by KB Winters
Her words made me laugh, and I wrapped an arm around the older woman who’d become like an older aunt to me and a grandmother figure to my sister. “I don’t doubt that for a minute, Miss Martha. In fact, I’m counting on it.”
She pushed at my chest and bent down in time to catch Maisie’s running hug. “Save that charm for the young women. Once you stop scowling at the world, they’ll be lining up for a big strapping boy like you.”
No one had called me a boy since the cop who’d caught me shoplifting when I was ten. “I’ll take it under advisement.”
Maisie stood between us, staring up with a nervous expression on her adorable little face, and I dropped down so we were eyeball to eyeball. “Hey kiddo, are you ready for your first day of school?”
She nodded, but she wasn’t old enough or experienced enough to hide the wariness darkening eyes the same color as mine. “Yep, but what if I don’t make any friends?”
“I don’t think that’s possible, but if that happens, we’ll find a school where the kids aren’t so stupid. Deal?”
She giggled and threw herself into my arms. “Deal! Miss Martha knows all my new teachers so she’s taking me to school today.”
“She does? Are you sure you don’t want me to take you?”
“No, Gunny, I’m a big girl. Love you!”
“I love you too, Squirt. Now you better get going before you’re late for school and get stuck next to the smelly kid.” She giggled again and I squeezed her tighter, sending a prayer to whoever might be listening that they would give my kid sister the best first day of preschool a kid ever had. “Have a good day.”
“You too,” she shot back and smacked a kiss to my cheek before running off behind Martha.
“What’s the big deal anyway, billions of kids start school every year.”
Evelyn stood in the doorway between the living room and kitchen, arms crossed and wearing too much makeup—and heels—for a domestic worker.
I glared at her and took a step forward. “Don’t you have work to do?”
Evelyn quickly realized that I wasn’t fucking around because her arms fell to her sides, her expression held a hint of fear, and she got her scrawny ass to work. There was no fucking way in hell I’d make the trip to The Barn Door just to do paperwork when it could be done right here. There was about an hours’ worth of emails to go through, everything from vendors looking to be paid, people inquiring about jobs on the ranch, my VA contact looking to send a few more vets my way and most surprising of all, there were three dozen new applications for The Barn Door membership. That lightened my mood more than anything else could have.
It meant last night had gone even better than expected.
“What’s that smile for, Boss?” Saint appeared in the doorway with a small smile of his own, making me wonder if he’d gotten lucky last night.
I told him the good news and his smile brightened. “Did you need something, Saint?”
His brows dipped low in confusion. “You said to show up at ten so we could go over last night’s receipts.” He looked uncertain, and I took pity on the guy.
“You’re right, I did. I forgot. Come on in,” I gestured him inside and he closed the door without prompting before taking a seat.
“You’ve looked at them already?”
“I did and we did great, better than projected even. By a large margin.” Even though I had my reservations about him, Joplin had proven to be an effective manager, his skittishness notwithstanding. “See for yourself,” he said and produced a black flash drive from his pocket.
I took a few minutes to look over the spreadsheets and let out a low whistle. “When the hell did you have time to do all of this?” He’d tallied up the receipts for the night and even broke down how much came from the bars, the rooms, and the special equipment fees.
Saint shrugged, his eyes darting around the room, but the pink that covered his cheeks told me that my words pleased him. “I don’t sleep much and I like to keep busy.”
I knew the haunted look in his eyes. PTSD. I also knew that a man, especially a military man, had to come to the conclusion on his own before he could be helped.
“Talk to Wheeler’s brother, Mitch, if you need to. Strict confidentiality and all that shit,” I told him to take off some of the pressure.
To his credit, Saint didn’t deny it or pretend not to know what the fuck I was talking about. “I don’t know, talking about all this shit isn’t my strong suit.”
I laughed. “You’re a man, of course it ain’t. But if we’re gonna be brothers, and I’m planning on that, then I need you to try.”
