Page 103 of Downpour

I giggled.

Becks nodded toward Cassandra. “She started working at the ranch and hooked up with Christian. Apparently, it’s a very relationship-friendly workplace. You know, the fence behind my house is still wobbly.”

Cassandra didn’t look up from her plate. “Huh. No idea how that happened.”

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have downed an entire margarita on an empty stomach.

I shoveled a forkful of rice and beans into my mouth, attempting to soak up the alcohol. My head was spinning, but it felt nice. I loved girl talk. Being with them was fun.

“So, are you and Ray official or is it just a casual thing?” Cassandra asked. “The girls want to know if they’re getting another aunt.”

My stomach churned, and the margarita threatened to resurface. “I don’t think it’s serious.”

My inebriated head swam with memories of all the “ours” that Ray had mentioned in the heat of an argument. Our dates. Our wedding. Our babies. Our life. Us.

“He’s said … things. But he’s also said that he doesn’t want anything serious. So, we don’t really see eye-to-eye there. I guess it’s just temporary.”

Temporary like most things in my life.

But honestly, I was starting to tire of all the fleeting things. I had been holding on to the dream of making it to twenty-five. But what if I wanted to live in twenty-two, twenty-three, and twenty-four and truly enjoy them?

I felt like a potted plant sitting on a windowsill, waiting for brief moments of sunshine to keep me going, when all I wanted was to put down roots.

“Give it time,” Cassandra said. “Ray and I usually see eye-to-eye, which means he’s a stubborn asshole and takes a lot of convincing to change his mind.”

“And that’s what happened with you and Christian? He convinced you to stay?”

Something softened in Cassandra at the mention of his name. “Yeah, Christian and the girls did. I was ready to leave because I was scared to stay.” She huffed and put on her armor of sass and sarcasm. “If it’s meant to be, he’ll come around. Because the alternative is him getting his way, but not having you. Sometimes being wrong feels really good.”

After lunch, Becks and Cass updated me on some town gossip, shared stories about the ranch, and gave me a few tips on how to handle the Griffith brothers. Apparently Ray wasn’t the only Griffith brother to have a reputation for being ornery and mule-headed.

When the drinks were empty and the chips were reduced to crumbs, we got into Becks’s SUV and drove back to the ranch.

“Are you and Ray coming over to Claire’s house for family dinner?” Cassandra asked from the front seat.

“Oh, I’m not sure. I’ll have to see what Ray wants. He might go, but I’ll probably stay back. It’s my day off, and I don’t want to intrude on family stuff. I’m supposed to be back at the house I rent a room in, but it’s not the best place to be.”

Especially since the cops couldn’t pin down my roommates to question them about the break-in at Ray’s house.

“Ray wasn’t too thrilled about me leaving the ranch this weekend,” I mentioned.

Becks grinned. “Because he’s protective of you.”

“I think you’ll be sticking around for a lot more weekends,” Cassandra said.

“I’d like to stay,” I admitted as Becks maneuvered the winding dirt road. “But eventually he won’t need me. Ray doesn’t really rely on me anyway.”

Cassandra hummed something vague under her breath and began typing a note on her phone.

“Do you want me to drop you off at Ray’s house, or do you want to walk?” Becks asked.

I chose to walk. I wanted to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. It would feel good to stretch my legs. I liked snooping around all the barns to see what the ranch hands had been working on. Lately, they had been renovating and expanding the stables to accommodate the new horses.

I waved at Gracie and Christian as they relaxed on their porch while Gracie painted her nails. I passed by the main office of the ranch and paused to hug Mickey the cow. I slipped into the stables and gave treats to Libby, Indy, and Anny.

Anarchy nuzzled her long black nose against my hand. She was a gentle giant. Fierce, sassy, and scary as hell, but soft with those she trusted.

I offered her an extra treat to stay in her good graces, then quietly left the stables to make my way back to Ray’s house.

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