SURGE (Kenshaw Ranch #2)

by Piper Frost

  Went to Bo's to ride. Pick us up later.

  Signed with a heart, smiley face, and Will and Wendy's name.

  I smile to myself and shake my head. They're addicted to the man, and he's good for them. He's added to his farm by taking some of the Kenshaw's chickens and Wendy's really shown how responsible she can be. I told Bo not to spend money on us, but he said it wasn't for us. Of course, his lie didn't fool me, but I can't help but smile when I see the kids enjoying themselves so much. And the fact that Will's too busy rebuilding this car with Bo, as well as spending time on his land to really get himself in trouble has really helped. We were on a fast track to prison with the way he was behaving this school year, but it looks like he's rounding out with good grades, good attendance, and less conduct referral points against him. Bo's good for these kids, and as much as it scares me, he's good for me too.

  The other day there was a knock on my door and the UPS driver was standing there smiling wide with a package in his hands. After signing for it, I ran inside and opened it, revealing a brand new iPhone and the paperwork already assigning it to my phone number. It didn't have a note with it, and I called the phone store to confirm it was purchased for my number. I couldn't wipe the smile from my face. I didn't call Bo right away. I didn't tell him I knew it was him. But the look on his face when he saw me using it was worth every penny of the pride I swallowed. I could've fought him about it, but there's something about seeing him happy that made me keep my mouth shut. Plus, my finger would no longer get cut up from my old, broken screen.

  He bought four-wheelers for the kids too. Four, to be exact, but I haven't had time to ride with the three of them. Sometimes he takes the kids out on the back roads, through the woods, and finds the craziest paths. Sometimes Wendy goes with, but most times it's Will. Bo goes maybe once a week, but with his back he always seems to find an excuse not to go without saying he simply can't do it anymore. I've made Will wear a helmet but Bo refuses to put one on. Sometimes I worry about Will getting hurt... Okay most times, but I have to learn to trust both of them.

  After finishing up some housework and getting cleaned up, I head out to Bo's to grab the twins. With the windows down in my car, that I haven't had any problems with since Bo fixed it, I pull into the drive that takes me back to Bo's land. The first time he brought me here I was speechless. I never knew this even existed, it's tucked away so nicely in the countryside, but it's huge and my house could probably fit nicely inside his barn. The warm breeze whips through the windows and I can't help but smile as I approach where Will and Wendy are riding the horses around the yard.

  "You two almost done here?" I laugh, walking over to the fence.

  "Bo's making dinner!" Wendy hollers over from the horse she's adopted as her own. I shake my head.

  "Y’all have school tomorrow. We can't be out too late," I say walking up to the house. When I slide open the back door and step in, the aroma of dinner is to die for. I hear Bo laughing and then I hear a female's laugh and slow my steps.

  "You were never as cool as you thought." Bo laughs and it makes me wonder who's here. Has to be an old friend.

  "All your friends wanted me," the woman says.

  "Because you bought us beer." Bo laughs harder and I step into the kitchen with a smile, looking directly at Bo's sister. We don't really know each other, but she was around to buy us beer.

  "And there she is, Bo's life long love," she says and my brows shoot up, my smile turning to surprise.

  "Affton," he warns. "She's messin' with you." He puts on a smile and walks over to me. "Hi." Not touching me with his dirty hand, he places his wrist on my side and kisses the top of my head. "Y'all have to stay for dinner. We made too much."

  I can't shake what his sister just said, especially with her looking at me like she is, but I smile and step over to the island where they're preparing dinner.

  "The twins already expect it." I laugh. "Smells amazing."

  "So, I'm Affton," his sister says stepping toward me with her hand out. "Since he's too much of a doofus to introduce us."

  "She knows you, clown." Bo rolls his eyes.

  "Last I remember little Kinlee Jones you guys were knee deep in mud and I think not even eighteen yet. This is what you do as an adult, Bobby." She shakes my hand.

  "Great to see you again. It's been a long time. You did always buy us booze though." I smile when Bo laughs and Affton grins, nodding.

