“Some fine horsemen you fuckers are!” One of the men turned when he heard Jack’s voice, staring open-mouthed at Jack and me while the horse tried to knock his head from his shoulders.

  “Pay attention, Finn! Jesus,” Jack yelled, dropping my hand, running over to help. He jumped right in with them, grabbing the rope attached to the halter on the horse’s face.

  So, these were the infamous brothers: Dean, Finn, and Jay.

  Finn had sandy blond hair pulled back into a little ponytail. He stood a few inches taller than Jack, but thinner, not as densely muscled. He looked like a rugged surfer.

  The man standing next to Jack was about his same height, but big, very densely muscled and he looked tense. His sandy blond hair had been cut short, unlike Finn’s. He faced away from me so I couldn’t really see his face clearly, but he seemed hard. Intense. He held his body in a rigid stance.

  And the guy next to Finn was shorter than all of them, though only by a few inches, with the same brown hair as Jack, but kind of curly and a little longer.

  Suddenly, I was nervous.

  Jack took control, pulling the horse back down onto all four of his feet, guiding him to walk along the wooden fence, then ran by the horse’s side, letting him exert his excess energy. He looked so confident, so in control, handling the horse. So sexy. I imagined what he would look like without his shirt…

  I’d been too distracted, still in my first ever post-properly-screwed haze, admiring Jack to notice all three of his brothers converging on me, until Finn stood in front of me and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.

  “Hey, baby girl. You must be Everlea.”

  “Can’t breathe!” I choked out. Finn chuckled, lowering me onto my feet, and he shoved his big hand out to me, grasping mine and shaking me like a rag doll.

  “Sorry, I’m Finn. Nice to meet ya.” He flashed a smile I was sure had the ability to make many women swoon and drop their panties. What a smile. And his eyes, they were the deepest light blue, like looking into a tranquil tropical ocean. I shook his hand and he dragged me beside him, hooking his arm around my shoulder. I must’ve looked like a doll standing next to him. I didn’t think the top of my head even cleared his rib cage.

  “This here’s baby Jay, and crabby pants over there is Dean.” He motioned to the big guy with a nod, and crabby pants scowled in our direction. I looked up at him and saw a flash of kindness, maybe even tenderness in his big, gray eyes, but then it disappeared, a hard look replacing anything I thought I’d seen. He grunted and turned to walk back toward Jack, who now stood still, holding the horse by his halter, talking to him and smoothing the horse’s wide, silky, black cheek gently with his hand.

  Looking up, Jack saw Dean approaching and peered around him to me with a worried expression, then back to his brother. He said something to Dean that I couldn’t hear, and Dean shrugged, took the rope from Jack, and led the horse to the arena.

  Jack jogged back down the small hill to where I still stood under Finn’s big, sweaty arm.

  “These are my brothers.” He cleared his throat. “This is Everlea. She’s, uh—”

  “Yeah, we’ve already been introduced,” Finn said, looking between Jack and me, then over to Jay who smiled.

  “I’m Jay,” he said, extending his hand to me.

  “Hi. I’ve heard a lot about you guys. How was your drive?”

  Jay laughed. “Good, the drive was good. Although, listenin’ to Finn whine the whole damn way about Dean’s choice in music was exhaustin’.” He rolled his eyes at Finn.

  “Yeah, well, you’d complain, too, if you had any fu—any taste. ’Scuse me, Everlea.”

  “C’mon, let’s go check on Mrs. Mitchum,” Jack said, nodding toward the house. Finn and Jay followed behind, and I could hear them whispering to each other but not what they said, though I was pretty sure it had something to do with me.

  Walking into the big white house, we found Mrs. M and Kevin in the living room, Mrs. M rocking and knitting in the brown recliner, and Kevin lounged on the couch, asleep, with his head rolled back and kinked in a really uncomfortable position. He was snoring, his mouth hanging open and his broken leg resting on the coffee table. Finn walked past me, slapping him on the back of his head, hard.

  “Honey, I’m home!” he sang.

  Kevin jumped up out of his sleep ready to rumble. “You asshole!” He tried to punch Finn but Finn danced backwards, like a boxer, laughing.

  “Language, young man,” Finn mock-scolded Kevin.

