by Arow Jones
“Blanche, everyone is invited to the family brunch.” I walk away, hoping she’ll take the hint. I’m going to have to make up some excuse to leave the brunch early so she doesn’t come up with yet another reason to make everyone think we are together.
As I was walking away I notice Lily looking up at the sky. She’s leaning on the front of a truck with her long dark hair was flowing down her back. It made her chest perk up and I swear my heart skipped a beat. She put one leg on the front bumper like she was going to hop up on the hood but she slipped. Before I knew it I was catching her before she hits the ground. I could tell she was surprised to see me. Her eyes were green like mine but lighter with flecks of gold. The smoky eye makeup she’s wearing makes it look even more like a kitty cat I’d like to pet. She gasps. Her eyes blink a few times, like she was coming out of trance. She straightened out her skirt and stood up. I chuckled and grabbed her arms trying to steady her.
“I’m sorry.” It was almost a whisper. I could get lost in those eyes.
“One too many, huh?” Her eyebrows drew together.
“I guess I lost my balance. Thanks.” She’s let loose the bun in her hair from earlier in the day. I get the feeling Lily doesn’t know how beautiful she is and how lucky I feel holding her in my arms. I take a step towards her. She looks like she is about to take a step back. Instead she freezes like a deer in headlights. Our eyes lock and she’s perfectly still. I lean forward. My face is so close to hers. She smells like vanilla and sugar. Sweet. It’s intoxicating.
“Steady sugar. You wouldn’t want to fall and get all dirty now, would you?” Dirty, I’d like to get dirty with her. Whoa! Hold up, this is Lily we’re talking about. Don’t go there man. I could tell she wasn’t sure what to say. My gaze lingers down her neck.
A second later Skye came barreling into us. “Shots!” She starts passing out plastic cups with liquor. I’m guessing there is more than one shot in those cups but no one is measuring. Normally, I would love to get drunk but I don’t want to miss out on Lily on liquor. No way am I going to leave her side with a bunch of drunks looking for hook ups.
“Skye, I’ve already had two beers, I don’t think--” Lily starts to protest. She’s laughing and smiling.
“Nonsense! We aren’t driving anywhere, just one shot! Come on Lily, toast to the seniors!” She bumps me with her hip.
One shot turns into three. My girl can’t take her liqueur. Did I just say my? The girls are laughing and dancing at some drunk girls across the way. They stop suddenly and look over to my truck where I see Chase holding onto a girl’s arm. They look like they’re in a heated argument. By the time I make my way over she is in his arms with her face buried in his chest. He’s rubbing her back. I can see his knuckles look like he’s been in a fight.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Chase is more of a lover than a fighter. It’s got to be bad if he’s been using his fists to get his point across. His brows are furrowed and his jaw is clenched. He doesn’t answer right away so I wait patiently.
“I’m so sorry McKenzie. It’s gonna be okay.” It comes out as a whisper. That must be the girl’s name. He turns to me and lets out a heavy sigh. “Can I borrow your truck? I’ve got to take her home.”
“Sure. Whatever you need.” I silently point to her then show my open palms questioning who she is. He just shakes his head and I take it as ‘later.’ “I’m hanging out for a while then walking back. You know where I’ll be.” He nods his head then scoops the girl into his arms. I hold open the passenger side door as he sets her in and buckles her up.
Her face is hidden by the curtain of her long dark hair. She is so still and quiet with her hands folded in her lap. If I didn’t know any better I would think nothing was wrong. Like me, Chase has locked his heart up for one girl. I don’t recognize her but I didn’t really see her face either. This must be her. I really hope he knows what he’s doing because I sure as hell don’t have a clue.
~*~
After they leave and the stares die down. I look across the bonfire and see the girls. They are whispering something to one another. Lily gives me a tentative smile when she sees me looking at her.
