by Laura Farr
“Man, you’re crazy!” He rubbed his hands around his throat where I’d been holding him. I turned around, leaving him on his knees scrambling to get up. “Guess she’s the latest lay then?” he muttered behind me.
Spinning on my heels, I was back in front of him in seconds. “You don’t know when to shut the hell up do you, Colt?” I warned. “Get out. Go find something else to do before I fire your ass.” Thankfully, he seemed to heed my warning and left without another word.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm down before going back to Quinn. Colt had obviously upset her, and I didn’t want to go back to her angry and worked up. I found her in one of the stalls petting the horse in there.
“Hey, I’m sorry about Colt, he’s a bit heavy-handed. He won’t be bothering you again.” Her hand stilled on Marley’s neck and she looked up at me.
“No. I’m the one who’s sorry. I completely overreacted. He didn’t hurt me. I just freaked out when he touched me. I hope I haven’t gotten him in trouble.”
“He was out of order; I could see him leering all over you. You’ve got every right to be upset. Don’t apologize, Quinn, he’s an asshole. It’s about time someone pulled him up on it. It’s been a long time coming.” She smiled shyly at me before she returned to petting Marley.
“So, you still up for showing me around? What I’ve seen so far has been beautiful.” It didn’t go unnoticed that she’d subtly changed the subject.
“Sure, I’ll just finish off here and we can head out. Do you mind giving me a hand?” I asked, flashing her a smile.
“Of course not. What do you want me to do?” I bent down and picked up Marley’s brush.
“Here, catch.” I tossed her the brush. “Can you finish off brushing Marley? I’ll go fetch someone to finish up what Colt started.” She nodded and fussed Marley on the nose before working the brush over him. Dressed in Savannah’s jeans and a checked shirt, she fit right in on the ranch. Her tight blue jeans hugged her ass and the red shirt was pulled tight across her chest. She looked incredible. It was a dangerous thing, but I was looking forward to spending a couple hours with her, showing her around the ranch. I just had to keep reminding myself she was too young for me. My head was up to speed with that, it was other parts of my body that needed to catch up.
Quinn
Brody was only gone a few minutes. When he returned, there was an older guy with him who carried on with what Colt had been forced to leave.
“Ready then?” he asked me as I finished off brushing Marley.
“I hope I’m doing this right. I have no idea,” I confessed, holding the grooming brush up.
“You can’t really do it wrong. Sav will be grateful; she can’t get out here a lot with the baby due soon.” He took the brush out of my hands and disappeared into a small room at the back of the barn.
“Marley’s Savannah’s horse, right?” I asked as I followed him into the room. He nodded as he put the brush onto one of the shelves.
Looking around, the small room was full of saddles and brushes and what I was guessing was riding equipment. I ran my hand over the smooth leather of one of the saddles, inhaling deeply. The smell was overwhelming, and I found that I loved the scent. Looking up at Brody I saw he was watching me and grinning. “What?” I asked, embarrassed.
“I love the smell too. Nothing quite like it.” He paused. “You ever ridden a horse?”
I laughed, “Nope. Back there in the barn was probably the closest I’ve ever been to one.”
“What? No horses in Westwood then?”
“Well, yeah, I’m sure there were, but horse riding is expensive and my mom couldn’t afford to give me things like that. I knew she couldn’t, so I never asked,” I told him honestly.
“Horse riding is a perk of the job if you work here. What do you say? Do you feel like it?” His eyes sparkled with excitement and I couldn’t help but smile. Riding was obviously something he enjoyed doing and I was excited to give it a go.
“I’d love to, I think my ribs should be okay.”
“Shit! I’d forgotten about your broken ribs.” He paused for a minute and looked around the room. “Got it!” He reached up to one of the higher shelves and grabbed down a huge saddle. “You can ride with me.”
“Ride with you? Like on the same horse?”
“Yep. This is a double saddle. Come on, we’ll take Titan.” He took my hand and pulled me back into the barn, stopping in front of a stall with a beautiful black horse inside.
