by V. F. Mason
All the time spent drawing made me thirsty, so I went down to grab a bottle of water as quietly as possible. Carter had the ear of a wolf, no joke. Nothing passed by him.
My feet padded softly on the floor as I found the kitchen in the dark. I didn’t expect anyone, so I didn’t bother changing from my pajama shorts and tank top. Without turning on the light, I opened the refrigerator, grabbed the bottle, and turned around to close the door. Just then, a silhouette appeared in front of me. I would have screamed if one hand didn’t close over my mouth.
Finally, my eyes adjusted, recognizing the midnight stranger.
Shane was standing in front of me, shirtless, wearing only sweatpants as his gaze traveled my body. Droplets of water glistened on him, and he smelled of soap and light cologne. The familiarity of it hit me at once.
My body heated, which was an accomplishment given the fact my ass was freezing from standing in front of the open refrigerator.
He moved me away and closed it before removing his hand.
“You scared me,” I said a bit too loudly.
“Keep your voice down,” he whispered, reminding me it was the middle of the night. The last thing we needed was a repetition of the whole spider thing.
“You shouldn’t have snuck up on me like that.”
“I didn’t think anyone was awake.”
“Well, I am.” The whole conversation was pointless. We were like small kids fighting over nothing.
It didn’t escape my notice he was out every night for the last two weeks. He was hitting the bar, and I was angry with him about that. Which was completely unreasonable considering it was me who kept repeating, “We can’t do this.”
“Got thirsty,” I finally said. The silence between us grated on my nerves.
His gaze traveled down to my lips, and I couldn’t help but wet them with my tongue. His gaze moved to my collarbone, to the water droplets that had escaped the bottle when I jumped. With his thumb, he slowly wiped them away, the heat of his touch sending flames through my body. Our eyes locked in a heated stare, while all kinds of fantasies played in my mind.
Oh, God, those beautiful blue eyes were filled with arousal.
“Okay,” he replied, clearly amused.
Not liking it one bit, I fired right back at him. “What are you doing up?” It was a reasonable question, and given the fact he was standing there with me, I had the right to ask it, right?
Even if we didn't owe each other a thing.
“I just came home, wanted to have a drink as well.” Then my nose recognized something else, a faint smell. Roses along with something else… a woman’s perfume… but it wasn’t mine.
Which led to one conclusion. He was out with a woman and just came home from their romp. That’s why he’d taken a shower, but the perfume was so strong it still lingered.
And I let him touch me, while he still carried the scent of another woman.
Nausea hit me like a ton of bricks, and I wanted to get away from Shane. Just the thought of him with someone else was unbearable. My hands twitched to slap him.
“I see.” I made a move to leave, but he grabbed my hand.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He sounded panicked.
“Nothing.” I wasn’t about to stand there and act like a fool. I had no right to be angry. Who cared who he slept with? After six more weeks, he would be a distant memory.
“All of a sudden, you want to get away?” His voice changed to harsh and worried.
“Well, it is my right, isn’t it? Plus, I think you’ve already had the company of a female tonight. You don’t really need mine now, do you?”
I saw the minute the recognition of what I was saying settled into him. Guilt slipped into his gaze, as he let go of me with a frustrated sigh.
Good to know he wasn't all cocky about it.
Turning around, I almost reached the stairs when he wrapped his arm around my waist and pushed his chest against my back, enveloping me in a hug.
“Let go,” I hissed. The nerve he had, touching me after having sex with someone else.
Shane ignored my words as his hand traveled up, closing on my neck while he palmed it, and he leaned forward so that his lips were right against my ear. He bit my earlobe, and it took all my willpower to stifle the moan coming from within me when he whispered, “Nothing happened. She propositioned. I refused. I don't want anyone touching you. You really think I’d go and fuck someone else, when I had you at home?” He inhaled my scent, rubbing his nose against the crook between my neck and shoulder. “No one will do but you, Serena.”
Licking my dry lips, my voice turned husky, as I said, “But we can’t.”
He growled, sending goose bumps all over my skin. “Yes, we can.” Then he placed a soft kiss on my cheek, lingering there for a moment. “But not today.” With that, he let go of me and pushed me upstairs.
Too stunned to talk, I rushed quickly to my room and locked the door behind me, breathing heavily.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
The next morning started with the same routine.
Shane, however, was missing due to some emergency at a neighboring ranch where he was needed. Secretly, I exhaled in relief, because I didn't know how to handle him after last night.
Ren was MIA, which again wasn’t anything new.
After lunch, I noticed the food was running low and asked Maggie to take me out for groceries. Soon, we were riding into town in her truck.
Don’t get me wrong; Moonlight Rose was beautiful in its own way. The view was filled with several small houses, some buildings, the library—which I got to know was a personal favorite of Maggie’s—a cinema, school, and what I assumed was the sheriff’s office. I saw some interesting small restaurants with people passing the time. But it wasn’t New York. I missed the energy the big city gave me. I needed it badly, because in New York, it was easy to run away from yourself and your thoughts.
Here, all I saw was home, family, and friendship. Something I didn’t want to think about, yet it was full-on in my face. I loved my dad, I really did. But since my mom died, we weren’t a family anymore.
