by Liv Brywood
“Have you had a chance to check on the shipment of hay?” Mack asked.
“That’s next on my list.”
“I’ll have Logan take care of it. He needs to call about the supplies for his barn too. They want to schedule their first shipment to arrive right after the wedding,” Mack said.
“I can’t believe Brady and Rachel are finally getting married. It feels like they’ve been engaged forever.”
“It’s only been a few months,” Mack said.
“It feels like forever,” Drew grumbled.
“Why are you so against marriage and relationships?” Mack asked.
“I just don’t see the point. I don’t need another person to have to worry about when I have all of you guys,” Drew said while trying to keep a hint of fake humor in his tone. “The day I get married is the day hell will freeze over.”
Mack walked to the window and pushed the curtains aside. “Well, that might happen unless this storm blows over us. The weatherman said there’s a chance we might not get hit.”
“What do you think?” Drew asked.
“I think we’d better start praying.”
“It wouldn’t hurt,” Drew slid off the stool and stretched. “I’m going to head up to the house. If you see Madison, tell her I’ll forgive her as long as she doesn’t impersonate me again.”
“Will do,” Mack grinned.
Drew walked into the foyer and grabbed his favorite Stetson off the hat rack. After pushing it onto his head, he glanced toward the stairs. It didn’t matter how much his bear wanted to lick Sharon from head to toe, women weren’t worth the pain. He’d been down that trail before and never intended to put himself out there again.
Chapter 3
Huge platters of eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns covered the large dining room table. Cindy shifted to reach for the plate of bacon in the same moment that Drew leaned forward. When their fingers brushed, electric currents of heat sizzled up her arm. She pulled away.
“You first,” she said.
“How many pieces do you want?” Drew asked.
She glanced around the table at his brothers’ and their wives’ plates. Even as her stomach grumbled, she counted up the average number of pieces per person. She didn’t want to take more than anyone else.
“Four,” she said.
After using tongs to set the slices on her plate, he reached for the hash browns. He scooped a large clump onto her plate before taking an even larger portion for himself. Jeez, these people sure know how to eat.
The tension in her back eased. When she’d first arrived at the table, she’d felt out of place. But Drew’s family had gone out of their way to make her feel at home.
Across the table, Hank, one of the brothers, leaned over to whisper something in his wife Carol’s ear. She giggled and blushed before leaning over to give him a quick kiss. They both had their hands under the table and their expressions gave away their frisky playfulness.
Cindy sighed. She’d been in love like that once. Or at least she’d thought it was love. Who knew there could be such a fine line between love and obsession?
“Do you have any plans for today?” Abby asked.
“Not yet,” Cindy replied.
She tried to keep her gaze on Abby’s porcelain-perfect face instead of her hair. Cody’s fiancée sported a coifed hairstyle worthy of a movie star. An up-do like that took at least a quarter of a can of hairspray.
Years ago when Cindy had first moved to Hollywood, she’d envied all the perfect-looking women. But as an obstetrician, she’d seen behind the curtain into their private lives. Even the most well-maintained façade cracked under the pressure of pregnancy. She’d seen more than her fair share of fights and should have been able to recognize the cracks in her marriage. If only she’d been paying attention.
She shoveled a spoonful of eggs into her mouth. If she ever found it in her heart to love again, she’d have to be much more cautious than she’d been the first time. But falling in love again was so far out of the realm of possibility that it wasn’t worth dwelling on.
“Hey Drew,” Hank said. “Maybe you should take Sharon horseback riding. It’s going to hit a high of thirty today. That’s warm enough for a ride. I doubt she wants to be cooped up in here all day.”
Drew’s head snapped up. He shot a look at his brother before dropping his gaze back to his plate. He stabbed at a piece of bacon with his fork.
“I have a lot to do today,” Drew said.
“The rest of us can take care of your chores,” Mack said.
“It’s okay,” Cindy jumped in. “If you have things you need to do, I can find a way to entertain myself. I saw the library. I love to read, so that will keep me occupied.”
Drew set his fork down. If looks could kill, Mack would have been gunned down in that moment.
“No. I’d be happy to take you horseback riding,” Drew said in a gruff tone. “As soon as we’re finished eating, we can head out.”
“You could show her the hot tub later,” Cody said.
“Seriously?” Drew arched a brow at his brother.
“Just a thought,” Cody replied with a wicked smile.
What was that all about?
“Don’t tease him,” Madison said.
She hadn’t spoken a word all morning. She also hadn’t touched her plate. Cindy wanted to ask how she was feeling, but knew better than to say anything in front of the entire family. Maybe later she’d have a chance.
“Sorry,” Cody said. “I thought he could take a joke.”
“Let’s just finish breakfast.” Abby bumped her shoulder against her fiancé’s.
“I really don’t want to put anyone out,” Cindy said.
“You’re not,” Drew said. “If anything, we should be apologizing to you for tricking you into coming here under false pretenses.”
