Guilt consumes me. “I feel bad we didn’t come here much in the last ten years.”
“Wasn’t for you. There’s no blame in that. Your pop had a lot goin’ on up there, with his businesses and raisin’ three kids. It was easier for Viv to travel to you. She didn’t mind one bit, so put that guilt right out of your head.”
Andie appears with a large bowl of stew. “Supper’s ready.”
“Sorry we got to eat so early,” Gerald says. “The old folks’ home feeds us at five o’clock on the dot, so these days if I don’t fill my belly by six, you can call me grouchy.”
“It’s a retirement home, Granddad. I hate it when you call it an old folks’ home.”
“It’s where old folks live, ain’t it?”
Andie returns to the kitchen for biscuits. During dinner Gerald asks me about my childhood, my sisters, my jobs, and he tells us stories about my grandmother. Between his stories and Andie’s, I feel like she’s still with us somehow.
“What happened to that old hat?” he asks.
“Still where it always was,” I say.
“The peg by the back door?”
I nod.
“As it should be.”
I pick at a spot on the table. I don’t mention that someday, probably soon, it’ll have to be removed because the house will no longer belong to a McBride. I feel a sense of sorrow I haven’t felt before.
“You chokin’ on a bone, son?”
“No, sir. Just thinking.”
“If thinkin’ put that glum look on your face, you better darn well fix whatever it was you were thinkin’ about.”
“Some things can’t be fixed.”
“Nonsense.” He stands and takes his plate to the kitchen. “I reckon you’d better get me back, pumpkin, before the old folks’ police declare me a missin’ person.”
She says harshly, “Granddad.”
“But first I want to go say hello to that mare of yours.”
“I’ll go with you,” she says.
“Nope. Maddox will show me the way.”
“You know the way,” she says.
He taps his temple. “I’m old. I might get lost. Come on, Maddox. Help an old man out, will you?”
“I’d be happy to.”
We go outside and cross the driveway to the stables. He knows right where to find Baby Blue.
“Andie says you bought this horse for her on her tenth birthday.”
He gives the mare a pat on the side of the head. “Best thing I ever did.”
“She adores you,” I say. “Uh, Andie, not the horse.”
“And I her. She’s kept me goin’. I lost my wife before Andie was born. When her mother died, it was Andie and me for more than ten years. When she went away to college and then vet school, I started comin’ around more to check on her mare. Never took up with another woman until Viv. She was something special, that one.”
He starts back to the driveway. “What you did out there with the Thompson boy? Be careful. They can’t be trusted. Not a one of ’em.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“I’d keep Andie as far away from them as I could.”
“I’ll watch out for her, sir.”
He stops walking. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you, Maddox?”
“I like to think I am.”
“You are. I can tell that about folks.”
One of the ranch hands hurries by. Gerald shouts at him. “You there. You drive?”
“Yes, sir,” Zac says.
“You can take me home then.”
“Sir?”
“It ain’t but ten miles. You can use Andie’s truck.”
“I don’t mind driving you, Gerald,” I say.
He nods to the guesthouse. “I reckon you got better things to do.”
“If you mean help Andie with the dishes, I planned on it. I always do the dishes when she cooks.”
He laughs heartily and pats me on the back. “Your grandmother and I used to ‘do dishes.’ We used to do a lot of dishes.” He turns to Zac. “What you waitin’ for? An invitation from the president?”
“Yes, sir.” Zac runs over to Andie’s truck. Everyone knows she leaves her keys in it.
I have a thought. “Can you wait one minute, Gerald? I’ll be right back.”
He glances at his watch. “Time’s money.”
I chuckle and run to the back door of the main house. I’m back in twenty seconds. I hand him Nana’s hat. “She’d want you to have this.”
He looks at it for a long moment before taking it and running a finger lovingly along the crease. “I don’t need anything to remember her by. Havin’ this around might not be good for my old ticker.” He hands it back to me. “I appreciate the gesture, I surely do, but the hat is exactly where it belongs.” He swallows hard, then turns to Zac. “You got ten minutes to get me home. If I’m late, I’ll have Miguel put you on manure duty for a month.”
Zac looks ill, but Gerald winks at me.
I chuckle as they drive away. I place Nana’s hat back on the peg, wondering just how long it will stay there.
Andie appears when I step outside again. “Who’s driving my truck?”
“Zac. Your granddad made him take him home.”
“I was going to do it.”
“I think Gerald was hoping you’d do something else instead.”
“What?”
“Me.”
She turns as pink as a sunset.
“I’ll help you with the dishes.”
“They’re done.”
“Then let me help you finish the bottle of wine.”
“It’s almost gone.”
“Andie, do I have to hit you over the head with it? I’d like to come inside and kiss you, if that’s okay with you.”
“In that case…”
I pull her inside, shut the door, and cage her against it with my arms. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do this again?”
I kiss her. She tastes like beef and wine and strawberries—the lip balm I see her use so much. I explore her mouth, jawline, and neck with my tongue. She sighs when I hit a spot under her ear.
She throws my hat on the floor and runs her fingers though my hair. I press into her so she can feel what kissing her does to me.