He didn’t look convinced and I didn’t expect him to because admitting he needed help was damn hard. Even harder when he was already scarred and wary of strangers.
“Besides, talking about it sucks a fuck of a lot less than the nightmares.”
Something like hope flashed in his eyes and he shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I can ask,” I said.
Without another word on the subject, we went over the receipts and worked on putting together a calendar of events for The Barn Door. He had some good ideas and now that I knew the source of his strange behavior, I was able to overlook his quirks.
“I think that’s enough for today,” I said, pushing back from the computer.
He looked relieved and stood just as the phone rang. “I’ll let you get that. Thanks for the talk, Gunnar.”
I smiled and pulled my cell from the desk drawer. “Thanks for not calling me Boss again. Thought I was gonna have to kick your ass.”
The phone stopped ringing and started again as Joplin left the office laughing. I didn’t recognize the number, but I picked up anyway. “Yeah?”
“Mr. Nilsson?” The voice was feminine and unrecognizable, instantly putting me on alert.
I stood and turned to look at the window facing the bunk house. “Yeah, who is this?”
“Annie Miller. I’m Maisie’s preschool teacher.” She paused and my mind raced, thinking of all the reasons she could be calling.
“Is Maisie all right?”
Annie Miller sighed hesitantly. “Maisie has been vomiting and she has a mild fever. We have her in the nurse’s station lying down, but she needs to go home.”
Shit. “I’ll be right there,” I told her and ended the call abruptly. Maisie was sick. That in itself wasn’t an unusual occurrence, but back in Mayhem I had all the Reckless Bastards and their old ladies on hand to help with things like sick kids. Here in Opey I was on my own, and I’d been shirking my responsibilities as her guardian.
My feet carried me to the kitchen where I was certain Martha would have the answers I needed, but the kitchen was empty. I found Adrian in the laundry room. “Where’s Martha?”
Without looking my way, she answered. “Probably still in town doing the shopping. We’re low on everything because of her health scare.”
Right, dammit. “Thanks,” I mumbled and left, knowing I would have to figure it out on my own. With my phone in hand, I scrolled through a few pages of local pediatricians, wondering if it made me a bad parent if I just closed my eyes and pointed to one. It wasn’t the worst option, but as I grew closer to the barn where most of the vehicles were parked, I decided the ER was the best choice for now.
“Shit,” I said when I saw the empty parking spot. My truck was gone and I remembered that Holden had taken it to go pick up some feed and other ranch essentials in town. I couldn’t exactly pick up my four-year-old sister on the back of a motorcycle or the ATV I’d retrieved from Peaches campsite and most of the guys had taken off after a long night at The Barn Door.
Only one car remained, and I smiled because I had the keys to it.
At least I did have the keys, but after a few minutes of searching until I emptied all the drawers on my dresser, I realized that Peaches must have stolen them back. It could only mean one thing but my first priority was Maisie, so I pushed everything else from my mind and steeled myself fo
r the argument to come.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Peaches
Maybe I was a coward for staying in my room all morning and well into the early afternoon, but I didn’t give a damn. Sometimes a girl just needed some time to herself. Since I couldn’t just leave and go back home, the small room worked well as a refuge. It killed me to stay in the confines of those four walls even as I heard Maisie’s excited voice babbling about her first day of preschool. I wanted more than anything to have breakfast with her and listen to all her hopes and dreams for the start of her education.
But as adorable and lovable as she was, Maisie was not my family nor my responsibility. I had no rights to her, her time or her big moments in life. So I stayed where I was, under the blankets, and stared up at the cracks in the ceiling. Thinking about the shit show my life had become.
I was homeless, at the moment also jobless, and stranded. In Texas. It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for my future, but I wasn’t the type of chick to throw a pity party for myself. I showered and dressed before retiring back to my room. Not to hide, though. Not that again. It was time to be proactive about all the shit that was happening to me so that I could get on with my life and leave Hardtail Ranch and its gruff, asshole owner, in my rearview mirror.
