by Kate Pearce
She took her time descending the steps and he waited for her. “They’re all worried about you.”
“Because I’m successful?” He snorted. “Strange family, right?”
“I think Ruth just wants you to come home, and Ry misses you a lot.”
He glanced down at her. “You’re an expert on my brother now, are you?”
“HW, don’t be an idiot. I went to school with both of you. You might be bigger these days, but you haven’t changed that much.”
The welcome center came into view, and she was so glad. Talking about Ry when he wasn’t present didn’t feel right.
“You don’t think we’ve changed?”
“Not really. Ry was always quieter than you.” She stopped walking and turned to HW, holding out her hand. “It was great to see you. Safe trip back to wherever you’re going, and all the best in the finals.”
Staring right at him, she registered both the similarities between him and Ry and the differences, so clearly. When HW was miserable, which he clearly was right now, he looked just like his twin.
On impulse she kept hold of his hand. “Are you okay?”
He started to speak, and then stopped and smiled before kissing her on the cheek. “I’m good. You take care of Ry for me, and I’ll see you at the wedding.”
With a tip of his hat he was gone, walking away to the barn with long, confident strides.
Avery stared after him for quite awhile. Whatever HW was saying, he was as unhappy about what was going on as his twin. Whether that was because Ry had left him right before the finals, or because the news about their mother had hit him hard, she wasn’t sure. He wasn’t as carefree about everything as he pretended to be. He concealed things just like Ry did, albeit behind a different kind of mask.
Maybe he always had.
Chapter Eleven
“Mom, no . . . don’t . . . don’t do that . . . Mom!”
“Ry? What’s up? Ry?”
He sat up with a jerk and Avery rolled off him and onto her back with a thump. He took several deep breaths as his heart continued to jackhammer in his chest, and slowly unclenched his fists.
He turned to Avery, who was lying where he’d literally thrown her off him, her hair in disarray on the pillow.
“God, I’m sorry. You okay?”
“I’m good. How about you?”
He scrubbed a hand over his eyes. They were in his bed at the ranch for their fourth night together in two weeks. He still hadn’t mustered the courage to go up to Avery’s room in the hotel. “I must’ve had a bad dream or something.”
“I should say so.” She hesitated. “Do you remember what it was about?”
Stretching out beside her, he searched for her hand and found it waiting for him. “Nope.”
He’d just had a terrible sense that if he didn’t wake up and force the lid back on all that crap HW had stirred up, he’d go nuts.
“Have you had the dream before?”
“Yeah.”
She waited him out, but he wasn’t inclined to say another damn thing.
“It’s not surprising that all this new information about your mom has unsettled you.” She rolled onto her right side and curled against his still tense body. “I think I’d be a basket case.”
I am. He shut his mouth. Had he said that out loud?
She stroked her hand over his chest in slow circles, her nails gently scratching his skin in an oddly soothing way. “Even if it isn’t your mom up there in Humboldt, this is still stressful for you all. January says Chase is really struggling.”
Ry opened his eyes. “Chase is?”
“And Blue.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
She jabbed him with one fingernail. “They probably think the same about you. Men are so useless at being emotional.”
“Maybe we just don’t want to be.”
“Emotional? Why not?”
“Because it’s not manly.”
She snorted. “Seriously? You might be a cowboy on a historic ranch, but you don’t have to act like one of your ancestors. It’s the twenty-first century.”
He swallowed hard. “Maybe if I give in to it, I won’t be able to stop.”
She went still and then came up on one elbow to stare into his face, her soft hair falling over her shoulder and tickling his chest.
“We’re friends, right?”
He nodded.
“And you know you can tell me anything?”
He looked deep into her whisky-brown eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just try,” she said softly.
“It’s not that simple. I don’t know what’s wrong. It’s like I’m aware something bad happened, but I can’t remember it. I get glimpses of something, and then it’s gone.”
He tensed, waiting to see what she’d make of such a lame answer, amazed that he’d even tried to offer her one. He’d always had HW to confide in—not that he’d needed to do it much, because they’d always known how the other was feeling, but this time—he couldn’t bear to talk to HW at all.
“I guess it’s got something to do with my mom,” Ry said reluctantly.
“I got that, seeing as you were screaming her name. Was she hurting you?”
Ry blinked hard as an echo of pain hit him. “I don’t know.”
“Did she hurt HW?”
“She never hurt him. He was the golden boy.” Hell, where had that come from? He tensed again, but Avery didn’t say anything.
“January told me your mom might have been suffering from postnatal depression after your sister, Rachel, was born.”
“It’s possible, I suppose. I was just a kid. I just knew she wasn’t happy.”
“That must have sucked. How was she with your sister?”
“With Rachel?”
“Yes.”
“She . . .” Ry frowned. “She took her with her when she left.”
“So Rachel might be out there as well?”
“Yeah, if my mom didn’t . . .” Ry stopped speaking.
“Didn’t what, Ry?” Avery’s question fell into the silence.
