Page 6 of When Wrecked Meets Ruined
“Right. Noah. You knocked up your cousin’s wife, right?” I shook my head and let out a low whistle. “That’s some fucked-up family shit right there. How low can you go?”
He glared at me with his jaw clenched. “Got you these.” The boots hit the floor with a clunk. Work boots. Just like his but brand new.
“I’m not a Texan,” I scoffed. Unlike me, Brody was born and raised in Texas. From what I’d seen, I already knew I didn’t belong here. Not in this bedroom that looked like an old granny decorated it with faded rose wallpaper and an embroidered quilt on a four-poster bed. And not on this ranch with nothing but horses and fields for as far as the eye could see. In other words, the middle of fucking nowhere. “I’m not gonna wear them.”
“You sure as hell will. I have a few special jobs for you. You’ve got five minutes.” He stabbed his finger at me. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
With that, he strode out the door and I didn’t bother asking what he’d do if I went back to sleep. I slammed the door shut and got dressed, all the while conscious that I owed him.
Two weeks ago, I’d crashed into his life unannounced. After I hitched a ride with a trucker who beat the shit out of me and dumped me on the side of the road, the cops picked me up. When my brother came and got me from the station, it was the first time we’d ever met. Before that day, he had no idea I even existed.
Brody took me in because I had nowhere else to go, but it was only a matter of time before he got sick of my shit and kicked my ass out.
It wasn’t a matter ofif. It was a matter of when.
My brother was sixteen years older than me, and as far as I could tell, he didn’t have his shit together any more than I did. The last thing he needed was an added burden.
But for now, I had a roof over my head and food on the table. A hell of a lot more than I had in West Englewood, Chicago.
After I brushed my teeth and splashed cold water on my face, I followed the scent of bacon down the stairs to the farmhouse kitchen and found Brody at the stove.
“Sit down and eat.” Brody shoved a plate of food and a glass of orange juice in my hands. “You’re gonna need the energy.”
“Hey, Uncle Ridge.” Noah waved to me from the island.
UncleRidge. I was an uncle now. Not to mention I had a whole extended family that I’d known nothing about.
“Did you get in trouble?” he asked when I took a seat next to him.
Noah looked like Brody’s mini-me with the same longish dirty blond hair. He smelled like Brody, too. Horses and leather.
“Nah. It’s cool.”
He side-eyed me. “Okay. But if you ever need me to help you out, just let me know.”
Not sure how a six-year-old could help me out, but it’s the thought that counts. “Thanks, buddy.” I gave him a fist bump. “Appreciate it.”
Noah nodded. “Anytime. I’m glad you’re here,” he added.
“Yeah? Why’s that?” I ate a strip of bacon and reached for another.
“’Cause Dad gets lonely in this big old house when I’m not here. Now he has you to keep him company.”
I looked over at Brody, who hung his head and grabbed the back of his neck. Not so sure he shared the same opinion. “Don’t worry about me,” I assured him. “I’ll be out of your hair soon.”
Not sure where the hell I’d go, but I had no intention of staying somewhere I wasn’t wanted.
“You’re sixteen, Ridge. This is your home now. You’re not going anywhere.”
Home. What a foreign concept. This was Brody’s home, not mine.
“I’m glad you found me,” he said.
I huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I bet. Ding. Ding. Ding. Brody McCallister, you’ve hit the jackpot. It must be your lucky day. You’ve got a brother you knew nothing about.”
On the flip side, I only found out I had a brother when my mother let it slip six months ago. She was high on crack, and I thought she was talking shit, but she’d been telling the truth for once.
“If I’d known about you, I would have gotten you out of there sooner.”
