Cole protecting you find.., p.9
Cole (Protecting You, Finding Us), page 9
“Good.” Steph hangs up, and my mouth loses all moisture. Fuck.
Steph’s leg hasn’t stopped jumping since we took our seats on the plane. We’re not even off the ground, and she’s breathing heavily and rubbing her hands up and down her jeans.
“What is going on with you?” I ask.
“Not a fan of flying. I’ll be fine.”
We watch as the people filter into the plane and walk past our first-class seats. I guess this is what it’s like traveling when you have disposable money. I wasn’t about to argue because this trip will probably be my one and only time flying first class. I nearly choked when I saw the price. If this trip is going to be the absolute shitshow I think it could be, at least I’ll have the experience and comfort of flying first class.
She takes in a deep breath and pushes it out through her semi-closed pink lips. Her face looks pale, and I can see a bead of sweat by her hairline. Her eyes are closed, and she’s pressed all the way against the back of the seat.
“Are you having a panic attack? There’s still time to get off.”
She shakes her head. “It’s just the takeoff. I’m fine once I get in the air. Just distract me with something.”
“Okay, umm… What was the last movie you watched?”
She starts whimpering. “Snakes on a Plane.”
“Jesus,” I whisper and rub my forehead, trying not to laugh at that. “Why the hell would you watch that? You’re afraid of planes and snakes.”
“Shut up, Cole. What are you afraid of?”
Losing you. “I have kinemortophobia.”
Her eyes open, and she tilts her head in my direction, giving me her beautiful face, which is laced with compassion. “Oh my God. I didn’t know you had a serious phobia. What is that?”
I try so hard not to laugh, but it spills over my pressed lips. “Fear of zombies.”
She smacks my arm, but I can see the tiny grin that spreads on her face. It disappears the instant the flight attendant begins her speech at the front of the plane. Her leg bounces at a rapid pace as she begins rubbing her hands up and down her thighs again. She’s going to make them raw.
“Tell me something else,” she begs in a whisper.
“Want to hear what Freddy did last night?” I keep my tone low and airy so that I don’t disrupt the others from hearing how to try and save themselves if the plane goes down.
She nods while she takes deep breaths in through her mouth and out through her nose as the plane moves.
“Remember that plant he tipped over when you came to watch him that one time I was at River’s house?”
“Yeah. It took me forever to clean up that mess.”
“He did it again. Only this time, he decided to take a poop in there too.”
Steph laughs, but the plane positions itself on the runway, and I can feel the heat pouring off her. The plane picks up speed, and she brings her balled-up hand up to her mouth and starts chewing on her fingernails. I don’t know what to do to help her, so I grab her hand and fold mine around it. She latches on like a little leech, and I can’t help but smile as I casually rub my thumb over the back of her hand.
“I can’t wait to see my aunt. I haven’t even talked to her in a few years.” I keep talking to distract her.
“Why? She hasn’t called you?”
“Nope. I’m not sure why, but I just figured she’s busy running her event business. I tried calling her for a while but never got a response back.”
“Did you leave any messages?”
“I hate leaving messages, but my phone number would have shown up on her phone.”
“I’ve never paid attention to that before, but now that you mention it, you never leave messages.” The flight attendant finishes her speech and disappears into the front of the plane. Steph grabs on tighter. “Keep talking.”
“When I would visit in the summer, I always stayed in the same room that faced the horses. I would wake up early to see them grazing in the field with the mountains as a backdrop. You could take a million pictures, and none of them would do that view justice. My cousin and uncle would already be out there getting things ready for the day. It was just so peaceful.”