“BB said that the last guy who saw Mom didn’t mention seeing Rachel. But Mom was at work, so it’s possible she was in day care or something, I suppose.”
“Very possible. How old would Rachel be now?”
Ry considered. “Around twenty. Wow.”
“She might be at college somewhere.”
“Yeah. I could’ve passed her on the street and never known it.” Ry raised his hand and cupped Avery’s cheek. “I’m sorry to dump all this on you.”
She mock frowned at him. “Like I’m not intending to bend your ear about my family in the near future.”
“But my family are way more out there than yours.”
“We’re competing now?” She leaned down and kissed his nose. “I bet I can take your mind off your bad dreams, and make you sleep like a baby.”
She kissed his mouth, then his chin, and then his collarbone, her lips soft and her teeth . . . not so gentle, and he shivered as she went lower.
“You’re good to me, Avery.”
She looked up at him, her eyebrows raised. “I am?”
“Yeah. Probably too good for me.”
“Don’t start that again. I chose you, Ry.” She nipped his hip bone and growled. “You’re all mine now, and you’re just going to have to lie back and take it.”
He pushed the sheet down so that nothing would get in her way and gripped the headboard with both hands as her tongue feathered over his abs and went lower. He rolled his hips, inviting her to take more of him, and she obliged in a long, slow, gliding rush that almost made him swallow his tongue.
“Avery . . .” He breathed out real slow, and looked down at one of the most glorious sights he had ever seen—her mouth on him, her eyes on his face, watching his reaction. “That’s . . .”
He tried not to surge forward, but she took more anyway, engulfing him in sweetness and tightness until he forgot about anyth
ing except that he wanted to come, wanted everything she was willing to give him.
“You know that lie-back-and-take-it bit?” Ry said hoarsely. “I think I’m done with that.”
She made some kind of humming noise in her throat that made the situation even more critical. Reaching down, he threaded one hand through her long hair.
“Avery, honey, you don’t have to . . .”
But it was too late. Even as he was begging, he was coming, and she was taking everything he had to give her, leaving him spent and exhausted, and so damn grateful that he wanted to curl up and die happy.
She snuck back up to lie beside him. He held her close, kissing the top of her head as she settled over him like a warm blanket.
“How about your turn?”
She yawned like a delicate kitten. “I’m done. You can owe me, okay?”
He considered that. “Sure, as long as I get to pick the time and the place.”
“Agreeing to that sounds like something I might come to regret.”
“You’ll enjoy every moment. I guarantee it.”
“I know I will, but I also know you.”
Hell, she really did. She’d worked him out when she was six. He closed his eyes and smiled, and that was the last thing he knew until the alarm went off at five thirty the next morning.
* * *
“Avery? Can I talk to you?”
“Sure! What’s up?”
Avery looked up as her dad came into her office and shut the door firmly behind him. Was he going to ask her where she kept disappearing to at night? She’d been expecting the question for days, and sneaking down the back stairs was really not her thing.
She frowned. “Did you just lock that door?”
He took the chair in front of the desk she now shared with Marley and looked slyly over his shoulder.
“Yes. I don’t want your sister hearing what I have to say.”
Avery’s spirits sank. “Let me guess. You’re firing me.”
“I’d never fire a Hayes.” He looked furtively back at the door and lowered his voice. “Marley is driving me and your Mom to drink. She’s reorganizing everything, changing the way we’ve done things for years, making us more efficient, she says . . .”
Avery sat back in her chair. “So? Wasn’t that what you wanted her to do?”
“Not all in two weeks! The staff are complaining and threatening to leave en masse. We can’t have that, Avery. You know how busy it gets around the holidays, and with the Morgan wedding we’re booked solid.”
“Why are you talking to me about it?” Avery asked. “You should talk to Marley.”
“We’ve tried, but she doesn’t listen. She just pats my head and tells me that change is a process and that I’ve got to get used to it.”
“She’s right.”
“Avery . . .”
“Everything up at Morgan Ranch is changing as well. Chase has them all running in circles, updating everything from the way they graze the cattle to the crops they raise, and then there’s all the new stuff for the dude ranch . . .”
“Which is going to take our business away, young lady, don’t forget that.”
Avery ignored the interruption. “But they are all doing their best to change, Dad. They know they have no choice. You wanted Marley to give you the cutting edge of hotel economics, and that’s what she’s doing. And she’s so happy right now.”
“I know, but maybe you were better suited for the hotel.”
“In what way?”
“You’re more conservative, less of a risk taker.”
“Those aren’t always good things, Dad. As Chase keeps telling us, if we stand still we might lose everything.” A shadow crossed her father’s face, and for the first time he looked old and worn down. Avery suppressed a sigh. “Do you want me to talk to Marley?”
“Would you? We’d be so grateful. And maybe today you could just walk around the place and smooth a few ruffled feathers? You’re so good at that.” He came up to the desk and kissed her forehead. “After all, you’ll be back here full-time soon, and Marley will have to make a decision about what she plans to do next.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said you would never fire a Hayes.”
