Page 20 of Brim Over Boot
“What?” I shout much too loudly, pushing off from the truck behind me. I swipe my hat off the ground and head toward the alleyway.
Remi appears a moment later, his eyes sweeping the area, confusion and concern in his gaze. “You were gone when I got back from the bathroom,” he says. “Don’t tell me you went after Noah again?”
“No,” I lie, immediately wincing. “Maybe. It’s nothing.”
My brother groans. “Colt, you’re gonna get yourself into trouble.”
I think I already have.
“Home?” I ask tightly.
Remi nods, and we head toward the truck. We’re both quiet on the way back to the ranch, me driving, Remi looking out the passenger window. When I pull into a spot in front of the house, we exit the vehicle without a word.
I’m so in my own head—my thoughts a jumbled mess I don’t even know how to start unraveling—that I miss the fact that Remi is talking to me. He snaps his fingers in front of my face, and I startle, blinking at him inside the entryway of the house.
“Sorry,” I say quickly. “What?”
Remi looks at me for a long moment, his eyes seemingly trying to pick me apart. Remi and I don’t look all that similar, apart from our blue eyes. His cheekbones are a little sharper, like Jackson’s. And he’s always had a leaner build, though he’s strong as hell.
“I said be careful,” my brother says, those eyes still boring into me.
For a second, I wonder if he knows what happened. But how could he?
Idon’t even know what happened.
“I will be,” I tell him.
He sighs like he doesn’t quite believe me, but then he leaves me be, heading further into the house. I kick off my boots and set my hat on the coatrack inside the door. It’s late, nearly midnight, but I still detour into the kitchen to find a quick snack.
I know I hit jackpot when I spot the foil marked in pen with my name. I unwrap the bundle quickly, groaning happily when I see four strips of bacon.
“Fuck, yes,” I mutter, biting cleanly through two. I send a quick thank-you to Ash and kick the fridge door shut.
Once upstairs, I take care of business and wash up before heading for my bedroom. Mine is right next to Remi’s, across the hallway from where Lawson is temporarily staying. Remi’s door is shut, no sound coming from within.
Truth be told, I think my younger brother is a big part of why I’ve never left this place. Not that I’vewantedto, per se. And Remi would kick my ass if he thought I saw him as anything other than strong.
Heisstrong. He’s one of the strongest people I know, utterly unafraid to be himself, kind but not self-sacrificing when it comes to his own comfort, especially where it pertains to being Deaf. I know my brother doesn’t need me to coddle him. He doesn’t need that from anybody.
But there are times when he has a rough go of it. When his migraines flare up, and it’s all he can do to ride out the storm, hunkered down in his room as he waits for it to pass. Those are the times I want to be near, to help him however I can.
I know it’s not my job. But he’s my brother. So, in a way, it’s something bigger than that.
Once inside my room, I peel off my jeans and toss my shirt haphazardly into my hamper before flopping on my bed. Almost immediately, I’m back up again, pulling an old shoebox out from my closet. I bring it over to my mattress and lift the lid.
It’s mostly papers. Old clippings from the town newspaper. Some printouts. I rifle through them, my frustration an immediate thing as I look at the attempts of my archnemesis to beat me at my own game.
“Custom-fit or ready-made shoes, King Farrier Service has you covered.”
“Royal service and fair costs. If you want the best, go King.”
“We know your horse is part of your family. Treat them to the finest care with King Farrier Service.”
I growl, slapping the papers down and shutting the box.
See? I clearly hate the guy. That hasn’t changed. Won’teverchange.
So what in the absolute fuck was the deal with that…thatkiss? And my reaction to it?