“The town is really small. Everyone knows everyone,” she grumbled.
I’d already suspected that. “Well, it’s nice in a way.”
Maggie grimaced. “Not when the whole town remembers how you messed up your line during the school play, which resulted in me stumbling against one of my classmates, who crashed into Ms. Perks, and she fell and broke her leg.”
My laughter couldn’t be helped, because when I imagined that, it was quite funny. “No way! What happened?”
She blushed a bit. “Nothing really. It wasn’t like it was intentional, but the whole town still likes to make jokes about it, and I don't like it. I personally don’t find it funny.”
Finally, we arrived at the store and picked up everything on the list.
Let me tell you, grocery shopping was far from fun. All those big aisles with different food from different companies, how was I supposed to know which one was good?
We finished rather quickly thanks to Maggie and headed out, when someone grabbed her. I groaned inwardly; those were the small-town perks. Always someone who wanted to know something and you needed to answer. Otherwise, you’d be considered rude as hell, and they would hold a grudge against you.
“Maggie! How are you?” Looking up, I saw a leggy brunette who wore skinny jeans, a blue T-shirt, and black ballerina flats. She had her hair loose and some silver earrings on. Her flawless makeup emphasized the beauty of her brown eyes.
Overall, the girl was a striking creature who made Maggie uncomfortable, if her silence and awkward shifting were anything to go by.
“Hey, Miranda.” Maggie’s soft voice was so quiet I wanted to smack her. Why didn’t she have more confidence? It wasn’t like someone was attacking her. “I’m good, and you?”
Were we old folks who met for a game of Monopoly? All those greetings sounded off to me.
&nbs
p; “I’m good.” She shifted her focus to me. “Hi, I’m Miranda. I haven’t seen you here before. Have you moved in recently?” She seemed friendly enough to me.
“Hey, Serena. No, I’m just working as a housekeeper on their ranch for the summer.”
Somehow that information made her lose her smile for a second, but then she schooled her features. “That’s interesting. Hope you like it here.” She smiled softly, but then she cast her eyes down, and asked quietly, “How is Ren?”
Hold it… how the hell did Ren come into the conversation?
Maggie blushed redder, if it was possible, and put her hair behind her ear. “He’s fine, I guess. He doesn’t talk much.”
Again, an awkward silence for several moments, then the girl adjusted her bag on her shoulder and gave us a smile that seemed fake. Her eyes held deep sadness and guilt, and she gazed straight ahead. “Nice seeing you, girls. Maybe we can catch a movie or dinner some time?” Her voice was too cheery for my liking, but Maggie nodded. “Okay, then. I have to go. We have a family dinner. Bye, girls.” She waved and quickly disappeared inside the grocery store.
Silence stretched around us all the way to the car, but once our seatbelts were on, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “Awkward,” I tried to joke, but Maggie stiffened next to me.
“Miranda, she is, well… the mayor’s daughter. The princess of Moonlight Rose.”
Well, that would certainly explain her manners, clothes, and the aura of elegance around her. “She seemed nice.”
Maggie avoided my eyes and started the engine, and after few seconds, she replied, “She’s good. I think she studies interior design in Chicago.” Before I could ask any more questions, she continued. “She and Ren were in the same class in high school and had been dating since the seventh grade. They even got engaged.” My mouth opened in shock, and I felt like my jaw hit the floor.
Ren was engaged to Miranda of all people?
“What happened to them, then?” If the girl’s reaction was anything to go by, she still cared for him.
Maggie glanced at me worriedly as she chewed on her nail, and I raised my eyebrow. It was as if she was concerned about how I would react to her words, but why? Why would I care about a relationship they had? She took a deep breath and quickly finished her story.
“Shane came into town, and one thing led to another, and he and Miranda slept together. Ren caught them, and well, that was the end of it.” I just blinked and tried to absorb the information. Shane and her? That would explain the big tension that surrounded the guys every time they were in the same room.
And why did the idea of them together make me uneasy? We hadn’t even met back then!
“Okay. She and Ren aren’t together anymore?” I knew it was bad to ask her about that, because she clearly had a big thing for Ren, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted clarity on all the drama in that freaking town.
“She wants him back, but he’s sleeping with everything that moves,” she whispered and grabbed the steering wheel harder, probably hurting her hand.
The whole thing got a lot more complicated in a matter of seconds. Maybe a night out was what we both needed to relax a little. “Maggie, do you want to go out?”
She glanced at me nervously, and adjusted her glasses better once we stopped for a traffic light. “I’m not sure—” she started, but my pleading interrupted her.
“Pretty please? I’d love to listen to some good music and drink a little. Maybe even dance. It’s summer, after all.” She didn't look convinced but nodded anyway.
Pushing away the guilt for practically making her do it, I wondered if all that would clear my head.
I sure as hell hoped so.
Serena
My eyes glanced at the clock; it was almost 9:50 p.m., and we’d agreed to meet at 10:05 near the truck downstairs. I checked myself in the mirror again. Finally, I was able to let my hair loose in glossy waves. I’d used eyeliner, mascara, and some powder with blush, which made my features stand out vividly. Deciding to wear a summer cocktail dress with a flower print, I added four-inch wedges to finish the look. After adding some earrings, I was happy with the result. I grabbed my purse, went downstairs, and headed outside.
