by Piper Frost
"Will, what the heck?" I plop into the seat next to him and let my purse drop to the floor.
"They were makin' fun of us," he grumbles and I groan, leaning back in the seat. The secretary, a woman that hates my brother, glares at us.
"So? What were you gonna do? Burn the place down?" I whisper.
"No," he snickers. "It pissed me off." His heel keeps kicking the leg of my chair. My heart hurts for my brother, and only because I know how he feels, but he's channeling it in all the wrong ways.
"You gotta kill 'em with kindness, Will. Trust me." I nudge him. "I gotta take you to the ranch so I can get back to work." I pick up my purse and sling it over my shoulder, grabbing his backpack and holding it out for him. He pulls himself out of the chair and takes it with a huff.
Mr. Bearns doesn't even bother to come out to talk to me. Though, I don't blame him. Not much else to say.
"I hate that office," Will bitches as we head out to the car.
"Then maybe you shouldn't play with fire inside school. You wouldn't have to spend so much time there if you could figure out how to control your anger. Last week you were beating kids up on the football field and this week you're threatening to burn the place down. You're going to be expelled, Will. Then what will we do?" I shake my head, unlocking the car door for him before getting into the driver's seat. He practically falls into the car and I take a deep breath. "What's on your mind? Want to talk about it?"
"No," he mumbles, pulling his hood over his face then shoving his ear buds in, drowning out any and all attempts I planned on making to help him figure this out.
I call Jo on the way and warn her we're coming over. By now she knows the drill, and I couldn't be more thankful for the Kenshaws and their help over the years. Even when Brandt caught Will trying to catch the hay bales on fire, they still let him come around. He's not allowed in any of the barns anymore though. He stays strictly to the fields with the horses, but he's still welcome there, thankfully.
Brandt and I met in middle school and after high school remained friends. When he brought Jo into the mix I was a little uncertain of her, mainly because she looks like she doesn't belong here, but looks don't matter. We learned that fast with Jo. I love her like family, especially because Brandt's never been happier. I'm convinced I'll never find what they have. At least not in this small town.
The entire drive to the ranch, Will doesn't talk to me. He's pulled so far away from me it's unbelievable and I'm at a loss as to what to do with him. He won't express feelings so I have no idea what he needs. I pay attention to him. I buy him what I can. I love him like our parents never passed, but nothing ever gives.
By the time we get to the ranch, I've gone through every scenario in my head of how this kid's going to end up if he doesn't get his act together and nothing ends pretty. As I pull away to head back to work for the remaining two hours of the school day, I can't help but worry he'll end up in prison, or dead before I can figure out a way to get through to him.
I'm thankful when the weekend comes and I can relax a little. I feel like it took three weeks just to get to Friday. Between stress at work, tips at the diner being less than stellar, and dealing with Will, I was ready for a good glass of wine before Friday ended. Today I worked a twelve-hour shift at the diner, but tomorrow's Sunday so I'm off from both jobs. I couldn't be happier. I don't have long before I gotta get home and make sure my brother's not out terrorizing the town, but I'm sitting at the bar where my best friend Chase works when he's not running the tattoo shop.
"Plans tonight?" he asks, watching me carefully. He knows the weekends I end up here aren't the best of nights for me. I need it after this week, I tell ya.
"You're watching it," I say, taking another drink of my wine. I'm not trying to get drunk, just attempting to unwind.
He leans on the bar and smiles at me, that twinkle in those eyes is going to make some girl fall hard for him.
Just not me.
We tried it years ago. Chase and I have been friends just as long as Brandt and me. Being from this small town there's not a plethora of men to choose from, so it felt like a no-brainer hooking up with Chase. He's extremely good looking and knows how to treat a girl if he likes you. But when it came time for our relationship to go from fun dates to anything else, it just didn't feel right. It felt like messing around with a family member. The same thing I would feel if Brandt and I had ever tried anything. There were no hard feelings when I broke it off with Chase. He stuck around and has become a pretty amazing friend over the years. When my parents died he was exactly what I needed. He's fun and carefree and I needed to let go at times. Jo and Brandt were great, especially with my siblings, but the only person I could unwind with was Chase. Maybe because when I was with the Kenshaws, the twins were always with me. Don't get me wrong, Chase likes my siblings, but time with Chase meant time away from home and responsibility. The fun and carefree lifestyle has died down since though, especially the worse Will's attitude becomes.