  “Kevin, watch it or I’ll—” Mrs. M tried to actually scold Kevin, but then I heard a chorus of male voices recite, “—wash your mouth out with soap!”

  “Yes, ma’am, sorry,” Kevin apologized and sat back down.

  “Yeah, sorry, Ma. Couldn’t help m’self. How ya feelin’?” Finn walked over to her, bent down, kissed her cheek, and crouched by her legs, looking up at her and waiting for her to answer.

  “I’m fine, Finnie. How’s the new horse?” She patted his head like a puppy and he stood, pivoted, and fell onto the couch next to Kevin.

  “And I’ll smack your behind, Finnigan Cade. Did it occur to you to ask the lady if she would like to sit down?” Ma chided him, and Kevin smacked the back of his head, exacting his revenge and dislodging Finn’s ponytail.

  “Yeah, Finnie.”

  Finn jumped up, stepping on Kevin’s uncasted foot intentionally. “Sorry, miss Everlea, would you like to sit down?”

  Dean came in from the kitchen, walked through the living room to Mrs. M, bent to kiss her cheek, and continued on. “You’d think you morons were born in a barn,” he grumbled in a deep voice, ascending the stairs, two at a time.

  “Um, technically,” Jay said, “I was born in the barn, but I’m not the one without manners. I apologize for my brothers, Everlea. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a young lady in our house.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. I’m not a lady anyway,” I said, feeling small and awkward. These guys could finish each other’s sentences. They were that close. I’d never known anyone that well, and the realization had me feeling alone until I looked down and saw Jack’s hand holding mine behind the couch. He squeezed, and I looked up to see him smiling so warmly at me. How did he know? Could he really read me so well, so quickly?

  Looking back out to the other people in the room, I froze. Every set of eyes was on me. Everyone seemed to be surprised by something.

  “Did I say something wrong?” I whispered to Jack.

  “No, dear, you haven’t said anything wrong. It’s just that we’re not used to seein’ Jack smile.” Mrs. M winked at me, and Jack dropped my hand.

  “Get up, Kevin. Let Everlea sit with Ma—Mrs. Mitchum,” Jack said. I caught his slip, but no one else seemed to notice. He flicked Kevin’s ear (jeez, poor Kevin), leading me around to sit as Kevin stood, grumbling something that sounded like “kick all your asses.”

  He stumbled and hopped to the stairs. “I’m goin’ to bed.”

  “It ain’t even four o’clock yet,” Jay pointed out.

  “Yeah, well, some of us have been here takin’ care of things while the rest of you were on a road trip or”—he looked between Jack and me—“otherwise engaged. Good night.”

  Mrs. M shook her head, chuckling, as he stumbled up the stairs. She looked down at her knitting project, which appeared to be a pink baby blanket. “Poor Kevin.”

  “I’ll be right back,” Jack whispered, leaning over the back of the couch a little. “I’m gonna go check on the horse.” He patted the couch twice, then turned and walked away.

  Finn plopped down next to me. “Did he just whisper sweet nothin’s in your ear? You know, you can sue him for that kinda thing nowadays.”

  “Everlea, what’s your story? Where you from?” Jay asked, pulling a dining chair into the living room, sitting on it backward. My stomach dropped to my feet. All eyes were on me again.

  But then Iggy jumped up onto Finn’s lap, staring straight into his eyes and saving me. The startled—and kind of terrified—look on his face made me laugh. He held his arms away from his body, up in the air, like if he touched her, he’d be electrocuted.

  “What the f— What is this?” He looked at me, eyebrows raised to the ceiling.

  “It’s a cat, Finnie,” Jay said. “You remember, C-A-T, cat? Say it with me.”

  “What’s it doin’ in the house?” Finn speared Jay with a look.

  “That’s Everlea’s little friend, Iggy,” Mrs. M said. “Looks like she’s taken a likin’ to you, though she’s not very fond of Kevin.” She laughed, and Iggy stood, jumping from Finn’s lap to mine, then curled up on my legs and rolled her head back, upside down, staring at Finn and ogling him with half-closed bedroom eyes.

  “I can’t believe Jack let that thing inside. She is kinda cute, though, and she has good taste,” he said, reaching over to scratch her little black and white head. “What kinda name is Iggy?”

