“Are you saying that my advice is shit?” Noah yelled after him.
Greg chuckled and kicked a weed as he walked by. All too soon, though, the reality of his situation settled heavily on his shoulders again. He needed to make a decision, and largely, it came down to money, versus a girl who had kissed him but wouldn’t commit. He’d give up the world for her, but he wouldn’t give up the chance of a lifetime for someone that didn’t plan to ever give in. It had been a year, and she was still fighting his presence with everything she had. When was enough, enough?
His heavy exhale was the beginning of his answer. He couldn’t love someone who wouldn’t love him back.
A couple of hours later he stepped out of his truck near the big house and checked his phone. A message from Paige said she wanted to meet him in the small barn that was rarely used by the ranch. For business purposes, anyway. It was used often by the staff for quick trysts of the naked variety. It wasn’t a great surprise what she was after. Clearly she was tired of being taken to dinner and doted on.
With a tightness in his pants and knots in his stomach, he adjusted his cowboy hat and straightened out his belt bucket. He had his future to think of, and he needed to do something about it.
“Hi Greg.”
Greg jumped and lashed out in reflex. He smashed a cup against a chest, shooting liquid into the air.
“Oh shoot. Sorry, buddy,” Greg said, realizing what he’d done. Feeling like a jackass, he picked the cup off the ground where it had dropped and then wiped off Richard’s front. “Sorry about that.”
“Jeez.” Richard spread out his hands and looked down at himself. “That wasn’t cool.”
“Sorry. Didn’t see ya there.” Greg patted his shoulder. “You’re okay. No harm, no foul.”
Richard adjusted his glasses. “Christie snuck me that wine for helping her!”
“She’ll give you another. Don’t worry about it.”
Richard’s sigh spoke volumes, deep and world-weary. Greg grinned, he couldn’t help it.
“Why are you so dressed up for a staff dinner? Oh. You’re not going to bother going, huh? You’d rather hang out with that other girl.” Richard’s lip curled.
“I…”
“Who cares. Christie can do better than you, anyway.”
“What did you say?” Greg asked in the low, rough tone he’d used with Noah. The tone that said he was very close to losing his cool, and standing in front of him was not a good place to be.
Without baulking, Richard said, “If you’d rather have that Paige over Christie, then Christie can do better. She’s really proud of this menu. And it tastes really good. Like…better than that old chef makes for the guests, and she didn’t go to school. She even had to fight with Ethel and Florence, too. All the staff are coming down to taste it. So if you’re too good, then fine. She doesn’t need you.”
“Listen, Rich—”
“Nah.” Richard turned around without another word and started walking away.
Greg stared for a moment. He blinked at the back of the nerdiest man that had ever graced this ranch, immobile. His subordinate, no less. He really couldn’t believe what had just happened. Since when had Richard not been afraid of him?
His boots landed heavily on the dirt path. As he stayed to the outskirts of the fire pit, the hum of voices and laughter drifted over, louder than usual. Richard must’ve been right—all the staff must’ve come down regardless of where on the ranch they would normally have eaten. If someone was way up on the hill, this was not an easy trek at the end of a long, hard day.
His gut pinched as he continued. Twilight settled over the trees as silence began interrupting the fading murmur. The first star blinked overhead, which would later prove to be one of the brightest in the sky. The north star, guiding his way.
The barn door was open a crack when he got there, revealing a flickering light. A surge of fear had Greg rushing in, scanning the light source for a candle. Instead of the fire hazard, a battery operated light flickered.
“Hey, you.”
Greg followed the sound of the silky voice then gritted his teeth.
On a quilt laid out on a bed of hay lay Paige, sprawled in a sheer nightie fringed with lace. She languidly sat up, dragging her hair across the blue quilt until it tumbled down her shoulders. Greg gulped as his eye tumbled with it, gliding over those perky breasts with the erect nipples, and down her flat stomach to a pubic area completely bare of both clothes and hair.