  "Yeah...but you were all responsible kids. I think," she mumbles and walks to the stove, pushing Bo out of the way. "Go entertain your guest. I'll have this ready in ten minutes. Did you ever invite mom and dad?" There's no trace of a southern accent in her voice...she's so different from what I remember.

  "Nope. No need. They woulda declined anyway." Bo rinses his hands and smiles at me before looking at her again. "You sure you got this?"

  "I’ve been cooking for you since you were a baby, Bo." She rolls her eyes at him.

  "Consuela's been cooking for me since I was a baby." He laughs and gently takes my hand. "I want to show you what I just bought." The grin on his face makes me smile.

  "Should I be nervous?" I feel like I should. Bo and his use of money lately has been a little wild.

  "No, just buildin' up my farm." He opens the door for me and when we step out, his hand wraps to my hip.

  "And what might you be building this farm up with?" I slide my arm around him and push my hand into his back pocket, smirking when I give his ass a squeeze.

  He doesn't answer but when we get close to the newest barn he had delivered a week ago, I hear it.

  "Bo what did you do?" I'm starting to panic that he thinks he's going to get back into riding, especially so soon after his accident.

  "What kind of rodeo star would I be if I didn't own my own bull? I bought him." He grins and throws open the door. "This is the bastard that broke my back."

  "You bought the one that almost killed you!? What the fuck is wrong with you?" I snap, slapping his arm. "This is insane. What the hell are you gonna do with him?"

  This animal is huge, angry, and ready to break more than Bo's back from the looks of it.

  "Calm down." He grins and walks over to the huge pen. The bull charges and I jump back with a yelp, but he stops before he hits the fence. "He ain't so mean all the time." Reaching over the tall gate, he pats the thing on the head.

  "This is insane," I manage, though there's a fuck ton more I want to say to him. Like 'you're gonna get yourself killed' and 'my siblings aren't coming anywhere near this thing' and 'wait until I tell Brandt on your ass', but I can't say any of it because I'm too terrified that this thing's going to break through that fence and trample us all. "Why'd you buy him, Bo? And please don't tell me it's because you're gonna start riding again. You've been told you can't by how many doctors?"

  With his mouth in a tight line, he turns to face me. His back is a touchy subject. We don't talk much about it. He pretends there are no issues, but sometimes I see the way he walks. Or how he tenses up out of nowhere. There's still an issue.

  "How's someone going to tell me what I can do with my own body, Kinlee?" he counters. "I'll get on him again one day and it ain't nothin' to worry about. I was the best at what I did because I know how to do it." He walks out of the barn, probably pissed I'm not excited he wants to kill himself.

  I want to yell after him that I don't want to lose him. I want to yell that he's stupid for putting his life in danger all because he likes the rush. That he needs to stick around for me. For us. I don't, but not because it's not true. It's because he's stubborn, and the minute I tell him to do something, I know how it's going to end.

  I follow him back to the house and when I make it to the kitchen, it's just Affton finishing up dinner.

  "Bo bought a bull," I say, grabbing a beer from his stocked fridge and sit on the barstool at the island.

  "He's a dumb man." She chuckles with a shake of her head. "Bo and my grandpa are two very similar men." She looks at me. "They love dangero
us things that will likely kill them. You know how our grandpa died? Not 'cause he was ninety-four. He died bear hunting." With a shake of her head, she turns back to the stove.

  "Wow." I stare at the beer bottle in my hands. "He's gonna get himself killed on that thing. He already almost did once."

  "He won't ride it." She snorts her chuckle. "Just this morning he couldn't get out of bed until his pain pills kicked in. He's ruined. I give it three years before he can't walk much anymore." She's so impassive about it and it hurts my heart that he won't talk to me about any of this. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was that bad.

  "Were you around after the accident?" Maybe she'll talk to me about it if he won't.

  "Only a few days in the hospital. He made me leave. Didn't want anyone around. I haven't seen my brother and spent time with him outside of a hospital room since he left here. He won't talk about it anyway."

  "He needs to," I mutter. "And he needs to accept that his back isn't how it used to be. I've seen him on the farm, doin' shit he shouldn't be doin'. The people closest to him know he shouldn't be pushing it, but he won't listen to anyone." I stand, walking over to the window and glance out to the twins. Bo's helping them get off the horses and head in for dinner.