“I have no intention of firing her. I’m just going to encourage her to look for a different kind of job with better pay and more scope for her talents.”
“But she wants to be home with her family.”
Her father sighed. “Nice way to make me feel guilty, eldest daughter. But there isn’t enough work for both of you. I can’t afford to pay two events managers.”
“Maybe I’m the one who should leave.”
He patted her shoulder. “You’re funny. Where are you going to go?” Something must have shown on her face as he immediately started speaking again. “Not that you couldn’t do anything you wanted, Avery, just that you’ve always seemed happier here where we all know you and . . . understand.”
“Understand that I’m crippled?”
“That’s a bit harsh, love, don’t you think? I only meant that we like to keep you safe, and that we’ll always give you a home.”
And now she’d hurt his feelings . . . Avery managed a smile, but he’d made her feel like a much-loved pet. “It’s okay, I get what you mean. I’ll talk to Marley.”
“Thanks, darling.” He kissed the top of her head, and left.
Avery stared into space and tried to unscramble the jumble of her emotions. Was she more hurt that her dad didn’t think she would ever leave the hotel and needed protecting, or that he assumed she had no plans for advancing her career?
Okay, so she hadn’t done anything to disabuse him of the notion that she wasn’t going anywhere. She’d never applied for another job even for the fun of it, and she’d continued to run the hotel events just as her parents had, rarely offering up new suggestions of her own. The most daring thing she’d done lately was accept the offer to coordinate January’s wedding.
And date Ry Morgan, but her parents didn’t seem to know about that yet.
She sent Nancy a quick text.
Am I boring?
You can be. Why what’s up?
Nothing.
You broke up with Ry?
Avery grinned at the screen. Ry who?
Give it up GF, you’re def getting some.Want me to come over before work?
Can you?
Sure. C u later x.
Avery put her cell down and focused on the spreadsheet for the golden wedding anniversary party the hotel was hosting that evening. So far everything looked good. Marley was working her ass off to make sure it all came together. She was way better at the job than Avery. Why couldn’t her parents see that? She’d wait until after the event to talk to Marley. There was no way she wanted to upset her sister right now.
Her thoughts turned to Ry, and how he looked sleeping naked in his bed, all sprawled out and golden and . . .
Yeah . . .
She shut down her laptop. That was just the kind of image that would help her make it through another day. She still couldn’t quite believe how well they were getting along, both in bed and out of it. There was still a strain of tension running through him because of the business about his mom and sister, which she couldn’t seem to help him resolve. He had nightmares he refused to talk about, and was ignoring HW, who kept calling him.
That was the part she didn’t understand. Ry had always been there for his twin, so why was he so determined to shut him out now? Having seen HW, Avery was fairly convinced he was struggling to deal with their fractured relationship as much as Ry was. And for once, Ry didn’t seem inclined to play the peacemaker. Avery paused to close the door behind her. In fact, he seemed determined to keep his twin at arm’s length.
She walked down toward the lobby, but heard yelling in Spanish and turned toward the kitchen. It seemed their temperamental chef might need to have his feelings validated . . .
* * *
Ry put away his saddle and bridle, an
d turned Dolittle out into the field with Nolly, who danced around his barn buddy like a young foal. He moved out of the way so that BB could let Messi through the gate, and grinned when Nolly received a sharp nip on his ear when he barged into the other horse.
BB closed the gate and stood next to Ry, watching the horses fool around.
“Nolly’s an idiot. I don’t know why Chase is so fond of him.”
“Maybe because Chase is an idiot, too?”
“True.” BB’s smile dimmed. “He just sent me a text, that’s why I was delayed. He wants us to meet him at the landing strip in half an hour for a flight to Humboldt.”
“Seriously?” Ry said as the bottom dropped out of his stomach.
“Yeah.” BB’s bright blue gaze searched his. “You okay?”
“I’m good.”
“You don’t have to come.”
Ry turned and started walking back up to the house. BB caught up with him in about five seconds.
“It’s okay, Ry. HW said—”
“What the hell does HW have to do with anything?”
His brother held up his hands. “Don’t get at me. I’m just the messenger here, but the fact that you get so angry about this speaks for itself. You’re the calm one in the family. You’re the one who keeps everything together.”
“Which is why I’m coming with you.” Ry set his jaw. “If I don’t, what am I? Some coward? I’m not going to be that guy. I . . . need to deal with this, okay?”
BB slowly nodded and then slapped him hard on the back. “Then let’s get a move on.”
* * *
The plane was small, which Ry hated, but it was certainly luxurious. Chase was working, and BB had gone to sleep like he didn’t have a care in the world. Ry settled back in his seat and calculated how long the four-hundred-and-fifty-mile journey would take, and how much time after that there would be before he might have to confront his mother.
Nausea stirred low in his gut. He had to remind himself that he wasn’t a little kid anymore, and that no matter what she tried to do to him, he could simply turn around and walk away. He had a terrible sense that she wouldn’t be pleased to see him—that even if she were alive she’d prefer to see HW.