“You never talk much about your…”
She gets silent as the plane comes to a halt, awaiting our turn to take off. I love the takeoff. It’s my favorite part. The way it picks up speed in such a short amount of time and lifts off the ground is like magic. I mean, I know it’s not magic, but I haven’t a clue about the mechanics it takes to accomplish flight of a huge aircraft. So to me, it’s fucking magic. The plane’s engines roar as we start to move. Faster and faster we go, but instead of watching out the window like I usually do, I keep my eyes on Steph. She gasps as the wheels leave the ground and the unsteady feeling of air beneath us takes over. She pushes her head harder into my arm as the plane turns and then evens out again as we gain altitude. I squeeze her hand, and she picks her head up as she takes some relaxing breaths.
“You okay?” I ask and get another nod.
“You never talk about your uncle much.”
“There’s just not a lot to say. He’s a quiet man. He was always kind to me, and I never had an issue with him. I think my aunt’s exuberance just drowned him out a little when it came to me. She was always the fun one, and I tend to gravitate toward that. My uncle and I are fine; I’m just a lot closer to my aunt. Or at least I was.”
Steph looks down at our hands, which are still laced together. She straightens in her chair, lets me go, and pulls a small pouch from her carry-on bag beneath the seat. A moan comes from her mouth as she swipes a wet cloth over her face and neck. I try so hard to keep my eyes to myself, but I watch her dip just below the V-cut neckline of her black shirt. The things I would do to her if I ever got the chance flip through my mind. I shake the thoughts away and focus on her face. The color is slowly returning, and she gives me a side-eye.
“Well, I’m excited to meet them. I can’t believe Freddy shit in your plant. That’s hilarious,” she says, laughing.
“I’m glad you find that funny. Are you okay now?”
“Yep,” she says, putting a layer of gloss on her lips. “Well, until we have to land. Then it’s back to sweating like a pig.”
“Oh, good. I nearly lost circulation in my arm on takeoff. At least I have something to look forward to now.”
She gives me a sarcastic half smile and pulls out her tablet. I reach down for my backpack and pull my new book out. I open it up, stick my nose in, and take a big whiff.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asks, trying to stifle her laughter.
“I’m a book sniffer. You got a problem with that?”
“Holy shit,” she says, covering her laugh. “Thanks for the Christmas gift idea.”
Just like during takeoff, Steph nearly hyperventilated on the landing. I tried to tell her to look out the window because flying into Wyoming is probably the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. She wasn’t having it, though, and hid her face into the side of my arm as she squeezed the life out of me. I sucked it up and held her because I’d do anything she needed me to.
After a long drive in our rented truck down roads that look like they lead to nowhere but actually lead to one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever been, my stomach starts to twirl with excitement. Seeing Brandson Family Ranch in big iron letters stretch across the road brought so much joy to me as a kid. Still does. I just wish this trepidation would go away.
“Wow,” she says, leaning forward in the passenger seat.
“Just wait.”
The gates are already open, so I drive through and down the long gravel road. Steph stares out the window and gasps every few seconds as the horses graze in the lush green fields framed by the Grand Teton Mountains. Groves of quaking ash trees litter the landscape amongst the rolling meadows and paddocks in the distance. We come to a fork in the road and a big wooden sign that directs event visitors to the right.
“What’s that way?” she asks as I go left.
“My aunt created one of the most sought-after wedding destinations in the country. I guess it’s where her party is going to be tomorrow, so you’ll get to see it. She put so much blood, sweat, and tears into this land, and it shows.”
“All the way out here? It took us at least forty minutes from the airport.”
“When you see it, you’ll understand. Until then, you’ll have to settle for what we call ‘the big house.’”
The rolling meadows through my aunt and uncle’s 125-acre property look like something you’d find in a magazine. I’m glad we got in before dark hits so she could take it all in. Everything is just as pristine as I remember it. My aunt makes sure that the lawns and landscaping are meticulously kept and lush in the summertime. Some clouds roll in front of the mountain, and Steph must have been distracted by them because it takes her a minute before she spots the house.