  She laughs. "You don't know my brother that well. He'll always do what he's not supposed to. He's got an addiction, Kinlee, and it won't change. He gets bored too quickly, loses interest in everything. Bull riding's the first thing he actually stuck with longer than a year. Then it was taken from him in what? A minute?" Her eyes hit mine. "Bo isn't the kind of guy you try to settle down. It'll never happen. You either accept it and live in stress your whole life, or..." She shrugs. The look on her face isn't bitchy, just matter of fact.

  I nod silently, considering her words very carefully. These past few weeks, albeit frustrating at times, have been pretty amazing. Bo's been great for the twins, teaching them more than I feel like I've done in years, buying them things I can't, and being there for me if I need him. Granted, most times I've needed him is to help with the twins, and between both my jobs and his work on the ranch we've only hung out together a handful of times. But do I really want my life to be a constant battle of worrying over a man that doesn't worry about himself?

  "I'm gonna go wash up for dinner." I head for one of the five bathrooms in this place.

  I understand he wanted his granddaddy's house, but a single man doesn't need a place this big. Hell, most families don't need a place this big. He says he doesn't necessarily care about the money, but he sure has a funny way of showing it with all the purchases lately. This house being one of them. As long as he loves it, it's fine. I just...this isn't something I could see myself living in. But that thought is a hard pill to swallow today, so I wash my hands and stare at my reflection in the mirror. A girl from a small as hell farm town with nothing going for her. A man with way too much money and energy than he knows what to do with. We don't belong together, and I don't know if I could keep up with him in the long run. But I want to try.

  A soft knock comes over the door. "Kinlee?" Bo quietly says my name.

  I crack the door open. "Yes?"

  "I heard the water runnin', figured it was safe to bother you." He steps inside and closes the door at his back before pinning me against the counter, his hands grasping the ledge on either side of me as he pushes against me. "We haven't spent much time together lately." He's mouth moves to my jaw and he kisses up to my ear.

  His lips on my skin ignites my need for more, and I sling my arms around his shoulders, pushing my body against his. "Being an adult sucks," I whisper then a giggle leaves my mouth that ends in a gasp when he nibbles on my neck. "Bo." I laugh, smacking his arm. "No marks."

  He groans and lifts me, setting me on the ledge before pushing between my thighs. "I don't think I can take this any slower." His mouth keeps biting at my flesh and I keep turning my head to give him access. "I want to take this nice and slow." His fingers popping the button to my jeans make another claim. "But I don't want you runnin' off on me for another guy." His hand slides into the front of my underwear and I gasp and jump when his thick fingers slide over my clit. He chuckles against my mouth, moving his hand up and down and spreading my wetness over me. This is the first time his flesh has touched mine there since he was a bumbling nineteen year old virgin. He’s definitely not that guy anymore.

  "Oh god," I whisper, my hand moving to the counter when I start to slip.

  His lips press to mine and his fingers push into me. When his palm rubs against my clit, he curls his fingers as he strokes inside me. I gasp, unable to stop my hips from pushing against his hand and the pressure's too much. I haven't been touched like this in too long, and for it to be Bo in front of me just amplifies these feelings.

  "Shit." I tremble, my hand on the counter gripping tight and my hips grinding against his hand.

  His mouth slides to my ear and his fingers push deeper inside of me. "You're so nice and soaked. Come for me, darlin'. All over my hand," he says in a low tone that rumbles through my body.

  I hum, gasping for a full breath and trying not to scream as my orgasm starts. Bringing a hand to his forearm, his tight muscles flexing under my fingertips as his fingers push into me, over and over. When I come, he slams his lips to mine to muffle my moans, but anyone outside that door could probably hear me.

  "My god," I pant, still gripping his arm.

  He slips his fingers out and looks down at the scene across his hand and grins, kissing me again. "Stay over tonight. You and the twins. I got plenty of room." The words are begging while he kisses over my jaw.

  "They have school in the morning, Bo," I whisper in pants, not really wanting to turn him down but needing to keep their schedules as regular as I can. "Maybe this weekend?" It'd have to be after my shift at the diner, but the kids would enjoy hanging out here while I'm at work.

