She did a back stretch, touching her hand to the back of her thighs and all three men tilted their heads to follow the movement that pulled her shirt snugly over her breasts. “Honey, I’ll try to find you a postcard with Dallas on it. I told you I would. How was school? Uh huh, he put gum in your hair again, peanut? Nope, I can get it out. Boys have always been stupid like that. I won’t have to cut it; no, don’t cry. Okay, yup, I love you, too.”
She took a deep breath and bent forward, touching her nose to her knees, her hair brushing over the tops of her boots. “Jackson. I need to talk to you, bro. I know your cast won’t come off for another week. I can bring in the hay but can you help me with the girls when summer starts? Yeah, I can get a couple of the girls to come by and drive y’all places.” Taking another fortifying breath, she whispered, “I could be joining Broken Bronco…”
Brooke was interrupted by loud yells from the young man, obviously her brother, on the other end of the phone. It made the three men chuckle from across the room.
“Jackson. Jackson! Settle down. I can’t leave y’all alone so I’ll have to figure that out. No. You’re not quite sixteen. Because the law doesn’t consider you technically a man if you can’t legally drive a car. Yes, I know how mature you are. You’re totally distracted again. Yes, I said Broken Bronco. Jackson. Please focus, oh god, please focus. I need you to help me figure out if I can say yes.” There was a long pause and rapid speech on the other side of the conversation. “It is not a given, Jackson.”
She walked to the other end of the room and dropped down. The men stood in sync and saw her on her knees on the other side of the large conference table. She was sitting back on her heels and the position pulled her jeans taut over her ass.
“Oh sweet baby Jesus…,” Logan moaned.
“Have mercy…,” Decklan added.
Even Travis softly whistled between his teeth, “Be strong, boys.”
She was whispering fiercely, “Jack, you’re looking at it for me. There’s you and the girls to consider. You have another few months before you can help me with driving and stuff. The hay has to come in. I’ll see what kind of time frame I’ve got to work with.”
Brooke listened for another long pause. “Thanks, Jackson. We’ll talk more when I get back. It can’t be about me, honey. You can’t think like that, Jackson. What they’d want is to know I did what I promised, that I took care of y’all.” The afternoon sun had her hair lit up like spun gold with darker honey shot through it. “I’ll try to make it work. I haven’t thought about performing, haven’t thought further than that ranch, to be honest. Yeah, I know, I love you too, buddy. Don’t get your cast wet, Jack. ‘Kay. See you soon.”
Slipping the phone in her back pocket, Brooke put one foot on the floor and leaned on her knee, staring out the windows for a couple of minutes. She was obviously deep in thought when she whispered, “Sure do miss y’all.” Then she stood and turned to rejoin the men at the other end of the room. “I’d love to be able to have my dreams back, I would. The fact is I have responsibilities, a tight schedule that doesn’t leave room for much else. I don’t see how I’d be able to give you studio time, much less touring. But I sure do appreciate the offer.”
She gave Logan and Decklan a pretty smile, “I’m a big fan. It’s really cool that y’all are from my neck of the woods. The kids at Jackson’s school had a ‘Logan-n-Decklan’ talent show. Your mama was there. I think there are streets named after you now in Broken Bow.” She smiled sadly, “I should head back.”
Travis stepped forward, “Honey, you need to come sit down with us.” He put his hand on her shoulder and guided her to the table, Logan held out her chair. “It doesn’t have to be either/or. I think I can speak for the boys when I say you bring big guns to the table. Multiple instruments, a damn phenomenal voice, and you’re smokin’ hot, sweetheart. Men are gonna pay huge money and drive for hundreds of miles to see you on stage. Logan and Deck have the female demographic tied up. The men will come for you, Brooke.”
She was blushing hot, her lips slightly parted. None of the men could believe there were still women who had the grace to blush. “And you obviously don’t have enough people tellin’ you how pretty you are. That’s gonna change real fast.”