“Oh. My. God. This is stunning.” She puts her hands on both sides of her cheeks as we continue up the drive until I park in front of the house. Steph and I get out of the truck and look around, but it’s a bit quiet for the night before a party. I figured there would be a lot of family in or something. Steph follows me up to the large double wood doors, and I ring the bell. After all this time, it just doesn’t feel right walking in like I used to. I turn to look at Steph and see her in awe.
“Will you close your mouth? Do you have any idea how many bugs are out here?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been out west. At least not that I can remember. This is like nothing I’ve ever seen. Such big open spaces and the mountains. It’s incredible.”
“Says the woman with a big house and her very own mountain views,” I say, teasing.
“Yeah, but it’s not like this. It’s so different.”
Someone opens the front door, and I don’t recognize them. “Can I help you?” she asks, looking surprised to see a stranger at the main house.
“I’m Cole, Millie’s nephew.”
Her eyes light up. “Oh, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m her assistant, Sarah. She’s down at Aspen Hall, but I don’t think she’s expecting you. I can call her.”
“No, I’d rather surprise her in person. I’ll go down there.”
“Umm. I’m not sure there’s any cabins available though.”
“It’s not a big deal. We can stay in town if we need to, so don’t worry about it.”
She gives me a worried glare. I’m well aware it’s a long drive back and forth to town. But to be honest, it probably still isn’t far enough away from my old man, who I know is skulking around the property somewhere. “We’ll head down to Hall. Thank you.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Steph says.
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other,” Sarah says.
Steph and I head back to the truck. “Well, I guess you get to see the Hall now.”
She claps her hands together like a giddy little kid and hops up into the big truck. Five minutes later, we pull up to Aspen Hall. The bougie, humongous hall looks like a big log house. Its cedar color sticks out beautifully against the green hills and the gray and white mountains. But inside is one giant space with a bar, and the entire rear wall is nothing but windows that face the Grand Teton Mountain range. I can’t wait to get Steph inside. But before we can even open our doors, my aunt walks out with a huge bow in her hand. She squints, trying to see who I am, and I’m shocked she recognizes me from this distance. She drops the bow and starts running toward me.
“There she is,” I say, grinning as I hop out of the truck and catch my aunt as she wraps her arms around me.
“Oh my God. Is that really you, Cole? Good grief, it’s been too long. I thought you weren’t coming.” She sniffles in my ear as her familiar scent invades my nose and brings an instant comfort. Then she smacks me across the back of the head and backs up. She puts her hand on her hip, and a stern look takes over her face. “Why haven’t you answered any of my calls?”
“Excuse me?” I ask. “You haven’t called me.”
“The hell I haven’t, boy.”
I pull out my phone and show her my call log that I never delete until it makes me. “See? No Aunt Millie to be found. I wouldn’t have ignored you like that.”
“I got a new number because all those damn unwanted phone calls kept coming in at all hours of the night. Didn’t your dad give it to you?”
My jaw feels like it’s going to pulsate right off my face. “No. No, he didn’t. And my phone automatically filters out unknown numbers.”
Her face softens again, and she blows out a ragged breath. “I’m going to murder that man one of these days,” she says.
“That’s probably not worth the jail time.”
“Trust me, I have plenty of land to hide his body.”
Steph giggles, and my aunt’s eyes shoot to her. “Oh, dear heavens. Oh,” she cries and runs at Steph before I can stop her because I can see in Aunt Millie’s eyes what she’s thinking. She pulls Steph into her arms and gives her a long hug. I thought Steph might find it to be too much, but instead, she closes her eyes and hugs my aunt back. “It’s so nice of you to come,” she says, letting Steph go. “Cole’s never even talked about a girl before, and now he’s brought one home. Oh my God. I can’t wait to hear how you and my favorite nephew fell in love. I’m a sucker for love stories. I’ve prayed for you.”
Steph’s eyes get wide as she slowly turns to me. If she could punch me right now, I’d have two black eyes for sure.
CHAPTER NINE
Steph
Did Cole correct his aunt when she assumed I was his girlfriend? No. He’s just smiling like an idiot.
