“There’s plenty of it at the ranch.” Rogue grins at him over his shoulder. “Specifically, at the wedding brunch meet and greet. We’ll be there soon.”
14
Summer
Leaning on the railing of my family’s homestead, I rest a hand on my belly while I read Rebel’s message. Riot and Kelsey landed safely, and they’re all on their way back to the ranch.
I wonder what they’ll think of my expanding midsection. From what I’ve read, first pregnancies rarely show this early, unless the mother-to-be is carrying more than one baby.
Mine started swelling around the six-week mark.
Thankfully, a scan allayed my fears of it being triplets, although it confirmed that we’re having twins. Whether they’re boys or girls we’re not sure yet, but after we found out we both came to the same conclusion. We’re naming one of them Marty.
The ache inside me makes my chest tight. I miss my friend every day. We didn’t know each other long, but I admired her. Especially how far she would go for the truth. And for those she cared for.
She should be here. Writing up an exclusive on the wedding every entertainment site is trying to get the inside scoop on, then letting loose on the dance floor long into the night while we celebrate Rogue and Ivy. It’s hard to believe she’s gone.
A few yards away, the florist shuts the doors on her purple van, making the words painted in white on the side of it fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.Violet’s Flowers.She pauses there for a long moment with her hand wrapped around the handle and her hair hanging over her pretty, but heavily made-up face.
I couldn’t see the bruise on her cheek when she first jumped out of the van and started unloading the tea roses for this morning’s brunch. It wasn’t until Storm noticed when he helped her set up, that I realized something wasn’t right.
The scowl that had crossed his face and hung there as he pushed her hair away from her face said a lot about what he thought.
This town... Devil’s Bend. It’s full of shitty assholes.
I hate coming back here, but how could I say no when Rogue and Ivy asked if they could get married here?
Jett waves to me as he leads an escaped goat across the lawn toward the paddock. “Stains, come on, you giant pain in the ass. Come, Stains.”
The big black and white goat has always been more of an escape artist and troublemaker than the rest of the herd. Always getting out of his fenced yard, stealing laundry, and eating the bushes along the driveway.
Jett stops to say hello to the florist before she climbs into her van. He’s all smiles, but as his fingers brush her hair away from her cheek, it quickly fades. His shoulders stiffen as he drops his hand to his side, and she scurries in behind the wheel.
That will be interesting for her. Having two of my brothers sweet on her.
He shuts her door and she drives away, bumping down the driveway and out of sight.
I take a long, deep breath and hold it in my lungs until it soaks into every cell. Despite my hesitancy about coming back to Devil’s Bend, I really did miss the ranch. The sweetness of the air. The quietness. How bright the stars burn at night. All six of my brothers. Though they’d have more luck putting a scorpion down my pants than forcing me into admitting that.
Coming home stirs up emotions I don’t miss. That’s why I kept postponing a trip. Knowing how close we are to a town full of people who called me a liar and a slut. Where the boys who assaulted me got to go on with their lives as though they didn’t cause the trauma that I’ve lived with.
God, no, I don’t miss Devil’s Bend. I could never step foot in town again and be happier for it. But the ranch will always be my home.
Despite the many changes my brothers have made around here in the last couple of years. They built cabins in what used to be one of the pastures, creating a picturesque place for tourists to rest and experience ranch life.
And they’ve gone above and beyond for the wedding. The homestead is picture perfect. The cabins have been fitted with every convenience for the guests who started arriving early this morning.
Burke brought the old, rusted Chevy pickup I learned to drive in closer to the barn. He lined the bed so that we can fill it with ice and drinks. Then he and my nephew decorated it with potted flowers and foliage.
Kale and Jett strung firefly lights from the trees, and Owen and Storm set up white iron tables and chairs for the brunch.
Adira appointed Henry his number one helper when he first arrived. My youngest brother has been tripping all over himself doing whatever the drag queen needs.
Ivy’s queen of honor stands proudly in the middle of the scene. A champagne flute already in hand, he rocks a delicate cream silk pantsuit while ordering the catering crew around like it’s another day at Mojito Bar.
A breakfast buffet is currently underway, along with a mimosa station. An orange juice station for those of us who can’t drink.
Ivy slips out onto the porch with her phone in her hand. Transfixed by whatever’s on the screen, she doesn’t notice me.
