"Greg thinks I'm going back to Bangor after my six months are up, but I'm not. The idea had been to make him think he had the upper hand. In the end, I would get the last laugh by not going back.” She shook her head, a sob choking her. “But it backfired. Brett saw him kiss me and now he thinks I really did take him back. I tried to explain, but he wouldn't listen. As soon as the others hear about this, they're going to hate me."
Her uncle's eyes hardened. “No they won't, because I'm going to see to it they listen. You were trying to save the whole lot of them and if in the process Brett feels like an ass, so much the better."
She sniffled and looked at her sneakers. Maybe it would help to have her uncle speak to them. It wouldn't change the ache in her heart over Brett not wanting her, but at least the others wouldn't hate her. She couldn't stand to live on the Bar K knowing they thought she would betray them. She cared for all of them. Brett too. Especially Brett.
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Chapter Thirteen
Brett was miserable. He lay in his bunk, staring at the moonlight pooling in through the curtained windows. He couldn't get the image of Greg's arms around Alex out of his head. Seeing the sleazeball kiss her had shattered his belief that he could make things work with Alex. What a fool he had been. There was no way a woman like her would want someone like him. He was a convict for Christ's sake. He'd been a novelty. Someone new and exciting to bide her time with until she finished her sentence.
Frustrated, he rolled onto his side in time to see Jason entering the bunkhouse. There was a shadow cast over the man's face, but his posture clearly stated he was mad. Correction, Jason was pissed.
"Get up.” He stalked over to the cot and gave the base a sharp kick. “Get up and come with me."
Unsure what he had in mind, Brett gingerly did as instructed. He followed him onto the porch and closed the door behind him.
"Is there something wrong?"
That was a stupid question considering Jason looked as though he wanted to strangle someone and since he'd been the one singled out that meant him.
Jason turned and pointed to the plastic patio chair. “Sit and keep your trap shut until I've finished speaking. Got it?"
Brett plunked into the chair and stared up at him in mild surprise.
"I heard what Greg wanted with Alex. He was trying to trap her into taking him back by threatening to have me shut down. She knows how much this ranch means to me and that it's the closest thing to a home you boys have."
Brett winced. Great. Why not add a heaping dose of guilt to the mix? Of course, none of this would be happening had he given Alex the chance to explain. He suspected this was the point Jason was about to pound into his thick skull—God willing, not literally.
"Of course Greg can't do that, but she didn't know that. So, she alluded to the fact she would take him back if he dropped it.” He narrowed his eyes. “She's not going back. She tricked him and he bought it. What you undoubtedly saw was the tail end of her scheme."
What had he done? She would never forgive him for being such a heartless bastard. Hell, he wouldn't forgive him if he were in her place.
He glanced at the main house. “I didn't trust her."
Jason harrumphed. “Unfortunately, she's used to that.” In a calmer voice, he said, “You have five minutes to go apologize. She hasn't gone to bed yet though I doubt she will."
"You're giving me permission?"
Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “I shouldn't. I should put you on lockdown for a month for even going out there, but I won't. There's too much drama going on around here. It sends off bad vibes to the other boys and to the horses. I want this resolved before the new workers get here tomorrow. Animosity is not something I want to project to these people."
Brett murmured his thanks while stepping off the stairs and crossing the road. How was he going to convince her to forgive him? He'd made a complete ass out of himself, proving that he was no better than the jerk she'd dumped. He had to come up with a way to tell her that he hadn't meant any of the nasty things he'd said. The only question was how.
Alex glanced up from her position on the couch when he entered the house. Their eyes met for only a second before she turned away again. He'd hurt her—badly. Shit. This was his chance to save face and he couldn't think of a single thing that seemed appropriate.
Mercifully, Alex broke the awkward silence. “I'm sorry Uncle Jason woke you. I asked him to wait until morning before he said anything."
He crouched so they were eyelevel, ignoring the pain in his knee. “I don't even know how to begin to tell you how sorry I am for the things I said. If I'd let you explain..."
She cut him off with a curt shake of her head. “It doesn't matter—"
"It does matter.” How was he going to word this? He had never been any good at expressing his feelings and now everything was riding on him doing just that. “Crazy as this sounds, I said those things because I do care. I care so much that I let my jealousy get the better of me. I'm sorry."
A flicker of emotion passed over her eyes, but disappeared when she rested her gaze on the new carpet. “You should probably go back to bed."
How could he go back to the bunkhouse knowing things weren't resolved? He wouldn't sleep and even if he could, he would have to be up in less than two hours to help with the cooking anyway.
"I won't sleep. I'll end up lying there, feeling miserable about the fact that I'm no better than the people who didn't believe in you,” he said.
"You said yourself we're not together, so there's no need to beat yourself up over this.” She shook her head. “It's okay. Just go get some rest."
His stomach stopped churning and plummeted. Of all the things he regretted saying, this was the one he wished he could take back the most. He wanted her to be his. He wanted it so much he couldn't see straight. In the end, all he'd managed to do was push her away.