I walk over to join them as they start dancing. Lily is smiling wide at the antics of the other dancers. Someone offers her another beer but I intercept it before she can take a drink. “Hey!” I ignore her protest and silence her with my hands on her hips. Before long she’s swaying with me and has forgotten about the drink. Her body is moving with the music. My hands are itching to pull her closer but I’m trying to be a gentleman. She has no idea how important she is to me.
“Oh my god! I love this song!” Skye reaches over and pulls Lily by the wrist. Some girly high tempo song about women power blasts over the speakers. I smirk. The girls must have taken over DJ duties. I’m pretty sure my boys wouldn’t have picked this song. More girls join Skye and Lily dancing around them while they sing the words to the chorus.
I like this Lily. She’s relaxed and not the girl hiding in the bushes with sad eyes. My grand-dad use to tell me stories about my ancestor who caused the poker incident. He showed me pictures once. When I see Lily I’m reminded of her.
The party is winding down. Most people have started to leave. Some are lingering, some are making out, and others are too tossed to move. This is usually how it is and I don’t mind. I’d rather they hang out than drive drunk.
Lily tells Skye it’s time to go.
“I’ll walk you.” I say and start leading them down the path that leads back to their ranch. I pull out my phone and text Grayson that I’ll meet him at home but a minute later he runs up to us. “Hey guys. I’ll go with you.”
“Awe, my hero, G!” Skye grabs his arms and smiles brightly at him.
“At my service, my lady.” I’m sure he’d like to service her but I don’t want to picture my brother doing anything like that we anyone.
We follow the trail back to her ranch. Skye and Grayson are leading the way. It’s quiet on the walk even though we can hear the sounds of partying in the distance. When we get to the back of the main house the lights are on but Lily assures me that everyone is down at the barn. They probably snuck out and don’t want to get caught. We stop in the shadows a small distance away in case someone comes around the corner.
I walk up behind her and put my hands on her shoulders. Our bodies are so close I can feel the heat from her body. She doesn’t move but she doesn’t tense up like she did earlier. I brush her hair to one side and lean in close to her ear. “Take care of yourself, Sugar.” I whisper in her ear then press a kiss to the back of her neck. Mmm, sweet, just like I predicted.
Five
The bonfire was the last time I saw JT. As much as I wanted him to notice me, he was the last person I was supposed to want to be near. After that night I was more determined than ever to achieve my dream of taking over the ranch. During my senior year I was awarded several scholarships, enough for a full-ride to college.
My twenty-first birthday is this year. I am about to graduate a year early from the University of Colorado in Boulder. I worked my ass off so I could get back to the ranch as soon as possible. Gramps wasn’t alone. He had the ranch hands and his poker buddy, Kip, who has known me his whole life.
Our new BFF Kenny plans to come spend the summer with me and help around the ranch. Skye joined a sorority, majors in photography, and plasters her photos on available wall spaces around campus and town. We were known as the three amigos on campus and she made sure we attended as many Greek parties as possible.
I was spraying down a mare I just finished up with. Alexa, one of my teammates yells over to me. “Lil’, you got a phone call!” People usually only call the barn phone when there is an emergency. My heart races. Don’t panic, it could just be the coach. She’s been extra hard on me knowing I’m leaving soon.
“Hello?” Skye was the one to break the news to me.
“Sweetie, Gramps had a heart attack. I’m sorry, but he didn’t make it.” She sobs soft
ly in the background. “Kip tried to call your cell phone but couldn’t get a hold of you. I told him you were probably down at the barn.”
I was shocked, numb. We had just spoken over the weekend. He seemed fine. I dropped the phone. With one arm around my waist and the other covering my mouth I slid to the floor. I could hear someone crying. Was that me? I vaguely remember Alexa taking the phone and talking to Skye. More voices and some footsteps.
Everything was a blur. Kenny was there. Somehow I made it back to my dorm room. I know I didn’t get her alone. Someone must have brought me back. My keys are on my dresser with a note. I ignore it, laying there until the next morning. My bladder forces me to get up. I grab the notes and see it’s from Kenny, offering me a ride home and relaying a message from Skye. Kip had made arrangements for the funeral to be on a Friday. I only had a month of school left. He knew how much school meant to me and knew Gramps would roll over in his grave if I didn’t finish school.