That made her redder and she stammered nervously, “Wow, um, I’m not sure if I should be happy about that. I’m pretty, uh, grounded. Anyway, Mr. Cash…”
“You need to call me Travis, sweetheart.” He might be thirty years older than her but she sure made him miss his youth. He’d have to watch the Bradshaw boys like a hawk with this tempting young woman in the mix.
Brooke took a deep breath. “Okay, then. Travis. I have to bring in the hay. I have cattle to get to auction next week. My sisters, Molly and Rebecca, they’re still little, only six and nine. They have to go to school, they have homework. Jackson broke his wrist when we were fixing the tractor. He’s almost sixteen and he’s struggling in school trying to help me. I’m all they’ve got. I’m it. My…my mama and daddy trusted me to take care of them. I can’t be selfish, sir.”
Logan put his hand on her arm and squeezed gently, “Brooke, don’t you have any other family? No one older than you?” She shook her head. “Damn, honey. You have an awful lot on your plate for someone so young; three kids and a working ranch.”
Her chin came up, “I’ll be eighteen soon. Then I’ll legally be able to become my siblings’ guardian. I’m on probation with the state right now. When Jack broke his wrist, I thought they were going to take them all from me.” Brooke swallowed hard, remembering the terror she’d felt when the social worker had shown up at the ranch with a notebook and a sour look on her face. “Even when it’s legal, I have to be careful or they can snatch them away.”
Decklan watched her intently, knowing they had to do whatever necessary to get her in the band. “What if we could come up with a workable solution for you, would you consider it if we could make it possible?”
Brooke tilted her head with a little chuckle, “Y’all realize there are probably hundreds of women who’d love this chance, right? Hell, you could have a contest. Your popularity would double overnight.”
Logan snorted, “Yeah but we never even considered it until we heard you sing and play. It has to be you, Brooke. If not you, we’ll go on like we have.” An assistant came in with their food and they let her think while they ate. Brooke picked at her food, her brain on overdrive. Both brothers could almost hear the gears racing. After a long while, he told her, “I bet we could come up with a hundred solutions to help you.”
“The tour doesn’t start until summer. Why don’t you let us work up some ideas and we’ll meet you up at your place with Travis in a couple days?” Decklan leaned in close. “Brooke, you’re looking at this all wrong, girl. You think you’re being selfish but it will change all your lives for the better. You’re too talented to spend your life bringing in the hay.”
With a shrug, she said, “I don’t mind working hard. I really don’t. Even when my folks were alive, we all worked hard. There was time for other stuff though. Like cheer, barrel racing, music. I…I’d like to know I could take care of them better. I don’t want them going into the system.” Staring off into space for a long moment, she turned back with a determined expression and nodded, “If you can think of something that will work for my brother and sisters, too, I’ll do whatever y’all need me to.”
They finished eating and she asked them one question after another. How often they toured, how long they generally stayed on the road. When they were recording, what the schedule was like. Logan and Decklan answered her without reservation, being honest with her about the grueling tour schedule and the twenty-hour days they spent in the studio.
After they finished eating, Brooke insisted on cleaning up. When the chairs were pushed back under the table, the two singers led her back to the sound booth and handed her a song to play with them. They’d planned on asking Carrie Underwood or Miranda Lambert to cover it with them. It was one
of the last tracks to finish for the album.
“We’ll go through it once by ourselves so you can get a feel for it. Sound good?” Travis was on the other side of the glass talking to the technicians.
She nodded and sat down at the piano, spreading out the sheets of music. They picked up their guitars and sat on stools to either side of her. Decklan led the first verse, Logan singing backup before they started the chorus together. By the time they started the second verse she had the idea and added piano. Glancing at one another over her head, they were grinning ear to ear. She sang the chorus with them on the third verse then did the woman’s verse of regret before the last chorus. The song drifted away.
“Damn, it comes so naturally to you. That was great, Brooke. Let’s take it from the top.” Logan looked at the control booth and their manager nodded. After playing through it twice more, they nodded to Travis. They played it all the way through, both guitars and piano adding to the richness of the lyrics. When it wrapped, she smiled gently and they asked Travis to play it back.