"It's not okay,” he protested. “You're the most amazing woman I've ever met and I'm an idiot for saying that to you in the first place."
"I won't argue that."
His hopes soared upon seeing the faint grin tipping the corners of her mouth and he risked resting his hand over both of hers. She gripped his fingers and gave them a tiny squeeze before lowering her eyes to look at their hands.
He glanced at the doorway to see if Jason was watching. Once satisfied they were alone, he leaned forward to press his forehead against hers.
"Come on, honey. Will you forgive me for being a jackass?"
"You're probably the only man on the planet who will admit to being that.” She wrinkled her nose. “How can I say no to that?"
He tilted his head to brush his lips against hers, when the sound of someone clearing his throat interrupted them. Damn. He swallowed a sigh and with a grunt of effort, pushed himself to his feet before releasing her hands.
"I'll see you in a few hours.” When he reached Jason, he asked in a sheepish voice, “How long were you standing there?"
Jason held the screen door open. “Long enough to know she's forgiven you. Go back to sleep. You only have a couple hours before you need to help with breakfast."
Brett returned to the bunkhouse and slipped beneath the covers of his bunk. He lay there, staring at the ceiling for some time. His confrontation with Alex weighed heavily on his heart and he cringed every time he thought of the things he'd said to her. It wouldn't surprise him if she didn't trust him or his intentions.
Just what was it that he felt for her? Lust? No, that wasn't right. Granted just the sight of her in her short shorts and tight tank tops made him rock hard, but it was more than that. Infatuation? That was more plausible considering how long they had known each other, but that didn't seem correct either.
Then there was Jason's comment about Alex not returning to Maine. Where would she go? Would she stay at the Bar K? Not likely. Ranch life was tough and though she was doing an excellent job of adapting, he knew it wasn't what she wanted.
She woul
d undoubtedly want to finish getting her degree and live in a big city, but the only question was where? New York was a good choice. He would never see her if she went there, though. His home was in Texas. More accurately, his home was in San Eduardo.
"No sense in worrying about it now,” he muttered as his eyelids drooped. He only had six months to spend with Alex and he was determined to make the most of his time with her, even if it meant facing heartbreak later.
* * * *
"Honey, I'm home!"
Alex glanced behind her to find Steven standing in the kitchen doorway. With a squeal, she ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck in a hug.
Brett watched Steven brace himself to return the hug and chuckled.
"Wow.” He gave Brett a wink. “She's your woman and I get a greeting like this? Man, you seriously need to work on that."
Alex smacked his arm before planting her hands on her hips. “Stop that,” she pouted. “I was worried about you. All I could think was that they were going to send you back to Houston and it would be my fault. Don't do that again!” For added emphasis, she swatted him again.
Steven hunched his shoulders and laughed. “Yes, ma'am.” He inspected her face, his demeanor growing serious. “How's your lip? It looks sore."
A vivid image of Greg backhanding Alex sprung to Brett's exhausted mind and he ground his teeth. He hadn't slept more than an hour the night before and even then, his dreams had been about Alex and the night they'd spent making love on the couch. Reliving the event in his subconscious had riled him more than he was willing to admit to and he woke feeling no more rested than if he'd stayed up all night.
Alex returned her attention to the vegetables and offered him a casual shrug. “It looks worse than it feels,” she replied and picked up a carrot. “How long do you get to stay?"
Brett peered back at his friend. A part of him expected to see a glimmer of remorse in Steven's eyes, but there wasn't so much as a flicker of regret.
I shouldn't be surprised. Living with an abusive father, Steven had often commented about hating domestic violence. Not that Brett blamed him. The idea of a grown man striking a woman filled him with anger as well.
"Not sure,” Steven said, snagging one of the carrots from the strainer. “Since that ex of yours isn't pressing charges, I don't think any extra time will be added to my sentence. Which if this is true, will mean I only have a year left of my sentence."
Alex's shoulders sagged. “I'm sorry, Steve. I know how much you were looking forward to your parole. I don't know how, but I'm going to make this up to you."
Steven took a bite of the carrot and shook his head. “What's to be sorry for? He had it coming and given the opportunity, I'd do it again. Don't go feeling guilty for my actions."
He wiggled his eyebrows in a teasing manner before adding, “But, if you really want to make it up to me, you'll make those corn muffins again tomorrow morning."
Her cheeks filled with color and passed one of the washed carrots to Brett. “You plan to go skeet shooting or something?” She shifted her attention to Brett. “Any idea when the new workers are supposed to arrive?"
Brett shook his head. “Sometime today.” He glanced at Steven. “Have you ever heard of Sinclair Thompson?"
Matt had mentioned the new female worker was supposed to be some sort of celebrity, but when he mentioned her name, Brett couldn't recall ever having heard of her.
Alex gasped and whipped around to face him. “You're kidding, right?"
"No,” he drawled. “Should I know her?"
"She's a model for a fashion magazine. She was also first runner-up in the Miss Teen USA pageant four years ago."
This information did little to spark his recognition. He knew next to nothing about fashion and even less about beauty pageants.
"Never heard of her,” Steven replied and took another bite of the carrot.
