Page 16 of Rough
Finally, I take the time to observe the fourth person in this little welcoming committee, although I don’t feel so welcome at the moment. She’s slowly moving to the side, her phone still in front of her face, like she’s taking a video or a photo of me. She’s sobeautiful.
I glance down at my dusty jeans and worn shirt that I slept in last night, and feel heat crawl up my neck. My hair is probably a disaster as well, although I try to keep it braided when I’m working. Reaching up, I make sure my hat isn’t going anywhere and fidget nervously.
When my eyes fall back on Remy, because he’s definitely not my Rustic right now, I fortify myself and soften my voice. “Remy, I’m really sorry about your da—”
“Don’t,” he snaps out, holding one hand up to stop me. My teeth snap together and I swallow again. “What kind of person takes advantage of a sick man, on hisdeathbedno less, and swindles his family out of a farm? Who the fuck are you?”
My head rears back in surprise. “Remy, that’s not—” I begin, but Murphy steps up beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder in support.Where the hell did he come from?Narrowing my eyes, I ask, “Where have you been? We’ve been bustin’ our asses all mornin’ because you no showed.”
Ignoring my question, he squeezes Remy’s shoulder, then asks me, “So, that’s not what happened? I wasn’t there last night when you agreed to buy out the farm from Donny?”
Rolling my eyes, I relax my shoulders. “Of course you were there.” Clearly, he’s still pissy that Donny and Renee didn’t ask him to take over in the interim before Remy came back home, which is ridiculous. That man knows how to work, but he’s irresponsible. He’d have run everything right into the ground.“Look, I know you wanted it, but I’ve already got everything here and deliveries for feed set up. It made sense to merge.”
No one says anything, so I try again to talk to my friend with a weak smile now that I’m feeling unsure about this reunion.
Looking Remy directly in the eyes, I drop my chin. “That was always the plan.” Heknowsthis was the plan, and I wait for him to acknowledge it. When he doesn’t and only grinds his jaw, I attempt to change the subject once more. “Who’s that?” I ask, pointing at the woman still holding her phone in front of her face.
“Don’t worry about who that is,” Wilder bites out. It’s the first time I’ve heard his voice in a few years and hearing it in person makes me shudder. It’s more gravely and lower than when he was nineteen.
“Wild,” I breathe out, taking a step in his direction. When he steps back, I halt again. Looking next to him at Clyde, I ask, “Billy?” Clyde’s shoulders come up to his ears and he looks to the ground without answering me.
“You fucked up, Betsy,” Remy bites out.
Thatmakes me laugh, which was the wrong reaction, apparently, if his noisy inhale is anything to go by. But honest to God, how in the world didIfuck up? I simply did what his parents begged me to doforhim. “You’ve got it all wrong, my friend. I only—”
He cuts me offagain. “Do you or do you not own the Landry farm right now?Myfarm?”
“Yes, I do! And if you’d stop interrupting me like a horse’s ass for two fuckin’ seconds, I can—” My temper snaps when he screams.
“SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!” His chest is heaving as he points at me. “Youfucked. UP!It was the wrong move and I’ll be taking it back just as soon as I can.”
I can feel fire licking against my skin as a deep flush invades my face, blood pulsing through me. In a low voice, I snap back. “Just cut me a check and it’s yours, you jackass!” Turning my back on him, and the rest of them, I drag Zeus behind me toward the stable.
“Did you move all my dad’s cattle over here?” he calls out.
Without stopping, I yell back, “Sure did! You’re welcome!”
I can hear his steps following me, so I pick up my pace. “Did you fill our land with solar panels?”
“Clearly. Your mom is certainly loving the break on her electric bill every month when the town buys that power back, too.” Lucy catches up to me and leans her body into the side of my thigh. “Hey, baby,” I whisper with a pat to her head. She and I keep walking to the barn, Zeus keeping pace. Normally he’s a bit of a pain, but thankfully today, he’s being agreeable. Unlike his owner.
“And our horses? You took them too?” At that question, I spin around, dropping the reins and march right up to him. Ialmostforgot how tall he was when I’m six inches from his body and my head tilts back to stare up into his face.
The smell of him washes over me and I’m slammed with memories of riding doubles in the summers and jumping on his back to let him carry me wherever I led him with a pointed finger. “Yeah, I got them all. I’ll send you a bill ‘cuz I’ve been carryin’ that burden for the better part of five fuckin’ years. You’re more than welcome to take him.Afteryou close out his boarding bill. And let me tell you, Remington Landry,” I say, jabbing him in the chest. I ignore the way his muscles don’t give under the pressure of my finger. “He’sexpensive.”
“See what I’m saying, boys? She’s completely lost it. Money has gone straight to her head!” Murphy calls out, and I fucking seethe.
Stepping around Remy, I point at him next. “Youare fucking fired. I don’t wanna see you back on my land.”
“Now wait a fuckin’ minute!” he cries before Wilder cuts in.
“You’re firing my uncle now?” Wilder shouts. “Since when did you become such a cold-heartedbitch?This isn’t the Country we know!”
Fuming, I lose all sense of reason and throw my hands out to the side. “A cold-hearted bitch, huh? After everythin’ I’ve done for you guys?Wow!Good to know I’ve fallen so far in your eyes. Lemme tell you somethin’, Wilder. I’ve been busting my ass to keep everythin’ runnin’ foryourfamily as well as his.” I use my thumb to point at Remy. “You’re the ones who took off and disappeared for a better life than Ridges could give you, leavin’mebehind to clean up the horse shit.”
Clyde has still kept quiet, but I don’t care at this point. The woman with them starts giggling and I whirl on her. “Who the fuckareyou? Get that goddamn phone down.”
I swear to God, I’m going to have a breakdown. After getting only a few hours of sleep, I’m exhausted, both mentally and physically. Today was not the day for a war I didn’t know I was fighting and one that I had no idea I was even in.