“Maddox,” she exhales breathily.
I untuck her shirt and shove my hand under it up to her bra. I cup her breast. She leans into me. I reach around and unclasp her bra, then push it up. I want to see her. Feel her under me. I want to be inside her like I’ve never wanted anything before.
I pull her shirt over her head, and she lets her bra fall to the floor. She’s gorgeous. My lips travel down her neck to her collarbone and then lower. She moans when my tongue finds her nipple. She claws at my shirt until I take it off. Her hands explore my back and shoulders.
I toy with the button on her jeans. She grasps my ass. I swear we can’t get enough of each other. I’m about to pick her up and take her to the bedroom when a knock on the door ruins the moment.
Andie stiffens, terrified. I peek out; it’s Zac. I hadn’t realized we’d been kissing for so long. She quickly picks up her shirt and puts it on, kicking her bra under the entry table. She pushes me behind the door and opens it.
“I wanted to let you know your granddad got back okay.”
“Thanks, Zac. I appreciate it.”
“Might want to fill up your tank. You’re almost empty.”
“Will do. Goodnight.”
She closes the door and sinks to the floor. “What if that had been Victor?”
I put my shirt on. “You can always not answer the door, you know.”
“But my truck is outside.”
“You’re in the stables or a pasture.”
She stands and paces. “Katherine thinks we’re being reckless.”
“She said the same thing to me.”
“I told her this is, you know… casual.”
“Right. Because I’m leaving in a few months.”
; She eyes me skeptically. “This is casual, isn’t it?”
“Isn’t that what you want?”
“I can’t do more than casual, Maddox. Not if you’re leaving. I’ve been burned by that before.”
“So it’s settled. I should go.”
“Okay.”
“See you tomorrow?”
She nods.
I turn and give her a searching look. “What exactly does casual mean? I want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“It means I’m not your girlfriend. We won’t get attached.”
“Oh, okay.” I turn to leave but spin around. “One more thing. Does casual mean I can’t take off your pants?”
She laughs and covers her mouth. “Well, I don’t know. Can you take off my pants and still be casual?”
“I’m pretty sure I can do that. What about you? Do you think you could take off my pants and still be casual?”
Her eyes travel to my fly, and I’m instantly hard. “Yeah,” she says as if saying duh.
“So if we can take each other’s clothes off and be casual, that means we can still be casual, say, in your bed or on the couch.”
She blushes. “Maybe we could even be casual on the kitchen table.” She shoves me out the door. “Bye, Connecticut.”
I took a shower not ninety minutes ago, but damn it if I don’t need another.
Chapter Eighteen
Andie
Tara comes in for a hug. “You look amazing. One might even say glowing.”
“Oh my god, did you finally shag my landscaper?” Christina squeals.
“Stop it. Can we just find our table?”
We’re seated. I’m on Christina’s right. That’s when I notice the bruise on her cheek. It’s faint, mostly covered by makeup, but it’s there. My heart lodges in my stomach. “Did I do this to you? Did he catch you snooping?”
She touches her cheek. “What? No. Don’t be ridiculous. I ran into a door in the middle of the night. It was stupid really.”
Tara and I stare her down.
“Okay, fine. He caught me on Facebook. He hates it when I go on social media. Thinks I’m going to reconnect with a high school boyfriend or something. Speaking of high school, have you guys seen Dan Hickman?” She fans herself. “He’s some hotshot lawyer in Dallas, and his status says he’s single.”
Tara and I don’t give a rat’s ass about Dan Hickman. “He hit you?”
She waves off my comment. “No, nothing like that. He reached over my shoulder to get my laptop and accidentally pushed me off the chair. I hit the edge of the table on the way down.”
“Christina, that’s as bad as hitting you.”
“Not hardly.”
“Are you telling us the truth?” I turn to Tara. “I asked her to nose around Jon’s shed. I shouldn’t have. Be straight with me, Christina, did he find you there?”
She puts a hand on mine. “He didn’t, I swear. I didn’t find anything either. Well, I found plenty but not what you’re looking for.”
We fall silent as the waitress takes our order, then Tara asks, “What’d you find?”
“Guns. Booze. Porn. A weird collection of those Russian nesting dolls. File folders full of things I can’t understand. I’m also pretty sure there was a brick of coke.”
Tara goes ashen. “As in cocaine?”
I shake my head. “You have to get out of there.”
“I’m telling you, it’s not that bad. I’ve seen those movies on Lifetime. So many people have it worse than I do, and most of them don’t have a personal chef, a hot gardener, and a closet the size of Rhode Island.”
I’ve known Christina since we were kids, and I believe she values her lifestyle over what that bastard is doing to her. She even seems happy. I don’t get it.
“Enough about my delinquent husband. I want to hear about the hottie who put that smile on your face when you walked in. You’ve actually done the deed, huh? Is his bottom half as amazing as his top half? What am I saying. Of course it is. But is he, you know, hung like a cowboy?” She giggles.
“I’m not sleeping with Victor.”
Christina narrows her eyes. “But you’re still dating, right?”
“It’s complicated.”
