Get the situation with the woman taken care of NOW!
My mother was not a “situation,” and if I had had any doubts before about proceeding, that all fell to the wayside in that moment.
“Ford!” Archer shouted again and I dropped the paper back on my bed as I piled the rest of the contents in neatly then placed it on the desk.
I hoped that Brent would come through, but I looked forward to the reading material ahead of me.
Just as Archer finished loading up our plates, Link, Chance, and Rylan, came through the door. Though my other brothers rented an apartment next door, we all took turns cooking meals.
It was strange, none of us were blood-related, with the exception of me and Tyler who were cousins, but we were closer than most families I knew. We always had each other’s back. Maybe it was because we’d all seen the worst in people, or maybe it was because we were grateful for the love Tracy and Adam had given us, but for whatever reason, we knew that we would always be there for each other, no matter what. Which made keeping my secret harder. I told them everything, just as they did the same. We had no secrets in our brotherhood. The guilt was nipping away, day by day, but I couldn’t tell them. Not yet. Not until I had everything in line.
Together we gathered around the oversized dining table capable of seating ten, but only having chairs for eight. We were large men that liked our space and made sure to keep a chair for Tracy and Tyler whenever they stopped by. Chance and Rylan had a matching set at their apartment. It took up a lot of space in the living room, but somehow Tracy made it work when she helped us set it all up last year.
A television played the news in the background and I could see a clip related to politics rolling across the screen. My hand subconsciously tightened around the neck of the fork I was holding.
“Alright, kids, how was everyone’s first day of school?” Link asked as he reached for a piece of garlic bread, breaking my stare from the television. Link was the oldest, and since Adam’s passing, he took it upon himself to carry the father-type role, even though he was only a few years older than any of us.
Instead of answering, Archer chucked a balled-up napkin in his direction. Link swatted it away as he took a hefty bite from his bread.
“Heard someone had a run-in with a pretty blonde at the econ building café this morning,” Chance said as he slurped his noodles into his mouth.
“Heard that, too,” Archer replied as he pointed at me with the prongs of his fork. “Also heard that you bought her drink.”
I knew people in the café would talk, but I didn’t expect the third degree from my brothers.
“What are you implying?” I asked as I scooped some pasta sauce onto my noodles and took a piece of bread, wishing this conversation would end.
“I’m just telling you what I heard. We’ve never known you to be interested in a girl. Bed them? Sure. But buy them a drink? No way,” Rylan piped in.
“I’m not interested and I didn’t buy her a drink just because. I knew it would piss her off to buy it, that’s all. And if you must know she dumped my drink in the trash can before she ceremoniously flipped me off as she left.”
Nothing but silence met my ears. My brothers stared at me with a mix of confusion, awe, and surprise as I took another large bite of spaghetti.
As if a light bulb went off in Link’s head, he smiled. And it wasn’t just any smile. It was one of those wicked smiles that grew by the second and usually ended with one of us getting into heaps of trouble.
“You like her.”
My head had never spun so quickly as I turned toward him. “I can’t fucking stand her. First, she bitched at me in the stairwell when I didn’t pick up her luggage that she had dropped and knocked into me with. Then she took my seat in class. MY FUCKING SEAT!” I shouted. “She has a stick lodged so far in her ass that I don’t even think doctors could remove it.” My chest moved up and down as I seethed in my seat. Long gone was my appetite at remembering the witch living above us.
“Yep, he likes her,” Archer said, then the other brothers chimed in with their agreements.
Standing from my seat at the table, I grabbed my plate and made my way toward the trash can. “Fuck you all,” I said as I left them at the table and locked myself in my bedroom.
I had far better things to do than think about Jolee Ward and the evil she was concocting above me.
Chapter Five – Jolee
Sunshine beamed through the window, bathing my room in a soft glow. I had stayed late into the night at the animal shelter with one of their new arrivals. The abused puppy was skittish of any human that came near him - any human except me. We instantly bonded and I was the only one that could calm him down. If we were allowed to have pets, I definitely would have brought him home.
But even though I was functioning on just a few hours of sleep, I had been looking forward to this day for the last month. It was the Friday before our college fall break. Both Haley and Willow were heading up north to go skiing for the five days. They had invited me, but I’d declined. Not because of my lacking funds, but because I’d miss seeing the animals at the shelter. And I was secretly looking forward to some quiet time in the apartment.
Looking over at my stack of books, I smiled, knowing that I had one last day doing my best to ignore Ford and his lackeys. I’d made sure to get to the economics class before him and it never failed that he walked in right before the professor would lock the door. Ford would stand at the end of my row and claim that I was in his seat, then move into the seat directly behind me, kicking the back of my chair in the process. He reminded me of the naughty boy in kindergarten that would tug on the pretty girl’s pigtails or braids during recess because he secretly liked her. The only difference was that Ford and I couldn’t stand each other. If we were called on in class, we made it a point to counter-argue against the other. It was juvenile, but neither of us could resist it. Even Ford’s harem and wannabes had started joining in.
