“I’m okay,” I say, letting out a breath and nodding my head. “He was asking when I got off work, made comments about me not having a ring on my finger and how we could have fun. I told him he was making me uncomfortable and that he needed to stop.”
Remi shakes her head, her jaw clenching momentarily. “What a disgusting pig. If I don’t leave the same time you do, someone else will walk with you to your car. I don’t need him lurking around the parking lot, waiting.”
“I’ll be okay, Rem, I promise.”
“I’m not taking any chances,” she says, shaking her head at me. “People are too unpredictable and that man is exactly the reason why us girls have to stick together.”
Stepping back to the bar, I lean forward and grab his empty glass before setting it along with the other dirty dishes to go into the dishwasher. “I’m so glad I have you,” I say, turning back to her.
Remi grabs a rag and cleaner with a smile tugging on her lips. “Same, girl. Besties for the resties, remember?”
Warmth settles in my chest and I smile back at my best friend. “Always.”
Remi is one of the only people who has always been there for me, standing by my side, even when I tried to push her away. There aren’t many people I trust with my life or with my daughter, but Remi is someone I know will always make sure the two of us are safe.
And I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.
CHAPTER FOUR
COLE
The familiar smell of hay and leather infiltrates my senses as I step into the barn. Dust kicks up from the concrete floor and I glance down the aisle of stalls, looking for either of my brother’s. They aren’t expecting me here—hell, I wasn’t even expecting to be back home this early into my career, but it’s impossible to predict how your life will go.
I left Silverspur Springs eight years ago when I was eighteen and fresh out of high school. College was originally my plan, but only because I received a full ride scholarship for playing baseball. That plan was out the window when I ended up receiving an offer from the Titans halfway through my senior year of high school.
The offer meant leaving the only town I had ever known to move eighteen hours away to play the sport I revolved my entire life around.
I was living the dream. The dream I had always wanted… but that was only until the first time I injured my shoulder.
Movement from the stall to my left catches my attention and a dapple-grey horse lifts its head over the stall door, extending its neck as it blows out a breath. A smile drifts across my face and I step closer, recognition swelling in my chest. This stall wasDiesel’s when I left and I’m happy to see he’s still the one who’s occupying the space.
“Hey, old bud,” I murmur, rubbing my palm against the front of his head. He nuzzles his nose against the center of my stomach, pushing against me as I scratch at the whorl in the center of his face. “Why aren’t you out with the others?”
“Because someone figured out how to unlock the damn gate.”
A grin tugs on the corners of my lips and I whip my head to the side, finding my brother Cash walking into the barn. My hand falls away from Diesel’s head and I turn my body to face him. “Hey little brother,” I say, my grin widening.
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Cash steps over to me, pulling me in for a hug. “What the hell are you doing here?”
We break apart and I take a step back, shoving my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. “I did it. I retired.”
“You did?” Cash lifts his eyebrows. “Shit.” He lets out a low whistle, his eyebrows sinking. “I thought you were gonna try for another season?”
I slowly nod, pausing to chew on the inside of my cheek. “I don’t want to do anymore damage,” I admit, feeling the tightness in my shoulder as I shrug. “I had six good years in the league. I’m more than grateful for that.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” Cash says slowly, nodding his head in understanding before he turns to the tack room door across from Diesel’s stall. He walks over to it and I follow him inside. It looks like I remember, the walls lined with saddle racks and various bridles hanging. The far wall is lined with cabinets and a sink. “Hand me one of those bridles,” he says as he grabs a bucket and begins to fill it with water.
I reach over, grabbing the one he motioned to, noting the grime on the leather as my brother moves to sit down at the table in the center of the room with his bucket and rag. He squirtssome leather cleaner into the bucket and takes the bridle from me as I hand it to him.
“Anything else that needs to be cleaned?”
Cash points to one of the western saddles on the far side of the room. “I used that one this week.”
I walk over, pulling it from the rack and transferring it to one of the free standing saddle racks. Heading over to the counter, I find another rag and share the bucket with Cash as we both work the cleaner into the leather. The equipment typically gets wiped down after every use, then normally cleaned and deep conditioned once a week.
“I know it sucks that you had to retire earlier than you planned, but I’m glad you’re back,” he says softly, his blue green eyes shining at me. His gaze drops to my bad shoulder, his eyebrows pinching together before his gaze meets mine once more. “We missed having you home.”
Growing up, Cade, Cash and I always talked about running the family ranch together. We each had two years between us, Cade being the oldest, then me, and Cash being the baby of the family.
