Shelby almost seemed like a normal girl-next-door. She could've asked him to drive her to Austin to a nightclub, or allowed her presence to spark a party somewhere in Sawyer Creek, but she hadn't asked for either of those things. She'd seemed delighted when he'd suggested fishing.
Maybe it was all an act because he wasn't supposed to know who she was, but he didn't think so. Something about Shelby rang authentic, and that may have been more of a surprise than anything. She was just a girl who needed a friend.
And he was the jerk who'd tried to use her for his own gain. Because he wasn't man enough to have one serious conversation with his mom or live his life like he wanted to.
Shelby'd had the guts to go. To chase her dream. Things might not have been perfect for her, but when were they ever? At least she wasn't a doormat. No matter the issues she’d faced, she had that on Matt.
He should take her back to the B&B. Mom would never know.
But Shelby turned her head to look him full in the face. "You've heard more than enough about me. Tell me about Matt. How come you're out here on this ranch when you'd rather be doing something else?"
Shelby had taken a guess, but judging by the tension that went up Matt's arm where their hands were still intertwined, she'd guessed right.
He exhaled sharply. "It's complicated."
She knew complicated. How bad could it be for Farm Boy?
"My dad died when I was ten." He said the words matter-of-factly, like he'd said them plenty of times. She thought it was probably a cover-up. She still missed her father, even though he'd walked out on them.
"And pretty much right away, my mom started calling me the man of the house."
How hard must that have been for a grieving little boy to hear?
"And I believed her. I mean, my dad was gone, and it was just the two of us. She remarried pretty quickly and had my brother and sister in quick succession. Fast forward a few years. I was a junior in high school, applying for colleges. Things were sort of back to normal for us. And then, her second husband had a stroke and died."
"Oh no." Shelby wanted to comfort him, but how? Their hands were already threaded together, so she squeezed, wishing she could do more.
Mostly she was scared of messing this up. Whatever was blooming between them, it felt both fragile and wonderful, and she wanted to nurture it, even if that seemed crazy, considering she'd go back to L.A. in two days.
"My senior year,” Matt continued, “the life insurance came through, and Mom sat me down to have a serious conversation. She'd never been real good with money, and now she had this huge lump sum. She wanted to build a good life for my brother and sister, and she needed my help. She wanted to buy this place”—he tapped the side of the truck, but she guessed he meant the ranch—"and she and I planned to be partners until I turned twenty-one. Then I was supposed to get my share of the profit and be able to go to college."
She didn't like where this was heading. "And now you're...?"
"Twenty-three."
Ouch.
"Every time I bring it up, she breaks down crying and goes on about how she still needs me. How the kids need me around. She can't run the place without me. Blah blah blah. I’m just a hired hand who works for free."
What an awful feeling, to believe that was how your mom saw you.
"Can't you just take your share and leave?"
He laughed, a bitter expel of breath. "Oh, this is how stupid I was. She put everything in her name. The land, the house, the bank accounts. I have nothing to show for four years of my life, bleeding into this place."
Oh, Matt. No wonder he'd reacted when she'd called him Farm Boy. He didn't want to be here, but he hadn't found a way to escape. At least not yet.
He let go of her fingers and scrubbed both his hands down his face. His voice was muffled when he spoke. "Yeah, so. You can go back to L.A. and tell all your—your people how you met the stupidest guy in the state of Texas."
"That's not what I was thinking. Not at all."
He seemed to be barely breathing beside her. "No?"
"I was thinking how messed up both our families are." Of course, hers was her own fault. Wilder didn't believe she'd changed. Maybe he never would.
He laced his hands together and rested them over his middle. He didn't reach for her again.
Without his touch, the air was cool against her skin, and she wrapped his flannel shirt tighter around her. "So... what're you going back to school for when you leave?"
He'd been staring at the sky, but he turned his head to look at her.
She met his gaze straight on.
"How do you know I'm going to leave?"
"I can hear it in your voice," she said. "You're going to make a plan and get out of here and live your own life."
A lazy smile spread across his lips. "I want to be an architect."
He would be. Somehow, she knew he'd do whatever it took to get there.
She understood his ambition. She'd been drawn to him from the first second she'd seen him in that field. And the more she learned about him, the more she liked him.
Their gazes held. It was the most intimate moment Shelby had ever experienced. "I hear the music, before I write it," she whispered the secret she'd never shared with anyone else.
"Yeah?" he whispered back. He seemed to recognize the weight of the moment, too.
She'd never say it aloud, but she just might write a song about this. "If I wrote movie scores, there'd be a crescendo happening right now."
One corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile.
Shelby had never been one to shy away from a challenge, even if it was one that scared her. "I really thought stay and watch the stars with me was a ploy to get me here so you could kiss me again," she said, her voice low.
Genuine surprise crossed his face, and his innocence was so refreshing that she almost cried in relief.
She didn't.
She rolled toward him, and her hip pressed to his side. She propped herself up on one elbow and leaned over his shoulder.
He met her kiss eagerly. His fingers threaded into her hair and curved around the back of her head, holding her close.