  He pulls away and wipes his hand on a hand towel. "I'm gonna hold you to it," he mumbles before adjusting himself in his jeans and the outline of his dick makes me want to reach out and trace it. Sure Bo and I were together once, a long ass time ago, but I don't remember it seeming that...big. Maybe powerful is a better word. Everything about Bo now is powerful, unlike the kid that left five years ago.

  When I look up from his jeans to his face, he's grinning at me. "We could do this right here, right now." He's cupping his dick through his pants, his hand slowly stroking down the outline.

  "God, I want to," I whisper, biting my lip and entertaining the thought. When I hear Will start screaming at Wendy though, I remember why we can't. "God," I huff, running my hands over my hair and checking my clothes as fast as I can before giving Bo an apology glance. "Sorry," I say, then slip out of the bathroom to see what the hell's going on.

  "Give it back!" Wendy screams at Will, who's currently holding her phone above his head. I can't help but roll my eyes before interfering.

  "You guys are almost seventeen. You think you could knock off the annoying sibling act soon?" I snatch the phone from Will and hold it up. "What the hell's this all about?"

  "She's texting Ryan." Will plops on the couch and I glance between the two of them.

  "Okay? What am I missing?" Ryan's Will's best friend. His family has been there for the twins since we lost our parents. It's not strange Wendy's talking to Ryan. "You think your sister's stealing your friends?"

  "She likes him," he grumbles and I laugh loud.

  "Well she's not dating till she's eighteen. So that takes care of that." I slide the phone into my pocket and storm into the kitchen, grabbing my beer.

  "Everythin' okay?" Bo asks, coming down the hall and I can't help but glance at the crotch of his pants until he starts to laugh.

  "Fine. Sibling drama. I guess Will's best friend and Wendy are texting and Will can't handle it."

  Bo chuckles and stops in the doorway of the living room. With one point toward the twins, he snaps then points to the dining room table and they both move faster than they do for me
.

  "Affton knows all about that. Her and Brandt..." He trails off. "Right, Affton? Remember when Brandt had it for you and you led him on for a few weeks. We didn't talk for three months."

  "I never knew that!" I laugh, trying to relax even though the twins fighting just ruined that, coupled with the fact I didn't get the chance to clean up the mess Bo made happen between my thighs.

  They're sitting at the table right now glaring at each other, but at least they aren't bickering. Sometimes I watch them with Bo and wonder how they're so different around me than around him.

  "It's really not that big of a deal." Affton's eyes land on Will while she sits. "Don't shut your sister out. You'll need her one day, like when your ankle gets caught in a coyote trap." Her glare turns to Bo. "But you're not talking to her, so you decide to drag yourself home."

  Bo's laughing and now Will and Wendy are interested.

  "You walked home after that?" My eyebrows shoot up, still remembering him hobbling on that thing half of junior year, trying to act like it never happened.

  "It wasn't that bad," he lies. I remember it was that bad. "But she's right." Bo's fork points to Will then Wendy. "You two will always need each other. And your sister." He glances at me. "Don't sweat the small stuff. Now." He hands a bowl to Will. "Eat."

  I can tell the food's good, and nothing like I can cook, because the minute the twins dig in, their moods change drastically. Dinner's spent laughing, telling stories of our time at school and hearing stories from Affton that Bo never bothered to tell his friends.

  By the end of the night, both kids are almost asleep on the couch and I'm beating myself up because it's almost eleven and I wanted to have them home by now. But sitting out here on Bo's back deck, his arms wrapped around me as we enjoy the silence is way nicer than being without him.

  "It's beautiful out here," I say, watching the horses graze. "You've got your own slice of heaven in the middle of nowhere."

  "I'm happy I was able to buy it before they sold it. My granddaddy never let me bring friends over 'cause he said it would ruin his peacefulness. Brandt’s been here a few times, but I spent a lot of time out in them woods. It's not a humble cabin like I intended on buying when I knew I was coming back, but I'm happy. When the twins are over, it's some of my best days." He kisses my temple. "Now if only I could get you over more often."