by V. F. Mason
The longing in my chest was so profound my hands twitched.
“If that’s what you really want, then okay.” My voice was far from enthusiastic, but he just raised his brow.
“Good.” The reply was firm, and some kind of hard to place amusement flashed in his eyes. Exhaling a sigh of relief, I quickly took a few steps toward him and wrapped my arms around his neck from behind the chair. The familiar smell of tobacco and expensive cologne washed over me, calming me. No matter what, my dad was always my safe haven.
“Thank you, Daddy,” I whispered into his neck and heard him take a deep breath. He touched my head and patted it gently. Those moments were like rare treasures. Sometimes I wished to go back in time to when Dad could fix anything. Maybe then my life wouldn't have turned into a mess. But I didn’t want to think about it, because it brought only pain, and I couldn’t live with pain anymore. I preferred to run away from it, with all the power I had.
With one last squeeze, I let go and walked to the door. My hand froze on the knob as his deep, soft, but at the same time, cold voice stopped my exit. “I wasn’t done.”
What else could there possibly be? Spinning around, I faced him again with a lifted brow. “Em… what?”
“Drawings won’t be enough. I want you to go to my friend’s house for the duration of the summer. Help him there a bit. If you can do that and come back with your drawings, you’ll have my full support on the fashion line.”
My body relaxed, and I almost performed a happy dance. Helping his friends wasn’t anything new; sometimes the wives of his friends wanted me to help them with clothes or style, or they liked to be seen with me because I was a darling of the media. But it was a weird request coming from my dad. He didn’t like what I did, and he didn’t like the bad press or the stunts I pulled. Maybe the friend of his was important for the deal.
Shrugging, I agreed. “Sure. Where? Paris? Hawaii? Cuba?”
His mouth twitched and alarm bells started to ring in my head. “No, he lives in the States.”
“But no one stays in New York during the summer. Everyone travels.” It was like pointing out the obvious.
“He isn’t from New York.” Dad had friends from other parts of the States?
“Well, then, where is he from?”
“Texas.”
Whoa! What?
I had never been there, but I suspected whom he was talking about. He and Mom had a college friend named Billy "Hawk” Parker. As far as I remembered, he was a Native American who had to drop out of college because he had some family emergency back on the reservation in the first year of studies, though he got there on a scholarship. He eventually went back to school and finished it three years later, getting his business degree. Mom used to tell me his actions were selfless and the world needed more people like Hawk.
“Is this friend from college? Is he some oil magnate?” That must be it, but I didn’t know what I could help him with. I never studied business in my life, barely passing the general prerequisites. Why my dad would even consider me right for the—
“No. He has a ranch called Rising Star, which is located in Moonlight Rose, a small town in Texas.”
Did my dad just say ranch?
“Dad, why would I go there?” Confusion laced my voice, while my mind struggled to understand his idea.
“To work.”
“As a what? The small city needs a touch of fashion?” It was hard to hide the sarcasm that was evident in my voice.
“As a housekeeper.”
The silence after his words was almost deafening.
I blinked a few times. “I’m sorry, Dad, but could you repeat that?” I thought my ears must have heard something wrong; otherwise, it meant my dad had lost his mind.
“Hawk needs to leave the ranch for the majority of the summer, and they are in need of a housekeeper, since his wife left him.” Judging by his face and tone, Dad wasn’t happy about the state of his friend’s marriage. "He’ll know who you are, but the rest will have no clue. If you can survive there for six weeks as just you, not a Devlin, and create a new line, I’ll believe this dream is important to you.”
“But—” How would it prove anything to him? As though cleaning for someone else would make me a better designer or something?
“Otherwise, you can forget about Milan,” he announced dismissively and snatched papers from his desk.
I knew an ultimatum when I got one. Either I did it or he would cut me off; the message was clear. But how could I manage? I had no idea about cleaning or other stuff housekeepers did. My life was here, not there. And keeping my identity a secret? How did he expect that to happen? But then again, people in some small towns, let alone people on a ranch, probably didn’t watch shows or read magazines about young heiresses. They had more important things to do.
God, wasn’t a ranch the place with cows, pigs, and stuff like that? I didn’t even eat meat. Just the idea of being in a place where they slaughtered animals made me physically sick. If Dad wanted to punish me for every stunt I’d pulled over the last three years, he couldn’t have created a better plan.
But what choice did I have? If I wanted my line, I had to say yes. Then pray I wouldn’t die in the meantime. “I’ll do it.”
Dad’s eyes lit with surprise and then quickly covered in disbelief. A weak smile appeared on his lips. “Very well, then, I’ll call Hawk. You’ll go tomorrow, so pack your bag, but do it wisely. You can’t take tons of luggage. You’re a simple girl who needs a job during the summer.”
Yeah, I let it slide that he made a sarcastic comment about my preference to not travel lightly, because, well, I usually packed clothes for every possible occasion. But I wasn’t stupid. I would pack what I needed and act the role.
With that in mind, I left the office, ran to my room, and closed the door with a loud slam.
What the hell had I gotten myself into?
