Control (Kenshaw Ranch Book 4)

by Piper Frost

  “I can't promise anything.” She kisses me softly.

  Damn, walking away from her is hard. I let the kiss linger longer than I probably should, but tearing my lips from this girl proves to be more difficult the longer I have the permission to touch her however I want. I'm still not used to it, and I still feel like I'm going to wake up from this dream and return to the nightmare that is life without Affton. I'm taking my days as they come.

  I pull onto the ranch ten minutes past seven. Brandt and Grant are standing in the barn when I walk in.

  “What's goin on?” I ask, walking over to the workbench and setting my thermos down.

  “Just got in from spraying the fields.” Grant grins and Brandt laughs, shaking his head.

  “This idiot went and got the sheriff called on him because he was flyin' too close to the cars,” Brandt says, wearing a look that says he wants to laugh about it but since it's technically his employee he needs to stay stern.

  “I had to get the border!”

  “Don't do it again,” Brandt says, then pauses before letting out a chuckle. “I’m headin' out to the far end of the property to check on the fencing after the storm last night.” He nods at me and dips out of the barn.

  “You would fuckin' have the cops called for being a dick crop duster.”

  “You know the only reason I went into this gig was because of that title.” Grant laughs aloud. “My mama would be so proud of me.”

  “God rest her soul,” I mutter, shaking my head. “Hey, we're thinkin' of getting the crew together for a bonfire this weekend. You want in?” I ask Grant as I grab the few things I'll need for the day.

  “I don’t know. Maybe. Depends how drunk and fucked I planned on getting that day.”

  “Well, you know I can help you with both. We’ll have some drinks then fuck Affton.” I shrug.

  “I’d feel really bad if she tried leaving you for me. You sure we should keep doing this?” He grins and I narrow my eyes at him, punching his shoulder.

  “Shut the fuck up,” I grumble.

  “I’m kidding.” He laughs and shoves a pair of gloves in his back pocket. “But how’s that working out? She still cool with it?”

  “Uh, yeah.” I shrug. “No complaints.”

  “You think we’ll ever advance to adding a second girl?” His eyebrow quirks and I pause in thought.

  “I don’t know.” And I honestly don’t, but if she wanted it, I’d do it. “I’ll feel her out.” I glance behind me then give him a shove. “Now get the fuck out of here before someone hears us.”

  “I’m gonna go dust the sheriff’s car for that ticket he gave me.” He laughs on his way out of the barn.

  I get to work and can't seem to keep Affton off my mind for more than three minutes at a time. I fucking miss her. My phone rings in my pocket around lunch time and I smirk at her name on the screen.

  “You need me to listen to you sing to yourself while you make lunch?” I smirk, chuckling when Brandt laughs on his way out of the barn.

  The sound of her shaky exhale makes me freeze. The fact she doesn't laugh or respond right away starts to make me nervous.

  “I just spoke to Douglas. My lawyer.”

  “Yeah?” I lean back against the workbench, pulling my hat from my head and rubbing over my hair. “What'd he say?” Nothing's been resolved with her soon to be ex-husband. This whole thing is taking way too much damn time.

  “I can get the divorce finalized,” she says quietly. That's good, right? Why doesn't she sound happy? ”But I have to go to court and there's a possibility he'll be there. If he doesn't show up, I can take him for anything I want. Which is nothing,” she quickly assures. Oh. Well that's fucking why, I guess. “But he has to be given the option to show up and counter what I want. I'm not trying to take anything from him, but he can try and come after me for something. Everything's separated. Finances and income. But bottom line, I have to go or I can't get it finalized.”

  I squeeze my eyes closed and press my palm to them. This is the last news I wanted to hear from her. They can't just do this all online? It's the age of computers! Why the hell would she need to appear in court for this? He's the asshole that isn't doing what he's supposed to!

  “So you have to go back to California?” I manage to say through the rage building inside. The last trip was stressful enough and she damn hallucinated about him when we got back. But this? Letting him walk into the same room as her? Fuck.

  “Yeah,” she whispers, breaking a small piece of my heart because she sounds utterly terrified.

  “When?” I glance around the barn and my mental checklist starts ticking off everything I need to get done around here before we leave.

