Worth The Fight (Worth It Series Book 1)

by Breanna Mansfield

  “I’ll give you the quick version, and then you can call me later and I’ll give you better details, and the loose plan I’ve come up with so far.”

  “Okay. . .” I say while running my hand through my hair.

  “Our mystery guy? None other than the fucking ex-husband of your old lady,” he pauses.

  “No fucking shit,” I say on a breath.

  “Yeah, I told you last time we talked that my theory was your past and present are about to collide and I was right. Brandon somehow met up with Leroy and now they are partners. However, it also looks like Leroy only has one thing on his mind, and that’s getting your old lady back.”

  “Over my fucking dead body,” I tell him.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Anyway, keep her close because word is he is headed south. I have not confirmed that with my guys yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”

  “Thanks, man. I owe you, Chris.”

  “You’re fucking right you do. You’re lucky your mom had some kind of hand in raising me,” he snickers.

  I hear the door open and I know my time is up.

  “Right,” I snicker, “But times up, I gotta go.”

  “Alright, I’ll text you when I know.”

  “Thanks man,” I say and hang up.

  “Aaron?” Bridget calls out.

  “Yup, coming baby girl. Had to use the bathroom,” I call from the bathroom. I turn on the faucet for good measure.

  I think about telling her what I know, but I choose to keep it secret for now. I don’t want to ruin supper and her meeting my family for the first time.

  “Okay, just wondering is all.”

  I walk out of the bathroom and her eyes roam all over me. My cock stands at attention for her at the first sight of her hungry gaze.

  “You look, great,” she breathes.

  “You keep looking at me with those fuck me eyes and we won’t be making it to supper. Then you can explain to Ma why we never made it out of here,” I tell her as I grip her hair and tilt her head back.

  Her eyes roll shut and a sigh escapes her mouth.

  “I think you like it when I talk dirty to you. Don’t you, baby girl?”

  Her breathing starts to speed up and that tells me I am right.

  I bend my head down and run my nose along her neck up to her jaw.

  “Tilt your head back.”

  She does so without question and I put my finger in the collar of her sweater. I move my finger along her collar bone on the right side, to the dip in her throat, and then along the other side.

  “I think you love it when I take control, so you don’t have to think. Or feel. Or act.”

  I run my tongue along the line that my finger just traveled.

  I hear her swallow and I know that she’s just as riled up as I am.

  “Now, baby girl,” I whisper, “It’s time for supper. We are already late.”

  Her head comes back up and her eyes are dazed with lust and it makes me really want to consider telling my family to fuck off.

  “You are such a tease,” she rasps out.

  “Oh baby girl, you haven’t even seen the half of it yet.”

  I lean down and sip her lips just to get a taste of her before we walk out of here.

  “Definitely a tease,” she says when I break the kiss.

  “King of it,” I wink at her.

  I grab her hand and we go outside, jump on the ATV and head over to Ma’s.

  I grab her hand as I walk up the steps.

  As soon as I open the door, Hudson’s face is right there.

  “Hi y’all,” she exclaims.

  I look over at Bridget and she has a huge smile on her face to greet her.

  “Hey Huds,” Bridget exclaims back.

  The two of them embrace each other in a bear hug, like they have not seen each other in months.

  I look up and I see my Ma watching the two of them and she has this mushy smile on her face that I don’t quite understand. Women. I’ll never understand them.

  “Come on, let me introduce you to everyone!” she gushes. Like I’m not even here. Who am I kidding. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have them get along this well.

  “Hey everyone! This is Bridget. Bridget, this is everyone,” she tells her. They all wave and say hi in union and I have to laugh.

  I walk up and put my arm around her.

  “That ugly dude over there with the brown hair, that’s Troy, my younger brother. The slightly less ugly dude over there? You’ve met him before, that’s Andrew. We call him Drew. He’s my older brother. You met my annoying little sister Hudson,” I rub her head and she play punches me.

  “I’m wounded, Huds” I tell her with a painful grimace.

  “Whatever, dill weed,” she replies with a roll of her eyes.