Shane
Grabbing the chair and plopping on it loudly, I sighed with relief. The day’s work was exhausting. One of the mares had a foal, and then the stall needed to be cleaned, so I spent the whole day doing just that. I loved those moments when I could just sit and do nothing. On the ranch, they were rare. Before, I used to have plenty of free time, but not anymore. The fun-loving boy who cared for nothing but himself was long gone and replaced with someone I didn’t even recognize. Sometimes life changed so suddenly, when you least expected it, and put you on your ass.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. Hawk smiled and sat next to me on a chair. We usually ended up together at dinner, because most of the work I did was with him. At least for the last year, since I came here unannounced.
I didn’t want to think about that shit, so I moved my focus to something else, like the aching pain in my muscles that would go away with a warm shower. My body tingled in pleasure just imagining it. It was the only kind of relaxation I could indulge in. Since Hawk was here, I had to wait ‘til he left; otherwise, it was impolite. Not that I ever cared for manners, but he wasn’t someone you could mess with or disrespect. “Hey, son.” His gruff voice was exceptionally loud in the silent house.
“Hey,” I mumbled, taking a huge sip from my iced tea. Someone must have forgotten the sugar, because the bitter taste almost triggered my gag reflex, but I held it off. Hawk didn't need to know how just about everything in the place fucked with either my preferences or desires.
He was a good guy, great with people who worked for him, and he understood horses like no one else. He was a horse whisperer—but then, all the members of his family were. Their talent had to do with their Native American ancestors, and Hawk sure carried the resemblance. He kept his long, dark hair in a braid. He was tall and had a muscular body from the ranch work he’d done all his life. His skin tone was a bronze color, and he had the kindest brown eyes I had ever seen. You knew you could trust him and he would never betray you.
Granted, his family preferred to stay on the reservation, living the traditions and old-fashioned
way, so I didn’t see them much. But when I did, the magic they could create with the land and animals was amazing. That was probably why Rising Star was such a successful horse-breeding ranch, which not only produced some of the best horses in the region, but it also contributed to several charity fundraisers for children from abused homes who needed healing.
“I’m going to California tomorrow.”
My hand wrapped around the mug tighter, and I noticed his grim expression. He had only one reason to go to LA—Elizabeth, his wife, who’d married him against her family’s wishes twenty-five years ago and who ran away to California after she decided to end their marriage. They had a beautiful daughter, Maggie, who was twenty-one. She studied photography and minored in business administration at the University of Texas at Austin. She was a straight-A student through school and college, and as far as I knew, she got there on a scholarship, though Hawk had more than enough money to get her in on his own. They’d had a truly remarkable marriage and ideal family.
Until me.
I ruined it, and I had to live with that guilt, though Hawk never blamed me. He told me it wasn’t my fault. But how could it not be? If it were not for my curiosity, if I’d listened to my aunt and tried for once to do something for someone else and not be selfish, I would have stayed at home and never tried to find Hawk. But I did, and I had to live with the consequences of my decision. “Okay. I’ll look after things.” Like that was necessary; the ranch functioned well without me. Carter was second-in-command, Hawk’s right-hand man. He would run everything smoothly, so Hawk would be satisfied once he came back.
“I know, but there is one thing we need to talk about. I hired a housekeeper for the summer.”
Relief washed over me at the prospect of a woman who knew what to do around here. He’d refused to hire anyone, because he hoped Beth would come back, but it would be good to have someone do laundry and other stuff. “Sure, I’ll help her out here.”
“She’s young, a college student, twenty-two years old. Needs some help with money, so I took her in. Make sure everyone knows not to mess with her or they will deal with me.” The message was clear; she was not to be touched or harassed. It wasn’t like men on the ranch were rude or crude toward women. At least, I never saw them be. But I hadn't seen any female on the ranch so far, because all the guys were single or their families were somewhere else. They usually went out to the bar to get laid.
“Will do.” Not that I wanted to babysit anyone, but if it ensured I had homemade food, clean clothes, and I didn’t have to tolerate a smelly house, I was more than ready to oblige.
“Good. Carter will pick her up tomorrow. I’ll leave in the morning. In case you need anything, you have my cell. Night, son.” He stood up, hesitated for a second, and then squeezed my shoulder and left.
He accepted me so easily when I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t want to intentionally ruin his life and create problems for him, but that’s what I did in the end anyway. I just wanted to know who I was and where I came from, to know my roots.
I never thought my selfish act would bring pain not to one, but three people.
How long does a person have to pay for his sins before it is enough?
Serena
Thinking about the new development drove me crazy, and I needed to share. Lying down on the bed, I dialed Becky, hoping like hell she’d pick up quickly and wouldn't be busy with her flavor of the month.
She had been my best friend since kindergarten, and I seriously didn’t know what I would have done without her. Her family was as wealthy as mine, if not more. Her ancestors came from England and established a law firm here. It was one of the most prestigious firms in the country, even in the world, and the name was highly respected. All the members of the family followed in the footsteps of their ancestors. So, each one of them finished Harvard Law School, were deadly serious, and very successful.
