Page 13 of Stormy Ride

“No, you don’t. How’s it going with you and Savanna?”

Jack’s expression changed instantly. “Not bad. I asked her to move in with me, but she said she’s not ready. She likes having her own place.”

“I can see that, Jack. She’s a successful businesswoman and she likes being on her own.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s it. She told me she’d be dropping by tonight, so when she gets here it will be like old times.”

The front doors of the roadhouse opened, and Jack glanced up. “Here comes old times, Travis.” He laughed, and I had to turn my head to look.

Brenda and Glenda came rushing in and they were both zoned in on the bar. “Shit, I don’t want to see her.”

“Too late now.”

Glenda sat down on the stool next to me and her twin sat on the next stool over. “I heard you were coming back, Travis,” said Glenda. “I figured you’d be hanging out here at the Dry Run, drinking beer and talking to Jack.”

“Guess you figured right,” I said. Funny how I remembered Glenda being a helluva lot prettier than the bitchy girl sitting next to me. She was talking to me like I was a lot lower on the food chain than she was and that didn’t make me like her any better.

I picked up my pitcher and my glass and moved to a booth, hoping she took the hint and didn’t follow me.

Savanna came through the door at that moment and I waved her over to my new table. “The twins are here,” I whispered as she sat down. “Help me.”

She settled in laughing and gave Jack a wave at the bar. From my new location we could see the dance floor and one of the permanent troublemakers at Dry Run—Art Andrews.

He spotted me and gave me a look that wasn’t a smile. I guess I’d busted his nose one too many times for him to like me.

“Is Glenda still hot for you, Travis?” Savanna winked at me.

“Pissed at me is more like it. She came charging in here looking for me and trying to start an argument.”

“Jack told me Billy is thinking of breaking up with Brenda.”

“Yeah, Billy told me the same thing at the hospital. He wants her to be out of his life, but I don’t think he’s strong enough to do it just yet. Lying flat on his back, he probably couldn’t take the flack. He’ll get around to it when he feels better.”

“It’s funny how the person we’re most attracted to usually turns out to be the wrong person for the long term,” said Savanna.

“I hear you. I’ve been doing a lot of deep thinking along those lines myself.”

Savanna’s remarks made me think of Annie and Olivia at the same time and that was confusing for my tired brain. No idea what that meant.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Before I got too drunk to drag my ass home safely, I made a wise move and left the roadhouse. When I got to the ranch, the house was chilly, but I wasn’t in any shape to chop wood. I’d end up in the bed next to Billy.

I fed the dogs and then sat down on the sofa to call Annie. I had to tell her about the talk with the county supervisor and explain to her that I’d be here at my ranch for a while taking over for Billy.

She said she was fine with however long it took, but she reminded me of the agreement we’d made when she took me back for the last time.

When I left her ranch and went off for whatever reason, she had no intentions of being faithful to me after all the crap I’d inflicted on her over the years. And on the flip side of that coin, I was completely free to please myself as far as women went, and she’d be fine with it.

When I ended the call, I sat and stared at the screen.

I’m not as good at that as she is. I’m not sure I can do it. Do I want to try?

Chapter Four

Friday, April 22nd.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

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