Page 29 of Trails of Temptation

“Because you’re busy living out your dream. I figured I’d see you when I got back to Montana.”

“Let me know when you’re settled and I’ll be over,” I said, licking dry lips.

“Is everything all right with you? I know you said you were sick—”

I looked up to see Grant walking my way and sighed heavily into the phone, “I’m fine, really. I have to get back to work but I’ll call you tonight.”

I told her I loved her and hung up, my shoulders sagging just as Grant closed in on me. He looked down at me, rocking on his heels for a moment before he sighed and said, “Grant. You’re my friend, all right? I don’t like seeing you like this and I want you to know you talk to me about whatever’s going on with you. I told you that last night, but you were far gone, man. What the hell is up with you?”

I leaned my head back against the wall and exhaled.

“You want to talk man to man, or boss to employee?” Grant continued, looking more than peeved about it. “You’re drunk on the job right now, George.”

“It’s Keely,” I said firmly, running my hands over my face. “I can’t do this, Grant.”

“This is about Pete, isn’t it?”

I rolled my lip between my teeth, shaking my head. Grant leaned against the wall and slid down until he was seated next to me. He let out a breath, looking over at me with a look of pure compassion in his eyes.

“Pete’s a real motherfucker, George. I know you’re friends, and I’m doing my best to be his friend too, but damn, George. What the hell is that guys problem?”

“He loves Keely,” I replied, swallowing thickly. I reached for the thermos of coffee I’d packed and drank deeply for a moment, ignoring the burn. “He’s all she’s got. Two summers ago, when she was last in town, I watched him beat the shit out of a guy who slapped her ass at the bar while she was waitressing. No one says a goddamn thing about it—his rage. He got that from his dad.”

“You’ve done more than slap her ass at this point, I reckon.”

“Goddammit,” I hissed leaning my forehead against my thermos. “I can’t get between them.”

“You’re scared of Pete—”

“I could kill him,” I cut in, laughing despite the seriousness of the conversation. “Pete is scrappy but I have a few years on him. I’ve fought for my life while he’s only roughed up locals who got in his face, or touched his sister. That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what is the problem?”

“I… I want her,” I said, even though the word love was on the tip of my tongue. “I knew that for sure a few summers ago. For the first time since my wife died, I saw a real future. A wife. Kids. A full, loud house. Summers spent teaching our kids to ride horses and having picnics in the pasture. I saw myself having someone to wake up to every morning. I’d given up on that. But Keely… If we went for it… If anything were to happen between us? She’d be alone. Pete would never forgive either of us. Me telling her the truth and acting on these… these feelings I have for her would be stripping her of her relationship with Pete. I don’t give a fuck how he feels about me being with his sister. But I do care about how he’ll treat her if we’re together.”

Grant was silent for a moment. He looked out into the pasture where some of the ranch hands were working on the fences, their bodies distorted by the tall grasses.

“Moira had no one, you know. She had no one, and she was taking care of Day all by herself.”

“I know.”

“Keely’s a lot like Moira. Stubborn as hell. I don’t know Pete and Keely as well as you do but I know for a fact she’s been digging in her heels and fighting for her independence her entire life. She can’t have that with Pete, but she can have that with you. Do you know what I mean?”

“Kind of,” I admit, but in reality, my head was throbbing again and the meager breakfast I’d had was threating to come up again.

“Do you love her?”

“Grant, I don’t know—”

“Well, you gotta figure that out, because if you don’t, you’re asking for trouble. If you do—” He rose to his feet, dusting off his jeans. “You’re going to regret not being open with her about how you feel for your entire life. I almost lost my wife in more ways than one. I almost pushed her away in the beginning. I can’t imagine my life without her now. I’d be living with the same regret you’re currently feeling and that’s enough to break a man beyond repair.”

He looked down at me and then at my tools, sighing. “I want you to take the rest of the day off.”

“I need to do something with myself—”

“You look and feel like shit. Your hand is bleeding again and I’m not driving you down to the clinic to get a tetanus shot today,” he said with a hint of a smile. “Take the day.”

“I can’t.” I couldn’t because I’d go drink at the bunkhouse. I needed to move, to keep my mind busy.

---