Thank goodness for Sarah and Keeley. They were the only ones that ever took my side and seemed to be the only other students on campus that would hang out with me, besides Willow and Haley. In my other classes, everyone stayed at least one desk distance from me. At first, I had felt humiliated, but then I stopped caring. There was no reason why any of these students should dislike me, especially if they only based their dislike on Ford’s reaction toward me. So when I’d arrive at classes, I made it a point to put my belongings in those empty chairs. It was my way of showing them that it didn’t bother me anymore.
I no longer stood out in my clothes, using my most recent paycheck to do some damage at Target. It may not have been the luxury items my classmates wore, but they were stylish nonetheless, and I felt more like myself when I wore them.
Glancing at my phone, I noted that I had an hour before I needed to be on campus. Forcing myself out of bed, I rushed through a quick shower and threw on a pair of skinny jeans with a soft gray T-shirt. Twisting my damp hair into a knot at the back of my head, I made my way down the hall toward the kitchen, where I was surprised to find Willow and Haley both standing at the counter with a cup of coffee. Usually, they were barely out of their beds when it was time for class.
“Good morning,” I greeted them as I reached up to grab a mug from the cabinet. I needed my morning sustenance before I could really delve into a conversation. “I’m surprised to see you both up.”
“We told you that most students don’t show up to classes on the Friday before a break. Heck, I think all but one of my classes was cancelled,” Willow said.
Haley took one large gulp of her coffee then rinsed out the cup in the sink before placing it in our dishwasher. Willow did the same, not a minute later.
“We’re going to go ahead and head to the resort. Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” my cousin asked again, the same as she had the last two weeks. My answer never faltered.
“No, I still have to work this afternoon and I have a study group tonight with Sarah and Keeley.�
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“I know, I know. Can’t say that I didn’t try.”
Haley piped in, “Be careful by yourself. And no hanky panky in my bedroom.” We all giggled together and I felt lighter than I had in years. Moving in with Willow was one of the best things I’d done.
“There would have to be a male interested in me for me to even consider any hanky panky,” I added.
“Oh, there are interested boys. But we all know you have your eyes on Ford O’Brien.”
“Haley!” I screeched. “I do not have eyes for Ford. He is the most arrogant and self-centered jerk not only on this campus but the entire planet.”
“One doth protest too much.”
“Willow! Not you, too!”
She simply shrugged her shoulders with a devilish smile and I couldn’t help but reach for one of the dishrags on the counter and toss it in the direction of her face.
“Hey!” she cried out.
“Y’all are supposed to be on my side.”
“We are!” they barked in unison. Willow added, “If it makes you feel better, there isn’t a girl on this campus that hasn’t imagined hooking up with Ford or any of the ridge rogues for that matter. You’re not alone.”
“Except I don’t imagine hooking up with Ford,” I lied. Of course, I had dreamt of kissing him, everywhere, and him returning the favor. It’s actually what I had fantasized about last night. But I didn’t want them to know that or I’d never hear the end of it.
“Look how her cheeks are turning red,” Willow said as she nudged Haley’s arm. “You’re imagining hooking up with him right now, aren’t you, Jolee?”
I could feel my cheeks flame even hotter as Willow called me out. It was precisely what I was doing in my mind and it was going to make seeing Ford today in class even more unbearable.
“Leave her alone, Willow. We need to get on the road if we want to be at the Canadian border by lunchtime.”
“Fine,” Willow replied, her voice sounding defeated. She walked over to me and squeezed her arms around me tightly, Haley repeating the motion after Willow took a step back.
“Be safe,” I told them as they reached for their suitcases.
“You too!” they called out behind them as the door shut at their exit.
Standing in the middle of my kitchen with a warm cup of coffee in my hand, I glanced around the space. I was tempted to skip my classes and veg out on the couch all day until I had to head to work, but a smile slowly grew on my face as I took a sip of my drink. I couldn’t give Ford the satisfaction of being able to sit in my seat. That wouldn’t do at all.
Just as the girls had warned, there were only a handful of students in the classroom by the time the professor locked the door. Keeley and Sarah had made it, but I had to work hard to mask my disappointment at Ford’s lack of arrival.
I had actually been looking forward to seeing him. The daily seat questioning had become routine and now my day felt out of sorts. It was strange not to feel the constant kicking against the back of my seat, a motion I had grown accustomed to. And when the professor asked me a question about the lecture from the day before, the entire class went silent when there was no one to protest against my answer.
I should have known then that my day was going to be hell. By lunch, I had already considered calling out of work and retreating to Canada with my roommates. I had spilled my daily chai tea latte on my bag and a leg of my jeans. I was thankful the hot liquid didn’t burn my leg or ruin my laptop, but I had no time to change before my next class. Good thing no one sat close enough to me to be able to smell the spilled drink on my clothes.
I stopped by the apartment to drop off my bag and damp school supplies before heading into work. Fridays were our short days at the veterinary office, closing at 5 p.m., but I would be there until seven cleaning the cages and completing the weekly inventory. It made me feel good to be helpful since I could only work a few days a week for them.