"How's the old clan?" He leans back and crosses his tattooed arms.
God, girls swoon over those arms. Everything about Chase is sexy bad boy, and that worries me that he'll never be tamed. He deserves to be. I know he probably thinks being tamed is more of a punishment than something good, but I just hope one day he'll find that girl that shows him his full potential.
I chuckle, carefully turning my glass. He only brings them up because he's trying to be a good friend and knows they're important to me, but Chase had some sort of falling out with 'the old clan'. The reasons are unknown. I think it had a lot to do with his sister, Fiona. She was rather promiscuous and easily caused a dozen fights amongst our group of friends. There was a lot of drama for a while, which I think is why Chase kind of pulled back from everyone but me.
"Everyone's fine. Though, I really only see Jo and Brandt anymore. You know mostly everyone else has pretty much moved away. What's up with your sister? She still doing well in Vegas? You haven't brought her up in awhile." She's his twin and they had been inseparable until she left this place. I know he misses her like crazy, but he hasn't mentioned her lately.
"She's engaged." He shakes his head. "Some money maker out there. But she's happy."
"No shit?" I chuckle. "Well good for her. That's good."
"She'll start poppin' out kids soon, livin' the American dream in the desert." He swipes at the counter then tosses the rag down. "What about you, Kin? You ever thought about that? Kids, family?"
I stand. I've pretty much written love out of my life until the twins are away at college and I can breathe a little, but that's nothing I need to whine about. I'm good the way we are right now. "You know I got no time for that in my life, Chase. Hey, I gotta head home before Will burns the house down. He's still on this pyro kick."
The look on his face is sad. Anyone who knows about my troublesome brother gives me this look. They've all tried to help, but there's no getting through to Will.
"We still on for breakfast?"
I smirk. "Chase, you and I have been having Sunday breakfasts for years now. It ain't gonna change. Be at the house at eight and be prepared for cranky teenagers." I slap down a twenty and he shoves it back across the bar at me.
"And you know your money is no good here, beautiful." He grins and I roll my eyes, swiping the bill off the counter and shoving it back into my pocket.
"Thank you." Before I hurry out of here, he walks around the bar, wrapping his arms around me. A hug from Chase has always relaxed some of my stress, at least for a few brief moments.
"I'll bring the bacon," he says, letting me go. I smile up at him and he winks, giving me that smile that I'm certain will one day change a lucky girl's life.
Jo says I'm leading him on, that he's hung up on me, but we tried that. It didn't work out, and I'm fairly certain he felt the same about the situation as I did. At least he agreed when I brought attention to how awkward and forced being intimate with him felt. He's my best friend and I worry if I pull away, he'll fall
back from me like he did everyone else.
I head home for the night and spend it in front of the TV by myself. As the twins get older, they spend less time at home. The two of them have their small group of friends, which I love, but this tiny house seems too big when it's just me here. I end up falling asleep on the couch at nine and get woken up when they come tip-toeing in at just after midnight.
"Where've you guys been?" I sit up, rubbing my eyes.
"Ryan's. His mom brought us home, we thought you were working." Wendy heads toward the hall as she talks. Ryan is Will's best friend and has been for as long as I can remember. His family is strict, but they're good for the kids.
"Chase'll be here in the morning for breakfast!" I call out before heading to grab a glass of water. I hear them grumble, but they're lucky I can't tell what they're saying. They don't care when he's here, so it better just be bitching about having to wake up early.
The next morning, Chase delivers, as always, with donuts, bacon, coffee, and a huge smile I love to see, even if he's later than he usually is.
"They're not awake yet," I say, glancing at the clock. "It's almost ten. I guess I should get them up."