His cock pounded in his pants, uncomfortably hard. “Hi. I talked to your father about his offer. I thought we could chat for a moment.”
“Sure. But first, lick me. Right…” A sinful smile graced her plump lips as her hand drifted down the middle of her body. Her knees parted to the sides in time for her finger to trace down her slit. It dipped inward. “Here.”
Greg’s knees went weak. The buzzing of desire filled his brain, blocking out thought. He staggered in front of her like a drunk, all the long months of sexual inactivity making it impossible to think of anything but the wetness shimmering as her finger plunged in and out slowly.
“Hmm, you like this?” She fell back and then brought her finger to her lips.
His groan was the sound of pure pain. Before he knew it, he was on his knees in front of her, running his hands up her body and cupping those hard breasts. He leaned forward toward a taut nipple through the shimmery black fabric while she directed his hand down to her opening.
Chapter 11
“This is blowing my mind, girl. It’s awesome!” Pete rolled his eyes in ecstasy, ignoring the BBQ sauce smeared across his cheek.
Christie deposited another tray of biscuits onto the food table and stood back, surveying the melee. Nearly the whole ranch was sitting around the fire or lining the tables, gnawing on ribs or sinking their teeth into corn. A few stabbed lettuce with their forks, salad not being especially popular among this crew, but still being eaten. Laughter and cheer raced around the gathering.
Scanning faces, she saw Noah across the fire sitting on a log, his clothes dirty and disheveled, his dirty and beat up cowboy hat sitting next to him. The usual suspects sat around him, apart from one.
With a sinking heart, she continued to scan faces until she found Sara and Mike on the outskirts with Jake, their plates half-full and smiles on two of their faces. Jake looked as stoic as ever. She didn’t take it personally.
People reached out to pat her shoulder, or rose their ribs or forks in salute. Fizzles of delight ran through her body, so happy that everyone had not only shown up in support of her efforts, but were enjoying it. She had no idea if half of these people even knew who she was, let alone trek all the way over here to taste her food. It was heartwarming.
“This is just fantastic, Christie.” May, one of the owners, stepped in her path with a beaming smile. The pronounced crow’s feet around her eyes creased dramatically, accentuating her pleasure. “I had no idea you could cook like this.”
“Oh.” Christie tucked a flyaway piece of hair behind her ear. Thankfully the growing darkness would hide her heated face. “Yeah, well, I’m single. I have to fill the time somehow.”
“Great job, young lady!” Dan, May’s husband, covered her back in heavy pats. “We haven’t enjoyed a meal like this in a long time!”
“I thought about steaks,” Christie said, “but with the number of people I thought BBQ would work out better.”
“This was perfect,” May said, holding Christie’s hand in both of hers.
“Steaks, hmm?” Dan rubbed his belly. “My favorite. Next time.”
“She’s not your personal chef.” May batted at him in jest.
“Not yet. But I bet you’d be happy for a break.”
“More than happy.” May stepped out of the way. “Anyway, dear, go say hi to your friends. I just wanted to tell you how good you did. We’re proud of you.”
“Not me, I’m worried you’re going to make me fat!” Dan stressed the last word by leaning forward at
the waist. “But I’ll enjoy the ride. I’m going to get seconds.” Still rubbing his stomach, he headed off to the table.
“He’s impossible. But he does love good food.” May crossed her hands in front of her, still smiling.
Walking on air, Christie practically bounced to Sara and then plopped down beside her. “I think it’s going well.”
“Oh my God!” Sara’s cheek puffed up with food. “This is great. Perfect choice for your first serving. Everyone loves it!”
“I mean…” Christie shrugged as she glanced around. “Of course they’re going to like BBQ. I didn’t do anything mind blowing.”
“You’ve perfected the dry rub.” Mike shook his rib at her. “And the BBQ sauce on the brisket? Heaven!” He filled his mouth with a bite.
“It’s good.” Jake gave a solitary nod.
“That’s basically him waving a banner,” Mike said, gesturing at Jake. “If he were a normal person, he’d make some pompoms and dance around.”