  “That’s a new one,” I laugh.

  “Expanding my vocabulary,” she shrugs.

  I laugh and then walk Bridget up to my parents who are standing with their arms wrapped around each other.

  “You got to meet my Ma earlier, but this is my dad, Robert.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” she says politely.

  “Oh darlin’, the pleasure is all mine,” he says in his deep baritone shaking her hand.

  When he releases her hand Ma is the next one wrapping her up in her arms.

  “Oh sweet girl, I hope you are hungry,” Ma says as she releases her.

  “Very,” she replies.

  We all sit at the table and Ma starts to pass the food around, starting with Dad first.

  “So tell me about yourself, sweet child,” Ma says after the food is served.

  “Oh, not much to tell,” she laughs, but it lacks humor. “My momma passed away when I was sixteen, I don’t know who my dad is, and that’s okay by me. I have a brother who is pretty darn cool in my eyes, and he’s serving overseas. I am a nurse practitioner, but I work in the ER. I like the hustle and bustle of it. Um, I’d say that’s pretty much it.”

  “Well, that’s neat, but I mean tell me about you. Not your life story, love.”

  “Oh. My favorite color is pink. Well, anything that is shiny really,” she giggles. “I love horses even know today was my first time riding them. And I loved it so much! I love helping save lives. Something about being there for someone in their time of need suits me well,” she shrugs.

  “Tell us one of your favorite ER stories,” Troy asks. Troy is the brother who has a brilliant brain, but he’s every bit of the young kid still. He loves his barn parties, and his recklessness. He keeps the rest of us alive with his activities.

  “Are you sure? Over dinner? It’s a bit bloody,” she says with a scrunch of her nose.

  “Oh that doesn’t bother us,” Drew laughs. “We may look like we have it together, but last Thanksgiving we gutted two deer before supper then proceeded to skin them after supper,” he laughs.

  “Yup, no weak stomachs here,” Troy laughs as well.

  “Okay. This one time this guy walks in. He has his foot bandaged up, but he’s walking so can’t be that bad right? He gets into the room and I walk in. I’m like, ‘hi, my name is Bridget. What makes you come visit us tonight?’ and he’s like, ‘I was chopping wood tonight and I caught my foot a little.’” She impersonated his deep voice and giggles.

  “So, I was like, ‘okay, let’s take a look shall we?’ It’s me and another nurse, Lora. She was getting his vitals, and as soon as she was done he starts to unwrap his foot. So I’m thinking that he got a toe. Lora and I are standing there waiting for him to finish and when he does. Oh man. I kid you not, when he got the last strip of gauze off,” she scrunches up her face. “His foot went like this.” She lifts her hands and puts them in a praying position. Then she breaks her hands apart with her palms up.

  “He split his foot nearly in two! His axe went right through the middle of his foot! Lora and I both were like, ‘holy crap! Uhh. . . yeah. Um, we gotta wrap that bad boy back up.’ That was a job for the doctor.” She i
s laughing now and I look around to see everyone hanging onto her every last word.

  “What did the doctor do?” Hudson asks on a breath

  “Basically put his foot in a cast and then sent him to an orthopedic surgeon in the town over who was better at dealing with that kind of trauma.”

  “Why is that your favorite memory,” Ma asks, laughing.

  “I don’t know really. Maybe because the guy walked in like it was no big deal. Maybe because the guys personality. When he left I asked him if he was gonna chop anymore wood ever again. And he said ‘Well hell yeah, why wouldn’t I?’ and I just laughed because well, why wouldn’t he?”

  “Um, because he nearly chopped his foot off is a pretty good reason,” Hudson states with a chuckle.

  “Yeah, I thought that too. But he also told me, ‘Why would you let one bad experience determine how you live your life?’ At first I thought to myself, ‘how is not chopping wood determining your life?’ But then it clicked after he left. Don’t let something bad keeping you from doing the same thing in the future. Just move your damn foot when you chop wood next time. Don’t just stop chopping. You know, just change the way you chop,” she replies with a shrug.

