Page 60 of Braving the Storm
My teeth grind, and I can feel the pulse in my jaw. He and I, we’ve spent a lot of time together these past few months while I based myself here at the ranch through winter to help run the place with Colt being away. I’ve also been doing what I can to help get him ready for his next stint on the road competing. This kid has got the makings of hitting it big, if only he hadn’t spent so much time in the past few years doing his best to fuck all that up by getting day drunk and losing sponsors faster than he could blink.
“Yo, Storm. You’re free this weekend?” Kayce pulls his horse into step with mine as we make our way back toward the barn.
I give him an exasperated look. “Depends.”
There’s no way I’m agreeing to anything, until I know exactly whatever the fuck this is.
“We’re all going down to Crimson Ridge since Layla’s friend is coming to town and she wants us to meet her. You’d better bring your miserable attitude so you can keep my dad company, alright?”
My fists tighten around the reins. Running my tongue over my teeth, it feels impossible not to steal a glance at Briar now that she’s so close and looks so damn good in the saddle.
The girl, who I’m fairly certain had never ever touched a horse before arriving on this mountain and turning my life on its head.
“City girl here is in. Surely even your antisocial ass can leave the Peak to put in an appearance for a few hours.”
“What friend?” I shift my weight in the saddle. If Briar has already said yes to this fuckery, and Colt is going, then against my better judgment, it looks like I’m going to have to agree to this.
“Sage… they’ve been friends forever.”
“It sounds fun.” Briar chimes in.
“Gonna bring your lil man friend?” Kayce looks over her way with a shit-eating grin on his face that I’ll gladly remove for him.
One little mention is enough to have my shoulders stiffening. Ittakes every ounce of self-control I’ve got to keep my eyes planted on the back of my horse's head.
“I guess I can ask Wes if he’s free.”
Wes.Jesus. Not Westin. She’s already calling him by a nickname and sounds far too much like someone seriously considering seeing him again. Not if I’ve got anything to fucking do with it, but I don’t get a say in who this girl spends her time with, so I have to bite down on my tongue hard enough to draw blood.
“Wes is a fucking good dude, you know; his family has been ranching out here a long time. Pretty sure he’s taking things over at their property so his folks can retire. He’s always offered if we need a hand with anything up here, or if I need a place to train closer to Crimson Ridge; that’s just the kind of guy he is.”
Fuck off. Fuck right off right now.
Kayce is basically selling her this guy, doing his best pitch to Briar about how goddamn perfect her ‘cowboy date’ is. The worst part of all this, is that it’s all true. Heisa good guy, with all his good guy, salt of the earth bullshit.
Westin Hayes is everything I’m not. He’s got a ranch to his name, a family who all work the land together, and there certainly aren’t rumors whispered behind hands—hushed tones and wide eyes as they ask each other how a person could possibly do something so awful and get away with it—every time he walks through the door.
What the hell do I have in comparison to a guy like that? I don’t even own the property I live in.
Evidently, the girl in the saddle beside me does.
Black thoughts about perfect cowboy Wes and how I’d rather chew off my own foot than have to sit through dinner with him and Briartogethertake precedence right through the process of making sure the horses are away in their stalls. Right through checking in with Colt and Layla, who let me know they’re able to handle things from here with the cattle. Through the endless chatter between her and Kayce as they talked about fuck knows what, because I wasn’t even listening. No, I was too busy figuringout ways to break his jaw and make it look like an accident. Right through until the moment, I’m driving back down the mountain with the pretty young thing perched in the passenger side of my truck.
“You never answered Kayce’s question earlier, you know.” Briar looks out the window, but her voice floats my way. “Whether you’re planning on joining us for dinner this weekend.”
“Didn’t think you’d concern yourself with my being there or not.” I shrug. Molars clenched. Fists strangling the steering wheel.
“They’re your friends, too. Layla wants you to come. Besides, I assume Colt would quite appreciate having you to sit and be grumpy together with.”
She’s teasing me, attempting in her sweet way that she does to coax and prod and try to lighten the thunder cloud mood I’ve brought along with me for the drive.
However, I’m a dick, and in return, all I’ve seemingly got to offer is a snarling, jealous hellhound.
“What about Wes? Planning on inviting him along? Planning on taking things further with him this time?” The words are out of me before I can do anything about it.
Briar’s head whips in my direction, her dark eyes flash, and those enticing lips hang a little parted. A plush mouth I shouldn’t be stealing glances at every five minutes like an addict. Yet, here I am doing just that.
She wets her lips, studying me for an agonizingly long stretch of time.