There had been no movement at my apartment for months, but that didn’t give me any sense of relief. It only meant that they now knew I was no longer in New York.
“Well fuck.” I knew what I had to do and picked up my phone.
“At least you got a new number,” Vivi yawned into the phone.
“Why the hell are you yawning at noon? On second thought, don’t tell me.” Whatever kinky sexy fun she was having with Jag would only remind me of last night’s humiliation.
Vivi groaned followed by sounds of her moving around. “No fun sex games, I’m afraid. Just an annoying baby zapping all of my energy so he or she can grow big and strong. The usual crap but that’s not why you’re calling.”
“No.” She knew me well so there was no point in lying. “Expect trouble to head your way soon if it hasn’t gotten there already.”
I told her all about the dead air where the men trying to kill me were concerned.
“I’m not dumb enough to think they’ve given up, and since you’re my only connection I’m guessing Mayhem will be the next stop.”
The other end of the line was silent. Vivi was thinking, running through about a million different scenarios. “The boys are on alert and expecting trouble, but so far none has showed up. How are things on the ranch?”
“The usual.” There was no way in hell I would tell her about letting Gunnar fuck me six ways from Sunday before telling me I was nothing more than a good fuck. “Boring. Safe. Grumpy as fuck.”
She chuckled and my heart ached, wishing I was with my best friend as she became a mother. “Right now, those are good things Peaches.”
“So says you,” I grumbled. “Any signs of trouble?”
“None that I know of and Jag hasn’t said a word to me. Then again, he thinks the baby growing in my belly has turned me into spun glass, and he’s doing his best to wrap me up in cotton.”
My best friend tried to sound put out about Jag’s behavior but I knew her too well.
“You love it. Admit it.”
“A little. Maybe. And if you tell him that, I’ll find a way to make the world think you’re related to those fuckin’ billionaire bitches on that new TV show.” She laughed at her own threat and I groaned.
“If I’m lucky, the assassins will take one of them out by mistake and I can get on with my life.” That was mean and macabre, but I was beyond being able to handle this all with a shrug and a smile.
“Is it that bad on the ranch?”
I sighed because no, it wasn’t. “It’s not the worst place I’ve been forced to lay my head, but it’s still a place I have to be.”
“Gunnar’s treating you well?”
I suppressed a laugh. “He hasn’t kicked me out yet, Vivi, so let’s just call that progress.” We caught up some more before she succumbed to some disgusting craving ending, the call and leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Again.
A knock sounded on the door and before I could think better of it, I opened the door, expecting one of Martha’s asshole daughters. Instead it was the asshole himself.
“Yes?”
“You took the keys from my room.”
“No, I reclaimed my keys that you stole. From me.” If he thought a few orgasms would make me an obedient little fuck toy, he had another think coming.
“I need them,” he barked at me and held out his hand, which I stared at blankly.
Gunnar groaned his frustration and raked a hand through his thick black hair that was growing longer every day.
“Maisie is sick. Martha is gone, and Holden has my truck.” He said a few more words which I ignored in an effort to grab my keys and bag while stepping into a pair of sneakers.
Just because he was a dick didn’t mean I would ever let Maisie suffer, not if I could help it. Gunnar stared at me suspiciously, a look that was becoming as familiar to me as my own damn reflection. I stepped around him and jogged down the steps, making my way to the makeshift car lot behind the barn.
“What the fuck, Peaches?” he said, jogging to keep up with me.
Sliding behind the steering wheel, I glared at him. “Are you coming or do you think the force of your anger will somehow get her back to the ranch?” Stubborn damn man.
Without a word, he slid into the passenger seat and pulled the seatbelt across his body. Arms folded, he stared straight ahead while I got us to the only school in Opey, a long red brick building that housed all the school-aged kids from preschool to high school.