Her head was tilted and at the end, she said, “You need some mandolin, maybe some fiddle. Want me to lay them down for you?” They raised their brows and nodded. Giving her headphones so she could hear their first version, she was handed a mandolin and played it again. Brooke kept her eyes closed and plucked it, adding the distinctive sounds where she felt they were needed. She did the same with the fiddle and once Travis had what he wanted, the techs laid the instruments over their original and played it through the studio. She smiled at the result.
They came to sit at her sides, facing out from the piano bench. Logan said, “You are very good, Brooke.” She blushed and shrugged. “We’ll work it all out, don’t worry. We’re going to let you get headed back so you aren’t home too late.”
Decklan said, “I’ll help you get your instruments to your car, Logan and Travis will meet us downstairs.” He packed up her guitar while she put away her fiddle. She grabbed a brown backpack off the floor and slung it over her shoulder. “You sure travel light.”
“I used to travel a lot before. For cheer competitions and rodeos, talent shows. My mama was really good about driving me all over creation. I didn’t like her having to wait for me to primp like a damn girl.” Clearing her throat, she added, “They were real good to us while we had them.”
“You’re evidence of that, Brooke. They’d sure be proud of how you’re doing.” He held the door and she slipped past him to the elevator bank. They rode down talking music and celebrities they liked most. He told her he’d been most star-struck by George Strait.
Her breath sucked in suddenly, “I met him at a rodeo in Longview one year. I was twelve and he told me I had the voice of a grown woman, he kissed my cheek. I didn’t wash it for a week.” They were laughing as they stepped into the lobby, Travis and Logan waiting.
Walking her to the parking lot, the three men stared in shock at her black 1942 Dodge bread delivery pickup. She put her stuff inside and smiled at them. “It was my sixteenth birthday present from my dad. He worked on it for over a year. I thought he was doing it for himself.”
Swallowing hard, she managed a watery smile, “When he handed me the keys, I about died. This baby is as smooth as the day she rolled off the showroom floor.” Leaning into the cab, she started the engine and the males groaned in happiness. She shook each of their hands. “I have to get back. Let me know when you need me to meet you.” She pulled a straw cowboy hat off the seat and pulled it on as she climbed into her truck.
“Uh, Brooke, you forgot something, honey.” Travis handed her an envelope and she took it with a curious look.
“You’re still paying me? But I didn’t do anything…”
Logan grinned, “Brooke, you recorded an entire song and played three of the instruments. Not to mention hours of auditioning. Yeah, you did plenty.” Decklan was nodding with a smile.
“Well, thanks then. Thanks so much. I’ll see you guys in a few days if you can figure everything out. If not, no hard feelings. It was worth it to meet y’all and getting to jam together.” They watched her hop into her truck and put on sunglasses. Modern seatbelts had been added by her father and she buckled up as she pulled away.
Decklan said, “I’m going to fall for that girl. I’m serious.”
Logan nodded, “I’m right there with you, man.”
“Don’t y’all play with her. She ain’t one of your toys. There are plenty of women willin’ to give you what you need. She’s gonna be part of your band, the way you make your livin’. Keep it in your fuckin’ pants.” Travis was smiling but serious.
They headed back inside when she was out of sight and went through the audio and video of Brooke’s time with them. “Damn, the camera loves her. We have a ton of work to do today. I’ll run the contracts up to her before the weekend.”
“We’re going, too.” Decklan was staring at Brooke’s image on the screen. “I’d like to see Mama and everybody anyway. I can’t remember the last time we went home for a visit.”
They sat in the conference room and hashed out the details they were going to present to Brooke. “I need to get her a lawyer, make sure she knows we’re not takin’ advantage of her.” The brothers agreed.
Three hours later, Travis’s phone rang and he smiled at Brooke’s number on his caller ID. “Hey there, Brooke…wow, okay, you’re welcome, honey. You just now opened the envelope? Girl, you’re an original, that’s for damn sure. No, it isn’t too much. The single y’all cut today is gonna make shitloads of cash, baby girl. You’ll get a piece of that. Hey, don’t cry, honey. Oh wow. You’re welcome, Brooke. Girl, you earned it. It isn’t a loan or a gift. That’s a paycheck. Alright, honey, we’ll see you in a couple days. Uh huh. Bye now.”