"We'll just call this brunch then." He winks and heads to the kitchen while I make my rounds to wake the kids.
I walk into Wendy's room and glance around; she's under her piles of blankets, fast asleep. This used to be my room before we lost our parents. Now I'm in their old room so the twins can have their own space. Like I said before, this house isn't the biggest, but it's home and it holds every memory of my parents I have, be it good or bad.
"Up, missy. Chase brought bacon and donuts." I nudge her shoulder.
She groans and rolls over, lifting a sleepy eyebrow at me. "He likes you," she mumbles. "A lot."
"He does not. We're just friends, now get up before I eat your serving." I toss a pillow at her then head to Will's room and try to open the door but he's locked it. Knocking, I rest my forehead against the door. "Will? Chase is here. Time to get up for breakfast." I wait, but nothing comes of my attempt.
Will doesn't really like Chase. He's never made it a point to bond with him like I was hoping, and he never gets up for Sunday breakfasts to join us. Him and Chase don't really have much in common, so I suppose that's why, but I just wish Will had someone in his life that he could look up to and talk to. Someone he'd actually open up to. Lord knows Chase has tried, but he doesn't know the first thing to do when it comes to an angsty teen who seems to hate the world
I finally resign from trying to get him up and head back to the kitchen where Chase has eggs going alongside the bacon. It smells amazing.
"Wendy should be out soon. I can't get Will up." I puff out a breath of frustration, plopping into the chair.
"He'll come around. Don't stress about him. Teenage boys are rough." He chuckles then turns back to the stove.
I take a minute to look over what he's wearing. Chase isn't the country boy most of the guys around here are. He grew up here, but he's always had that rocker vibe going on. Hell, him and Jo could pass for brother and sister. If it weren't for the southern accent, you'd think he was transplanted from a big city like Jo actually was.
Sometimes I'm sad I couldn't develop those feelings for him. It'd be easy as pie letting him into our family, but I can't settle. Not that Chase isn't a catch, but he's not in the pond I'd fish in. I'd rather be old with thirty cats than settle for something that isn't true love. I know I'll find it eventually.
Hopefully.
"Come on, Wendy!" I honk the horn, not wanting to get out of the car because I'm running late. It's Tuesday and I wish it were Friday. I seem to wish my days away more often than not anymore.
This morning I woke up to the smell of burning plastic, just to run into the kitchen at six a.m. to find Will burning a plastic bottle over the stove top because he 'liked the way the burnt plastic shriveled up'. I swear, he’s going to burn this place down and it worries me we'll all still be inside.
I see Wendy dismount the horse and sigh. She loves those horses. They both do, and If I had the means, I'd get them a horse. They don't complain about it though. They know money is tight, and for the most part they're respectful of it. I'm grateful I don't have teenaged siblings who are brand name snobs and expect everything under the sun to be handed to them. Wendy's pretty cool. And Will...well he just wants to burn things.
I watch her give Jo a hug, then wave behind her as she walks toward the car. And then I see the new figure she waved at. I haven't seen this person on the ranch.
Who is that? I narrow my eyes like it'll help me see clearer. While I'm squinting to try and focus on the stranger, who coincidentally just glanced over at my beater car then ripped his shirt off, the passenger door swings open and I jump.
"Hey. Sorry, I was talkin'," she says, buckling up.
"Mmm okay," I mutter, my eyes locked on the nice view out in the field. "Wendy, who's that man?"
Please don't say it's Brandt. That'd be really awkward eyeing up one of my oldest friends. Not to mention Jo's husband. My sex life has been nonexistent for a while now, but that's no excuse to ogle Brandt.
"I think Jo said his name is Bro? Bo? I think Bo..." She fumbles with her phone and plugs in her headphones, ignoring my blunt reaction.
"Bo?" I blurt, my eyebrows pulling together. "Wendy, Bo? You're sure she said Bo?" I jerk my head back to the field but he's gone. Long gone. Bo's been long gone from this town for about five years now. That can't be Bo. That body definitely wasn't the Bo I remember.
