by Marla Monroe
He couldn’t believe that Rollan had actually suggested that they go visit Sierra and ask her out to dinner. Evidently, that one encounter had been enough for his subconscious to work on him. He must have really taken a liking to her since he actually wanted to go over and see her. It meant that he was on board with courting her and wouldn’t hold back now.
As he showered, Thorne tried to decide what he should wear. Neither he nor his partner dressed up much. Their normal attire consisted of jeans and T-shirts or button-down shirts when the weather was cold. With summer drawing to a close, they were still wearing T-shirts.
Hell, I’m acting more like a damn girl than a grown man. Worrying about what to wear is stupid. She isn’t going to notice one way or the other as long as I’m clean and don’t stink.
With that settled in his mind, Thorne stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off. He wanted to be ready as soon as possible before Rollan had a chance to change his mind. This was too good of an opportunity to shuffle his feet.
“Are you ready?” Rollan asked from the hall.
He opened the door. “Yeah. I’m…” He stopped and stared at his best friend.
Rollan was wearing his newest jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt. The damn thing looked as if he’d just pressed it, too. Thorne looked down at his fairly new jeans and the solid green shirt he had on. Was that a wrinkle at the hem?
Looking back up at the other man, he cocked a brow and stared.
“What now?” Rollan demanded.
“You’re dressed,” Thorne accused.
“Well, yeah. I’m not going over there in my damn birthday suit. Of course I’m dressed.”
“No, not just dressed, you’re dressed up. Like ‘Sunday go to meeting’ dressed. I’ve never seen you in dress clothes outside a damn wedding or a funeral. Hell, you even wore a T-shirt to your own sister’s wedding, Rollan.”
Thorne was enjoying this even though it bothered him to not look as nice as the other man. Still, he wasn’t about to go change. That would be admitting that it really mattered to him. While it did matter, it wasn’t cool to change clothes to be like Rollan. No, he’d deal with it and go like he was.
“Did you want to change?” Rollan asked, adding insult to injury.
“Fuck you. Let’s go. If we wait much longer, she’s going to be getting ready to go to bed.”
“Perfect timing then,” Rollan said with a straight face.
Thorne popped him on the back of the head. “What has gotten into you, man?”
“Nothing. I just realized that you’re not going to leave it alone, so I might as well speed it up so we can get some freaking work done around here.” Rollan stomped off down the stairs.
Thorne didn’t know what to think. Did Rollan really think he hadn’t been working? Then why hadn’t he said something? He always called him on it if he thought Thorne wasn’t doing something right.
He raced down the stairs and caught up with his friend at the front door. He had every intention of finding out what was going on inside of Rollan’s head.
“What did you mean back there?” he asked as he climbed into the truck.
“About what?” Rollan countered.
“That statement about getting work done. Are you saying you think I’m not pulling my weight?” he asked.
Rollan looked at him like he’d grown a third head or something. “I never said that. Why are you pushing it? I was just saying that neither one of us is concentrating on what needs doing because we’re thinking about the woman on the next ranch.”
Thorne just gaped at the other man as he backed the truck up and turned around. Rollan was admitting to obsessing over Sierra? That was good. It meant he was just as attracted to the pretty woman as Thorne was. It meant that he wasn’t going to throw up roadblocks every time he mentioned her anymore. He settled back in his seat and grinned.
“Shut the fuck up, man,” Rollan snapped.
“Hey! I didn’t say anything.”
“You’re thinking it, and I can hear it over here. I may be on board, but I’m not happy about it. This isn’t the damn time to be chasing after a woman,” Rollan grumbled.
Thorne couldn’t help it. There was nothing his partner could say to take the big-ass grin off his face. Moving Rollan into action over something was a major accomplishment in his book. The man didn’t back down on anything if he set his mind to it. That meant he hadn’t really tried to resist Sierra’s lure. He wanted to be roped into pursuing her. Yeah, he was on board all right. Now to watch his friend work his magic. When Rollan set his sights on something, he was a force to be reckoned with.
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into Sierra’s drive. The road needed some serious grating. As they bumped along the graveled drive, he noticed there were other issues as well. The grass, or, more than likely, weeds on either side of the road desperately needed mowing. When they drove up in front of the house, it was obvious it needed work as well. The roof over the front porch sagged, and it looked like there were a few shingles off.
“This doesn’t look good, Thorne. She doesn’t have enough help to keep this place up.”
“Yeah. I get the feeling that she tried for a loan at the bank the other day, and they turned her down. That was why she looked so sick.” Thorne felt sick inside. She was a strong, proud woman. He was sure it was killing her inside.
“Come on. Let’s go see her. We both know she’s hurting inside if she loves her ranch as much as we love ours. What the fuck are we going to do?” Rollan asked, but Thorne knew he really didn’t expect an answer.
They climbed down after grabbing the dishes the women had brought their meal on and closed the doors before meeting at the front of the truck. They walked up the short sidewalk to the front porch. Thorne was cautious when putting weight on the steps but found that they, at least, had been recently repaired and were solid beneath his boots.
