Nash
The only decent gym in Cole County is in Carruthersville, and I hate it. It’s filled with all the types that I hate: the gym bros, the women who do nothing but cardio, the types that hog machines, chit-chatting while they catch up on life. But our county is full of small towns. No one has attempted to build a gym specifically for serious lifters or fitness enthusiasts.
I’d been on my way there when I stopped into the cafe for a chicken wrap and a shot of espresso. I’m exhausted from the constant travel and all the work I’ve been doing around Boulder.
It’s work I chose to do for two reasons. One: I get to see Betty every day. Most days, she doesn’t notice me, but I see her. She’s fucking radiant with her summer tan and those long chestnut waves. I can’t stop fucking looking at her or replaying the night we fought in my mind.
Two: I’ve known Tate and Gray since they were kids. Farming families stay close around here. They’ve had trouble hiring someextra help, so of course, I stepped in. I would do anything for those two. It aligned with my need to be here more anyhow.
The past two and a half months have been miserable. Ward seems to be there all the time. Apparently, he lives only a few counties over, so it’s not hard for him to come to her. The worst are the nights they go back to her place, and I can’t sit there and torture myself thinking about what they’re doing in her room at the Miller house.
She’s fucking everywhere. The ranch. In town. My head. Even at my parents’ house, dropping off lasagna her mother made for them for their damn anniversary.
I’d come into town to get a workout in today. I need to release my frustration. Not only have I been watching Betty canoodle with that super nice guy who actually deserves her attention, but she’s not the only reason I’ve been home more.
It was easy to pretend I just needed to spend more time with my parents. They’d told me they were healthy, minus the normal wear and tear of aging and ranch work. A little arthritis was nothing to write home about. I’ve already got a touch of it in my knees.
It turns out they lied. They didn’t want to bother me. My mother was born with a weak heart. She’d had surgery as a child, but there was never a guarantee it would last her a lifetime. Apparently, that lifetime is creeping toward the end.
At first, it only seemed like she didn’t have the same stamina she always did out in the fields, then she noticed it became increasingly difficult to catch her breath. She tried to play it off as getting old and out of shape. An excuse I’d called her on. My mother could throw hay bales and carry calves by herself. She’s put grown men to shame a time or two.
Spending every moment I could here was as much about my mother’s health as my growing obsession with Betty Hughes.
My chest aches as I watch Betty walk away, but I refuse to chase her. Too many times I’ve messed with her emotions. I want her. I crave her skin against mine, but I still can’t give her what she deserves.
This conversation isn’t done. I saw the way her eyes lit up, staring into mine. She still wants me. She gets one more chance to tell me to fuck off. If she can convince me that’s what she wants, then I’ll be forced to leave her alone. Forced to watch Ward or someone else give her everything I’m too chicken shit to step up and do.
For now, I’m going to go clear my head with iron and sweat.
The influx of tourists this time of year makes my skin crawl. Cole County has become a popular destination for people from around the world, particularly for its holiday events. They all want to experience the charm of small-town living, as romance movies often depict it. And they have it right. No one does a celebration like we do, but thanks to them, traffic sucks, crowds swarm the bars, and the rodeo events are packed more than usual.
Attractions like horseback riding lessons and petting the cows and goats become an everyday thing at the ranch. Something the Millers always allowed because their home and ranch were open to everyone. They are so much like the Hugheses, with huge hearts and open arms.
It’s been amazing seeing them again. Gary and Rhonda are just as warm and goofy as ever. Their new scenery has done nothing to change the people they’ve always been.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, drawing out my groan as I yank the device free. “What’s up?”
“You almost here?” Gray grunts into the phone. “Need to get started tagging the cattle.”
“Yeah, I just packed. Be there in a few.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” he sighs as if I just lifted a weight off his shoulders. Gray works harder than most, managing Boulder alongside Tate and keeping up with his own ranch, River keeps adding animals to.
I only chuckle in response before ending the call. Gray and I weren’t as close growing up, with him being the same age as Betty. The age difference was just enough to put us in different eras of life. It wasn’t until he started riding here regularly that I made a more concerted effort to get to know the kid. He had it tough, but he didn’t make it easier on himself. The number of times he picked a fight with his brother, Tate, when he could have just let it go, evens out with all the reasons he was justified in his frustration with their relationship.
It’s a relief to see that they’re good now. Running this place together and, from what I hear, even spending some quality time together. Family is important. Cherishing those relationships makes life worth living.
I snort to myself, knowing I don’t make enough of an effort with my sisters. They have their lives, and I have mine. I try harder than they do, but not to the point of inconvenience. We call on holidays and birthdays, send cards, and they even text me pictures of my nieces and nephews. But that’s where it ends.
A moment of enlightenment hits me as I saunter into the barn and catch Betty and Ward hugging as she laughs at whatever he says. I couldn’t figure out why I was so adamant about not lettingher go until now. Reflecting on family has me realizing that she has always been mine. And yes, that has changed now. She’s not a little girl who’s just a nerd obsessed with stars. She’s a grown woman, and this is more than physical attraction. It’s irrelevant if I want it to be.
Family doesn’t always mean blood. It’s the people who accept you for who you are and who want to be in your life despite the flaws. They’re the ones who choose to be by your side even when you don’t deserve their support. They give you their hearts even when you stomp on them because they love you.
Maybe I’m too late to claim Betty as mine, but I’m not done trying.
I watch her and Ward from the entryway for long, agonizing minutes before he pecks her mouth and disappears toward the back. Marching forward, my dominant side takes over. She wouldn’t talk to me yesterday, but she’s damn sure going to talk to me now. Snatching her hand, I drag her behind me, ignoring her protests.
Leading us in the opposite direction Ward practically skipped off to, I suck in several deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down. The moment we clear the corner, I spin her around, allowing her back to crash into the barn wall. She releases a tiny yelp, and my cock twitches, hoping she’ll make that sound when I sink inside her for the first time.
