airport, but he had work to do on the family ranch.

  Besides, it’s been about two years since she’d seen her sisters, having them visit Ohio a few times since she left had worked out great. She’d been home only once in the six years, and it was for her parent’s funeral. They were on vacation in Maui three years ago, when they were involved in a bus accident.

  Her thoughts switched over to his older brother Fisher. Fisher Weston had always made her uncomfortable whenever she was in the same room as him. He watched her like a hawk, never trusted her and disliked that she dated his precious younger brother. Never allowing Asher and her any alone time if he could prevent it, always making his displeasure well known. It didn’t help that she was attracted to him. She even imagined herself in love with him and getting married, having some kids. She shook her head in disgust at her silly teenage dreams.

  "Hey, earth to Claire," Maddie said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

  "We are home, sunshine, ‘bout time too. You are in desperate need of a tan," Lexie chuckled, throwing the Land Rover into park.

  Claire took in the sight of the home their parents left to their three daughters. A two story spacious house, it was white and had dark blue shutters with a warm red door for welcoming guests. It was a lot different from the tiny one bedroom apartment she had in Ohio. It was situated on a fifty acre ranch. The ranch was split up between the three of them. They decided a long time ago to never sell. Since the ranch was across the street from the Weston's, the daughters let the Weston's take a lease out to cultivate their lands. It was one less thing to worry about. They did a superb job keeping the barns and fences in decent shape.

  With the help of her sisters, they got her belongings to her old room, and Maddie and Lexie left her alone so she could catch up on her sleep. The time change would require a slight adjustment. Deciding to unpack later, she took a shower and crawled into her old twin sized bed. The pink flowered comforter felt cool against her hot skin. The ringing of her phone made her get out of bed. She smiled as she recognized the number as it flashed across her screen. Asher would want to know that she got home safely.

  "Hey handsome," she answered cheerfully.

  "Hello beautiful. You home yet?" He asked.

  “Yes, about an hour ago."

  "Good, so I can come over and spy on you like I used too?" His laughter floated through the phone.

  "We are not kids anymore. You can use the front door now," Claire chuckled.

  "Where is the fun of that?" He mocked.

  "It's called the freedom of being an adult," she said.

  "No, it’s called being boring."

  "I’m going to bed Ash, sneak into Maddie's room. She would love that," she said as she smirked to herself.

  "I bet she
would love that. I just wanted to make sure your home," he effectively ended where the conversation was going. “I’ll call you later sweet cheeks,” he said before he hung up.

  She let him go, closed the phone and rolled over to go to sleep. She genuinely loved Asher, but it was more like a brotherly love. They were fooling themselves dating in high school, knowing that each other had deeper feelings for someone else. However, she would never tell Asher that she slept with his brother that weekend he was home from college, and it was the main reason she moved to Ohio.

  Fisher was essentially dragged over here. He had too much shit to do, and didn't have time to welcome Claire back home. He looked at her and noted the subtle changes the last six years have brought. Her face was softer. There was a glow on her cheeks. She looked even more gorgeous now than in high school. Her five-foot, four-inch petite frame was evenly toned, show-casing her curvy figure. She still had her light blonde hair; only it was longer, reaching her mid-back and her baby blue eyes that never failed to turn him on.

  Jesus, he needed to leave. Six years and he still wanted her. He was twenty-nine and too old for this. He stood back and just observed his family interact with Claire and her sisters. Ever since the parent’s death, his parents had taken care of the girls. Maddie and Lexie were the only twins in Bailey, Texas. Claire was the oldest. She was twenty-seven, and they were twenty-four.

  Fisher could clearly remember Claire always following him around when they were little kids, and it continued all through elementary school until he went into the middle school building. He was relieved when she got over her puppy dog crush. Then she started dating Asher in high school. For two years, he walked around with mixed feelings. It was ridiculous and uncomfortable.

  He couldn't remember when he had been so jealous. It happened slowly and painfully, yet he kept silent for two years. He was always polite and distant so she would never find out that he wanted her for himself. He would never betray his brother. Two years of hell for nothing since he ended up in bed with her anyway.

  It was her senior year, and he was home that evening. He couldn't remember where Asher was, but he got a phone call from one of Claire's friends looking for his brother. Claire was drunk and needed picked up. He did the brotherly thing of course. Pick her up, take her home and leave. If it was only that simple. She pleaded not to take her home to her house; her parents thought she was staying with a friend for the weekend. So, he took her to his apartment he had at the time. She didn’t last long before she passed out. Luckily she didn’t get sick at all. He gallantly undressed her in a completely brotherly fashion and left her alone, tucked in his bed while he took the couch.

  The next morning, she came out wearing one of his football shirts, looking sleepy, tussled up and sexy as hell. He tried, really tired, but when she yawned, stretched up on her toes, his shirt rode above her thighs. All hope was lost. She was his and no one else's. He sobered her up, fed her and washed her clothes. She was adorably embarrassed, and didn't remember how she ended up with him. Bastard that he was, he let her think the worse.

  He spent the next day being the perfect host. He coaxed her into bed that night with very little persuasion. He took her fast and hard, years of frustration making the coupling last a mere five minutes. Naive as she was, she didn’t think anything of the speed of completion. After all, she went to his bed a virgin and emerged a grown woman.

  Asher stepped in front of him bringing him back to the present. "Stop glaring at her! What the hell is your problem?" Asher snapped at him.

