Page 2 of His to Keep

“Got shit to do in town.” The two of us put our heads together, deciding to go in on a new business venture of sorts. What we are is fucking crazy. Amos needs more work like he needs a hole in his head. I do whatever needs to be done at the family ranch, each of us pulling our weight whenever necessary. Still, I felt like there was something I could be doing more of. I came over when the idea took hold to talk to Amos first before bringing it up to my family. This idea hit, and the main thing I needed was a friend to use as a sounding board. Amos being Amos jumped in with both feet. We figured paperwork out, went to town to talk to the same attorney Ryland used for Case, and formed a partnership. The rest, well, we’re hammering it out.

“You and Sienna both. I swear she’s there every damn day lately and won’t tell me where or what is going on.” Amos shakes his head and places his lead rope he was working with on top of the side table, another new addition from Sienna. I cock my eyebrow at his statement. “I’m being for fucking real. Sienna gets up, has coffee, bitches about it being too hot and too strong, does whatever needs to be done around here, and then she leaves. It’s giving me a damn complex.”

“She okay?” There isn’t much in town—a couple of stores, a doctor’s office, Tully’s veterinarian clinic, the police station, and a gas station.

“I reckon. Not like my sister would say a fucking word. I’m about ready to follow her ass.” He grumbles, “Not like she’ll keep her damn location turned on. It used to be her who'd track me like a mother hen. I swear ever since she left for college, any and all sense left Sienna’s head, then she comes home and it’s worse than ever.” This version of Amos is the brother and protector. She’s all he has, and he’s all she has when it comes to family. A precarious situation when it comes to the relationship between Sienna and me. Who the fuck am I kidding? We don’t have one, probably never will after the push-and-pull shit I did to her years ago. Looking back, I could have handled it a fuck of a lot differently, though in the end, it was for the better. For Sienna. As for me, well, that’s an entirely different story.

“There’s two ways to look at it—if you don’t track her, she can’t track you.” I run my hand along my jaw, body tightening with worry, and while I’m preaching, he shouldn’t do something dumb like I’m about to do. The need to get in my truck and figure out where she’s going and who she’s with, “I’d do away with following her. She’s liable to kick you in the nuts.”

“Again,” Amos grunts, more than likely reliving the last time Sienna got pissed off and kicked him in the family jewels. I’m pretty sure her intent was his shin, but he bobbed instead of weaved, and the next thing you know, Amos was doubled over in pain. “I hope you have a daughter one day.” My head turns on a swivel, balking at Amos’ statement.

“Why the fuck would you say that? Take it back right now.” Jesus, he has no idea what he’s asking for because the only person who will ever have my children is his sister, and I know without a shadow of a doubt Amos will lose his ever-loving mind. “What the hell did I do to deserve that statement?”

“You threatened my balls, I’ll threaten you with a daughter any day of the week. Plus, you can get a taste of the hell Sienna has put me through. The hair on my damn head says it all.” He points to his head covered by a white Stetson. Amos is going gray fast, a hell of a lot faster than me, and we’re the same age. He goes on grumbling about something or other, but my mind stops on the word taste. Amos doesn’t need to know I’m thinking about the last time Sienna and I had a conversation. The towel slipping from around her body, giving me an unobscured view of his sister. Jesus, I’m doing everything in my power to hold back a groan of my own. My cock doesn’t seem to understand the nature of such a delicate matter. Amos could easily put two and two together, talking about his sister with my hard-on being visible. Yeah, I’d be the one doubled over in pain this time around. Still, it doesn’t stop me from thinking about the moment Sienna’s towel dropped a couple of months ago. All these years later and seeing her bare attempting to clutch the small white cloth, and it didn’t do a damn thing to conceal the natural curves of her body.

