by Andi Jaxon
“Where ya been?” David asks, everyone’s eyes turn toward me except Momma’s.
“I was in Samson.” I swallow and wait.
No one moves for a minute, digesting what I’ve just said. Will’s eyes flick toward Ian, who hasn’t blinked. Two hours. I was two hours away this whole time.
“Heard you had an interesting afternoon,” David says to Ian, changing the subject as guilt eats at me.
Ian finally takes his eyes off me, grunts, and swallows the food in his mouth. “Yeah, Main Street was full of sheep. Took about four hours to clear all the stragglers, but we got it done.”
“Miller’s or Ryan’s?” Mel asks.
“Bit of both,” Ian says, picking up his water glass.
“Sorry we couldn’t help out,” David says.
Ian waves him off. “We had more help than we needed. Both ranches sent people and dogs, a few of the cattle ranchers too. We had it covered.”
David nods and starts eating. No one mentions the boys’ obvious fight. They’re both bruised and filthy. I can’t believe that at thirty years old, Ian is still starting fights with Will when he gets aggravated.
After a day of riding, I’m starving. I barely taste the food I shovel into my mouth. I don’t pay much attention to the conversation around the table. I know most of the people they’re talking about, but it’s all mindless chatter. I’m exhausted and just want to sleep.
I lean back in the chair, and my eyes close for just a second. Just that fast, the sweet darkness of sleep claims me.
Someone is shaking me, and I jerk awake.
“Shit. Sorry.” My heart is pounding in my ears, my hands jittery.
“It’s alright.” Mel smiles softly at me. “Will you be okay to drive home, or do you want to crash upstairs?”
“No, I’m fine.” I push my seat back, reaching for my plate, but see the table has already been cleared. “I’m so sorry. That was so rude of me.”
“You’re obviously tired. No need to apologize.” She squeezes me in a tight hug. “I’m just so glad you’re home.”
I hug her back just as tightly. “Me too.”
She steps back and cups my face with a smile reaching her warm brown eyes. “So very glad you’re home.”
My palm slides over the back of her hand, nuzzling into the soft touch.
Momma hands me my jacket.
I take it from her and slide my arms inside. “Will, what time tomorrow?”
“Five.”
I grumble, and he smirks.
“See you tomorrow, Wildflower.”
In the corner of my eye, Ian stiffens at the use of my nickname. Will knows exactly what he’s doing, winding up his brother on purpose. I shake my head at the both of them and follow Momma out.
Chapter Seven
IAN
Eva got back almost two weeks ago. She’s been working at the ranch damn near every day with Will and Johnny. I’ve stopped by a few times to check in, and every time I do, they’re flirting with her. It’s driving me nuts. Will’s doing it on purpose to get a rise out of me and it’s working, which just makes me more irritated.
I’ve never been a possessive man. Not once did I care if other men were around the girl I was dating. She would be free to flirt and have a good time, dancing and drinking at the bar. Didn’t matter. But not Eva. All these fuckers swinging their dicks at her is going to drive me straight to the nuthouse.
It’s Friday, with snow on the horizon for next week. These boys will be at the bar, getting rowdy and carrying on. I’m sure there will be a fight or two to break up. It means I’m in for a long night.
I have a few deputies, but everyone works on Friday and Saturday. Every. One.
I’m sitting at my desk, making sure we have everything we’ll need for the incoming snow, when the door opens.
“Hello. Can I help you, sir?” Stacey’s voice carries through the small space.
“Yeah, I’m looking for Eva Rojas.”
My head snaps up, eyes taking in the stranger: tan skin, dark, curly hair, and brown eyes. He’s tall and lean. Honestly, he looks like he could be related to me.
Stacey is stumbling over her words, not sure what to say. Pushing my chair back, I stand, shoving my left hand into my pocket. A deep-seated need to claim Eva hums through my body. I lean against the door into my office, pretending to be relaxed when I’m anything but.
“What do you need with Eva?”
The man looks me over much like I did for him, stopping at the badge on my chest and the gun on my hip.
“It’s personal.” He crosses his arms over his chest.
“Anything you need to say to my wife will go through me first.” The words tumble from my lips, the rightness of them shielding my heart.
“Wife?” His eyes bug out of his head.
Stacey smirks and drops her head to hide it.
“I’m Sheriff Ian Rojas, and you are?” I step forward, offering my hand in a handshake.
“Funny, she never mentioned a husband.” He’s trying to get a reaction from me, catch me in a lie.
“She’s a wild one.” I can’t see my own face, but I can feel how cold my smile is, how hard my eyes are. “Your name?”
“Brad Rodriguez.”
He doesn’t shake my hand; he just tries to stare me down. But I’ve been up against worse. He doesn’t intimidate me.
“How do you know my wife, Mr. Rodriguez?”
He smirks before answering. “I’ve been fucking her for the last six months.”
“Must not have been that good if she came running back to me not two weeks ago.”
Brad stiffens, his shoulders tight with tension, hands clenched into fists.
“Sheriff,” Stacey interrupts, breaking some of the tension. “It’s about time for your next appointment.”