Dr. Allen greeted me when I arrived through the back entrance. She was still wearing the surgical coverings so I assumed that she had an emergency come in. That was the downfall of being so close to a college town, many of the residents and students didn’t or couldn’t take care of their animals. The animal shelter was another block down the road and they constantly had students dropping off pets that they couldn’t care for, or police bringing in pets that had been left behind.
I quickly went to work cleaning the exam rooms and then the operating room, which took a bit longer than normal, and by the time that I was done, most of their appointments were complete.
Grabbing the food containers, I filled them with the proper amounts for the animals we had on-site. Some were here for surgeries, others for quarantines, and a few were being boarded during the break.
The cats couldn’t have cared less when I placed their appropriate food in their crates, but the dogs started barking and jumping in excitement. Their thrill at having a visitor always gave me the same kind of joy.
One of the dogs continued to lay in the corner, barely lifting his head when I opened his door to place his food inside. He was a large German shepherd that was recovering from hip surgery.
“Hey, big guy,” I said as I knelt down close to him, making sure to let him sniff my hand before I ran my fingers through his thick coat.
“I know you’re not feeling too good, but you should try to eat some food. Don’t tell the others, but I mixed some of the yummy wet food in with it.”
His right ear perked up just a bit and I had no chance at fighting against my smile.
“Come on, if you eat just a little, I’ll see if Dr. Allen can give you some more feel-good juice.”
Nudging the bowl closer to his muzzle, I watched as Hercules lifted himself just a little bit so that he could take a few bites of food. He looked at me with what I imagined were his brows raised gesturing for me to get the feel-good juice that Dr. Allen would insert in his IV.
“Good job, buddy.” Patting his head once more, I let myself out of the cage in search of Dr. Allen.
I found her sitting at her desk, making some notes in the electronic charts.
“I was able to get Hercules to eat some food. Do you think you could give him some more pain medicine? He seems to be hurting a bit.”
She looked surprised at my request and I worried that I had overstepped my boundaries. It wasn’t my job to know what kind of care the animal needed.
“You were able to get him to eat?” she said in astonishment. “We’ve been trying since yesterday morning.”
“Yes, he ate about half of the bowl. He likes a little bit of wet food mixed in.”
“Wow, yes, of course, I’ll get him some pain meds right away. I didn’t want to do it on an empty stomach.”
“Thank you,” I told her and turned to exit the office.
“Jolee?” she called out and my nerves skyrocketed.
Had I done something wrong? Was I in trouble?
“Yes, ma’am?”
Dr. Allen stood from her desk and walked around until she was about a foot away from me.
“You’ve done a really great job since you started working here and we all have noticed. You’re going to run a great animal rescue and sanctuary, let me know if you ever need anything when it gets off the ground, okay?”
I was speechless. When I made calls to see if they were hiring, I had mentioned that my goal was to open a place similar to where I had been working before, but I never imagined that she would remember.
“Wow, thank you. That means. . .that means everything.”
“Now, go and enjoy your weekend.”
“Thank you, Dr. Allen,” I replied as she retreated back behind her desk.
My walk back home felt lighter, as if I was walking on a cloud. Each step felt weightless. By the time I arrived back at my apartment, I only had fifteen minutes until I needed to meet Keeley and Sarah for our study group.
At lightning speed, I changed out of my T-shirt and jeans, opting for a similar outfit that was
clean and didn’t reek of animal fur and spoiled milk from the spilled latte. I untwisted my hair from its knot and let it fall in soft waves around my shoulders. I didn’t need to touch up any makeup because on days when I worked, I went without any. The work in the kennels would have had it melting off my face in record time.
Glancing in my full-length mirror, I took in my appearance. I looked the same, except for my sparkling eyes, which were thanks to Dr. Allen’s compliment, but I felt different. Like I was finally figuring out who I was and who I could be. Not just the girl from Alaska with crazy parents.
I slipped my feet into a pair of flats and placed my bag and purse over my shoulder. Just as I was about to leave the apartment, I realized that I had left my phone in the back pocket of my dirty jeans. But when I went to retrieve it, the plastic and metal lit up and then immediately went black, mocking me in my haste. The battery was dead.
I was running late, so I left my phone on my bed, promising myself that I would charge it when I returned from the library, and I skirted out the door as if my feet were on fire. This time I didn’t even glance at the third floor in my haste to meet Keeley and Sarah.
The library was empty when I arrived except for my two friends sitting at a small corner table, three paper cups placed in front of them.
“Hey,” I called out with a wave, immediately receiving a shushing noise from another student that I hadn’t noticed.
I mouthed, “Sorry,” to him in apology.
“We got you a coffee,” Keeley said as she handed me the extra cup. The warmth of the drink seeped through the paper cup onto my palm and I smiled.
“Thank you. You’re both heading home tonight, right?” The dorms closed during the break, and no one was allowed to stay on campus, which meant that Keeley and Sarah were scheduled to head home.
“Yep. We’re all packed and ready to go. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m actually missing home a bit,” Sarah chimed in with her palm raised against her mouth as she divulged her secret.
Of Boys And Men: An Enemies to Lovers, New Adult College Romance (Ridge Rogues Book 1) Page 5