  “I need to know your schedule. I'm sorry, Tommy. If you can't come, I'll...I'll be okay, but I'll try and schedule it around your work schedule if you can come.”

  “I'm going with you, dammit. And I'm not letting you out of my sight, Bean.” I huff, rubbing my head and tossing my hat back on. “I can leave day after tomorrow. How long we talking? A day?”

  “Hopefully. I'll call Douglas back and see if he can pull strings to get this taken care of. I'm hoping in and out. I'd prefer not to stay and I'll pay Grant extra if he can fly us in and out the same day. Shit,” she huffs. “I'm disrupting all your lives. This is stupid,” she mutters like she's talking to herself and I don't need her getting the idea to do this alone.

  “Hey, stop,” I say, starting to pace the barn. “I'd do anything for you, Bean. I love you, so you're going to have to accept whatever help I plan on giving you. And Grant will gladly take all your money.” I chuckle. “As soon as you hear back from your lawyer let me know and I'll get it set up with him, okay?”

  “I could maybe ask Bo to go with me.” The tone of her voice doesn't sound like she wants to do that. “I'm not your responsibility. I can't expect you to take off work for this.”

  “You're not askin' your damn brother!” I bark, then let out a huff. “I'm going with you. End of story. And Grant's not taking off because you're paying him. Technically that makes you his boss so you can't feel bad about that.” I sigh. “I love you, Beany.”

  “Thanks, baby. I love you too. More than you know.”

  She ends the call and I stare at my phone screen at the photo of us we took a couple weeks ago when we were at the water's edge, day drinking without a care in the world. Well, we were full of cares, but we were living in the moment. Now all it seems we're doing is trying to keep our heads above that water. I'd do anything for Affton, and I pray to God she knows that. I know she's not going to be happy here for much longer...not even with as much as she says she loves me. Love can do wonders, but it can't make her stay and that thought alone terrifies me.

  *

  “In and out, Bean.” I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles while she stares out the airplane window. “Grant promised we'd be home by bedtime, just like last time. And we already know he's not going to kill us. And after today...” I pull her chin to look at me. “You're free,” I whisper.

  She stares me in the eyes, not saying anything for a few minutes. “Douglas texted,” she whispers. “Corey's going to be there.”

  I take a minute to push down the pure hatred for the man, mostly so I don't blurt out in detail how I'm going to dismember the fucker if he even so much as looks at her wrong today.

  “Okay,” I say, nodding. “It'll be okay. We'll be in a courtroom. He can't get to you. And I'll be right by your side. Grant too. You'll be flocked by two tall, very scary looking cowboys.” I try to grin at her but it feels strange smiling at a time like this.

  I honestly didn't think he'd show. But now? Fuck, anything could happen.

  She turns her head to look out the window again and I sigh, gripping her hand tight in mine and resting my head to the back of the seat. She's silent the rest of the flight and as we're grabbing her briefcase from the overhead I pause and rest my hand on the small of her back.

  “Beany,” I whisper.
/>
  She's thrown up every wall she has for today, and I get it, but she's not about to lock me out. She turns her head and looks at me, seeming like she mentally checked out.

  “Hi.”

  “H...hi.” Her head shakes slightly and she turns her body to face me. “Hi,” she says again, her hands grabbing my face. “I love you.”

  “I love you, Bean. We'll get through this. Together. You hear me?” Her head nods. I push my lips to hers, wanting nothing more than to be back in my bed with her but we're not. We're in California about to sit in a room with the fucker that fucked my girl over and I've sworn to everyone back home that I won't end up in jail today.

  “Let's get this show on the road,” Grant says, ducking out of the cockpit. His eyes hit Affton and his usual immature demeanor is completely gone. “You ready?”

  “Yeah.” She nods confidently but I know it's not real. “Thank you for doing this.” She squeezes his arm then moves around us.

  He gives me a look and I shake my head, because no, she's not ready for it. How can you ever be ready for a day like today?

  At the courthouse her lawyer's already standing outside waiting for us.

  “Is that typical?” I ask, gripping her hand tight as we walk.