Before they had reached the front door to knock, it was thrown open and Sedona opened the screen with a huge smile on her face.
“Hey! Come on in. What has you out this way?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with knowledge. It was obvious she already knew the answer to that question.
“Wanted to return the dishes and thank you pretty ladies again for the great meal. Any chance we can hire you two to cook for us every day?” Rollan asked with a genuine smile on his face.
“Flattery will get you an occasional meal as long as I’m still here,” she teased with a wink.
“Are you going somewhere?” Thorne asked with a frown.
“I’m going to college this fall. I really don’t want to go, but I have a full scholarship and Sierra is insistent that I get an education,” she told them with a half smile.
“Full scholarship? Hell yeah, you need to go,” he said. “That’s awesome. Means you’re one hell of a smart gal.”
“Wow! I barely made it through high school. Makes me feel dumb,” Rollan poor-mouthed.
Sedona laughed. “If you barely made it, it’s because you were either too busy chasing a ball down the field or the cheerleaders on the sidelines.”
Rollan chuckled. “Guilty as charged.”
“Is Sierra around?” Thorne asked.
“She’s out in the barn milking Annie. She should be back in a few minutes. Can I get you anything? We’ve got sweet tea, beer, and grape Kool-Aid.”
“A beer would be nice,” Rollan said.
They followed her into the kitchen and Thorne noted that though everything was obviously well worn, it was spotless. The grass might not have been mowed in a few months, but the house was cleaned regularly.
Sedona turned from the fridge with two cold beers and passed them to Rollan. His friend handed one to him. They both popped the tops and took a sip.
“So it’s just you and your sister? Keeping a ranch up of this size takes a lot of work,” Thorne said.
“Well, in the beginning, it was me, Bethany, who is my other sister, and Buddy helping Sierra. But Bethany is in college right
now and Buddy has graduated and is working for a company in Dallas. We don’t see him much,” she said with a sigh.
“You mean we don’t see him at all, don’t you, Sedona?” Sierra opened the screen door and toed off her boots to sit them just inside the door on a boot tray.
“Yeah, well I do at least talk to him,” Sedona fussed.
“I try to, but he won’t take my calls.” Sierra lifted the bucket she was carrying to the cabinet.
When Rollan attempted to help her, she stopped him with a look that clearly said, back the fuck off. Neither one of them was going to risk her wrath by insisting on helping her. He’d learned long ago to pick his battles. Lifting a pail of milk, no matter how heavy it was, wasn’t one to pick a fight over, especially when they were trying to woo her.
“Hi, Sierra. How are you doing?” Rollan asked.
“Good. What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Sierra! They brought back the dishes we used for their meal.” Sedona held up one of the pie plates before putting it all away.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. Saves me a trip later to pick them up.” She turned her back to them and headed out of the kitchen.
“Hey, where are you going?” Rollan said, hurrying after her. “We came over to see if we could take you out to eat one night soon. We’d really appreciate it if you would allow us to repay you for your kindness. Plus, it would really help cement our place with the local people,” Rollan said.
She stopped and turned around. “You’re using me?”
“No!” Thorne said, sending a dirty look in Rollan’s direction. “We’re grasping for straws in hopes you’ll go with us.”
He watched her relax a little, but she still seemed to be upset. Then again, she’d appeared that way when she’d first seen them. Something was up.
“Look, I appreciate you asking me, but I just don’t have time for anything other than taking care of the ranch.” Her eyes looked so weary, like someone who’d weathered one too many storms.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Thorne asked before he even thought about it.
From the widening of her eyes, he could tell he’d surprised her. Did no one ever offer to help her? It sickened him to think she’d had to deal with it all on her own. Maybe the people in the area weren’t all that friendly after all.
“I–I, thanks but no. I’m not desperate, just busy.” With that, she turned and strode to the back door and jerked the screen open, letting it slam after her.
“Please don’t think we aren’t grateful for the offer, but Sierra keeps things going around here,” Sedona said, wringing her hands. “She’s a little worn out right now, is all.”
“No problem. We just hate to see her wearing herself out. It’s not right for a woman to bear all the weight of a ranch on her own,” Thorne told her.
“If you need anything, Sedona, please let us know. We’re happy to help. Don’t wait until she’s sick from work. Call us.” Rollan reached in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.
Thorne was surprised when he pulled out a card and handed it to her.
“This has our phone numbers on it. Call,” Rollan said with a stern expression.
“Thank you. I will. I’m not too proud, and I worry about her, especially lately. She’s been on edge for a while now.” Sedona put the card in her back pocket.
“We mean it. Just call us,” Thorne added.
“We better go. Thanks again for the meal, Sedona. It was one of the best I’ve ever had,” Rollan told her.
She walked them back to the front door and saw them out. Thorne could see the longing in her eyes. She wanted someone to help them, but her sister was family and she wasn’t going to go against her wishes. He pledged to check on them often. If it looked like Sierra was in trouble, he’d step in and the consequences be damned.
“Fuck!” Rollan said the instant they turned off of Sierra’s drive.