Kissing Matt was magical.
Shelby Caine was kissing him.
She'd snuggled up next to him and was taking what she wanted—what he was happy, elated, delirious to give her.
Maybe she'd inspired him to write music, too, because darn if he didn't hear a bass drum thumping with each touch of her lips. Or maybe that was just his heart, pounding in his head like thunder.
Her hand splayed on his jaw, her fingers as soft as a kitten as they moved over his cheek.
She tasted sweet, like honey. Or maybe he was just losing his mind to the sensations she created in him.
She ended the kiss and curled up against him, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to recover.
"How's your head-music now?" he asked breathlessly.
He felt her smile against his shoulder. "You'll definitely make it into a song someday."
He found himself smiling, still reeling from the kiss. He'd never expected this. Never expected her.
He liked her.
And he was grateful that whatever impulse had prompted him to take her fishing had kept them out of Sawyer Creek. No one had seen them, so no one was around to blow her cover, and she had no idea he knew she was a pop star.
They could build on this.
He needed to take her back to the B&B. He'd meant to keep her out, but maybe not until it was almost time for him to be up and at his chores. If he could deliver her back before anyone was the wiser, maybe he could figure out a way to see her again before she left town. And maybe they could grow this thing—whatever it was—long distance. It wasn't ideal but—
He’d have to find another way to break free from the ranch. Shelby wasn't it. But she'd sure as heck lit a fire under him to make the break. There’d be no putting it off anymore. If he was going to be the kind of guy
she'd want to be with, he had to learn to stand up for himself.
"You wanna come to a wedding tomorrow?" she asked, her voice husky. "I gotta find myself a date."
He hesitated. He desperately wanted to spend more time with her, but he’d have a host of chores tomorrow.
As he opened his mouth to ask if he could call her in the morning, he realized she'd relaxed against him. Her breathing was slow and even. She was asleep.
If he tilted his chin just right, he could see the slope of her cheek, then her shoulder and the arm she'd slung across his stomach.
He should wake her, get her back where she belonged.
But it had been such a long time since he'd felt so peaceful. He had some big moves to make, starting in the morning. He was really going to do it.
He just wanted to hold her a little bit longer.
Chapter 5
Shelby's back was on fire when she woke up.
She was... outside? The sky was gray, and the air was thick like rain was coming. It had to be past dawn, but no birds were chirping or squawking in the surrounding trees. She reached for her phone and lit up the screen to check the time.
Well past dawn.
Oh no. She'd fallen asleep.
She sat up, rubbing a hand over her bleary eyes. She remembered fishing last night, and star-gazing, and Matt's amazing kisses.
Where was Matt?
She heard the rumble of voices and scooted up the pickup bed, close to the cab. More than one voice meant trouble.
And she was supposed to be staying out of trouble.
She peered around the edge of the truck, careful to stay low in case whoever it was out there had a camera. What'd had she been thinking? Everyone had a cell phone, which meant that everyone had a camera.
Matt had his back to her and was facing off with an older woman who slightly resembled him. His mom.
There was some kind of souped-up golf cart—a utility vehicle—behind them. How had Shelby slept through that thing driving up? She should never have stayed out so late.
The last thing Matt needed was trouble with his mom because of her, especially when things were already strained between mother and son.
"What were you thinking, staying out all night? Were you just gonna leave the cattle to fend for themselves this morning?"
"We fell asleep. And it's summer. The cattle have plenty of forage. They aren't going to starve if they have to wait an extra couple hours to eat."
Or you could take care of the cattle. Shelby waited for the words, but they didn't come. It's what she would've said.
"Do you know who that is?" his mom hissed, throwing a hand toward the truck, though she didn't seem to see Shelby's head peeking over the edge.
"Yes."
Shelby's head began to pound. He didn't mean he knew. Did he?
"She's the world's biggest party girl," his mom said.
"No, she isn't—"
Relief flushed through Shelby so completely that she went weak. Too soon, because the next exchange obliterated all her hopes.
"The tabloids say she's wild and crazy."
"The tabloids are wrong."
He did know.
Like helium from a popped balloon, all Shelby’s energy drained out. She turned away from the two of them and huddled against the wall of the cab. She wrapped her arms around herself, then realized she was still wearing his shirt.
Leaning forward so as to remain hidden, she shook out of it. Her hands were shaking.
She reached for some kind of numbness, something to blanket the gaping wound inside of her.
She came up empty.
He'd known the whole time that she was Shelby Caine. How could she have been so stupid?
She'd thought... she'd trusted. And maybe that was the stupidest thing of all. How many times did she have to be burned before she realized that everyone had an agenda.
Even a Farm Boy from Sawyer Creek, Texas.
Her stomach hurt. She had to get out of here.
A phone went off, vibrating noisily against the truck bed. She yanked it up, praying the noise hadn't drawn the attention of either Matt or his mother. She didn't want to face either one.
She silenced it, and the vibrating stopped. It was her mom calling.
Mom was probably panicked that Shelby wasn't in her room. Shelby squeezed her eyes closed against the hot tears that threatened. Don't cry, don't cry.