  She pauses and glances down where I'm refusing to let her go and her eyes hit mine. “We're friends,” she whispers, wiggling her hand loose. “And I need people to think that about me and you. I'm so sorry.” She moves quickly to get ahead of me and greets her friend with a hug.

  “Chill,” Grant says, keeping step next to me but glancing up at the massive building. “She's technically still married, Tommy. You can claim her the minute those papers are signed today, but for now you gotta play the friend card.”

  I clench my jaw. They're both right, but I fucking hate it. As we approach Affton she's wearing that perfected fake smile she learned to wear over the years she lived in this fucking city. I smile at this lawyer friend of hers and my mind forces me to wonder whether or not she's ever fucked him. But I have to remember she's been married, and to her friends, they all thought it was a happy marriage.

  “Douglas, this is my friend Tommy. And my friend and personal pilot.” She chuckles and gestures to Grant. “Grant.”

  Douglas gives me a firm but quick handshake before Grant then turns to her. “He's already in there, Affton. Let's not give him reason to get irate okay?”

  “He won't,” she quickly claims and my eyebrows pull high. “He's not like that.”

  I scoff and her eyes fly to mine. I shake my head because I don't know what's safe to say in front of this lawyer, but she better not turn back into that girl when we get in there. She's grown a backbone since she left this place. She knows what he did is wrong and she's fighting against it. I'm terrified the minute she sees this Corey fuck-head that'll be the last of that.

  “Hey, are guns allowed in here?” Grant asks, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his boot heels.

  “No. We have to go through the metal detectors.” The lawyer points. “I'd advise you not to attempt to bring in any weapons. Perhaps you two should wait out here?” He glances at Affton.

  “Oh, I'm not stupid enough to bring one,” Grant says, laughing. “I just mean that fucker probably is so I'm just making sure he doesn't have a one-up on us.”

  I glare at him, trying not to tell him to keep his ass down here because we do need him in there.

  “Grant.” Affton glances at him. “Please keep quiet and look pretty.” She looks at me but she wouldn't say the same to me even though I know she's thinking it.

  “Can do.” He grins and wiggles his eyebrows at me. “I'm pretty.”

  “Shut up,” I grumble, shoving him back a step. “Can we get this over with?” I don't know why I'm suddenly so nervous. I'm not the one about to battle my biggest nightmare. I'm just the one about to rip someone's eyeballs out of their sockets.

  We head inside and wait for the elevator. Affton's lawyer friend is talking to her, going over everything, and I'm trying to follow but there's so much information to take in that by the time we're all in the elevator the tiny room feels ten times too small for the four of us. I stand behind her and give her hand a small squeeze once the doors close. She squeezes back just enough to let me know she's still in there, then drops her hand from mine and brings it to tuck hair behind her ear.

  Grant and I follow the two of them into the courtroom and the minute the doors open her whole body goes rigid. I know what's got her so upset the minute I see the shit-eating grin on the dead man's face.

  “I'm right here,” I whisper at her back.

  She stands up tall and looks like she's moving stiffly but the look on her face doesn't give anything away. No one in this courtroom except us and Douglas know the extent of what this fucker's done to her. Everyone else in here just thinks she wants a divorce.

  We walk to the front of the room and the two of us take a seat in the first row of benches while she heads to the judge with her lawyer. I keep my eyes trained on Corey the entire fucking time she's up there and he must sense it because he glares right back until his lawyer takes his attention away. Watching Affton go through this hurts. I couldn't wait for all this to be over, but watching her struggle through today when there's no one else in the room that even knows how bad she's struggling is the worst fucking feeling. She's stiff as a board, her voice is way too precise, and the slight tremble in her hands is about to give her away.

  We sit in the courtroom for five hours, listening to both sides, fighting it out, but ultimately Corey fucked himself over when he didn't address the papers she served him so when the final word is given and Affton's officially a free woman, I feel like I should feel more relieved than I do. And she definitely should look more relieved than she does. I want to wrap my arms around her, but she's got so much paperwork to sign and things to finalize with the lawyer that even once the courtroom is pretty well empty we're still sitting here waiting.

  “I'm gonna go find a bathroom,” Grant mumbles, standing and heading out the door.