Maggie stood by the truck, and I groaned inwardly. She was wearing her usual clothes—a big oversized T-shirt and sweatpants. Her hair was in a messy bun, and she had on those huge glasses. I’d had a slight hope she would primp herself up a bit. But then, I knew she wasn’t interested in fashion and wore no makeup, like, ever. The only time I was in her room, I saw she had books on the nightstand and some shower items in the bathroom, but no makeup, fancy clothes, or bath salts.
I could tell her smile was forced by the way it didn’t reach her eyes. Someone had to shake her to start living and stop hiding. Might as well be me. “Ready?”
She nodded, hopping into the driver seat. She was driving, which meant I could drink too, which was absolutely freaking great.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I want to dance and drink something. You know anyplace?”
She frowned. “Yeah, there is actually one place. It’s called Henry’s.”
“It’s the only place?” The population was like two thousand, so it wasn’t that surprising. Lately, I’d noticed lots of things shocked me when they really shouldn’t.
“Yeah.” Maggie swallowed loudly but said nothing else. She was nervous, but it must be something more than anxiety to go out, right? I doubted she would answer me if I asked, so I decided not to. We drove for like thirty minutes before she stopped the car.
My jaw dropped open. She considered this place fun? It looked like a bar made out of wood, and the people exiting were questionable. I was clearly overdressed. Some cheap-looking motel was nearby, which I had a big suspicion was used for rendezvous after some good drinking at the bar.
“Um, are you sure this is the place?”
“Yeah.” At that point, I hadn’t changed my mind, so I got out of the car. She came with me and we made it to the door.
The minute it opened, the smell of alcohol, smoke, and even sweat greeted us. Cheap perfume lingered in the air, tying my stomach in knots, because the last time I smelled something similar was the night Shane came home. Well, clearly, I found the source.
There were lots of people, some of them bikers, others truckers. Women were wearing lousy clothes, and suddenly, I got why the majority of people came here.
A hookup place, where you went to get laid. Cheap sex indeed.
“You could have told me.”
She winced at the accusation in my voice. Not that I blamed her or anything, but still. What, they had no other place to dance and drink in the town? I couldn’t imagine people went there to have fun.
“I tried, but you wanted to go out.” She blushed and cast her eyes down. Yeah, we were back to that. For crying out loud.
“Sorry, babe. Let’s just go to the bar. I’ll have few drinks and we can go.” At least I could get something out of it.
Would you look at that?
The bartender was smoking hot. He had amazing arms with tattoos that also covered his hands and wrists. His brown hair was slightly longer than necessary and covered his neck, and he had the best dimples a guy could have. He was wearing black jeans and a tight black T-shirt that made him look very male and huge, and even though he was handsome, he appeared a bit dangerous and scary.
All in one hot package, as Becky would say.
Too bad I was interested in someone else; otherwise, I’d have flirted with him like there was no tomorrow. When I caught his eyes though, I had doubts I would have been successful, because he stared behind me at Maggie and shock flickered across his face when recognition set in. And something more, something I didn’t quite catch, because it was quickly covered by indifference.
Interesting.
“Can I have a sex on the beach cocktail?” My favorite drink, enough to make me fun to be around, not enough to make me drunk.
> He moved his gaze to me, chuckling. “Sweetheart, it ain’t a resort here. There’s beer, tequila, and whiskey. No fancy cocktails.” Crap, even my favorite drink was out of the question.
“Tequila, then.” Whatever. If I got drunk, Maggie could carry me—or at least I hoped so.
“For you?” he asked Maggie, who shook her head, and he moved on.
We sat at a table near the bar and the bartender came back quite fast. He got my drink and brought some soda with ice for her. She smiled a thank you, and it was clear they knew each other. Rarely did I see someone, except Shane, with whom Maggie was at ease.
“Who’s the handsome hunk?” I tried to talk loud enough for her to hear me over some country music that was playing but low enough so we wouldn’t gather unnecessary attention.
“Grady. He’s the son of Luke Russell.” I loved Maggie, I really did, but sometimes she said shit like that and thought I should just know what it was supposed to mean.
“And that means?”
“They own the ranch near ours, but they specialize in cattle.”
“Yet he works here?” I couldn’t imagine how he managed to keep those two jobs. Work on the ranch was hard and time-consuming. Unless he needed the money really badly for something, I didn’t see the point of torturing yourself that much.
“No, he doesn’t work on the ranch. He owns the bar.”
“Isn’t he young?” My question wasn’t really about his age. I knew plenty of young people who had their own businesses. However, those people had connections and rich parents, so they could afford it. How could a guy whose family ran a ranch there afford a bar in his early twenties?
“He’s twenty-eight, and he got the bar three years ago, when the previous owner, Henry, died and left everything to him. He studied at the same university I attend, but it was before I enrolled. He disappeared somewhere, no one knew where, and then he came back and took over the bar. He lives in an apartment twenty minutes away from here.”
“But you said his dad has a ranch.”