Oh my god. I can’t believe he’s gone.
I’m alone.
For the next few hours I packed and make preparations for my trip back home. The ranch is about six hours from Boulder I send a quick text letting Kenny and Skye know I’m driving my motorcycle home. They think it’s a bad idea but I need the time to clear my head. Most of my belongings are still back there. I only had the motorcycle Kenny restored and sold me so I couldn’t take much with me anyhow. Skye said she couldn’t go back until Thursday night anyways but would catch a ride with Grayson, asking me to wait until then. I declined, wanting to leave as soon as possible.
Skye called me later in the evening. She tried to convince me we needed to have a girl’s night out while we were all in town. I didn’t have the heart to tell her all I wanted to do was curl up in my old bed and disappear. I think she knew.
My chest hurt from the pain.
Gramps was my last living relative.
I’m alone.
The day of the funeral was sunny. For some reason I expected it to match my mood, dank and gloomy. Instead it was a day for sun dresses and sandals. In black. After the funeral a small reception was held at the funeral home. I don’t remember much of the day’s events. I don’t even remember if I ate. I had a plan for Gramps and I to make some changes at the ranch. I was so excited to share my ideas but I didn’t get the chance. The last time I saw him was during Christmas break. We were going to come home for Spring break but we went to a riding clinic instead.
I was so focused on finished. Too focused? Did I tell him I love him last time we spoke? I missed him so much.
I spent the next day sitting on my bed staring at my wall of photographs. My mom smiling at my dad. My Dad pushing me on a swing. My mom and dad kissing. My mom smiling up at a much younger Gramps and the Grandma I never met. I just sat there staring at the photos. Nothing but the silence of this big old house to keep me company.
I couldn’t take the silence for long. There was too much to do. As soon as I could, I packed up and headed back to school, buried my head in my exams and riding until graduation.
~*~
We had a few ranch hands that helped muck stalls, care for the horses boarded here, and general maintenance. Kip, a long-time friend of Gramps, helped out as much as he could. When he wasn’t at the ranch he was at Jack’s, a bar & grill he owned at the edge of town. Kip’s place has been around forever and all the locals hang out there. My parents used to have ‘date night’ there saying they had the best chili cheese fries in five counties.
Since I was taking over management duties at the ranch Kip decided to spend more time at Jack’s with his daughter. Really, I think he has his eyes on his general manager, a sweet older lady named Ellen. He asked me to take a look at his books since that was one of my jobs I did for Gramps during high school.
It’s a Friday night and I need to do go pick up some paperwork and do a few things for him before the bar got too busy. I take a quick shower, throw on a pair of distressed, form fitting, jeans, my favorite leather boots, and a frilly, satin spaghetti strap top underneath my leather jacket. Okay, the top is a little bit indulgent but it makes me feel sexy and a little dressed up. The weather is warm but I zip my jacket up to my chin, tuck my long hair into my helmet and ride out.
When I get to the bar I park my bike near the front and head to the office. The dinner rush is just finishing up. A live band is playing on stage. Soon the place will be packed with locals dancing, drinking, and having a good time. Now that school is out for the summer the students will flood the town and Jack’s. As I weave through the tables I spot Kip and waved to him. He motions for me to meet him in five minutes in the office. I unpack my laptop and get started on the pile of paperwork on his desk.
Five minutes turned into an hour. I was engrossed in numbers and barely looked at a clock. I finished looking over the last of the invoices when Kip finally ambled onto the chair across the desk like he was the visitor and I was the boss.
“Well, I am sorry about that,” he drawled. “Last minute call with a supplier. Some of the liquor is coming up short in my order and I needed to figure out why.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, did you get it worked out?” I had already flagged a folder with a stack of invoices from that vendor.