  I glance across the room to where Corey was sitting and realize he's been long gone and can't help but smirk. We're almost in the clear.

  She looks at me and there’s still no trace of relief. “If you want to wait outside, I'll get all this handled and meet you out there? I feel like we've been here for days.”

  “I'm okay,” I say, crossing my arms in front of me and relaxing back on the most uncomfortable wooden bench I've ever fucking sat on. “I'll stay, thanks.” I’m not leaving her side today, that's a promise I intend to keep.

  A small smile lifts her lips and she gives my knee a brief squeeze mouthing the word, “Thanks.”

  It takes another thirty minutes before the lawyer friend realizes he's late for another meeting. I stand when they start shoving the paperwork into her briefcase and stretch out, glancing around the empty courthouse.

  “Damn, last time I cleared a room I was way more drunk than this,” I mutter, trying to lighten the mood and see my girl smile but I don't get it. All I get is a small eye roll from her but I'll take it. It's some type of response.

  We head out to the hall to wait for Grant who apparently got lost on the way to the bathroom because he's still not back. When my eyes hit Corey standing in the far corner of the hallway my hand immediately grabs Affton's.

  “Come on,” I say, trying to drag her to the elevator. “I'll tell Grant to meet us out front.”

  She hasn't noticed him yet and we almost make it to the elevator before he calls her name and she freezes like he's put a trance on her. She slowly turns around.

  “Af, wait up.” He jogs toward us, his eyes focused on my hand holding hers and I want to shove my fist through that pretty boy face of his.

  “Beany,” I whisper, my eyes searching hers frantically. We were so fucking close. The elevator dings open and I glance at it, stepping toward it. “Let's go home.” Please. Please don't make me do this.

  “Af.” Wh
en he steps toward her, he jerks her arm to release her hand from mine and I snap. Growling, I grab the collar of his shirt to shove him back but she makes a noise that halts me.

  “Tommy, don't,” she quietly says, sounding like she could cry so I back off, trying to grab her hand again but she curls it into a fist.

  “You whoring around on me? That why you want a divorce?” His voice is calm but I can see the crazy in his eyes.

  “She wanted a divorce because you beat her, fucker,” I growl, tightening my fists at my side and feeling my heart attempting to fly out of my chest and bitch slap this asshole. “Affton, let's go.”

  She tries to turn but he grabs her shoulder and this time, she puts her hand to my chest before I can even react. I’m sure she can feel the adrenaline pumping through me. I'm fucking shaking, wanting to get at this asshole.

  “Just give me a minute,” she tells me. “Corey, just let it go,” she whispers. “No one will know anything.” When she tells him that, he glances at me, a sly smile slowly spreading his face.

  “Know what, Af? How you've been verbally and physically abusing me for years? I'm not sure I can keep quiet about that abuse. You made me look like a piece of shit in there. I need to clear my name.”

  Her eyes close and I want to murder him. Right here in the middle of this fucking building, I want to reach out and slice this asshole's throat. My jaw hurts from clenching it so tight, knowing if I say anything right now it won't stop until I'm sitting in prison for murder. How fucking stupid was I to think that the official divorce would be the end of this?

  “Do what you have to do,” she quietly says and opens her eyes.

  “You'll never work in the business again, Af. You've royally fucked yourself and for what? Some uneducated, talentless fuck?” He looks at me. “You've always been a fat whore and you always will be.” When he reaches out to touch her face, she flinches back and I can't take anymore.

  “Fuck you,” I blurt, shoving him away from her, my breathing heavy and I'm suddenly trying to remember why I promised I wouldn't kill him today. “Affton, get in the elevator,” I growl, eyeing Grant walking toward us. My eyes hit Corey's then scan the hallway, noticing the guards on high alert because I probably look like I'm about to start world war fucking three over here. “You're nothing, you know that right? Without her? You're nothing, and the only thing you're pissed about is the fact you don't have a ragdoll to toss around anymore. You're a lucky fucking man today, Corey, because the only thing stopping this uneducated, talentless fuck from fucking you up is that guard with a stun-gun over there.” I nod to the guard. “Stay the fuck away from her or you'll be sorry. I can promise you that.” I'm fucking shaking from holding myself back from getting at least one good swing in.