There was only once exception—Rebecca. She hated her full name, because it was the name her cold parents called her, and she couldn’t stand them. Sometimes, I wondered if all the shit she pulled since we were kids was for the sake of pissing them off.
On the fifth ring, she answered it with a breathless voice. “Hey! I sent you like tons of messages! What happened with your dad?” Becky asked worriedly, and I could imagine her biting her lip.
“He wasn’t happy with me.” That was putting it mildly.
“Well, can’t really blame him. You had it coming, babe. So how did you calm him down?” she asked curiously.
“I didn’t.”
“What do you mean, you didn’t? You always do.”
“Well, not this time. As he said, I went too far and I need to suffer the consequences of my decision.”
“Okay… so what is the punishment?” Becky sounded concerned and a bit confused.
“I have to go to Moonlight Rose for the whole summer.” There, I said it, and saying it made it even more real, which sucked.
“Um… where? Is that some kind of resort for old folks and your dad will take you with him and her?” I didn’t have to ask who the her was. Leave it to Becky to call my dad “old folk”; he was much younger than her parents, who were in their late fifties. They called Becky an unexpected and unwanted surprise, and never made a secret out of it. Guess those two wouldn’t win the best parents award anytime soon.
“No. It’s a small town where his friend from college lives. The rancher.” There was silence, and after some time, I started to wonder if maybe she’d hung up on me.
“Oh yeah, Texas, right. It’s near the Apache reservation. Some Native Americans have ranches there, and they are quite good at that. Probably horses. People say they do magic with those animals.”
Too speechless to say anything, my mind digested the information. First, I never knew that stuff, and history wasn’t one of Becky’s interests. She even decided not to go to college, which made her parents and all her siblings go ballistic, because Whitleys were the best and couldn’t have a family member who refused to attend college. Becky, though, had her own plans, which included partying and… well… partying. After some time, they all gave up on knocking any sense into her.
Second, I didn’t know the ranch would be a horse ranch, and that prospect made me feel better. Not that I had any experience with them or knew how to ride, but horses were beautiful, and the ranch looked far more appealing after this information.
“No clue, but hopefully you’re right. I have to work there as a housekeeper and be treated like a one of the folks, and then Dad will launch my line.” I finished as she snored in my ear, but since there was no reaction from me, she stopped and cleared her throat.
“You’re actually serious about this?” She grew silent for a second, and then asked, “So what are you going to do?”
“What choice do I have? I’ll do as he says.”
“Girl, I don't know. You won’t survive there.” Nothing like a vote of confidence from a friend.
“Thanks, Becky. That’s reassuring,” I snapped while she laughed in my ear.
“Well, it’s the truth, babe.” Was it possible to strangle someone through the phone?
“I think I can manage with a few pointers. I need to focus on the bigger picture.” I once read a motivational book that repeated, In order to succeed in life, you need to believe you can do it. I freaking hoped the book was telling the truth.
“What about Jason?” Becky’s question came out of the blue.
“What about him?”
“I thought you guys were getting serious.” Everyone kept asking me that, but I just didn’t get it. Yeah, we spent our time together and had some fun, but it wasn’t as if we were moving toward a relationship, or wanted one for that matter. Love was a complication. Loving someone meant opening yourself up for pain, and I didn’t need that. Losing a loved one was one of the hardest things in the world. If people were crazy enough to open themselves up for such pain, then let them, but I definitely wouldn’t.
“We’ve just been
having fun, a kiss here and there.” And some heavy make-out sessions, but I decided to keep that information to myself.
“Didn’t seem like casual fun to me.” Honestly, the anger in her voice shocked me, and I didn’t really know what to do with it. She usually laughed at all the stuff we did and what people said about us. Some rumors were ridiculous, especially the ones about our private lives. The number of guys we supposedly both had was exaggerated to epic proportions.
Although, it wasn’t like we were saints and all. Becky loved sex and preferred to keep it casual and to not get attached to any guy. Why, I had no clue. As for me… I was still holding on to my V-card, but only because there was no guy who made me lose my head or created all those butterflies in the pit of my stomach, if that shit was real. I wasn’t waiting for a prince or anything, but I still wanted it to be special.
“Becky, do you have feelings for Jason?” My voice was soft. I didn’t want to spook her if that was the case. She never once mentioned her attraction to him or showed it to me. If I’d known she had feelings for him, I never would have done anything with him.
“No, I don’t. Listen, I have to go. Pack your stuff and then call me. We can grab some good food before you leave,” she said too quickly, and I knew the subject was closed. Pressing it had no point; she would just explode and be moody for the next few days. Last thing I needed was a fight with my best friend before the whole Texas charade.
“Sure, we can go to Louis’s.” It was our favorite Italian restaurant. It was quite homey and the food was out of this world. Didn’t hurt that the main chef and owner was my godfather, either. He ensured we got the best every time we went. “Love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Done with the phone call, I rose and went to my closet.
What the hell would I take? Dad didn't even give me the pointers about the weather or their living conditions.
Sighing heavily, I took out my favorite purple suitcase and packed jeans, T-shirts, sweaters, several dresses—in case there was something interesting to do—some pajamas, lingerie, cosmetics, and some bath salts.
