Page 46 of Wild Horses

“There’s this eclectic vegetarian food truck. The menu rotates almost weekly based on whatever the owner wants to make. A kick-ass staple restaurant, Ava’s—you have to try her stuffed sopapillas. And there’s no way Tuesday will let you leave before you’ve had a Flocked Up Flamingo at her friend Dane’s bar.”

“I’m afraid to ask.”

His chuckle is quickly becoming one of my favorite sounds. “They’re better kept a surprise.”

“Does your sister know we’re here?”

“Yeah, she’s been texting me, demanding location updatesfor the past thirty minutes. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a welcome committee waiting at the house I’m renting.”

Sure enough, when we pull up to a small A-frame cabin, three cars idle in the driveway. War shoots me a reassuring smile before narrowing his eyes at my door. “Wait there. I’m coming around to open it.”

I roll my eyes but do as he says. A small part of me might be a touch worried about meeting War’s people. The idea of walking up to them with his hand laced in mine helps ease the nerves.

By the time we get to the covered front porch, a group of six waits. They’re clearly friends, all chatting together. There’s a tall, striking woman with loose waves and a full sleeve of tattoos laughing next to a handsome man with a frown on his face. A giant man with shoulder-length blond hair and a matching beard towers over them both. His paw of a hand rests on the hip of a woman an inch or two shorter than me, with curves for days. And closest to us stands a grinning couple. The man has on a baseball cap, his dark brown curls peeking out from beneath the brim. He has the most piercing blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Standing with her back to his chest is a woman, again slightly shorter than me, with hair that reminds me of a sunset. She’s beautiful, and despite this being my first time seeing her, I know exactly who she is. The eyes. They are a gorgeous, warm honey brown, just like her brother’s.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

war

Trail Creek, New Mexico

March

Tuesday rushes forward to hug me and then Laramie. I offer my hand to Bond, keeping my eyes on my sister and the woman I’m falling for. It’s no surprise to find the Davis sisters and their respective not-boyfriends here alongside Tuesday and Bond. The Davises are a close-knit group.

As much as I appreciate them being here, I’m also itching to get Laramie into my bed to spend hours learning everything she likes. It’s not that I haven’t made the most of our time together, but the days ahead are a gift I have to take advantage of.

What happens when it’s time for her to go to Pueblo? Maybe I’ll go with her. If she wants me to… Shit, maybe I should have thought beyond this week.

Laramie hugs me from behind. “Hey, you okay?”

I squeeze her forearms. “Yeah, just thinking.”

“That’s dangerous,” Tuesday says, a smile on her lips. Itfalters when she meets my gaze, but she fixes it back in place and I’m reminded of the Tuesday from before. The one who lived under a microscope and wore that fake, placating smile more days than I can count.

“I don’t want to add to whatever’s got you so deep in thought, but this came for you while you were in Lubbock.” Bond holds out a small box. I recognize the pricy wrapping paper and my father’s wax emblem sealing it shut.

Tuesday eyes the box like it might be a bomb. “It showed up at the Davis Designs office yesterday afternoon. The note said your name. Nothing else.”

Swallowing, I push down the uncertainty of what comes after Laramie’s next rodeo. Stuff it deeper, alongside the worry that niggles in my gut about the box. Lock it all in an iron cage with the fear of starting life over in my thirties.

I blink and shake my head, lighter with those concerns trapped for now. I lean down and flutter my lips across Laramie’s; then I turn to my friends and sister. “Thanks for coming out to meet us. Everyone, this is Laramie. Laramie, this is everyone.”

Like the ball-busting angel she is, Laramie says, “I’m sure War meant to give me your names, but after the long drive, he knows I’m exhausted. He raved about The Bee and The Bean. Any chance I could see you guys there tomorrow and properly introduce myself? You know, not dressed in road clothes.” She gestures to her yoga pants and a threadbare t-shirt that saysI raise plants, animals, and eyebrows in 4H.

“Of course! We’ll meet you there at eight for breakfast. Does that work?” Tuesday asks.

Laramie nods and hugs my sister, whispering something in her ear that has Tuesday smiling. Those two are going to be double trouble for sure. Add Charli and Clairy into the mix, and they’ll be town-wide menaces.

I wait on the porch, talking with Bond a few minutes more after opening the front door and encouraging Laramie to poke around inside. I figure it’s payback for snooping through her toy drawer.

“So that box…” Bond says.

“Yeah. It’s from our dad.”

“Figured. Tuesday’s been glaring at it ever since it showed up.” My future brother-in-law pats me on the shoulder. “I don’t know everything that went down while you guys were growing up. Tuesday’s told me bits and pieces, and I’ve seen how far you two’ve come in the last three months. I still don’t know what caused you to step up in December, but men like Warren Phillips don’t take an L lightly.”

“Oh, that I know,” I say with a shrug. “It doesn’t matter what’s in there. It could be the keys to Phillips Construction, and I still wouldn’t have anything to say to him.”

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