Everyone at the table glanced at Madison before looking away. Cindy felt bad for her. In a weird, twisted way, she understood what Madison had tried to do. She just wanted to help her brother-in-law find the same happiness that everyone else in the family shared. It wasn’t a crime.
Drew scraped his fork across his plate to scoop up the last bit of egg. After eating it, he took his napkin off his lap. He stood and carried the dishes into the kitchen. When he returned, he walked to the head of the table.
“I’ll get the horses prepared in the barn,” Drew said. “Dress warm and come out when you’re ready.”
“Okay,” she said.
As soon as Drew left the room, the heaviness in the air dissipated. The conversation returned to mundane chatter, but she couldn’t help the pit of dread in her stomach. Drew clearly didn’t want her around. His family had basically pressured him into entertaining her for the day.
Maybe she should just go to her room and hide until she could figure out what to do next. Gallivanting around on horses wasn’t the best way to plan out the next few weeks of her life. She couldn’t stay at the ranch forever. The sooner she found a new hiding place, the better. Although... they had offered her free room and board for a week. With her dwindling savings, that would help a lot, at least in the short-term.
She finished what was on her plate and pushed back from the table. Drew would be waiting for her, so she had to at least go tell him that she wasn’t coming on the ride.
“Have a fun trip,” Mack said.
“I will.” There was no point in telling him that she had no intention of going. He’d probably just pressure her the way he’d pressured his brother.
Upstairs, she dressed in layers of clothing. After struggling to get into a pair of long underwear, she pulled on a pair of snow pants guaranteed to keep her warm in freezing weather. Not that she’d be outside that long, just long enough to tell Drew that she wasn’t going riding with him.
She slipped the matching long-sleeved shirt over her head, and then wrapped a scarf around her neck. The thick, water-resistant jacket came next, followed by a pair of wool socks and sturdy boots.
/> By the time she finished dressing, a thin trickle of sweat rolled down her back. But the warmth would be short-lived. The moment she stepped out of the front door, the latent heat dissipated. She wasn’t cold by any means, but she wasn’t warm either.
The chuff-chuff of her pants sliding between her thighs cut through the stillness of the air. Other than the occasional whinny of a horse, silence covered the landscape.
When she reached the barn, she opened the side door and stepped inside. The grassy scent of fresh hay hung in the air. The subtler, musky scent of horses followed as she strolled past the wooden stalls.
“I was beginning to wonder if you were coming.” Drew stepped out from one of the stalls on the far end of the barn.
“It took some time to wiggle into these layers,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.
“You look…” His gaze raked up and down her completely covered form. “Warm.”
“Do I look ridiculous?” she asked with a grin.
“Not any worse than the tourists who flock to town in the winter.”
He flashed a dazzling smile. All of the Grant brothers shared the same sexy lips—kissable lips. The kind that could make a woman do something completely foolish, like fantasize about kissing them. She forced herself to look away.
“You don’t have to do this,” she said.
“Do what?”
“Take me out. I know your family talked you into it.”
“Trust me, they can’t pressure me into doing anything I don’t want to do,” he said.
“At breakfast, you seemed… reluctant.”
“I just don’t want you to get your hopes up,” he said. “I’m not interested in a relationship. I know Madison led you to believe that I was ready to get married, but that’s so far from the truth that it’s not even funny.”
“I understand what happened. Trust me, I don’t have any delusions about falling in love at first sight. I’ll admit, I did like the man Madison pretended to be, but now that I know he’s not real, I’m over it.”
“I’m surprised you’re taking it so well,” he said.
“When you get past a certain age, you learn to roll with the punches.”
“You can’t be that old.”
“Thirty-two,” she said.
“Okay maybe you are old.” He cracked a smile.
“Ugh!” She moved close enough to playfully punch his shoulder. “How old are you, Mr. Spring Chicken?”
“I’m just a young’un. Thirty-one.”
“One year younger.”
“In dog years, I’d be seven years younger,” he said.
“Good thing we’re not dogs. At least I’m not one. You maybe…”
He threw his head back and laughed.
“Okay, I can see you’re going to be a fun trail companion. Have you ridden before?” he asked.
“A few times.”
“Okay. I got Hanna out for you. She’s an American Quarter Horse. Super easy to ride. She shouldn’t give you any problems today,” he said.
She followed him to an open space in the barn. Two horses stood next to each other. One turned its head to look at her with large, brown eyes. Silky, chestnut-colored hair covered its body, but its mane and tail were as black as midnight.
The other horse reared up and snorted as Drew approached. Its jet-black hair fell in a shaggy mop over its face. At least a foot taller than the other horse, it looked like something out of a nightmare.
“Please tell me I’m not riding that one,” she said.
“No. Killer’s all mine.”
“You named him Killer? Way to give the poor thing a complex,” she said.
“If you’d seen what we went through breaking him in, you’d agree that his name fits him perfectly,” Drew said.
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“Do you need help up?” he asked.
“I think I can manage,” she said.