Tara bounces in her seat. “It’s the new guy, isn’t it? Elsa from the diner told me she saw the two of you shopping in Ft. Worth last month. Is he the McBride people are talking about?”
My eyebrows shoot up. “People are talking about Maddox?”
Christina’s lips curl into a wry grin. “Maddox? You’re on a first-name basis with the hot transplant from Connecticut?”
“He’s from New York, actually. His family lives in Connecticut.”
She laughs. “Well, I stand corrected.”
I figure now is as good a time as any to tell them I moved. “Just so you know, I’m temporarily living in the guesthouse at Devil’s Horn Ranch.”
They’re practically drooling.
“Guesthouse, huh?” Tara says.
“It’s not like that. DHR is my biggest client. I’m there at least two or three days a week. I’m using this as an opportunity to pay off my student loans.”
“As in you’re living there for free?” Christina says. “What gives?”
Our food arrives, but no one so much as picks up a fork.
“Wait a minute. You don’t have student loans,” Tara says. “Vivian paid your way.”
“I’ve got bills.” I reach for my burger.
“You’re a terrible liar,” Christina says. “Something’s up.”
“Like I said, it’s complicated.”
“Why can’t you tell us?” Tara says, pouting.
“I promise I will when there’s something to tell. But there’s nothing, so let’s eat.”
Christina is busy on her phone. She shoves it in my face excitedly. “This guy is living fifty feet from you? Holy shit, Andie.”
I take her phone and scroll through the Facebook pictures Maddox was tagged in. A lot of them have his friend, Reece, in them. Some are of him behind a bar, others in the wings at concerts. There’s even a picture of him with the famous rock band, Reckless Alibi. I stop on a selfie some girl took with him. Looks like they could be on a date. My eye twitches. I tap on his name to go to his profile, but he doesn’t post much. The last one was over a year ago. It’s mostly people tagging him. He’s got a great profile picture. I can’t pull my eyes away.
“Girl, you are so smitten,” Christina says, snatching her phone back.
“I am not.” I pick up my burger and take a bite.
“If you’re not a thing, you wouldn’t mind introducing us,” Tara says.
“Well… I… he’s so busy with the ranch.”
Tara laughs. “I’m only kidding, Andie. He’s all yours.”
“He is not mine. He’s only here until his family sells the ranch.”
Christine nods. “Oh, I get it now. You’re stringing Victor along so he’s still around when the hot one from New York goes back to New York and leaves you with needs you’ll want fulfilled.”
I rub my temples, wishing I could tell them everything. “I love you guys, but there are some things I can’t talk about right now. I promise I will soon.”
“We should do lunch at your place,” Christina says. “I’ll have it catered. You won’t have to lift a finger.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Sunday?” she says, ignoring my objection.
“Sounds good to me,” Tara says.
Christina claps gleefully. “I’ll set it up.”
I drop it. There’s no arguing with these two when they set their minds to something.
Halfway through lunch, I get a text from Matteo. “Sorry, guys, I have to run. Emergency at Devil’s Horn Ranch.”
“Tell McHottie I said howdy,” Tara says.
Christina laughs. “OMG, yes. McHottie. I love it.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not even from him.” I shove my phone in Christina’s face. S
he reads it. “What’s choke?”
“Tara will explain it to you.” I leave money on the table. “I’ll see you guys on Sunday.”
“Three horses have choke?” I say after meeting Matteo at the stables. “Seriously?”
“Four!” Owen yells from inside.
Maddox runs over. “What’s the problem?”
“Choke,” I say.
“A horse is choking?” he says, distressed. “Which one?”
I put a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay, but it’s not an emergency. When something gets lodged in a horse’s throat, unlike humans, they can still breathe. But it does panic them.”
Owen joins us. “What’s concerning is that four of them have it. Choke is fairly uncommon, so to have four at once, something is going on.”
I silently curse. “It’s like the water all over again.”
We quickly go back to where the horses are. It kills me to see them suffering.
“Two of them passed the obstruction,” Merle says.
“What can I do for the others?” Maddox asks. “Do we give them water to wash it down?”
“No water.” I go to drain the water bin, but it appears Owen or Matteo beat me to it. “And don’t rub their necks. The best thing we can do is encourage them to keep their heads low and keep them calm. Also, wipe away any nasal discharge. As they produce more saliva, their esophageal muscles will relax, and the blockage will pass. After that, I’ll be on the lookout for lingering coughs, fever, or runny noses, which could indicate aspiration pneumonia.”
“So choke itself isn’t life threatening, it’s the potential pneumonia that could follow.”
“Exactly. Some horses have a propensity for choke. We need to monitor those who do.”
“Is it always like this on a ranch this size?” Maddox asks. “Going from one emergency to another?”
“No. You’re just lucky enough to be here when it all happened. Or should I say unlucky?”
Minutes later, the last horse seems to pass his obstruction.
“What causes choke?” Maddox asks.
“Eating too quickly, dental problems, esophageal trauma,” I say. “But no way did that happen to all four. My guess is bad hay.”
Texas Orchids (The Devil's Horn Ranch Series) Page 15
