Six…God, I fucking hate him. No, focus. Seven…eight….nine…ten.
I spoke directly to him. “You may own my family’s ranch, but I won’t let you sell that bull.” He looked at me with no emotion. “I don’t care what anyone says, you have no right.” I turned and walked away.
“Your daddy left the ranch in my care, Lucille.” I stopped at his words. “And I plan to do whatever it takes to keep it going, just as he wanted.” I listened as the sound of his steps grew closer and closer, until the feel of his breath danced along the back of my neck. “If selling that bull is what it takes to keep this place alive and well, then you better fucking believe I’m going to do it,” he whispered harshly.
“You can’t,” I argued.
He scoffed. “I will. And I’m going to get the best damn price I can. You left this life behind. So don’t worry your pretty little head about it. This ranch may be your home, but it’smyhome too. And I don’t plan to give it up anytime soon.”
My head tilted over my shoulder, and I looked up at him. “Why?”
Forsythe’s face hardened, as if fighting something back. “Because I gave him my word.”
Him? You mean…Dad?
“And I don’t give my word lightly. I plan to keep my promise. You can spit venom at me every minute of every day, but I suggest you save it, little viper, ‘cause it has no effect on me.” His breath glided along my skin, making it prickle. “And let me do my damn job.”
We’ll see about that.
Chapter Three
Lucille
“Knock knock!”I peeked my head through the hospital door, anxious as to what I was about to witness.
“Lucille? Is that you?” His voice told me I had the right room. I stepped into Boone’s hospital room and was shocked by how he looked. “Loulou! It is you!”
Wow, I haven’t heard that name in years. Guess it’s better than little Lucille.
“Mom said you’d be coming by. Ahh get your ass in here!” My brother waved me into the room. “What the heck is in your hands?” he asked playfully as I stepped further inside.
I raised the small terracotta pot, showing the dainty little cactus that sprouted from within. “Ta-da! I know it may not seem like much, but I figured you would like a little bit of home here to look at.” I placed the small plant on the window sill, taken aback by how grand his hospital room was.
How can they afford such a room? I thought Mom was having money problems?
“You brought me a cactus?” he teased, pulling my attention back to him.
My head fell a little as I fidgeted with my fingers. “It’s ridiculous, I know…I just?—”
“No, it’s not. Honestly, I’m more surprised that you actually dug one up to bring me instead of just buying flowers from the gift shop.” He exhaled a laugh. “I guess I figured all that time in the city would change you, but it doesn’t look that way to me.” He smiled. “Thanks, Loulou.” I tried to smile, but I was a bit uneasy being in the hospital. “Hey, you okay?”
Boone knew me too well. He could see the discomfort written across my face as if it were a tattoo branding my skin. “I’m okay.” I lied. He didn’t seem to buy it, but knew better than to push the subject.
I hesitated a bit before approaching his bedside. “You shouldn’t be worrying about me.” I carefully gripped his right hand, his only limb left uninjured. “You’re the one suffering and in pain. I mean, hell, look at you!”
Mom had written and told me he had a bad accident, but she never really went into any details. She simply said he was on a long path to recovery. And after speaking with his doctor, I now knew what her words meant. Broken limbs, hairline fractures, minor internal bleeding, a concussion, and worst of all…a spinal injury. He might look like hell sitting in this hospital bed, but Boone was lucky to be alive.
“Yeah, but it looks worse than it is.” He tried to laugh it off, but ended up throwing himself into a coughing fit. His face twisted while he tried to hide the pain he was experiencing, sending the machines and monitors around him into a frenzy. “Shit. Do I need to get a nurse?” I asked, jumping to my feet. “I can get someone to help.”
My brother grabbed my hand, stopping me. “No—I’m fine,” he wheezed. “I’m okay, I just—just need a minute.” He slowly returned to normal as the monitors calmed.
My eyes watched as my younger brother looked at me with those dark, droopy eyes. It had been so long since I last sawhim, and for the first time, I felt like I wasn’t looking at my little brother. I was looking at a grown man.
“You always were a shitty liar.” I scoffed before showing him a smile. Boone grinned back at me and shrugged softly. “Fine. I’ll stay, but Boone?” His eyes met mine. “Areyou okay? Mom never really went into any details about what happened or your injuries…she kind of left all ofthis”—I motioned to his body—“out of her letter.”
My brother made a face. “Yeah, she’s always been one to forget things.” He held my hand tight. “No bullshit, I wasn’t okay at first. I mean everything hurt like hell…still does. But, it is what it is. Doctors say I’m lucky to be alive. Reaper nearly killed me.” He paused. “Riding and competing are everything to me. They’re part of who I am. Who our dad was. And now...well, I have to figure out who I am without them.”
My heart ached at his heavy words. “Hey, don’t be so negative.” I cupped his hand with my other. “You’re going to heal and recover, and before you know it, you’ll be back up on that bull winning just like before. And your face will be painted right next to Dad’s on that old town sign.”