She’s giving both of us a way out, an escape route where bloodshed won’t be necessary. She’s a damn smart girl, but I want this fucker to bleed. How dare he come into my town, asking about my girl. Eva and I will have words about this later.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m going to have to ask you to leave, Mr. Rodriguez.”
“Aren’t small towns supposed to be full of helpful people?”
I smile, but it’s anything but friendly. “Small towns are helpful to the people who live there. Outsiders, not so much.” I walk around him and open the door for him. “We protect our own. No one here will tell you anything about her, but I’ll let her know you stopped by. She’ll call you if she wants to talk to you.”
“She stole my car.”
I pause for a minute, coming up with a plan.
“Alright.” I close the door and go back into my office, picking up the phone and calling my parents’ house.
“Rojas Ranch,” Momma answers.
“Hey. Is Eva there?” I know my tone gives me away; she can tell there’s something wrong.
“I think so. Her car is out front. Let me see if I can find her.”
“No,” I snap. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly before speaking again. “I don’t need to speak to her. Tell her she needs to clean out the car and have Will drive it to my office. The owner is here to collect the car she borrowed.”
“Alright.” She drags out the word a bit. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine. I’ll be by later.”
“Okay. Bye, Sheriff.”
I hang up the phone, my eyes still drilling into the man standing directly beyond it.
What the hell is this? She stole his car? I don’t find that hard to believe, actually. She’s always been a wild card.
“The car will be here shortly,” I inform him without moving from my desk.
Every muscle in my body is tense, demanding I go after Eva and confront her, but I can’t. Not yet.
Turning back to my computer, I pretend to work, though I get nothing done. Mr. Rodriguez takes a seat in the waiting area, his knee bouncing as he messes around on his phone.
An hour later, W
ill comes storming into the office, slamming the door open. He’s radiating rage like I’ve rarely seen from him. I stand up as he comes into my office and closes the door, staring out the glass at the man sitting in the waiting room.
“What is it, Will?” I come to stand next to him, arms crossed over my chest.
“She’s furious,” he bites out. “This fucker cheated on her.”
A growl rumbles in my chest, my lip lifting.
“She’s scared of something, but won’t tell me what.”
“She told him her last name was Rojas. I told him she’s my wife.”
Will turns to me with wide eyes.
“Shit.” He relaxes a bit, shaking his head.
“Keys?”
Will drops them into my waiting palm, and I open the door.
“Mister Rodriguez.”
The piece of scum stands as I walk toward him. How the hell could he cheat on her?
“Sorry for that misunderstanding. Have a nice day.”
“You have a place I can rent a tow trailer?”
“Nope.” The ‘p’ pops at the end of the word. “You can try the next town up. Feel free to leave the car here until you find something.”
With an aggravated huff, he leaves the office and climbs into a big, white Ford truck. He peels out of the parking lot while Stacey, Will, and I watch him.
“Afternoon, Will,” Stacey says sweetly to my brother, the blush on her cheeks telling me things I don’t want to know.
“Afternoon, Stacey.” He winks at her, deepening the blush on her cheeks.
“Alright, Romeo, get out.” I shove my brother towards the door. “Stacey, forward me any calls. I’m taking him home.”
“Yes, Sheriff.”
Grabbing my jacket from the peg by the door, I shove my arms through the sleeves. The wind bites into any exposed flesh, like icicles lacing into your skin.
I get the SUV started and wait for the heat to kick on. It takes longer than it should. I need to use the remote start more often.
“I wouldn’t confront her right now, if I were you,” Will says, blowing into his hands.
“You aren’t me.”
He shakes his head, but doesn’t say anything else. The drive out to the ranch is quick. Will hops out, heading straight for the barn with me on his heels.
“You ain’t taking her time right now.” He spins on me, forcing me to stop. “She’s working, and I’m not paying her to fight with you.”
“I ain’t fighting with anybody. I got some questions is all.”
“I’ll throw you out of here. I mean it. You’ve got ten minutes.” He storms away toward his office next to the tack room.
Walking down the aisle, I check each stall I pass for the lavender hair and sassy mouth I’m craving. With each step I take, my frustration with her grows.
Why the hell did she give that man my last name when she’s the one who left? Two years she was with that man who looks like me. Two. Years.
At the very last stall, she steps out with a pitchfork.
Her cheeks flush when she sees me, but her spine straightens.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Rojas.”
She clenches her jaw, but she doesn’t respond.
“I find it interesting that you gave him my last name. Why is that?”
Her eyes meet mine for a second before she pushes past me. “I’m busy.”
I grip her arm to stop her, taking the pitchfork from her. “Your boss gave me ten minutes. I’m using every second.”
“I didn’t trust him with my real name.” Her words are quiet.
“Then why did you stay with him?”
“Why do you think I’m back?” She shakes her head, looking past me.
“You stayed for six months. What’s the deal?” I lean closer, invading her space. “You gave him my name, and he looks like he could be my brother.”
“It was easier to stay.”
“Since when do you do anything because it’s easy?”
I shuffle closer to her, my hands cupping the back of her neck, forcing her eyes on mine. My thumb brushes her bottom lip. I crave her like nothing else I’ve ever come in contact with before. Every cell in my body beats to her name. She makes me fucking crazy, but not having her makes me insane.
