He turned around, heading for the door, his eyes fixed dead ahead. There wasn’t the same tension in his shoulders that I was used to when I teased him. This was pure anger. Clearly, I’d made a mistake and a big one. I watched him disappear into the sunlight as I stood there, trying to figure out what I could possibly do to make it better.
Up until that moment I thought I knew what kind of man I was dealing with. But now I wasn’t so sure. He wasn’t dangerous, I wasn’t worried about that. He was more like a junkyard dog that had only known starvation and pain his entire life, and that didn’t trust anything or anyone.
And honestly? I couldn’t blame him for that. Not after what I’d just heard. However, I wasn’t usually the type to let thatsort of thing get to me. But there was something about Connor, something beyond the games and the flirtation that made me want to get closer to him.
I just wished I understood what the hell it was.
Chapter 7
Connor
“You comin’ out to the bonfire this weekend, Con?” Joey asked as we sat around in our bunks after another long day on the ranch. “Might be nice to get the hell out of here for a minute. I’m so sick of cows I could spit.”
“Larry say it’s okay?” I replied, convinced the answer would be no.
“Hell yeah, he said it’s fine,” Joey nodded. Then he looked at the other guys, a mischievous grin on his lips. “He just said to make sure we don’t let Pete know.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So, it’s not exactly sanctioned then.”
“More like... overlooked,” Greg chimed in from his bunk where he was flipping through an old issue of Field & Stream. “Larry knows we need to blow off steam, but Pete’s got that whole ‘no fun allowed’ policy.”
“It’s just a little bonfire down by the creek,” Kyle explained, sitting up and leaning forward eagerly. “Some of the Nelson Ranch hands set it up. They do it once a month. Beer, music, normal shit that normal people do.”
“Normal shit,” I repeated, the words feeling strange in my mouth. Normal wasn’t something I’d experienced in a long time.
“Yeah, and Evelyn makes these chocolate chip cookies that’ll make you weep,” Darius added. “Worth going just for those.”
Sam, who’d been quiet until now, perked up. “You think there’ll be girls there?” His voice cracked slightly on the last word, reminding me how young he really was.
“Jesus, Sam,” Joey laughed. “Is that all you think about?”
“It’s been years!” Sam protested, his face flushing red. “Three years in juvie, then straight to prison when I turned eighteen. I haven’t touched a woman since I was sixteen.”
I winced internally. The kid didn’t need to explain himself to us. We all understood deprivation all too well.
“There might be some local girls,” Kyle said kindly. “But don’t get your hopes up too high. This ain’t exactly a singles mixer.”
“I’m just saying,” Sam mumbled, picking at a loose thread on his blanket. “Would be nice to talk to someone who isn’t... you know... us.”
I understood that feeling all too well. Seven years was a long time to be surrounded by nothing but men in gray jumpsuits and guards with bad attitudes. The thought of a normal social gathering was both appealing and terrifying.
“So, what do you say, Con?” Joey pressed. “You in?”
I hesitated, weighing my options. On one hand, I’d been keeping my head down, avoiding trouble, doing everything by the book. Going to an unauthorized party didn’t seem like the wisest choice. On the other hand, the thought of sitting in this bunkhouse for another weekend while everyone else was out having fun made me feel like an absolute boob.
“Is Ryder gonna be there?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.
The guys exchanged knowing looks that made heat rise to my face.
“Why?” Greg asked, a sly smile spreading across his weathered face. “You two got something going on we should know about?”
“Hell no,” I shot back too quickly. “Just trying to avoid him, that’s all. Kid’s been a pain in my ass since day one.”
“Sure,” Joey drawled, clearly not buying it. “That’s why he follows you around like a lost puppy.”
“Well, I can’t exactly tell him to fuck off, can I?” I huffed. “Believe me, I want him to leave me alone.”
“You know we don’t care, right?” Darius added, glancing up at me. “That you like guys or whatever.”