  “I get it,” Hudson whispers eyes downcast.

  “Anyone want any more wine?” Ma asks.

  “Is it the same sweet stuff you just had?” Hudson asks.

  “You know it is, dear child. I know you guys don’t have the palate for the dry wines,” she winks at her.

  “Then I’ll have another glass,” Hudson says while holding up her glass.

  “I think I will too, please,” Bridget says.

  “I don’t want any more of that garbage. Dad, you got any beer?” Troy asks.

  “Like that’s a question,” Dad laughs.

  “I’ll grab them, who all wants one?” Ma asks.

  All the men raise their hands and the girls laugh.

  We sit around the table chatting for a couple more hours. The table has been cleared, and cards have been played. Hudson has been in the conversation physically, but her head has been elsewhere. Bridget fits right in like she’s always been here, and Ma and Dad look all sorts of happy.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket and I take it out to see it’s a text from Chris.

  Chris: My hunch was right, L is on the move south.

  Me: Fuck. Okay. Thanks for the heads up.

  Chris: Give me a call when you get a second so I can fill you in on a few things.

  Me: Will do, gimme a few.

  Chris: You got it.

  “Who was that?” Ma asks. “You best not be working at my table, boy,” she scolds.

  “No, Ma. It was just an old friend,” I tell her.

  “Better be,” she scolds again.

  I just snicker and roll my eyes.

  “Alright guys, I’m going to head out. I want to clean up the barn a bit before I head to bed,” Hudson says.

  “Night sis,” Troy says.

  “Sweet dreams little sister,” Drew says with a peck to her head.

  “Night Huds,” I tell her.

  “Night babe,” Bridget says and they hug.

  “Night baby,” Ma says.

  “Night everybody. See ya’ll tomorrow?” she says to Hudson and I.

  “You know it,” Bridget says.

  She waves and heads out the door. I hear her quad roar to life as she drops the gear and heads to the barn.

  “You about ready to hit the hay as well, baby girl?” I whisper to Bridget.

  “I’d say so,” she smiles up at me. I kiss her forehead.

  “Alright y’all, we are out of here too. You two idiots heading out tonight or are you leaving tomorrow?” I ask Troy and Drew.

  “We are gonna stay tonight. I don’t know when we are headed back out yet. I was thinking of taking some time off. Just a few days. Play it out as I go,” Troy says.

  “Me too. I’m not sure when I’m gonna head out just yet either,” Drew says with a shrug of his shoulders.

  “Y’all know we have a house to build, right?” I ask with a lift to my brow.

  “Yeah, but I’m sure the potential owner wouldn’t be upset if we took some days to hang with the fam bam. Right?” Troy says while wagging his eyebrows at Bridget.

  “No, not at all,” she laughs.

  “Well whatever. We are outta here for the night. Night Ma. Night Dad,” I say as we leave.

  “Night kids,” Ma says as Dad waves.

  “Night everybody!” Bridget calls out as we walk out the door.

  “Do you mind if I take a shower?”

  “Nah, I don’t mind at all baby girl,” I tell her as we walk into the bedroom at the guest house.

  “Okay. If I’m in there too long, just shove food under the door,” she winks.

  I grab her hand before she can walk away and I pull her to me. I lift her chin and get a taste of her before I let her go.

  “I’m going to go call my buddy back before I forget to. But I’m gonna run to the stables. I wanna ask Hudson a question I forgot to ask earlier.”

  “Okay,” she smiles back at me.

  I slip out of the door and head to my quad. I don’t want to ask Hudson anything; I just wanted to get away for my phone call.

  I ride in the direction of the stables, but keep going a little ways just to the spot where we train our horses.

  I pull up and cut the engine. I pull out my phone and dial up Chris. Before I hit the green call button, I hear a humming noise coming from the end of barn. It was faint and carried on the wind. I looked up where the sound was coming from, and saw the light come on under the barn doors.

  I sat and watched, waiting for -- I don’t know what. My interest was piqued. I wanted to know what was going on. Usually no one was in the stables at this late hour, so I knew it was my sister.