“I think I’d be okay on my own horse.” If I was honest I was nervous to have to ride so close with him.
“If we’re doing a tour of the ranch, we could be out for a couple hours. I don’t want you to be in pain,” he explained. “If you’re finding it okay, we can switch places and you can ride up front.”
“Okay,” I conceded, nerves swirling in my stomach at the thought of spending two hours alone with Brody. I watched as he saddled up Titan, patting him gently on the neck when he was done. Turning to me, he smiled.
“Ready?” I nodded and followed him as he led Titan outside. “I’ll mount first and then I’ll help you up.” I watched as he mounted Titan, making it look easy. “If you put your left foot in the stirrup and hold on to my arm, I’ll lift you up.” I did as he said and wrapped my hands around the top of his arm. “When I lift you, swing your right leg over Titan. When your ribs are better, I’ll show you how to mount properly. For now, this is going to be the way that hurts the least.”
“Okay,” I mumbled, the muscles in his arms tensing as he lifted me. I swung my leg over the back of Titan like he’d said, landing in the saddle. Pain shot up my side and I gasped, my eyes watering.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice full of concern. He turned in the saddle and rested his hand on my leg, his thumb stroking over the material of my jeans. Unable to answer him, I took a few deep breaths and waited for the pain to subside. After a few seconds, I looked up into his worried eyes.
“I’m okay. It just came a bit sharp that’s all.”
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea? We should wait until you’re better.”
“No, please, Brody. I’m up now. I’m good, I promise.”
“Are you sure?”
“I promise to tell you if it’s too uncomfortable and we can head back.” He looked at me for a few seconds before nodding and turning around.
“You might want to hold on, Quinn,” he said reaching for the reins.
“Hold on to what?” I looked down at either side of the saddle for something to grab hold of.
He chuckled, “Me, sweetheart. Wrap your arms around my waist.” Hesitantly, I snaked my arms around him, my palms coming to rest on his rock-hard stomach. “That’s it. Now, hold on tight.” I gripped his shirt as he gently kicked his boots against Titan, forcing him to move. “I’ll take us up through the rest of the guest accommodation and show you where you’ll be working. Then we’ll go down to the river and you can see where the guests are taken on excursions.”
I nodded behind him, my forehead resting on his back. I could feel a slight twinge in my ribs with each movement, but it was bearable. His hand came to rest over mine and he gently squeezed it. “You can release your death grip on me. You’re safe,” he assured me, amusement evident in his tone.
“Sorry,” I muttered, smoothing down his shirt and resting my hands across his stomach. He smelled so good, a mixture of aftershave and outdoors. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach as his hand remained on top of mine, his other holding the reins. Lifting my head from his back, I looked around. There were about fifteen cabins stretching out as far as I could see, and a smaller version of the ranch house was set amongst them.
Tapping his stomach to get his attention, I asked, “What’s that house?” He turned to look at me before his eyes followed mine. Pulling Titan to a stop, he turned him to
face the house.
“It’s part of the guest accommodation. There are a few rooms we rent out upstairs, and the downstai
rs has been converted into a restaurant.”
“It’s beautiful. It looks just like the ranch house from the outside, but smaller.”
He nodded. “The house used to belong to a neighboring property. When they put their land and house up for sale, my grandparents bought it and extended the retreat. They’d wanted the land for a while as it gave them access to the river.”
“How long have your parents been running it?” I was fascinated to hear the history behind the ranch.
“Pretty much since they got married. Mom came over from England to study at the University of Texas. When she met Dad, she never went home. After they were married, Dad and Gramps ran the ranch together.” He paused, and I waited for him to continue. “When Grams died, Gramps took a bit of a back seat with the day-to-day running. Then he died a few years ago, and they inherited it; that’s when they expanded the place further.”
“Wow, and what about you? Have you always worked here?”
“It’s all I’ve ever known. I love the ranch. Dad wanted me to go to college, but I wasn’t interested. I knew what I wanted to do. I didn’t need to go to college for that.”
