“What's the horse's name?” I asked.
“S’more.” Ella, the youngest of the sisters replied as I saw Casey rushing towards us. “We don't know what spooked him, he’s usually really good.”
I slowly walked up to the horse, he was a little scared, but I pulled his harness and walked him to the barn.
“Thank you,” Ella said, coming behind me. “I’ll get him sorted.”
I nodded before heading back, seeing Casey and Weston bring out the stretcher. If she got thrown off, she might have some broken ribs.
“Mrs. Robbins, I need you to calm down,” Bailey said. “You can follow Weston and me in the ambulance. We will take her to Monroe.”
Mrs. Robbins cried a little hysterically.
“She’s going to be fine, nothing life threatening,” Casey said, as we walked to the ambulance.
“Mom, come on,” the other sister said. I think her name was Riley.
Once they got Lulu loaded up, Casey and I took the fire truck back to the fire station. It was times like these, I hoped we didn’t get a call. It was terrible when there wereonly two of us. Joey ended up coming in a little early and I was off the clock before Weston and Bailey got back. It sucked that we didn't have a big hospital closer to us, but at least we had one, and it was a level 1 trauma hospital.
I hopped into my truck, getting ready to head home, but decided to head over to my brother’s house. It was always busy there with his two boyfriends, his girlfriend and her daughter. Lately being home alone hadn’t been so appealing. If I stayed busy then that meant I had an excuse, and I didn’t have to lie. I rubbed my chest as the familiar ache hit me and I hated it. I hated myself, but I didn't know how to fix it.
I was in love with my best friend, Sam Webber.
I had been in dumb love for almost ten years and every year I fell deeper and deeper. I was fucking pathetic, except when he needed me I bailed and when he called me out on it, I was an asshole to him. I made it about my family and how he couldn’t respect my family and I was a real fucking asshole. God, I missed him. We talked every day, but now I had created this space between us. A part of me was grateful for the space, but a part of me was dying. This felt worse than being in love with him.
My brother's house came into view as I sighed. I tucked away all my emotions into a small box because if I didn’t, my brotherwould know something was wrong, and he already knew there was. He had been hounding me since his girlfriend's daughter's birthday when I didn’t show up, and my best friend had been here waiting for me. I took a double shift and thankfully, I had been busy.
I got out of my car, seeing my sister and my brother’s girlfriend and boyfriend on the porch swing. They were all staring out into the distance and as I walked up to them, I saw what had captured their attention.
The new ranch hand Forest was chopping wood, shirtless.
Son of a bitch.
This man should have been illegal, sporting that tan with those muscles and that deep V. Those cum gutters. I tried to keep the shiver down that threatened to escape.
“Hello, brother.”
My sister, Iris, snapped me out of my stupor. She grinned at me. I rolled my eyes.
“Good afternoon,” I said, walking up to them.
“Back atcha,” Atlas said, never taking his eyes off Forest.
“Hey,” Nova said, getting up to hug me. “Just in time for the show.”
I chuckled. “Better get your fill before Colt or Theo comes back.”
“Take a load off, brother,” Iris said, patting the seat next to me. “Enjoy the show.”
“Poor Forest,” I said, sitting down, getting a glimpse of him again because how could you not.
He was a gorgeous man. Tanned skin, dark hair, five-o’clock shadow, chocolate eyes and a sharp jaw. I thought I had a type, which looked like my best friend, but Forest was the complete opposite.
“He likes it, why cut wood here when he could do it behind the stables,” Atlas said, raising his brow.
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” I chuckled. “Forest has no problem being sexualized.”
“Thank god.” Iris fanned herself. “Sweet tea, Jude?”
