Page 13 of Sweet Like Whiskey

Remi rolls his eyes.‘You love us.’

I can’t disagree with him.‘Will you be in for dinner?’

My brother nods, and I give him a wave goodbye. He gets back to work as I head out of the barn. Snickerdoodle, our pony, kicks up her mane as I pass. I stop to give her a rub along her flank.

“How’s it going, girl?”

She huffs against my side, headbutting me gently.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll bring some dates by later. How’s that sound?”

She knocks against me again, and I pat her side before making my way toward the ranch house. The dairy girls are already inside for milking, the field closest to the house empty. Someof the workers, those who arrived early morning, are gone. But others remain, finishing up their evening duties.

Never a dull hour on the ranch.

I run into Lawson, my older brother, as I step inside the house. He’s standing in the doorway, staring at the coatrack where a few fall jackets and a couple hats hang.

“Law?” I ask. “You all right?”

He startles, as if he hadn’t heard me come in. “Yeah, fine,” he says, kicking off his shoes. Lawson is the eldest of us at forty-two. Like our mom, he has brown eyes. In fact, he takes after her in just about everything but disposition. Lawson is calm, like that river that cuts through our property. Whereas Mom, she’s the sea.

“Have you met Ashley yet?” I ask.

“No, just got home. Who’s Ashley?”

“The new cook. Goes by Ash.”

The wince on my brother’s face isn’t a surprise. Lawson has been having a rough go of it ever since Laura asked for a divorce. Bringing up her replacement is surely knocking a few bad memories loose.

“Come on,” I tell him, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’ll introduce you.”

My brother nods and follows me down the hall. Ash is inside the kitchen, partway through dinner prep. Whatever he’s making smells good enough to have my stomach voicing a rumble of approval.

“Ash?” I say softly, not wanting to startle the man. He turns with an expectant look on his face. “This is Lawson, my brother. He’s a teacher at the combination middle-high school in town. Lawson, Ash Alcott.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lawson says, stepping forward to shake Ash’s hand.

“Jesus,” Ash says. “All of you.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

Ash huffs a small laugh as he drops Lawson’s hand. “Nothing. You just all look alike. I hope everyone likes pasta. I wasn’t sure what else to make because the fridge seems a little empty? But I found some chicken and figured I could spread the protein out using carbs.”

“We’re due for a grocery run,” I admit, scrubbing the back of my neck as I think through tomorrow. “I’ll have Colton go in the morning. If you want him to stock anything specific, just write it down.”

Ash nods, looking between me and Lawson. My brother is staring off into space again. I clap him on the shoulder, steering him toward the door.

“We’ll leave you to it,” I tell Ash.

As our new houseguest turns back to the stove, my eyes, unbidden, skip down his body. First, to his exposed forearms and the blonde dusting of hair there. And then—despite my brain screaming at me to stop—to the swell of his ass beneath his apron strings.

My pulse kicks, and I grunt, turning swiftly away and following Lawson out the door. My brother is already halfway up the stairs, his gait slow as he takes the steps one at a time. I watch him go with a frown.

Once Lawson is out of sight, I hoof it the quarter mile home so I can clean up for dinner. Inside the shower, I scrub off the day’s grime, using a brush under my fingernails and ignoring the way my cock tries to plump when I give it a cursory wash. I quickly banish thoughts of a certain round ass from my mind.

When I get back to the ranch house, it’s six o’clock on the dot. The dining room is already filling up, my family present as usual, the remaining ranchers filing in through the door off the deck. Marty and Colleen are ribbing each other about their race back from the far fields, Marty claiming he won but Colleen denyingit. My gaze catches on Ash as he comes in from the hallway, a large platter of rolls in his hands. His eyes find mine quickly, and he smiles, setting my heart off at a gallop.

“Ira is on the morning crew, right?” he asks, putting the rolls down near where I’m sitting.

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