  "Sorry Ash, I have shit to do at the ranch before night fall. I also have a conference call to New York," he said.

  "So leave, she'll understand."

  "Yeah, okay. Are you staying much longer?" Fisher needed some fresh air and away from the oh-so tempting Claire Hicks.

  "I want to speak with Claire privately when I can get the chance, but then I am heading out," Asher answered.

  Fisher's gut tightened with unnamed emotion. He knew this day was coming; it was only a matter of time before she came home, but he still wasn't ready. He had the possessive feeling in the pit of his stomach. He’d always had it when it came to her. He would be damned if Asher got in the way again. He clenched his hands into a ball before he realized what he was doing. He desperately needed a distraction.

  "You know what? Never mind. I think I might go out tonight," Fisher snapped.

  "Okay man, later," Asher threw at him as he made his way across the room.

  As he watched Ash make his way to Claire, he made his way to his parents, wishing them a pleasant evening before he left, careful to avoid Claire or her sisters.

  Fisher hauled ass out of there before he could do something dumb, like yank her down on the floor and fuck her brains out. Shit, that was not the mental image that he wanted in his head right now. It didn’t help that he lived two minutes from her house. He prayed to god she wasn’t going to stick around the small town. If Asher had any intention of hooking back up with her, he would kill him. Call him a possessive idiot, but he didn’t care. He slammed the door on the way inside his house and threw himself at the gym equipment in the back room. It was the only thing that could exhaust him at the moment.

  About an hour later, Fisher heard someone driving up his drive way, throwing some cleaner clothes on, he fully expected it to be his parents returning home. He almost bit his lip from all the curses that were flying out of his mouth when he saw Lexie’s Land Rover. He knew full well that it was Claire. Could his day get any worse? He spent an hour getting rid of his sexual frustration, just to have his dick hard again. He counted up to two hundred by the time she got out of her vehicle and sauntered up to his door.

  Chapter Two

  Claire turned the Land Rover down the winding road that would lead to Fisher's house. She needed to talk to him about the land. She was hoping he wasn't going to be an ass to her like he was earlier. Mrs. Weston had gleefully informed her that her husband was officially retired from the ranching business. She would have to talk to Fisher, who now owned the land that she might want. What a mess. She was on the phone for the last hour. No one else had the acreage that she needed for her camp, at least not any land close by. Fisher was the only hope if she wanted to stay in town.

  She had one night with him, and it is going to come back to haunt her with a vengeance. Well two nights, but she didn't remember the first one. Only that she woke up in her panties and bra in his bed with a splitting headache. She recalled the sick shame she felt that morning waking up in a strange place and practically naked in a stranger’s bed. Then, she threw on the closest piece of clothing and walked out of the room to find Fisher was the person that she slept with.

  On one hand, she was relieved. One the other hand, she was outraged. From what Fisher knew, she was dating Asher. Just knowing he would willingly take a brother's girlfriend to bed, made her lose all respect she had for him, not to mention, she lost respect for herself. She wanted him before she left for college, and he gave her the perfect opportunity that weekend. She thought he would realize he felt something for her, but after the second round in bed, he rolled over, got up, threw her a towel and left her there, alone. The sickness she had felt at being used and that she allowed it was too much. Hell, she went half way across the country to get away from it. Six years later, he was still just as cold and remote as that day. She never saw him since, just knew that he went to New York and started up a software company that was now worth millions.

  She shook her head and got out of the vehicle. She hastily made her way to the front porch, her heart beating furiously in her chest. Do not turn around. Just ask and be done with it. She chanted in her head. Fisher was already opening up the front door before she touched the doorbell. The place hadn't changed much, other than the two hundred pound male staring down at her. He was still gorgeous. Tan and built from ranch life. Jet black hair tousled from whatever he was doing, dark green eyes drilling in to her, a faint stubble marking his face. She wanted to jump
him right there in the open, regardless of who would see.

  “I hope you have a legitimate reason to be here Claire. I’m busy," he said, frowning at her, tight-lipped.

  She noticed that he stepped outwards, not bothering to invite her inside.

  “I wanted to talk to you about some of the land you had to sell,” she said cautiously.

  "You want what?" A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.

  "I want to buy fifty acres of land," she said again, faster this time.

  He hesitated before saying, "No."

  "Why not, it’s for sale right?" She pointed out the obvious.

  "I am not selling my land to a little girl who wants to play house." Fisher crossed his arms defiantly.

  Who was he calling a little girl? She was twenty seven years old and had a degree in Special Education. She had waited a long time for this to come together, and she wasn't about to walk away now. She was too damn temperamental, which she was having a hard time keeping in check, looking at Fisher's smug look. She knew she should have brought this up when he was at her house earlier, surrounded by other people, specially other family members that would have an input on her idea. She knew he now owned the ranch and the land that she wanted to buy. It would have been too easy to buy it from his dad.

  "Why?" She asked again.

  "I just told you, Claire. Are you losing your hearing?"

  "Damn it Fisher. Don't do this. You would sell this land to anyone else in a heartbeat, but not me," she said, anger filling her voice. She could feel herself start to shake.

  "You're wrong, sweetheart. I wouldn't sell it to your sisters either. Look, go find another piece of land. I want someone who will actually put it to proper use, not you, who just wants to look at it," he drawled out.