Page 5 of Untamed

And then she’s off to grab Teddy from reception. I have no clue what’s going on with her, but I’m definitely going to make sure my phone is on me for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

Pulling up to the ranch will never get old. It’s gorgeous out here, the main house welcoming you in like an old friend. Rhett’s kids are running around in the front yard, barefoot with the sprinkler going. They squeal in laughter while Katherine watches them from a rocker on the front porch. She waves at me as I step out of my Jeep.

“Hi, sweet girl!” she calls out. “Wells is waitin’ for you in the barn!”

“Thanks, Katherine!” I look around, waiting for Hayes to jump out of the bushes. I know he’s got to be lurking around here somewhere. I’m sure no matter how hard everyone has tried to respect my wishes, someone has let it slip that I’m going to be here today.

“Yeah, he knows,” she says, at least looking a little ashamed of herself. “I don’t know who told him — they’re all pleading the fifth. But if I had to guess, I’d blame Clyde.”

“Don’t pin that on me, woman!” I hear Clyde shout from inside. I bite my cheek to keep from laughing. Katherine just shrugs and smiles, leaning her head back and closing her eyes as a breeze blows over the front lawn.

God, it’s gorgeous here. They have the perfect piece of land. The mountains sit as a gorgeous backdrop to the fields and old trees. There’s even a creek that runs through the back of the property that I may or may not have skinny-dipped in a few times in my youth.

I take a deep breath, taking in the sounds of home, and then stalk off in the direction of the barn. I am hoping and praying the entire way that Hayes is not sittin’ inside that barn when I get in there. I still have flashbacks to the last time I saw him, before Poppy’s party, when he was so drunk he could barely stand up. He threw up on the drive back and mumbled some things I think would make him die of embarrassment if he heard it repeated back.

And I still don’t think he knows about that night — when the whole world was collapsing in on him, and I found out too late. His dad had to carry him upstairs, and I cried the entire drive home.

It’s almost enough to make the drama that happened between us seem…insignificant. Like maybe I should get over it and get over myself and just be friends with him again. Maybe I just need to suck it up and be there for him like I wasn’t able to be when he needed it.

But then I remember the way he screamed at me at high school graduation, and I change my mind.

“Hey, friend!” Poppy calls out when she sees me. “I was just thinking it was about time for you to get here. How was work?”

“It was good.” I shrug. “A bit slow today. But knowing I was coming out here to see my girl, Betty, made it go faster.”

“I gave her a bath this morning,” she tells me, walking by my side as we slowly approach Betty’s little room. “She hated it, but she smells like oatmeal now.”

“Hi there, baby girl!” My voice is high-pitched and happy, trying to assure her that I’m only there to love on her. That whip of a tail slowly moves back and forth while her ears are tucked back against her head.

“She wants to be excited so bad.” Poppy’s voice is a bit sad. “But she’s still hesitant.”

“We’ll work on it,” I assure her. “I’m not going to give up on her. I promise.”

She nods and opens the door, and I sit down on the cool concrete, my legs stretched out in front of me to block her exit.

“Care if I sit with you for a bit? Wells is off making some calls about getting in some new pups, so I may as well take advantage of him being gone and chill.”

I laugh. “Of course not. But I don’t think I would be scared of Wells getting upset with you sitting down if I were you.”

“Psh.” She sits down slowly and leans against the wall. “I’m not afraid of him, just don’t want anyone to feel like I’m slacking off now that I’m boning the boss.”

I snort, and Betty’s ears instinctively raise up.

“What?” Poppy’s face is a picture of mock innocence. She’s trying her hardest not to laugh. “I am.”

“Gross.” I make a face at her. “I grew up with these boys. Rhett is practically my brother. They all are.” Liar. “I don’t want to hear about his sex life.”

“Me either.” Hayes pops in out of nowhere, and I can feel my body physically react to his presence. It’s a strange mixture of desire and anger.

I sigh.

“Hi, Hayes.”

“Hey there, darlin’.”

His grin is wide as he saunters his way over to us, the guitar pick rolling between his lips. I used to watch his tongue flick and twist that thing all the time back in high school, fascinated with the way his mouth moved.

---