"Yep. Bo. He's pretty cool," she says with a shrug. "Nice to look at."
"Stop that," I blurt, taking a deep breath and pulling away. "You're too young for those cowboys."
She smirks over at me, shoving her earbuds in, and I'm left with a silent ride to wonder if the stranger on the Kenshaws’ ranch was actually Bo.
Bo's back.
And from far away...he looks real good.
As I hit the city limits, I think about how I swore I'd never be back here for more than a visit. In the few years I've been gone I hadn't even made time for a visit, and now I'm back, and I think for good.
My granddad's funeral is tomorrow and then his house tentatively goes on the market within the week. Seems like my parents have been waiting for granddad to pass so they could stop having to worry 'bout him. Part of me wishes I'd stayed for him. I coulda helped out, been taking care of all the things my folks don't want to. But my granddad would have kicked my ass up and down if I stayed. He was the reason I got out of here. He got me the 'in' with my manager and from there, I rode on his coattails until my potential was noticed for what it is. Bull riding ain't a sport for everyone. Tons of people don't even consider it a sport, but it is. Trust me on this. It's a dangerous one too.
It only took me a year to go pro when I left. I was losing hope going to these small league rodeos and blowing everyone's time out of the water by minutes. After going pro, it took almost a year for me to become big in the pro bull-riding world, and when I did, the money started rolling in. My granddad was the one that helped me invest my first couple grand. My pops didn't even have time to watch one of my rides on TV. Now I've got stocks, I've got CDs, and I've evolved from shoving cash under my mattress. Don't get me wrong, I got more cash than I know what to do with. Not all my money's been invested, but I'm glad my granddad taught me the right way to save and make money off money before I lost my chance.
My pops ain't interested in my 'new' money. He got my granddad's money, and my mom married into it. It's old money and according to my dad, it means more. Yeah, well, it ain't worth more, and my new money buys a hell of a lot more useful things than his old money does. I donate to charities. I have shares in the Kenshaw ranch. I own farmland and harvest wheat. Of course I don't work on the farm but my granddad said that was one of the first things I should do. Since I bought that farm, my income has tripled, which is a good thing because I don't think I'll ride again. I still have money coming from endor
sements and whatnot, but I don't think I'll get the satisfaction of sitting on another bull.
I broke my back twelve months ago and didn't start walking again but five months ago. My life took a drastic turn when that happened. I have a problem with needing to feel the thrill of flirting with death. I need that racing heart that gets the blood pumping. It's such a surge to feel that adrenaline. I'm an adrenaline junky, and the past year has been hell. I've tried a hundred things that don't require the body I used to have. I gamble, I race, I big game hunt, but none of it gives me that feeling bull riding does...did. Everything else seems tame in comparison and I don't know how much more I can take with this back keeping me grounded.
This thirteen-hour drive has been hell and I've pulled off to take more breaks than I can keep track of. But I'm back. Back in this small town, and I'm going to buy my granddaddy's home before my folks can sell it.
I don't know what's in store for me here, and I don't really think I'm coming back to many friends but the Kenshaws, but there's one girl I'd love to see again. Even if only for a moment, to remember what was never mine.
Kinlee Jones.
"Hey." I jog over to Brandt as he's throwin' hay bales in the back of his truck. I've been helping on the farm for the past week, and it keeps me busy, but it doesn't get my heart pumping. Picking up one of the bales, he gives me a look, but I press on and throw it into the truck. My back will learn to keep up with me. "What ever happened to Kinlee Jones?"
"She's still around." He grunts, tossing another bale. With one left, I grab for it but he shoves my hand away, giving me that look again. "I'm not paying your ass if you get hurt on the job 'cause you're a fuckin' idiot."
I chuckle. "Wait...you're payin' me?" I smirk and he shakes his head. "So what's that mean? She's still around. Around where? Same house, livin' with her parents?" I chuckle, thinkin' back to her dad who was the strong silent type, and her mom who was sweet as pie.