“It must have been amazing to be a child on the ranch with so much to explore and do?”
He laughed, his stomach rippling under my hands with the force of his chuckling. “The summers were incredible. No school and endless days of sun. We’d leave the house after breakfast and only come back when it was dark. The three of us had the best time.”
“The three of you?” I asked, intrigued to see who he was talking about.
“Me, Sav, and Josh. His parents worked long hours, and he spent most of his time here. We’d spend hours swimming, fishing, and horse riding.”
“So, Sav and Josh have been together a long time then?”
Brody laughed again. “Not exactly. But it’s girly shit so I’ll let Savannah tell you,” he replied cryptically. He kicked his heels against Titan and he set off in a walk. I clasped my arms around him again, secretly loving that I got to be this close to him, even if it was only for a short time.
Brody
As I kicked my heels against Titan, I felt Quinn’s arms reach back around my waist. Her hands rested on my stomach, and instinctively I brought my own hand to rest over hers. Before I knew what I was doing, my thumb was circling the skin on the back of her hand. I heard her breathing hitch and I couldn’t help smiling, knowing I was having an effect on her. As much as I was enjoying having her body pressed up against mine, her arms wrapped around me, I knew I was in trouble with this girl. I don’t know what possessed me to suggest she ride with me in the first place.
“It’s so beautiful here, Brody,” she said quietly.
“Wait until we get to the river, you’re going to love it.” I squeezed gently on her hand, excited to show her everything. We chatted on and off the rest of the way and I pointed things out to her as we went. Places Sav and I had played as kids, and the lake where Mason had proposed to Lib. As we reached the river I heard Quinn gasp.
“Oh my God, Brody! This is amazing.”
“This is where we bring guests to fly-fish. We offer canoeing, and of course swimming in the summer. Mason, Colt, and Taylor organize all the activities. Though Colt might not have a job after today.” Anger flooded my body as I thought back to him putting his hands on her.
“No, Brody,” she said sharply, her arms falling from around me. I turned to look at her. “You can’t fire Colt. He only grabbed my arm; I just overreacted.”
“He’s a slimy bastard, Quinn.”
“Yeah, he is,” she agreed. “But that’s not a reason to fire him. Promise me you won’t.” I groaned and looked out over the river.
“Why did you overreact?” I was hesitant to ask, not knowing if she’d want to tell me. I felt her stiffen behind me, and I could almost feel the tension radiating off her.
“Sorry, I’m not ready to talk about it yet.” Her voice was quiet, and I nodded reaching my hand back to squeeze her leg.
“But you’ll tell me when you are ready?” I asked, latching on the word yet. I turned my head so I could see her face while I waited for her to answer. The bruising around her eye was now a pale yellow, while the cut on her lip had scabbed over. In a day or so the outward signs someone had hit her would be gone, but I knew the terror of whoever she was running from would stay with her for far longer.
“Yes, I’ll tell you. But you’re not going to like it.” Before I had a chance to respond, she changed the subject. “Do you think we could get off for a bit? My ass has gone numb,” she joked. I held her gaze for a while before conceding that she wasn’t going to tell me anymore.
“Of course. Come on.” I helped her down and saw her wince as her feet touched the ground. “How are the ribs feeling?”
“A little sore, but worth the discomfort to see this.” She gestured with her arm to the view of the river.
“It is beautiful. Even though I see this on almost a daily basis, it never gets old,” I said, looking out toward the river.
“So, what will we be doing next week when I come to work with you?” She’d taken shade under a large tree a little distance from the edge of the river and I followed her. Although it was only early in the year, it was quite warm if you were in the sun, and the heat had been on us for the majority of the ride here.
“I need to check the perimeter fences for any repairs that need doing. It normally takes a couple of days, maybe more if there are a lot of repairs. It’s not very interesting, I’m afraid.”