“Garrett,” Millie calls. A tall man in a black cowboy hat, a collared shirt that’s tucked into his worn jeans, and cowboy boots appears in the doorway and spots Cole. He gets a grin on his face and walks toward us with long strides, his hand stretched far in front of him toward Cole. When they connect, Garrett pulls Cole into a side hug as he powerfully pats his back.
“Wow, it’s been too long. Good to see ya,” Garrett says.
“Will you take Cole and…”
“Steph,” I say because Cole still hasn’t properly introduced me to Millie.
Millie smiles sweetly as tendrils of her nearly white hair fall from her clip and frame her face. “Take Cole and Steph up to the room he always stayed in.”
“You don’t have to do that. We’ll just stay at the hotel in town.”
“Cole McBride, over my cold, dead body. You are family. You stay here, and don’t you dare say one more thing about it.”
A warmth takes over Cole’s face, softening his features, and he tucks his hands into his pockets without another word. Millie has this magical presence of comfort and grace, but you can tell she’s a strong force. It makes me wonder how she and his dad could even be from the same family.
“Hey there,” Garrett says with a deep voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Steph. I’m Cole’s cousin.” He tips the front of his cowboy hat. “Come on. I’m sure you two are tired after that trip. Let’s get you settled.”
“I have a few more things to do over here still for tomorrow. They said I wouldn’t have to lift a finger. Yeah, right,” Millie says, waving us off. “You go get comfortable. We ate supper just a bit ago, but if you’re hungry, there’s tons of food in the fridge. Why don’t we have a few drinks by the fire tonight?”
“That sounds great. Thanks, Aunt Millie,” Cole says as Garrett passes us and heads to a large white pickup.
I can’t wait to get in the truck with Cole so I can smack the shit out of him for making his aunt think that we’re together when we most certainly are not. I hurry and get in, and Cole is chuckling by the time he opens the door and joins me inside.
“What was that?” I ask, turning to him.
“Oh, I didn’t have the heart to correct her. I’ll let her know when she gets up to the house. Everything was just happening so quickly.”
“Fine, I’ll give you that. Wow. For seventy, I’m pretty sure she could run circles around me.”
“Oh, she can. And she can out-drink you too. So feel free to decline drinks from her when you’ve had enough,” he laughs.
I take in the incredible scenery, and it almost seems fake. Like it’s a picture or movie that I’m watching on TV. The deep green pines line the bottom of the mountains that look like I could reach out my window and touch them. I’m not sure why I was so nervous when we first walked up to the log home, but I wasn’t able to really capture the true beauty of the place.
I’ve seen homes made of logs before, but this place is spectacular. Its multiple peaks and dark-colored trim make it blend into the landscape, and it looks so warm and cozy. The chandelier that hangs in the portico brings elegance and flare to the otherwise nature-inspired home. The large windows mirror the green hills and white fences behind us. If the outside looks like this, I can’t wait to go in. Cole parks next to Garrett, and we all head to the bed of the truck to grab the luggage. Cole lifts one of the suitcases from the bed of the truck, and Garrett races over and lifts the other one like it’s filled with nothing. It probably is. He got Cole’s, and knowing him, I’d be surprised if he brought more than one change of clothes.
“How was your trip in?” Garrett asks as we walk under the portico and to the front door.
“Now that I have feeling again in my hand,” Cole says, giving me a look, “it was uneventful.”
“Good.” Garrett opens the door and ushers us into an expansive great room with a breathtaking view. As soon as you walk inside, the dark brown wood interior disappears, and all you see is the mountain range through an entire wall of windows directly in front of us.
I put my hand over my thumping heart. “Oh my,” I breathe.
“It’s beautiful,” Cole says, and I glance over, expecting him to be gazing out the windows too. But the only thing he’s looking at is me.
“This is Sarah,” Garrett says, pulling us out of whatever that just was.