Alex sighed and returned her attention to the sink. Brett grinned at the look of exasperation on her face and resumed slicing the carrots.
The idea of another female on the ranch left him with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it might be good for Alex to have another female to talk with. At the same time, this woman may pose as a distraction to the other men. God knows Alex distracted him. He could barely concentrate on his chores without thoughts of her running through his mind. What would the others be like with a model on the property?
"Well, you'll meet her today,” she mumbled through a yawn.
Dark purple lines circled her eyes and Brett wondered if she even went to bed the night before.
Steven strode over to the table and turned one of the chairs around to straddle. “Why do I get the feeling you didn't sleep last night?"
"Because I didn't,” she replied and picked up a stalk of celery. “I spent most of the night cleaning the spare bedroom and after that Armageddon struck."
Brett flinched. Okay, he deserved that. Just because she'd been willing to forgive, didn't mean she was going to forget. Correction, it didn't mean she was going to let him forget any time soon.
Steven let out a low whistle. “And I missed it?” He leaned forward and crossed his arms over the back of the chair. “What happened?"
"Greg decided to show up after drinking half a bottle of whiskey."
Through the corner of his eye, Brett saw Steven stiffening.
"And? Since no one came to join me in jail, can I assume things ended peacefully?"
Alex's expression softened when she caught Brett's wince. “Ultimately, yes. You see, he was thinking of trying to have Uncle Jason's ranch shut down, but legally he can't do that. I didn't know it at the time, so I convinced him that if he dropped the issue, I would take him back once I returned to Bangor."
"You can't do that!” The dark tone to Steven's voice took both of them off guard. “He's not going to change. It don't matter how much he says he will he won't. Trust me, I know."
Alex shook her head vigorously. “No, Steve, you don't understand. I'm not going back. I don't know where I'll go, but it won't be there. Unfortunately, Brett caught Greg and me together."
Brett felt Steven's eyes on his back and when he glanced over his shoulder, he found his friend eying him with a grin.
"I can imagine what went through your head,” he chuckled and pushed himself to his feet. “Well, I'm glad the Earth's destruction was spared last night. Right now, I'm going to go see how long I'm on lockdown. What do you and Matt have?"
"Two weeks for me and Matt has a month. I think you're looking at least six to eight weeks for your part in it. Jason may suspend it though. Charlie and Danny are going to need help getting the newcomers settled into a routine."
Steven dropped a hand on Alex's shoulder and took one more carrot before heading for the kitchen doorway. “Considering Alex is eliminating half the household chores, I think this beauty queen will get off easy."
Brett caught the flicker of irritation in Alex's eyes and once Steven was out of sight, he slid behind her and placed his hands on her hips.
"What's that look for?” he whispered before planting a light kiss on her neck.
Alex murmured an unintelligible reply before twisting around in his embrace.
"A few years ago, Sinclair and I competed for the title of Miss Teen USA."
This didn't surprise him. Even with her short hair, Alex had the appearance of a beauty queen. His hands slid around to the base of her spine.
"Did you win?"
She shook her head. “No. I ended up disqualified, but that isn't the point. She and I didn't get along from the start. She has this perfect persona that grates on me. If you all thought I was stuck up, you haven't seen anything yet."
So much for Alex having female companionship, he thought with a grunt.
"Think of it like this. If she was perfect she wouldn't be coming here, now would she?” When she didn't appear convinced, he said, “You could always give her laundry duty."
Alex laughed at his suggestion. “Everyone's un
derwear would appreciate it if I did.” She withdrew from his hold and resumed preparing the vegetables. When he didn't move from behind her, she paused without looking at him.
"Just don't let her fool you,” she said. “She can be very convincing when she wants to be."
I hope Jason knows what he's doing. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
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Chapter Fourteen
Alex had no more than placed the last clean plate in the drainer when the sound of her uncle's truck rumbled into earshot.
She recalled the humiliating experience from four years before and her fingers clenched into involuntary fists by her sides. Who could blame her? Sinclair had smuggled two bottles of liquor into Alex's hotel room during finals and once the alcohol was gone, she'd turned Alex and her two roommates in to the pageant committee. With the three girls disqualified, this left Sinclair and one other contestant the opportunity to win. The only consolation Alex had was knowing that Miss Florida Teen USA won and not Sinclair.
"What a charming house."
Alex lolled her head to see Brett wiping down the counters with a lopsided grin on his face. Of course he thinks it's funny. He doesn't know her.
"Keep laughing and we'll see if I go to the creek with you,” she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
Brett approached, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “Who's laughing?” He lowered his voice, “I do believe you're trying to get fresh with me, Miss Kincaid."
Despite her irritation, Alex grinned. “No, cowboy. I'm trying to seduce you. There's a difference."
She didn't know what it was about Brett; but whenever he was near, she forgot her proper upbringing and surrendered to the almost carnal urges he brought out in her. Her parents would be mortified if they knew she was behaving in this manner. Not that it made any difference. She hadn't seen her mother in years, and her father? Well, she doubted she would see him again either.
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