“A normal person? Is that what you plan to do?” Sara asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Because I’ve got that outfit…”
Mike paused with meat halfway to his mouth. Christie could see the wheels turning. “Baby’s not in the way of fitting into that?”
“I didn’t mean for me. I meant for you, you doofus!” She shoved him with her elbow.
“Oh.” He finished the bite. “Meh. Not my style. If I’m going to dress up, I’d rather play the elf princess.”
“Ew.” Christie stood up. “Please don’t share.” She checked her phone, which was now a pretty meadow sliced through with the aggressive crack. She’d gotten tired of seeing the Milky Way so often without a message or missed call to interrupt it. “You guys heard from Greg?”
Sara’s expression closed down and her eyes dulled. Mike concentrated on his corn. Jake simply stared at her.
“So, no then.” Christie gave an unaffected one-shouldered shrug. “No worries. He had asked why I didn’t cook for him. I just wondered if he’d say…” She paused. She didn’t know what he would say. He could go so many ways, from something funny, to sarcastic, to just plain supportive. Regardless of the situation, he always knew the right thing to do. Except for now, when there was nothing at all.
“I thought he was going to come later…” Sara’s voice rose at the end, half question, half unsure statement.
“I think he said something about that…” Mike’s voice trailed off, without any real assurance.
“It’s cool. Anyway, enjoy. I’m going to make sure everyone has enough before I steal a little.” She threw them a wave and started back to the food table, a weight settling on her chest. She checked her phone one more time, making sure it was on vibrate so she wouldn’t miss a call or a message.
Obviously it wasn’t Greg’s job to come tonight. This was her big moment, not his, and she’d pushed him away so many times, there was very little reason he should feel compelled to come. She knew all that, but she’d still hoped. He’d been a constant in her life for the past year. She wanted to show him that she had some worth, however small. Just something that might counteract all her problems.
She just wanted him to be proud of her.
Her vision blurred as she stood there, too rigid and with a slipping smile. She’d squandered his friendship, that was the bottom line. And now, here she was, alone. As usual.
Her fault. As usual.
A sharp pain announced a too-hard bite on her lip. She fidgeted with her hem then checked her phone again.
Maybe he didn’t know how much this meant to her? It’s not like she spelled it out.
“Hey, Christie.” Richard sidled up next to her, on the cook side of the table and not seeming to notice. “Looking good.” He crossed his arms over a wine soaked shirt and stared out at the eating crowd like a Field Marshall.
Her mood lightened a little. He was such a caricature and he didn’t seem to notice it. “Missed your mouth.”
He glanced down at his shirt. “No. Greg flattened my cup against me.” He huffed and shook his head. “A waste. And I can’t get any more because you’re here and if people saw you’d get in trouble. If you get fired everyone will go back to picking on me.”
“You need to stand up for yourself. Then they’ll stop picking on you.” She rubbed his shoulder, then peeled her hand away and wiped her wet palm on her jeans. “Didn’t you want to change?”
“Nah. It’ll dry. I’ve had to walk around wet a lot in life. Bullies aren’t very creative.”
“Wait….” She felt his shirt front.
“When do I get a turn?” someone asked from the other side of the food table.
“Lucky bastard.” Noah smirked as he took the last piece of corn. The other guys laughed.
“Have you seen Greg recently?” Christie asked, ignoring the banter.
“Yeah. I startled him. That’s why he squished my cup. Kind of lucky, really. I think if not for my cup, he would’ve punched my chest.”
“Cups aren’t shields,” she said absently, turning toward him. “Where was he? Was he coming this way?”
“No. He was going to the screw shed.” Richard put his hands on his hips and scowled. “He’s a real jackass, if you ask me. You’re better off without him. I told him that, too.”
“I’m not with him,” Christie heard herself say as a stab of pain so intense she could hardly breathe pierced her heart. A dull ache spread through her middle, cutting out her surroundings. She barely heard Richard say, “But you want to be. I can tell. Maybe this is for the best.”
