Page 11 of Hitch Me

Me:Nah, I think I’m good

Holden:Listen to it. We have a problem.

My stomach immediately sours at the thought. I've been trying to avoid that poisonous garbage. Being with Brynn Rose makes me care a whole hell of a lot less. But if Holden's sending it to me, it must be bad.

“Damn, come on man. I can’t even have today. Just today after the best sex of my life.” I grumble to myself and disrupt the morning peace on the ranch. “This better be worth it.

I tap play and lean against the fence post, already dreading what I'm about to hear.

Well, well, well, Sagebrush Creek. Your girl is back with another steaming cup of chaos. And honey, this batch is extra spicy. Pour yourself something strong because we've got roosters on the rampage, missing goats, and family secrets that'll make your head spin faster than a tornado in a trailer park. Buckle up, darlings.

First up, let's talk about the absolute circus that went down at Kingridge Ranch this week. Picture this, cameras rolling, perfect lighting, and Brandi Rose offering all the glamour to the small town setting.

But some people can’t have nice things. Here's where it gets delicious, sugar. Our big name in a small town screen queen got herself a little surprise visit from Choke the Chicken and it wasn’t the welcome she deserved. That ornery rooster thinks he runs the place. And let me tell you, there ain’t a Kingridge in the house that can keep him in line. Them boys are lucky she’s the forgiving type.

Speaking of missing in action, has anyone seen Thrusty the Goat lately? That escape artist has been MIA for days now. Honestly y’all, I don't blame him. If I had to deal withyoga poses and camera crews invading my personal space, I'd probably make a run for it too. Word is he's been spotted terrorizing folks all over the county, living his best outlaw life. You go, Thrusty. Live free or die hard.

Now, for the tea that's got everyone's tongues wagging… and trust me, this one's piping hot. Y’all remember our newest King Ridge brother, Danner. Well he’s officially official. But here's the kicker. I have it on good authority that Danner isn't flying solo in the sibling department.

That's right, darlings. There's a sister. Her name starts with an E. As in Alexander, Bowen, Callum, Danner… E-liza. According to my very reliable sources, she's planning a little holiday visit to the ranch come Christmas time. My only question is, what does she want? Here to claim her stake in the Kingridge lineage? Is she settled down? Or maybe she’s looking for a cowboy to help sow some wild oats.

Can you imagine? Another Kingridge family member we didn't know existed appearing just in time for the most dramatic season of the year. It's like a soap opera wrapped in a Hallmark movie with a dash of Jerry Springer thrown in for good measure.

Mark my words, Christmas at King Ridge Ranch is going to be more explosive than fireworks at the upcoming Fourth of July party. Speaking of… I hope I’ll see y’all there. The annual Kingridge summer bash is just around the corner. I’d bet my biscuits that this year will be the most eventful yet.

Until next time, stay thirsty for the truth or come get you some of this sweet tea. Because in Sagebrush Creek everybody's business is my business. This is your favorite bitch with boots on the ground, signing off.

The detailed account of yesterday’s events with the rooster make my blood run cold. There were only a few people who witnessed it. There weren’t any ranch hands hanging around… were there? I almost talk myself out of my paranoia.

But it's when the podcaster starts talking about Danner and Eliza that my world tilts sideways.The phone nearly slips from my hands. Those exact words. That exact conversation. The people who know about the half sister scandal set to rock Sagebrush Creek to its core are me, Bowen, Holden and… Brynn Rose. I feel sick.

My chest feels like it's caving in. It’s her. It’s been her all along.

The betrayal hits me like a physical blow. It steals my breath and makes me grab the fence post for support. I trust her. Last night, I gave her everything I have. My entire heart, my faith that she's different from every other woman I’ve ever known, and my family’s secrets.

And she was simply playing the long game. There hasn’t been any change of heart. The only reason I got past arm’s length is to fuel a fucking podcast. One that she knows I hate. How the fuck can I keep being so very wrong about every woman I choose.

I can hardly breathe. I replay the episode and search my mind for another explanation. But there isn’t one. The truth is playing out in front of me whether I like it or not. I rewind a third time, but I can't hear anything over the roaring in my ears.

I should have known better. I should have remembered that people don't change. Trust is just another word for stupidity. I am apparently the easiest mark in Sagebrush Creek. I leaninto the fencepost deflated. My mind whips between fury and deflation until there’s nothing left in me at all.

The sound of the gate creaking open makes me look up and honestly I’m not sure how much time has passed. But the sun is above me in the sky now, and there she is backlit in silhouette. It could have been a sight from my dreams, but this has been a fucking nightmare all along, I just didn’t see it.

Brynn Rose walks toward me with that same soft smile that fools me completely. She's carrying two coffee cups and it looks like she doesn’t have a care in the world.

"Morning, cowboy," she calls out, her voice warm with the intimacy we share just hours ago. "Thought you might need some caffeine."

I can't hide the devastation on my face. I know she can see it the moment our eyes meet because her smile falters and her steps slow.

"Geoffrey? What's wrong?"

I hold up my phone, the podcast still playing in the background. "This sound familiar to you?"

She freezes. But I don’t miss the way the coffee cups tremble in her hands. "What?"

"The latest episode. Boots and Bitching Podcast. Funny thing… they knew all about the rooster and your mom. So I thought maybe a ranch hand walked by. Hell, maybe they hid in the bushes paparazzi style. But as it turns out, they seem to know an awful lot about a private conversation that happens last night. A conversation where only four people are present. Eliza. They know her by name. They know that she’s coming here for Christmas." My voice sounds hollow, even to my own ears. "My brothers aren’t ready to tell a soul. Want to guess how that information gets out?"

The color drains from her face. A long beat of silence passes between us and it feels like there isn’t air out here.Son of a bitch.She’s not even going to try to deny it. Wow. I’m such an idiot.Then her eyes welled up with tears. It breaks my heart and I hate that my first instinct is to wrap my arms around her.

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