  But what was she doing?

  I heard the click of the barn door being unlocked. Then I heard the creak of the door rolling along the wheels on the bottom.

  Hudson was walking a horse out into the ring. Her hand was guiding him by his halter. She is still humming and that’s when I notice that this horse has a full saddle on.

  Is Hudson going to ride her? No fucking way.

  “Take it easy with me. Won’t you, Stitch? My soul is still healing, boy,” I hear her near whisper.

  I sit there as still as stone, knowing if she knew I was here, she would abort this mission and high tail it out of here.

  She puts her booted foot into the stirrup, leans back on her other leg and jumps. She throws her leg over the horse and plants her butt right in the saddle. She just mounted that horse like she never quit riding. I’m so fucking proud of her I could just fucking yell into the air.

  “Still got it,” Hudson smirks as she leans forward and pets down the side of Stitch’s face. “Okay, you sweet boy. Let’s go for a tiny ride, yeah?” She leads Stitch around the elongated circle just at a soft walk. She is still humming, and she has a slight smile on her face.

  She takes it a step further and she and Stitch are at a nice trot. She has her eyes closed now, and her head tilted back.

  I watch her for another fifteen minutes until she leads him to the water, for a nice drink.

  She hops down and walks to the barn to get Stitch a treat, like I knew she would.

  “Thank you, baby,” she whispers and leans forward and to kiss the side of Stitch’s head. She tilts her head back and takes a deep breath. There is a tear rolling down her face as she smiles wide and looks at Stitch again.

  “Just move your damn foot when you chop wood, Stitch. Don’t just stop chopping,” she ends on a laugh and shakes her head.

  That’s what Bridget said at dinner. My girl made this impact on my sister?

  Well hell.

  I watched as Hudson led Stitch back into the barn, and when the door closed I took a deep breath. My sister road again. Will she tell us? I guess we will just have to wait and see.

  I pulled my phone back out and made sure Huds
on was inside with the barn door closed before I hit the little green call button.

  “Brother, I was wondering if you were going to call before my men showed up.”

  “What do you mean show up? Here or there?” I asked.

  “There. You’re gonna need ’em. Word is Leroy is headed your way. I don’t know when he will show himself though.”

  “How does he even know where the ranch is?”

  “Brandon told him, I assume.”

  “Fuck. I forgot about that shit sandwich,” I sigh.

  “Yup. So here is how we are gonna play it. I have two of my guys headed your way. I already have one there, but he’s undercover, and won’t show his hand unless needed. I have two guys here on Brandon. I think he has another female, and they are piling evidence. We are going to try and get that shit turned over to the Feds. I’m tired of his fucking ass in my territory, bringing bad shit along with him.”

  “You do realize I want to kill the motherfucker, right? Like a bullet to his temple would be fine with me,” I tell him, surprised he’s even thinking of pulling the Feds into his line of sight.

  “Yeah, I know Aaron. Trust me; I want the same fucking thing. But apparently, I’m being watched right now. And I know that asshole is the one who has planted the little fucking seeds to get ’em out here. I just want the heat off me. So, I’m not going to kill him. Yet.”

  “Fuck!” I whisper yell.

  “Yeah, you’re telling me. They harassed my new lady the other day. Like she fucking knows what’s going on over here. All I know is you need to keep your eyes open. Don’t let your lady too far away without you, and keep an eye on that sister of yours. I don’t trust this motherfucker. My gut says he is gonna try something. And what that is, I’m not too sure.”

  “Yeah, I have a feeling this is gonna come crashing down, too. I wonder if I can somehow get my ma and dad to leave,” I think out loud.

  “That would probably be a good idea, man,” he agrees. “But alright. I’m going to jump off of here, when my boys get there, send me a text. They won’t be knocking on anyone’s doors, but you’ll know they’re there.”

  “Will do. Thanks, Chris. I owe you,” I tell him.

  “Nah brother. You’ve had my back before, I got you,” He says.

  “Talk with you later.”