“If it means I get to see more of the ranch, I can’t wait. Will we be going on the horses?” I could hear the excitement in her voice and I chuckled. I didn’t know anyone who could get excited about checking fences. It was a job I did once a month and was boring as hell. It would be nice to have some company this time though. I couldn’t think of better company than the beautiful blonde in front of me.
“No, sweetheart, we’ll take the truck. The ranch is over a hundred fifty acres. It would take too long on horseback.” She nodded and sat down on the grass under the tree. I heard her stomach rumble, and I laughed. “Hungry, Quinn?”
“A little,” she replied, embarrassed.
I held my hand out to her. “Come on, let’s head back.” She nodded and gave me her hand. I pulled her gently to her feet, conscious of her ribs, and led her back to Titan who was grazing in some long grass. “This is probably going to hurt again,” I warned as I mounted Titan and held my arm down for her. She gave me a small grimace before taking a deep breath and grabbing onto my arm. I lifted her as gently as possible, hearing her take in a sharp breath as she sat in the saddle. “Okay?” I asked turning my head to look at her. She nodded and wound her arms around me. I squeezed my boots against Titan and he set off at a walk.
We chatted easily on the way back and before I knew it we were nearing the old barn. Quinn’s stomach had been rumbling the whole way, and I had enjoyed teasing her about it. “I’ll take you back to the house and tie Titan up, while we have lunch. I’ll put him back in his stall after.”
“Okay. Sounds good. I’m starving.”
We rode back to the house in comfortable silence and once inside found Mom and Savannah making lunch.
“You two have fun?” Savannah asked, a huge grin on her face. “I only see one horse out there?” She was looking out of the kitchen window, to where Titan was tied up.
“We used the double saddle. Quinn’s never been on a horse before, and with her sore ribs, I figured she’d be better riding with me for her first time,” I explained.
“I bet you did! Sounds cozy.” She let out a giggle and I rolled my eyes.
“Savannah, behave!” Mom chastised, and I glared at her as I saw Quinn’s face flush red from the corner of my eye.
“I’m just going to use the bathroom. Excuse me,” Quinn muttered, her eyes avoiding everyone as she scurried out of the room.
“For fuck’s sake, Savannah. Way to scare her off.” I angrily yanked the fridge do
or open and grabbed a soda.
“I’m sorry.”
“Couldn’t you see how uncomfortable she was?”
“I didn’t mean anything by it; I was just winding you up,” she said apologetically. I could tell from her face she was devastated at the thought of upsetting Quinn. I loved Savannah, but sometimes she spoke before she engaged her brain. “Should I go and find her?”
“No, leave her. I’m sure she’ll be back in a minute.” I sighed, taking a swig of my soda.
“You like her, don’t you? That’s why you’re so mad I’m teasing you?”
“Savannah,” I warned.
“Okay. Okay. I’ll stop.” She paused and looked toward the door that Quinn had just left through. “I think she likes you too though, Brode.” I groaned and picked up my sandwich.
“Did you hear a word I said?” I asked her, shaking my head. “I’m going back to work. Tell Quinn I had to go.” I walked over to my mom and I kissed her on the cheek before heading outside.
During our ride, Quinn had told me she was heading into Marble Falls this afternoon with Mom and Sav. I just hoped Savannah didn’t say anything else to upset her.
Quinn
The next couple of weeks passed quickly, and I was finally ready to start cleaning the cabins. The time I’d spent shadowing Brody had been a little awkward. I was meant to spend a week with him, but I’d only managed four days. I made an excuse after the fourth day that I was feeling unwell. Ever since we’d taken Titan out to the river, things had become a little weird. I had no idea what had changed, but there was barely any conversation and I felt like I was in the way when I was with him. Back at the house, Brody would spend most nights either out or in his room. He was avoiding me, and I had no idea why.
As I wasn’t helping out around the ranch yet, I began to feel guilty about living in Claire and Ryan’s house and not contributing. I made sure I cooked a meal for everyone each night, but that still didn’t seem enough. I was desperate to start work so I could pay my way. Convincing Claire and Ryan that I was ready, they’d agreed I could start the following Monday.