“Not yet, just trying to get a handle on things. My old sight isn’t what it used to be and paperwork and numbers aren’t my thing. Dottie used to handle that stuff but since she’s been gone I haven’t been too good about keeping up with stuff. I just leave it to Ellen. JT has been kind enough to help me out with estate stuff and whatnot. Ever since Dottie past away last year,” he sighs, “I just can’t seem to get my head around things. He had suggested I get some help and well, since you were back in town I figured you could be a fresh pair of eyes and work with Ellen to get me up to speed.”
“JT? He’s working on the estate? I thought he would be playing football somewhere,” I joke but my heart quickened at the thought of running into JT again. The Tanner law firm has called me a few times. I wonder if he’s handling my Gramps’ estate.
“Yes ma’am. He was playing football in college. He was scouted too but turned it down. Now, he runs his ranch but he does some work for Tanner & Tanner too. Like father like son, eh?” I pretend to mull over his explanation like I don’t already know exactly what JT has been up too. My journal of clippings featuring his success is one of the many items in my ‘treasure trunk’, also known as the old steamer chest in my room. I wipe the back of my hand across my mouth checking for drool. Oh my.
“You should probably meet with him.” Kip says to me, interrupting my fog.
“Meet who?” I smile trying to be nonchalant about the idea of seeing JT again but the gleam in Kip’s eyes tell me he knows like he’s known about my infatuation all along.
“JT.” He grins. I keep my eyes down, focused on the paperwork in front of me. “In fact he’s coming here tonight. He comes out every Friday with that Chase fellow that he works with.” My stomach clenches. Memories of that last night come back to me.
My heart was beating a million miles an hour. When JT had me in his arms earlier I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. Dirty? Yes, please. Oh boy, did I really just think that? His hands are on my shoulders. The heat of his body radiates against my back. One of his hands leaves my shoulder and pushes my hair aside. My head tilts slightly to give him access. Kiss me, kiss me! His fingers trace my ear and move to a spot on the back of my neck. I bite my bottom lip to keep myself from moaning out loud.
I feel his breathe on my ear. “Take care of yourself, Sugar.” I practically melt as his lips touch my skin. I know he saw the goose bumps. His heated smirk radiated behind me.
I checked my mouth for drool.
Again.
Of all the guys to run into it had to be him. I knew I would at some point but am I ready? His family owns The Double Diamond Ranch whose land is next to ours. The Lucky Five used to be a part of their ranch. Our families have had this crazy ‘grudge’ against one another. Crazy
because everyone tells stories but no one really acts on the rivalry. But my dad forbid me to wander over to their side of the lake and told me to stay away, not that I listened. Spying on JT and Chase was my summer hobby, especially the skinny dipping. Even if I was allowed to wander over there, I was too shy to say anything.
Times have changed though. I’ve had a few boyfriends since then. Nothing serious. Oh, who am I kidding? I’m not even in the same league as JT so why should I be worrying? I’m not experienced enough for a stud like him. Stud? More like stallion. Oh man, I had it bad. Still.
“Um, okay, I have a lot on my plate that I want to get started on so maybe we can set up a meeting time here sometime next week, here, at the bar.” I’m rambling. I never ramble but I just can’t seem to collect my thoughts.
“Suit yourself. Just let me know when.” Kip smiles at me and I take that as my cue to pack up and leave. It’s close to ten o’clock by the time I leave. As I am heading out the door one of the bartenders, Rob, winks at me.
“Hey Rob, see you next week.” I smile and he nods at me and turns his head towards where my bike is parked. He has huge grin on his face. “See ya doll face. Watch out for the chicks hovering around the bikes.”
I follow his gaze out the window and frown when I see a crowd of women surrounding a guy leaning on a Harley parked next to my black Ninja. One of the bimbo’s is leaning on my bike. She’s swaying, probably had too much to drink. I take a deep breath and try to keep my cool. As I walk towards the crowd I hear the deep timber of a chuckle and then giggling.
The voice stops me in my tracks. No one has seen me yet. I stand in the shadow waiting to see if the voice belongs to the face. My eyes close, remembering the breath on my neck. When I open my eyes I wished I hadn’t.
