“Thank God.”
“Grayson, listen.” I heard a door close, and Ryder continued, “Jessie’s scared. I try not to listen too much when she and Ellie talk, mostly because I can’t deal with the drama. I’ve got two little girls that will cause me enough as they get older. But Jessie has become like a little sister. She and Ellie are tight. Tighter than even Beck and Rachel were. So I hear things. What I’m trying to say is: don’t fucking hurt her. You’ve been playing with her for months, and whatever happened last night, and I’m not asking,” he added before I could interrupt, “but whatever it was, freaked her out. Jessie means a lot to me and to the club. Jingles took her on as a little sister, and I don’t need to remind you how he got his name.”
The threat hung in the air. I knew what it was. Ryder was doing what big brothers do. I felt bad for Addie when she finally found someone she was interested in. The five of us Powell men would put the guy through the wringer.
“Ryder, I appreciate you looking out for her. But I haven’t been playing with Jessie. I’ve known she was skittish from the moment I met her. I was trying to give her time to acclimate, but with the ranch and all the shit that’s been going on in town, it got away from me. I love her. I’ve loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her.”
“Then fucking tell her that.”
“So she can run? You know as well as I do that if I tell her I love her, she’ll leave town and never come back. I can’t take that chance.”
I ran my finger over a mark on the table. This table was almost as old as the ranch. Every other year we lightly sanded and refinished it. I wanted it to last through another three generations if I could. I wanted my own kids to sit and eat breakfast here.
If I could just get her to stay. I’d always been a patient man, but Jessie could try the patience of a saint.
“I’ll send her home.”
“No, let her have the night. I’ll come get her tomorrow at the store.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I need to be well rested for when I spank her ass, and knowing she’s safe and not running means I’ll be able to sleep.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks Ryder.”
He disconnected the phone, and when I looked up, Addie stood across from me. Her hands held onto the back of a chair, and her smile was the biggest I had ever seen.
“What?”
“You love her.” She sighed.
“Of course, I fucking love her. I just need her to love me back.”
“She does. She just doesn’t want you to know.”
“Addie, that doesn’t make any sense.”
My sister shrugged and walked back to the stove. “Love doesn’t always make sense. Sometimes you just have to trust it.”
We finished breakfast, and Addie helped me get outside. The damn ramp was my nemesis, but if the tingling that was getting worse was any indication, I wouldn’t need it forever.
“Morning, Grayson.”
“Morning, Carl. You my ride today?”
“I am.”
Carl held the chair while I hefted myself into the seat of the Gator. Then he folded it up with ease and tossed it onto the bed.
“You know your way around a chair pretty good, Carl.”
“My grandma was in a chair for most of my life. She was in a car accident and lost her legs.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I gazed out over the ranch as we rode, looking for any sign of my horse.
“Didn’t stop her none. Hasn’t stopped you none either.”