“Eva!” Will calls.
She tries to turn her head, but I take her lips with mine, keeping her attention on me. My world starts and ends right here. It doesn’t just revolve around her. It is her. She’s mine, whether she wants it to be true or not. This girl was made for me and me alone.
Eva melts against me, her arms wrapping around my waist. I slant my mouth over hers; her lips open for me to deepen the kiss. Her little whimpers set fire to my veins. I want her naked, now, writhing beneath me, crying out my name, showing every one of these fuckers who she belongs too.
“Ian,” Will bites out, standing right next to me.
Eva jumps in surprise at having him so close, pulling her lips from mine. Slowly turning my head, I look at my little brother with contempt.
“Time’s up.” He smirks up at me.
My girl’s cheeks are beet red when she steps back, grabbing the pitchfork from where I leaned it against the wall and walking away.
“Nice of you to stop by,” Will states, clapping me on the shoulder and pushing me toward the entrance. “Come back when you can’t stay so long.”
He shoves me out of the barn, crossing his arms over his chest and spreading his feet to hold his ground. I stomp off toward my car and open the door when he yells for me.
“Maybe it wasn’t your last name she gave him!”
I freeze, turning toward him glaring daggers at him.
“May the best brother win.” He smirks, wagging his eyebrows.
Anger boils in my gut. “You lay one finger on her and I’ll do more than split your lip.”
I hate how she turns me into a caveman, but I can’t fight it. I will knock my brother out for touching her.
Chapter Eight
EVA
It’s Friday night in a small town, that means everyone is crowded into a bar drinking beer. The sheriff and deputies are basically parked outside to make sure no one is driving drunk and offering rides home.
By the end of my day at Rojas Ranch, I’m frustrated, angry, and hurt. I’m not sure how Brad found me here in Willow Springs, since I never told him where I was from.
I know I wasn’t exactly honest with him about who I was, but I was faithful at least.
Shaking my head, I climb out of Will’s truck and head inside the noisy bar for a much-needed beer. Though I can’t make out his face, I can feel Ian’s stare in the goosebumps that break out over my skin. He’s watching me. That man has only gotten better with age.
I swear I can still feel him on my skin. The press of his fingers into my flesh, the whisper of his lips.
At the bar, Will grabs two beers, and we head to the back to an empty pool table.
“You play?” he asks, reaching for a pool cue.
“I do.” I smile, lifting the bottle to my lips and taking a long drink.
He sets his beer down and passes me a cue. He gets the balls racked and breaks.
“Solids,” he calls out as he sinks the six in a side pocket.
He moves around the table, calculating his next move before lining up a shot and taking it. It’s damn close, but the ball catches the corner and bounces off.
Setting my beer down, I move around the table to get my shot lined up. Leaning over the table, bracing my fingers in the green felt, I take my shot and sink the eleven. I smile to myself, looking for my next one.
I miss my next shot and Will steps up. He leans over the table, facing me. The muscles of his arms bulging, the stretch of his t-shirt over his shoulders, is damn distracting. He catches me staring and gives me a wink with a knowing smirk. Suddenly thirsty, I take another long pull of my beer.
Swaggering toward me, Will crowds me on my bar stool, spreading my knees to make room for his hips.
It shouldn’t be as tempting as it is. This boy definitely looks like he could show a girl a good time, but I can’t be the one that tears his family apart. I’m too old for him, can’t give him the family he deserves.
And he’s not Ian.
His good ol’ boy demeanor and quick smile make him turn heads and break hearts. Every girl in the place has turned to look at him at least once. He’s not hard on the eyes and a shameless flirt.
His fingers lift my chin when I scan the room, then he lowers his head toward me.
“I’m sorry, Will, but I’m not interested.” My words are barely a whisper, holding zero power.
“This isn’t for you,” his words are just as quiet a second before his lips brush mine. One hand in my hair, one on my lower back to pull me against him.
I barely hear the roar from the other side of the room, his lips expertly coaxing mine to open for him. Will’s mouth is soft on mine, more teasing than passion filled. My hand raises to his chest to push him away when he’s ripped away from me.
A big smile plays on his kiss-reddened lips as Ian shoves him against the wall, getting in his face.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Ian yells, barely an inch from his brother’s face.
“Not much. Playing pool with my buddy here.” He lifts his chin toward me.
Damn him. Will saw Ian come inside, then kissed me just to get a rise out of him. I shake my head at him, sighing.
“Stay the hell away from my girl.”
Excuse me?
Before I can think it all the way through, I’m off my stool and forcing my way between the boys. “Excuse me? I can do what I want, with who I want. You don’t own me, Ian Rojas. I am not your girl.”
Frustration at my situation has me snapping at him. I wish, more than anything, that I was his girl. My heart aches for him. Bleeds for him. But there are things he doesn’t know.
Ian grips the back of my neck, pulling my body flush against his. Butterflies riot in my belly at his nearness, at the frustration in the set of his shoulders, the passion in his eyes. He wants me just as badly, but he doesn’t have all the facts. He’s still hurt over the way I left.