She hadn’t ridden in years. As she eyed the height of the saddle, her conviction wavered. Had the saddle seemed that high in the past? Oh, well, it was now or never.
She hooked a foot in the stirrup and pulled up while swinging her leg over the horse’s flank. But before she could steady herself, the horse took a step to one side, throwing her off balance. She fell backward a foot before Drew’s strong hands grabbed her butt. He pushed her into the saddle.
“Almost made it,” he said.
“Thanks. I almost face-planted that one.”
“It happens,” he said. “She’s usually not skittish, but she can sense a nervous rider.”
“I’m not nervous,” she said. To prove her statement, she sat up taller and looped the reins through her fingers. “See, I’m fine.”
His mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, but he held back. Unlike her, he hopped onto Killer like a seasoned pro. Well, he was a cowboy, so obviously he could probably ride circles around her.
“Ready?” he asked. “We’ll take it slow for the first few minutes, then pick it up.”
“Where are we going?”
“The back pasture,” he said. “We’ve spent a good portion of the winter mending the fences. I just want to make sure everything still looks good.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
As they rode past the edge of the frozen lake, she took in the stunning scenery. Rolling white hills covered much of the landscape, but paled in comparison to the large mountains in the distance. Everywhere she turned, snow blanketed the land, giving it an ethereal shimmer.
As they descended a hill, she glanced over her shoulder. With the houses out of view, it felt like she and Drew were the last two people on earth. If only that were true. She could get used to watching him bounce in the saddle. Every once in a while, he’d lift that tight butt up, giving her a great view.
Too bad he hadn’t turned out to be the real deal. She could have hidden out in a place like this for years without fear of being found. Maybe she could have even brought her daughter with her. No one would ever find her here, especially if she continued to be careful with her digital footprint.
She’d been as careful as possible, but every once in a while, she’d had to stop at a bank to withdraw more funds. Each time, she’d wondered if she’d be detained. It was her own damn money, but she couldn’t be sure they weren’t tracking her that way.
Ten minutes later, Drew circled back to ride beside her.
“You’re good in the saddle,” he said.
“Thanks. My brother taught me how to ride when we were kids.”
They rode along in silence for several minutes. She fought the urge to steal glances at his rugged form. Out of the corner of her eye, she took in his large presence. He had to be at least six feet tall. Broad shoulders and a tapered waist only added to his appeal. How could fate be so cruel as to put someone like him in her path only to steal him away months later?
“I want to ask you something, but I don’t want to offend you,” he said in a tentative voice.
“Shoot.” Her heart kicked up a few notches.
“Why on earth did you have to go online to find a husband?” he asked. “You seem like a fun girl and you’re not bad to look at.”
“Thanks?” she said in an incredulous tone.
“That came out wrong,” he said. “You’re just really pretty, so I can’t understand why you’re still single.”
“Thank you, for the pretty part,” she said. “Relationships can get… complicated. I guess I’m just looking for the perfect man.”
“And you thought I was the one?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Oh, Madison.” He sighed. “I can’t apologize enough for her. She’s a good person. She just doesn’t know when to stop sometimes.”
“I probably didn’t seem like a big deal to her, but things slowly slipped out of control. I get it.”
“Sometimes I wish I were an only child,” he said.
“Being an only child is a lonely life. Be happy you’re surrounded by f
amily,” she said.
“I thought you said you had a brother.”
Shit! She needed to be vague with her answers so she wouldn’t get caught up in the tangle of lies. The less she told him the better.
“I do, but he’s a lot older than me, so I didn’t spend much time with him growing up. That’s why I felt like an only child,” she said.
Hopefully he’d believe her lame answer. She held her breath for the moment that it took him to respond.
“That makes sense,” he said.
“Families can be a challenge,” she said.
That was the understatement of the year.
“I know what you mean. All of my brothers have found mates in the last few months,” he said. “Since I’m the only single one left, I think they’ve decided I need to find a wife too. They don’t get that I’m happy alone. Relationships tend to cause more grief than they’re worth, at least in my experience. If it were up to me, I’d be single for the rest of my life.”
***
Drew rode on, relishing the silence. Some women had to fill the emptiness with incessant chatter, but Sharon was content to simply enjoy the peacefulness. He appreciated having her with him more than he’d anticipated. She was a hell of a good rider. Hannah wasn’t usually skittish, but today she’d stumbled a few times. Sharon hadn’t flinched. She’d simply adjusted and had carried on, unfazed.
“Where did you learn to ride?” he asked.
“My family owned a few horses when I was younger.”
“Where did you grow up?”
“Florida,” she said. “I’ve lived there my whole life.”
“I thought you said you drove here from Virginia?”
“Oh, yeah. I drove through Virginia to get here,” she said.
“From Florida?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“That seems like an odd route,” he said.
“I drove up the east coast then cut across,” she said.
“Hmm. Okay.”
“Anyway, in Miami, where I grew up, we had plenty of space for horses.”
“I usually associate beaches with that part of the state,” he said.
“There are beaches, but there are areas for horses too.”