A body I’ve had my hands and mouth on more times than I damn well should have. Don’t get me wrong, my eyes didn’t so much as skate below her neck when she was younger. Things changed one night after she turned eighteen. The sway of her body and the lingering looks she gave me at a bonfire flipped a switch. When Sienna walked through the tree line, tossing a look over her shoulder, it didn’t take me more than a few seconds to disengage from the conversation with JW. I tossed my empty beer bottle in the trash can and went after the woman who had me following her every move. My brother didn’t miss a beat, told me to be careful with that one, referring to the reckless idea of me going after Sienna. But JW couldn’t have stopped me if he tried.

Sienna Ellison is as spirited as a wild horse. Trying to rope her would be like trying to rope the moon. Except I got a taste, more than once, and the only reason my ass didn’t follow her to college is because I let her sway my opinion to pack up and go with her. She pushed me away, and every time I’d try to pull her back, all it did was tear her up. Eventually, I quit trying, and when she tried to keep us together, well, my mind was already made up, leaving us a damn mess. Sienna was so pissed at me by then, she took to ignoring me and the whole situation. We were young, her much more so than me. I’m pretty sure my maturity wasn’t the best even while being older than the woman I love. Sienna, though, she was more mature than me, and I had a lot to learn by losing her. I did the only thing I could do—let her go. And she’s been pissed at me ever since.

“Are you even listening to me, dickhead?” Amos barks out. My time down memory lane is over, probably for the better. A few more moments, and I’d have been reliving the moment I took Sienna for the first time only to be screwed further.

“Yeah, yeah. I hear you loud and clear.” He’s got the lead ropes in his hand, probably getting ready to ride the fence line to check for any breaks.

“Then what did I say?”

“That you’re an idiot, should have never let Sienna come back. The same song and dance you say on a weekly basis since she’s dug her heels in the ground and told you what she will and won’t be doing because of what you said.” I put Amos in his place. My mind might have wondered to his sister being naked, but I can damn sure multitask.

“Asshole, you always could do that shit.” Amos shakes his head in disgust. I don’t say anything, instead cock my head to the side a bite and arch my eyebrow. “Yeah, I know. Medicine helps.” I’ll likely be on it my whole damn life, and the days I don’t take medicine for my attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is when I never sit down, which is why I try not to ever forget it. But there are times when my metabolism runs through the medicine faster and usually then I’m not near as focused. “Alright, let me hear what you have to say, then you go your way, and I’ll go mine. I still hope you'll have a daughter.”

“Payback's a bitch, Amos, don’t you forget it either.”

“Don’t I know it,” he replies. We get down to this new business venture and what we’re going to do about the new herd I’ll be picking up today. And if I happen upon a certain dark-haired beauty, well, my day will be more than made.

TWO

SIENNA

This is going against everything I’ve said to the girls from the Johnson ranch and how I wanted to gain his attention. Kind of hard to do that when the minute I see Trey, I sneak away like a schoolgirl would from their first crush. Which wouldn’t you know, Trey Johnson is exactly that. He’s my first everything. First crush, first boyfriend, except it’s kind of hard to put the word boy with anything related to Trey. He’s a man, all six foot plus, sinewed muscle, dark hair, and sapphire eyes. Trey gave me my first kiss, a real kiss, not the peck here or there from school-age boys. Anytime a date would try and push for more, I ducked for cover. No way did I want my first memorable kiss to be wet and slobbery like a dog or cow licking your face. No thank you.

I set my plan in action. My birthday being in April, graduation would happen the following month, and the parties would begin. All I had to do was sit and wait until Trey appeared. I knew he would. He and Amos always kept a watchful eye out in the woods. Amos being the protector and father figure in my life meant I could do more than most, but he’d be watching while I did it. He’d never supply the alcohol or drugs the kids would consume. He’d only watch to make sure nobody set the woods or themselves on fire, and truck keys were taken away when they rolled in. Amos and Trey held down the fort. They’d let kids my age and at college pitch a tent and blow some steam off.

I needed a bit of liquid courage. Beer isn’t my first choice now, and it wasn’t then. Still, chugging it back while chewing a piece of gum made the taste tolerable. My friends would make fun of me, and I’m glad Amos never figured it out, or he’d really have given me hell. Now that I’m older, I stick to my tried-and-true rum and coke.

