Page 2 of Untamed

“So why not just send her money from Bozeman?”

I sigh. “I wasn’t making enough. I was barely making enough to support myself there. I had to come home.”

Spilling my guts to him feels familiar and gives me a small sense of relief. I don’t want it to, but it does. There will always be a piece of me that feels comforted by him.

“I’m sorry, River. That has to be tough. I know you had big dreams.”

My big dreams involved him and only him. He was all I wanted. Anything else was just a happy bonus. I would’ve stayed here and lived a peaceful life on the ranch. I love this place. It wouldn’t have been a hardship to live this life with him.

“I don’t need your sympathy, Hayes. I just need you to leave me alone. Please.”

“I’m sorry that bein’ around me is such a pain for you, darlin’.”

I can feel my entire body flush red with anger. And I’m really about to give him a piece of my mind when he opens his stupid mouth again, crushing me all over again.

“Most women don’t find it so difficult.”

Breathing deeply, I close my eyes for a moment, smiling even though I feel anything but happy at this moment. He’s winding me up on purpose, and I refuse to feed into this game he’s playing. I lick my lips and then look back up at him.

“Alright, Hayes. We get it.” I pick my plate up and add one more scoop of grapes. “You’re a fuckboy, and you have women throwing themselves all over you. So go get one of them to give you the attention you crave. I am not going to be that person for you anymore.”

I pop a grape in my mouth and then walk away, leaving him to stand there alone like the asshole he is. Looking over to where Poppy was when I left her, I see her cuddled up to Rhett while his kids eat their plates of food that I helped them pile high with sweets. I am definitely not interrupting that little moment.

So instead, I go over to Wells. He greets me with his warm, signature smile and wraps an arm around my shoulders, shaking me lightly as he hugs me.

“Hayes botherin’ you?”

I laugh, chewing on another grape. The marshmallow cream and brown sugar combination makes my teeth hurt in the best way.

“When isn’t he bothering me?”

I refuse to look back at him, but Wells doesn’t. Wells looks over my shoulder, grinning, and then fucking winks at him. These men. They’ve always known how to pester the shit out of each other, pushing buttons until they’re fighting with their fists in the backyard. Clyde had to break them up once when Hayes pissed Rhett off so badly he left Hayes with a broken nose and a bloody lip.

“Don’t start,” I tell him, a warning tone to my voice.

“What?” He looks down at me, smiling wide with falsely innocent eyes.

“Don’t ‘what’ me, Wells Black. I know how y’all work. Leave it be.”

He kisses the side of my head, and I fight the urge to look at Hayes for the rest of the night.

“What time is River comin’ over today?”

Everyone in the kitchen goes quiet. Never knew it was so easy to get my family to shut up. I’ll have to mention her name more often.

“I know one of y’all knows.” I pointedly look from Wells to Rhett to my pops. Momma already went over to Rhett’s house to take care of the kids, and I know I would be able to get an answer from her.

“I’m sure Poppy knows,” Wells says, grinning into his coffee cup.

“Don’t get my woman involved,” Rhett all but growls. “And we have a lot of work to do today. I can’t have you runnin’ off to pester River all day.”

“Where’s Poppy?” I ask, ignoring Rhett’s grumpy mood.

“Getting things up and running over in the rescue barn. It’s her turn to start early.” Wells finishes the rest of his coffee and sets it upside down on the top shelf of the dishwasher. “But I should really get over there and start helpin’.”

Rhett grunts.

“What time is River coming?” I try again, but both Rhett and Wells leave me hanging, walking out of the house without another word.

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