He turned to the men across from him, “I like that girl an awful lot. Don’t screw this up.”
In Idabel, Brooke stared at the check for five thousand dollars made out to her for doing something she loved. And it didn’t give her blisters. Jackson was leaning up against the kitchen island.
“Sis, you have to do this. You know you want to. It’s going to be so good for you, for all of us. We’ll figure it out.”
Staring at her little brother, she whispered, “I can use this to hire a couple of guys to help with the hay, with moving the cows. For the first time in forever, we have options, Jackson. I can’t believe it.”
Unable to help himself, Jackson laughed loudly, “Figures you’d be the one girl on the planet to think about hay. Lord. Come on, I’ll help get the kitchen cleaned up. Be a glamour kitten and wash while I dry.” They worked together, laughing the entire time.
Afterward, she ran upstairs to check on her sleeping sisters and took a quick shower before collapsing on her bed, staring at the check again. Whispering out loud, “Five thousand dollars for one day, oh my god. Maybe I can figure out a way to do this. Maybe it could happen.”
She eventually calmed down enough to sleep, thinking about everything, remembering how she’d felt singing with the brothers.
How it felt to smile into two pairs of laughing green eyes.
Chapter Three
Logan drove his SUV over the rough road leading out to the Kincaid ranch. They’d been in town a couple of days, visiting with their family and generally raising hell. They loved being home because people honestly didn’t give a shit who they were now. Logan was still the kid who got arrested painting the water tower with his initials, Decklan still the one who started a brawl at the homecoming game when a rival player groped his girlfriend.
To these people, they’d always be small town boys, no matter where they went.
The night before, they’d gone to a barbeque and asked some of their old friends about Brooke. One of his cousins had gone to school with her and got out her yearbook. After flipping through several pages, Mindy said, “Here she is at State, that toe-touch right off her flip won it for them. I remember that day. We were in the same grade but she was already on the Varsity squad. Things come rea
l easy to her; she’s just real smart and stuff.”
The men adjusted themselves subtly at the image of Brooke in her cheer uniform doing a mid-air split. Mindy flipped a few more pages. “That was her with her ex-boyfriend Brad at his prom. That guy was a real dick. He was a senior, she was a sophomore. She gave him, you know, and he told the whole football team about how great it was, had pics of her sleeping after that he showed everybody.”
Samuel had been their friend through years of boy scouts and hunting trips. He stepped up behind them, “I still have a copy I got. At first, I kept it because, well, I really liked it. Then my mama found out and asked me how I’d feel if that were Mindy or my sister. Now I keep it in archive to remind me about that. Changed the way I treat women, let me tell you.”
He added carefully, “I’ll show you because it will likely come out at some point if y’all get her to join your band. Can’t imagine how many people have a copy of it.” Taking out his phone, they noted he had it buried pretty deep in his phone’s memory. “There it is. Such a pretty girl and a real sweetheart, too.”
Logan and Decklan stood on either side of his phone and took in the sight of Brooke obviously naked with a hotel bed sheet curled around her tanned lithe body. Her breasts and mound were concealed but her long legs and curve of her hip, one bare shoulder and sculpted arms, her lean torso were clear. Her blond hair was spread around her in a tangle.
Leaning back, they took a deep breath and asked, “What happened when she found out?”
Mindy laughed, “She beat the hell out of him right before a game. One of her friends told her when they were waitin’ for the guys to come out of the tunnel. She threw down her pom-poms and stormed inside the locker room. She beat him down in front of all his friends before kickin’ him in the balls and spittin’ on him.” The little brunette was holding her stomach, “Then she got pissed because she had blood from his broken nose on her uniform. It was fuckin’ priceless. I don’t think she’s dated since, actually. Least not anybody I know.”
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