Page 52 of Untamed

“Oh, sweet girl,” Poppy says, her eyes going watery as she kisses Jolene on the forehead. “I’m having the best day ever now that you’re in my arms.”

I’ve spent the entire week with River, hiding away in the rescue barn for the hours she’s here. And then if she’s working, I go to the bar and sit on a stool at the end of the line, watching to make sure no one gets too comfortable with her. I’m fine with her being sweet enough to make tips, but the second one of them decides to take it a step further, maybe touch her in some way, I will pounce.

So far, it’s been okay. But I’m watching them.

And then at night, she hops in my truck or follows me back to the ranch in her Jeep, and we spend the night together. She hasn’t been back at her mom’s house since last weekend, and everything in my house smells like her now. My T-shirts she wears to bed, my sheets, my couch. Hell, I can smell her sweet honeysuckle scent even just walking into the house after she’s been there.

I never want her to leave. I keep tryin’ to get the nerve up to ask her to move in, but Wells and Rhett have both told me to slow the fuck down. I’m jumping into everything too quickly, they say. But they don’t feel what I feel for River. They don’t have our past. I know River, and I know I want to be with her.

Getting her out of that house with her mother is high on my list. When she moved back, she went straight to living with her mom so she could help pay the bills and get the creditors off her mom’s back. But she needs her own space. She’s a grown-ass woman and deserves to have a quiet place to come home to every night, where there isn’t a mother ready to yell at her for god knows what.

River’s dad died when she and her sister, Janie, were young. He was coming home late from a work thing, and a drunk driver hit him almost head-on as he was winding through the back roads. I remember River calling us that morning, telling Momma and Pops what happened and her asking them if they could come get her. Her mom was a wreck and didn’t want to even look at her kids, let alone help them process the grief.

Janie had gone to a friend’s house, and when Momma and I pulled up to get River, she ran out, hiccoughing back tears as she threw herself into Momma’s arms. I’ve never seen someone so devastated, so just absolutely wrecked. I was young, but I could tell a part of River died that day with her dad. She was sad for so, so long. I even catch glimpses of it sometimes to this day.

And I don’t know why her momma blames the kids for his death, but she does — always has.

That’s why River always spent so much time over here with us. She needed parental figures who could give her love and who were willing to take her in when shit got too rough. There were many times in high school that River would come over, her face streaked red from crying, and ask to sleep over with Addie.

“How’re things at your momma’s?” I ask her. We’re sitting in the rescue barn, playing and loving on Betty this afternoon.

She shrugs.

“About the same as always. Mom is drunk and angry. A ghost, really. I keep trying to tell her she’s going to kill herself, but she doesn’t care.” River’s eyes are sad when she looks up at me. “She just wants to be with Daddy.”

“No excuse for treating you like she does.”

“I know.” She sighs and leans her head back on the wall. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t love her. She’s my mom, and before Daddy died, I have a few great memories with her. I can’t just turn that off, and I can’t let her lose everything and wind up homeless or something.”

I understand that. God, we all feel the same way about Dean. No matter how many times Dean fell off the wagon or came home angry and drunk, we picked him up and loved him through it. Even when Pops kicked him out, it was out of love, trying to knock some sense into his thick skull, set him right.

But how much guilt is River supposed to feel for the death of her father? How long can she be expected to endure that kind of hate from her momma?

“You’re always welcome at mine, you know.”

“I’ve been at your house every day this week, Hayes.” She grins. “I figured if you had an issue with it, you would’ve kicked me out by now.”

“I’m thinkin’ you should bring some stuff over. Toothbrush, some clothes…everything you own…”

She closes her eyes and shakes her head at me.

“Are you subtly trying to ask me to move in with you, Hayes Black?”

“Gross. No.” I scoff. “I don’t want your girly shit all up in my space. No.”

She laughs, and Betty gets excited, standing on River’s thighs as she tries to lick her face. Which just makes River laugh harder, and I’m just sitting here watching them both, loving how far they’ve come since Betty had her accident.

“I think you’re almost ready to take her home with you.”

“I was hoping to have my own place by the time she was ready,” River says once Betty has settled back down at our sides. “I’ve been looking, but Cane Creek does not have a lot of places for rent. And since you don’t want my girly shit all up in your space…”

I wink at her.

“Move in with me.”

“Hayes.” She sounds cautious, maybe a little exasperated by me. “It’s too early. And you know it’s too early.”

“Please.” I roll my eyes. “I’ve known you since we were kids.” And I love you.

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