“Stay here,” he growled, not bothering to spare me a glance.
“Nah, I was thinking I’d go to the nearest mall and leave Maisie stranded.”
His dark look intensified at my sarcasm. I looked away first, not in defeat but because Maisie was sick and waiting. “Well? They’re not gonna bring her out for you, Gunnar.”
Finally he was out of the car, stalking toward the building with all the grace of a big game cat. A big, angry but graceful panther, he even had the same slick hair and deep blue eyes. It was a quirk of fate that a guy like Gunnar could look so good yet was a world class asshole. Like nature had to even things out a bit.
While Gunnar was gone, I gave myself a mental pep talk. There would be no more snarky comments or sarcasm, because that made it seem like he mattered to me. I wasn’t angry or hurt or upset, period. I would remain coolly civil because he had, reluctantly, offered me shelter from danger.
Ten minutes later, Gunnar carried Maisie in his arms and deposited her in the backseat.
I turned around in my seat to face her. “Hey kiddo, how are you feeling?”
She looked up at me with the saddest blue eyes and sniffled. “My tummy hurts, Peaches.”
“Poor baby. We’ll find the best doctor in Texas for you, just lean on your brother and take it easy, yeah?” She nodded but her brother glared at me. “No car seat so you have to stay back there with her.”
I wasn’t sure the law worked like that, but I knew Gunnar would protect Maisie with his life.
He gave a sharp nod and remained silent as I drove us, as fast as I could without drawing the eyes of the law, to the nearest hospital. Gunnar leaped from the car with the little girl in his arms, leaving me to follow or be left behind.
The nurse behind the desk gave Gunnar a bored look and handed him a clipboard, which seemed to scare the holy hell out of him. I smiled at the look on his face, taking pity and reliving him of the weight of Maisie while he filled out about fifty different forms.
“What’s taking so damn long?” he complained when he was done.
“A four year old with a tummy ache isn’t exactly a top priority, Gunnar.” But the moans coming from Maisie broke my heart, and I handed her back to her brother.
�
�I’ll be right back,” I said.
“Where are you going?” he asked. It almost seemed like he gave a damn but I knew better.
“Don’t worry, I have no plans to leave Maisie with no way home, Gunnar.” But there was no way I could spend the next few hours listening to her moan in agony either, so I did what I did best and found a dark corner that would allow me to jump onto the hospital’s Wi-Fi and perform a little magic.
The ER was packed, which surprised me in this small town. I couldn’t in good conscious bump people with actual medical emergencies for her, no matter how adorable she was. But what I could do was add an appointment to the schedule of one Dr. Annabelle Keyes. It would cut into her lunch a little, but that little girl was worth it.
When I returned to the waiting room, Gunnar was still scowling at my seat as though I’d never left.
“You’re here,” he scowled.
I tried not to let his words offend me, but dammit, I was offended. “She’s got an appointment with a family doctor in about three minutes, so we need to get up to the fourth floor. Now.”
Dr. Keyes was younger than I expected with dark brown hair pulled into a tight bun with a pencil sticking straight through it. Her light brown eyes were friendly, and the dark green frames she wore overpowered her delicate features.
“What seems to be the problem?” She looked to me, probably assuming I was the mom or the nanny and I pointed to Gunnar.
“She’s not feeling well,” he grunted. “Says her stomach hurts and the school nurse said she has a slight fever.”
Dr. Keyes checked Maisie out, keeping the little girl engaged in conversation about life in Texas, living with her brother, and all the guys at the ranch she had wrapped around her little finger.
“Sounds like you’ve got it pretty good, Maisie.”
“Gunny’s the best.” She beamed up at him, her skin pale and her smile just short of a full beam.
After a short exam, the woman pushed her stool back and stood, extending a hand to Maisie. “The good news is that it’s nothing serious, just a stomach bug. Nothing some Tylenol, clear liquids and rest won’t cure.”