Thorne knew just how his friend felt. By the white-knuckled grip the man had on the steering wheel, he was surprised it didn’t break. It pissed him off just as much to see Sierra wearing herself out working that ranch. Why didn’t she have more ranch hands helping her? A ranch the size of hers needed three if not four people working it besides the owner. It should have been able to support it, too.
“Something isn’t right, Rollan,” he said.
“No shit! What little we could see proves it.”
“Did you see the way she looked almost defeated? Why?” Thorne asked.
“Sedona senses that something is wrong. She just doesn’t know what it is either.”
Thorne thought back over the trip to town after he’d picked her up that day and realized she’d had that same desperate look in her eyes then. She’d needed money, and the bank had turned her down. It was the only thing he could think of. He vowed to get to the bottom of it and figure out a way to help her. Seeing her that way squeezed his heart like a fist wringing it dry. They might have decided she was the one for them to make their wife, but his heart had already decided she was the one he could love more than the ranch and even his best friend.
Chapter Seven
Sierra sat in the truck, trying not to cry. The talk she’d had with the lawyer had been one of the hardest she’d ever had. Once he’d realized she wasn’t going to back down, he’d flipped all the pages over except the signature page and covered the top of it with the stack before calling in his secretary. The notary witnessed her signature and stamped and signed the page before gathering up her stamp and leaving, closing the door behind her.
The cursed contract set on the set next to her, mocking her with every glance she gave it. After leaving the lawyer’s office and making it outside of town, Sierra had broken down and pulled off the side of the road to regain some measure of control over her emotions. She couldn’t afford to lose it. There were chores to take care of, and she needed to make sure Sedona had sent off her college application to the one she planned to attend.
Everything closed in on her at once, and she found herself sobbing as if her life was over. But then again, it probably was. Once she delivered the contract to Dexter, she’d belong to him for five fucking years. It didn’t matter that he wouldn’t collect until Sedona left for school. She’d still owe him five years.
I’ll die every time he touches me. There won’t be anything left of me by the time the five years are up.
But the ranch would be free and clear of any debt. What was left of her family would be able to continue with their education, and once she sold it, they would end up with a nice-sized nest egg for starting their own homes and families.
The thought of selling the ranch and moving away once it was all over still didn’t sit well with her, but she knew she couldn’t run it on her own anymore. Besides, she didn’t want to live anywhere around Riverbend after she was released from her contract with disgusting Dexter. No matter how hard she tried to keep it all a secret to spare her some of the sour looks, people would know.
Once she’d finally regained a little of her composure, Sierra pulled back onto the highway and headed home. Sedona had plans to go out with some of her old high school friends, and Sierra wanted to make sure she went. She wanted her sisters to lead as normal a life as possible since she hadn’t. Social outings were important to becoming a well-rounded person. It was another reason she doubted she’d ever get married. Sierra had very little experience in being open and outgoing with others.
When she finally made it home, she wasted no time gathering up the envelope and jumping down from the truck. She wanted to hide the thing before her sister saw her. Plus, she needed to check her face before anyone saw her. She could tell from the quick look in the rearview mirror she had red, swollen eyes and a pink-tinged nose.
She made it as far as the office, but before she could close the door, Sedona walked up. By the widening of her eyes and the shocked expression that took over her face, Sierra knew she was busted.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen? We
re you in a wreck? You left so early this morning, and I didn’t know where you were going.” Sedona followed her into the office.
Sierra started to walk around the desk, but her sister grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“Talk to me, Sierra. Don’t lock me out all the time. You don’t own all the burdens of this family anymore. Bethany and even Buddy and I are fully able to help with whatever is going on that you think you’re hiding.”
She’d never seen her little sister as the strong, forceful person that she was acting like now. It made her proud to see her come into her own, but she still wasn’t able to share everything. Sedona would never let her go through with the contract. She’d give up school to prevent her from delivering it to Dexter. Sierra couldn’t let that happen.
Not only would it mean Bethany wouldn’t be able to finish her last year, but Buddy would just look at her with contempt like he had ever since she’d sold the last four hundred acres to keep them going. Her sisters didn’t understand what the huge wedge between her and Buddy was, but Sierra did. She’d tried to tell herself he wanted to do things on his own and be a man without his big sister hanging over him, but she knew the truth. It had been in his eyes when she’d told them she was selling the land.
“Sedona, everything is fine. I’m a woman, and sometimes things get the better of me. I just needed some time to myself. Don’t read anything into it,” she said.
When her sister dropped her hand, Sierra continued around the desk and sat down, letting the envelope drop to the floor at her feet so as not to draw Sedona’s attention to it.
“I don’t buy that, Sis. You’ve been acting weird for the last couple of weeks or so. What’s going on? Are we having trouble making ends meet? I can still find a job to help out, you know.”
“I need you more here right now than anything you could make in a small town. Cooking for the guys allows me to spend more time out there working.” Sierra needed to end the conversation and move her sister out of the office so she could hide the envelope and call Dexter to arrange to deliver the contract to him. The sooner the better.