She shrugged off his sympathetic hand and staggered a few paces away, needing to think. Needing to get her bearings.
This was her special night and he was going to spend it fucking Paige in some shed? Other men did that. Men without respect for anyone. Egotistical men who only thought with their dicks. She might’ve been distant, but she’d still been his friend. Who was it that had surprised him on his birthday with cake and a party? Her, that’s who. Who had helped him pick out a tree for Christmas, and then decorated it for him because he hated doing it? She had! And who sat up with him all night when his mother was waiting for results on a bump that the doctors thought might be a tumor? She fucking did, that’s who!
She was a piece of shit when it came to relationships. She had faults in plenty, but at least she was there for him when he absolutely needed it. It was time for the pity party to end. This wasn’t all her fault.
Rage welled up, and started to take over. Next thing she knew, she was walking, slapping branches away from her face and targeting that barn. She was going to rip that bitch off him, and then punch him square in the face. How dared he play her like this!
It wasn’t until she felt a hand on her arm, pulling her back, that the fog cleared enough for her to regain her senses. She blinked in confusion, the haze of red throbbing in her peripheral vision. She barely recognized Noah’s concerned face, his mouth moving quickly.
“This isn’t how to do it, Christie,” Noah said, both his hands on her upper arms. “This isn’t how to go about it.”
She pushed his hands away. “He can screw her any time, Noah. But he chooses to do it on my night? The whole camp is at that dinner. People I have barely said two words to are there to taste my food. May and Dan, who rarely eat with the staff, are there. But my best friend isn’t?”
“You might ask yourself, what kind of friend would put himself ahead of you?”
“A real shitty one, that’s the kind. And I am about to punch his real shitty face.”
“Christie…” Noah stepped in front of her and put his hands up. “Excuse me for saying, but you’re being a crazy bitch right now. Guys won’t drop a hot girl for a crazy bitch. That is an age old rule.”
“I don’t want him to drop her, Noah. I want to kick his ass. He can do whatever he likes after that.”
“Stop and think this through, Christie.”
His firm, grounded voice made her pause. Her world stopped spinning. Her
mind slowed down. Like picking raspberries, she plucked words and meanings she’d been using out of the air.
She’d admitted he was her best friend, and deep in her gut, she knew that was true. His opinion always mattered most. She had fun with him, laughed with him, and nearly cried with him—something she didn’t even do with Sara. If a few days went by, she wondered where he was or what he was doing. She depended on him.
And the other thing she had to own was that it did matter if he was with Paige. The mere thought sent her into a tailspin, wanting to tear the earth apart to snatch him back. She’d pushed him toward Paige to protect herself, not because she didn’t feel something for him. She was just afraid to show that affection.
She needed to cowboy up.
“And you know what else?” she said to Noah, thinking out loud now. “I have shown that bastard affection. No, I didn’t drape myself over him, but I paid him attention. I got him coffees after long days. I got him cards and made presents…” She let out a breath. “But I’m poor and had to make the presents, where as Paige is rich with prospects.”
It wasn’t even that she was just poor, she was also a head case. An absolute mess, afraid of his touch.
She dragged her lip through her teeth, welcoming the pain. With her chest on fire with defeat, she turned away from Noah as sadness crept into her. “Stupid me.”
“Not stupid you, Christie. You have a ton to offer. I told Greg—”
“Don’t.” She put a soft hand on his shoulder. “Doesn’t matter. He made his choice. Let it be.”
“But—”
Something thick and uncomfortable worked into her chest, making her breathe fast and shallow. It was like she was standing on a dock and watching a ship depart, slowly and deliberately. It drifted away into deeper waters that she couldn’t cross. She was being left behind.
“Okay,” she said softly. She smiled, trying to overcome her shortcomings with good cheer. “See ya.”
As she turned, tears overwhelmed her. Then came the wracking sobs, pulling her under. She was having an attack, and she’d be useless until it had passed.
Conquering Love Page 13