  I shrugged, scratching Iggy’s belly, and the sound of her purring filled the room while Finn eyed my Sonic Youth T-shirt, then Iggy, then me.

  “Welp”—he popped his lips—“I better go help Jack with the trailer. I’m gonna run to the store.” He stood, giving one last look to Iggy. “Any requests for dinner, ladies?” He looked at me and I shook my head.

  “Whatever you wanna make will be fine, Finnie, but Mr. Jameson has a prescription for me at the pharmacy. Would you mind pickin’ it up?”

  “Sure thing, Ma.”

  “Get beer!” Jay called to Finn as he opened the kitchen door.

  “Duh.”

  “Mrs. M, how are you feeling? Did you sleep well?”

  “Everlea, you know you don’t have to call me that. You can call me Ma, like the boys, or Sara, which is my name.” She smiled. “I had a nice nap and I feel fine. A little tired still, but that’s gonna be par for the course from now on. I’d like to take a shower and snuggle up in my jammies, and you and I can fall asleep watchin’ that movie.” She winked at me. “Then tomorrow, I think I’ll need to go get some more clothes and things from the house. When I packed for the hospital, I didn’t plan on movin’ in here with all of you.”

  “Are you hungry, Ma? Everlea? I could make us a snack or somethin’. Finn’ll make dinner but it’ll probably be late.”

  “No, I’m fine for now, sweetheart. Thank you.”

  “Everlea, hungry?”

  “No, thank you, Jay,” I said, my voice sounding small. Actually, I was starving, but I felt awkward now with all the brothers and activity in the house. I didn’t want to be a burden, and I didn’t know what to do, where to be.

  I didn’t know where I belonged.

  “C’mon, Everlea,” Mrs. M said, looking at me. She leaned forward, setting her knitting on the coffee table. “Help me upstairs. You can start the shower and I’ll get my things ready.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jack

  “Who is this woman, Jack?” Finn asked, climbin’ into Dean’s truck so we could move the trailer.

  “Just a woman,” I said, startin’ it up.

  “Where’d she come from? Never seen her in town.”

  “She just moved here.”

  “From?”

  “Dunno.”

  “Ain’t you just as talkative as ever,” he said when we pulled up to the south side of the barn. We got out and walked behind the truck to unhitch the old, rusted trailer.

  “She’s just a woman. She moved here ’bout a month ago and started volunteerin’ at the hospital in the city. She was assigned to Mrs. Mitchum as an aide or somethin’ and was supposed to help her get settled in at home after she left the hospital, but she got hurt and Mrs. Mitchum said she’d feel better if they came here to stay.”

  “Look at that. You do know words.”

  I grunted.

  “Well, whatcha know ’bout her? Where’s she work?”

  “Here. Mrs. Mitchum hired her to help while she goes through chemo.”

  “Oh. So, you mean she’s gonna stay here? Like, live here? On the ranch?”

  “Yeah, I guess. For a little while.”

  “And that’s okay with you?”

  “Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “I dunno, ’cause you’re a cranky curmudgeon.” He chuckled. “You’re just not usually so… acceptin’ of new people. Women in particular.” I didn’t say anything. He wasn’t wrong. “So, what do you know about her?” I didn’t answer again. I didn’t know much, and what I did know, I couldn’t tell him.

  “Jack?”

  “I dunno, Finn. Not much.”

  “You know somethin’ about her. You were holdin’ her hand earlier.” He eyed me. “You sleepin’ with her?”

  I didn’t say a word, which told him everything.

  “Thought so.”

  I walked away but turned back. “Just keep your mouth shut about it. This is a small town. She don’t need to be the focus of everybody’s gossip.”

  He snorted. “Too late for that. She became gossip soon as she met Ma.”

  “Finn.”

  “Okay, okay.” Raisin’ his hands in front of his chest, he surrendered. “I’m gonna run to the store and the pharmacy for Ma. I’ll make somethin’ for dinner when I get back.”

  I threw him Dean’s keys and went back up to the house, but Ma and Everlea had gone upstairs. I didn’t exactly know what I woulda said to Everlea if I’d seen her anyway, and I had work to do, as always, so I went back to the barn till dinner was ready.