She'd been irresponsible, going out without letting anyone know where she was. She could hear the lecture Wilder would give her as soon as she returned.
It wouldn't have bothered her one iota if she hadn't just been stabbed in the back by Matt.
Her phone rang again. Wilder this time.
She silenced the call and shot off a text to her brother, letting him know she was fine and nearby—though she didn't qualify where—and would be back soon.
And then Matt was there, rounding the truck bed. "Hey. You're awake."
He was smiling as if nothing was wrong. If she'd had any strength left, she’d have pretended for him, at least long enough to get back to the B&B.
But she didn't have anything left. He'd stolen it all with his deceit.
She lifted her chin, avoiding his eyes. "Take me back now, please."
The one thing Matt hadn't wanted to happen had. Of course. Because that was his kind of luck.
A massive storm cloud had built overhead and looked like it was about to dump buckets on them any minute now. Shelby sat silently in the passenger seat of his truck with none of the easy friendship from last night. She was like a perfect stranger hitching a ride. Gone was the woman who'd laughed as they'd caught fish. The one who'd kissed him with such abandon.
He wanted to apologize, but the words stuck in the back of his throat. Was there anything he could say to make things right?
He couldn't even think about his mom and what he needed to say to her later. He'd been too afraid of Shelby, so close to him in the truck bed and still half-asleep, the late night taking a toll and making him unable to gather his thoughts.
The truck was almost to the ranch house when she shifted in her seat. "I thought I could wait, but I need to stop and use your bathroom."
His molars clenched. What were the chances she'd walk into that house and he wouldn't be totally humiliated? Zilch.
But neither could he deny her. He pulled the truck to a stop and killed the engine. "Shelby—"
But she was already out of the car and up the steps.
He followed her inside. The house was so small there was no question which door down the minuscule hallway was the bathroom. She was disappearing inside it by the time he made it through the front door.
She'd walked right by the couch, where his blanket was folded atop his pillow, both unused from last night.
Ty was eating cereal at the kitchen table with a clear view over the back of the couch. He stared at Matt in wide-eyed awe. Glanced to the bathroom, then back. His mouth was still hanging open when Shelby returned.
"Hey. Hey! You're Shelby Caine." Ty abandoned his cereal bowl. Matt was sure he'd never seen him move that fast before as he rushed to intercept the unexpected guest.
Shelby glanced once at the door—carefully avoiding Matt—and then at his brother. "Hi."
"Can I please have your autograph? Please, please, please."
"Ty—" He started to shut his brother down, but Shelby sent him a quelling glare.
"Do you have any paper?"
Ty raced around her to the end table, and she followed him. She was basically looking down at Matt's blanket.
"Is this your bed?" she asked absently as she reached for the paper and pen Ty extended.
"Naw, that's where Matt sleeps."
Matt's face burned. He'd admitted to being a doormat last night, but the tangible evidence was too disgraceful to bear.
Shelby didn't even look up from what she was scribbling on the page.
She finished and handed the paper to Ty, who was still in wide-eyed shock.
<
br /> Just then, Kylie rushed from her bedroom in the back of the house, raised her phone and pointed it at Shelby. She squealed, her voice so high-pitched Matt could barely make out Shelby's name.
She was videoing.
Shelby ducked her head and turned her back.
"Kylie!" Matt's sharp reprimand had no effect on his sister.
There was no way Shelby wanted to be videoed after sleeping out in his truck and before she'd had a chance to do anything with her appearance. Not to mention she was mad as heck at him.
But she didn't yell at his sister, or lunge for the phone. She gave a brief wave of her shoulder and then brushed past him.
Kylie was fast, but he was faster. He grabbed her phone and quickly deleted the video before slamming out of the house.
What a disaster.
He trailed Shelby to the truck, fired it up, and went down the drive. He had about three minutes before they hit the B&B parking lot. And maybe less than that before the rain came.
"I'm really sorry about that. My sister…"
She shrugged off his apology, staring out the window. "You can sell the footage to TMZ. Make a quick buck."
The coldness in her voice—and that she thought he'd do something like that—was a punch to the gut. By the time he caught his breath, they were pulling up to the B&B.
He eased the truck through the gravel lot. "Shelby—"
"Don't worry about it." She jumped out before the tires had even stopped rolling.
Chapter 6
It turned out that Shelby didn't cause the wedding drama. Nicholas did, by disappearing completely. Heh, maybe Mom should've given him that lecture about not causing trouble.
The morning rainstorm had been short-lived and had blown over in plenty of time for the ceremony. Shelby and Mom had welcomed guests from the lawn, directing them to the chairs she and Wilder had placed yesterday. And then Wilder had come outside, looking for Nicholas. Now the guests were all seated and the three Caines had come inside.
Shelby slipped into the kitchen and stood at one of the windows, looking out over the unsuspecting wedding guests without really seeing them. She'd been holding herself together by a thread since morning.
Someone New: sweet contemporary romance (Jilted in Sawyer Creek Book 2) Page 4