The minute Trey made his appearance, I put my plan in action. I stood away from him but within watching distance. He’d glance my way, and I’d give him a flirtatious look of my own, and when he followed me into the woods, I knew the white crop top sans bra, tight black jean shorts, and my long dark hair loose did exactly what I wanted. I close my eyes, tipping my head back on the headrest in the beat-up farm truck and taking a deep breath. Memory lane and I should not be having a walk down past streets we’ve walked many times before. I don’t have time or energy to dredge up old memories. Sometimes I wonder if it’s even a good idea to look at Trey and his stupid handsome self, never mind talking to him. Instead, I’ve been a big fat coward and run the other way anytime he’s nearby.

“What the hell?” I lift my head. Pulling over on the side of the two-lane road is a surefire way to have someone stopping and asking whether or not you’re okay. There isn’t anyone in front of or behind me, though. Nope, there’s a dog walking on the side of the road, looking back and forth. Which can only mean one thing: he or she has been dumped. Tully warned me she’s been seeing a new trend of animals either being dumped on the side of the road or abandoned behind her vet clinic. Today just so happens to be my lucky day.

“Damn it all. I don’t have time for this today, and Amos is going to kick my ass with the menagerie of animals I seem to be collecting.” I put my truck in Park, leave the keys in the ignition, and look for a towel, shirt, or jacket to wrap around the poor dude’s body. Usually, I wouldn’t worry about what I’m wearing and not wanting to get dirty. But today, I’m on my way into town to meet up with a friend. We’ve kept what we’re doing close to the chest, worried that we’re putting money into a project that could potentially backfire. Amos has no idea what I did on the side in college. Only one friend knew what I did during my downtime. Throwing pottery is my passion project, and there’s no way I’ll ever tell my older brother he was right, and I was wrong. No way, no how, not now, and not ever. Amos wanted me out of Arrowleaf. I put my foot down so many times telling him he’s wrong and I didn’t want to leave. It wasn’t until Amos left after helping me load, off-load, and set up my dorm that I broke down and admitted to myself that I made the right decision. Of course, a few weeks later, I questioned every single thing in my life. Luckily, I met my now best friend. We stuck together like glue, and another plus is she only lives the next town over from Arrowleaf.

I grab a blanket that looks like it’s seen better days and slowly climb out of the truck. My midsize SUV stays parked at the ranch unless I’m going somewhere like the grocery store, dinner, or to meet Genevieve for our weekly girls' night out.

“Hey, buddy, what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?” I walk slowly toward what I can now tell is a male dog. He lets out a whimper, cowering while also going back on his haunches. It’s clear as day he’s scared, and if I were worried that he’d attack, I’d go back to my truck to call Tully. But since I’m able to edge closer and the only thing he does is start to roll over, I stretch my arm out, allowing him to sniff me before pushing him further.

“That’s it. You can do it,” I keep encouraging him, talking softly, hoping to gain his trust. It’s then I realize he’s a Border Collie who's completely caked in dirt and mud. His ears tuck backwards, and I’m wondering what has his hackles raised when I look over my shoulder.

“Damn it,” I mutter under my breath. The poor boy scurries backwards. So much for gaining his trust to pick him up and put him in the truck. The whirring of an engine settles in the open air, then one cowboy boot hits the pavement, and I’d know the figure anywhere.

“No, no. It’s okay. He won’t hurt you. Neither will I. A few more steps closer, then I’ll take you to Tallulah. She’ll scan you for a chip, though it's doubtful you’ll have one. Then she’ll make sure there’s nothing wrong, and I’ll bring you home. My brother is a pain in the ass, but even he wouldn’t turn you away.” I settle him somewhat and move a smidge closer. The blanket drags across the asphalt, and wouldn’t you know it, Trey freaking Johnson chooses that moment to slam his truck door closed. I watch as the Border Collie stands up and darts back into the copse of weeds that's more lick a full-ass thicket, waist deep and full of stickers.

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