  Dean and Jay came down to help with evenin’ chores, and Jay tried talkin’ to me about Everlea, askin’ the same questions Finn had, but I blew him off. Dean didn’t bother. He probably talked less than me, as a rule. He finished groomin’ Tank while Jay and I fed and watered and cleaned up.

  The whole day flashed over and over in my mind, and I found myself lookin’ around every few minutes for anyone not supposed to be on our land. We had a few motion sensor cameras set up around the barn to look for bears and wolves and such, and I wondered if I could figure out how to access ’em on the old computer in the arena office. But I proved pretty hopeless with that kinda stuff. I’d need Finn’s help with it. He was the one who usually dealt with ’em.

  Everlea didn’t want me tellin’ Carey about the man stalkin' her, so I assumed she wouldn’t like it if I told my brothers, but I wanted to. If she really was in danger, I knew they’d fight hard to protect her. ’Specially if I asked ’em to.

  Other than yellin’ at ’em to get to work, I didn’t ask my brothers for much. I handled the ranch business pretty much on my own. I paid the bills, spoke with the clients, placed the orders, and I went to the bank to take out loans when we couldn’t afford any of it. I knew Jay’d been itchin’ to get his hands on our books, and he probably had a million ideas he wanted to implement to further our business, but all of it would take money. Money we didn’t have.

  I thought again about sellin’ some land. My pops woulda rolled over in his grave if he’d known the things runnin’ through my mind, but times had been easier for him. The ranch had a lotta success back then, but after our mama left and Granny and Uncle Jon died, my dad ran this place into the ground. They both drank too much, Pops probably literally to death, and my dad just checked out. He became mean. Angry and sad, he drank, smoked, and worked till he got cancer. And he lost all the relationships my pops worked so hard as a young rancher to build, with customers and the community. I’d worked my ass off tryin’ to rebuild ’em, and I knew I’d succeeded somewhat, but I also knew customer relations would never be my strong suit.

  I couldn’t fathom givin’ up though. And truthfully, even though I knew sellin’ some of our land would fix all our immediate problems, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to do it, to have another business or family on the land we’d been brought up on. We’d spent our whole lives here. There wasn’t another place on earth I felt at home. There never would be.

  Maybe it had come time for me to stop actin’ like my dad and ask my brothers for help. Part of me felt like a failure to have to do it, but the other part of me knew Ma was right. We were all smart, resourceful men. And my brothers loved this land just as much as me. It wouldn’t be fair to let the ranch fail without at least askin’ their opinion.

  But what would I be willin’ to do to keep the place afloat? What would I be willin’ to give or compromise? I decided I oughta give it some more thought.

  After muckin’ a few more stalls and sweepin’ a few aisles, I figured it had probably been enough time, and Finn would be gettin’ ready to ring the dinner bell, but before I headed up to the house, I booted the computer up, just to see if I could figure my way through the videos.

  The computer took forever to load, and I finally gave up, but while I sat there waitin’, I wondered what the hell I was doin’ with Everlea. She could be lyin’ about the whole thing. She’d already lied about her name and her car, and she’d admitted flat out she wasn’t tellin’ me the whole story. She hid her body.

  She hid a lot.

  I knew in my gut she wasn’t lyin’ though. I’d seen the look of fear and panic on her face when Mr. Williams stopped by, at her house when I’d told her the garage had been broken into, and today, when she dropped to the floor in despair. All the details could be lies, sure, but the fear inside her was real. Very real. Inside her, all around her, it radiated outta her.

  It controlled her.

  I wanted to take it away. I wanted to wrap her up in my arms and make her feel safe. I felt an urge to do it, but I just couldn’t trust her. Yeah, I still wanted her. I’d thought maybe havin’ her would cure me of the need I felt for her, but it just made it worse. I wanted her more now than I did before we’d had sex.

  I didn’t know what to do about it, but I refused to think about it further.

  And I refused to fall in love with her.

  Finn made pasta for dinner, with some kinda sauce and shrimp. He grumbled the whole time we ate about not havin’ access to fresh seafood, but he also praised himself for makin’ it, callin’ it a small masterpiece. That was Finn though. He never did have a hard time findin’ a bright side to a thing. And of course, he could always find a way to embarrass the shit outta me.

 

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