Kyle is a good guy and one of my closest friends. He treats Abigail well and raises my niece and nephew with good morals.
That’s all I can ask for as a brother.
“Man, I remember making our parents work for it. Mom used to tell me not to corrupt Abbi, but there was no use in stopping that. The girl was more vicious than me.”
Abigail gasps. “I’ll have you know, I learned everything I know from you, big brother.” She furrows her brows. “Your example was less than stellar.”
“I have no idea what you're talking about…”
She tosses a graham cracker at me while Stella handsme her marshmallow to build her s’more. “You had girls crawling through your bedroom window at thirteen. Don’t play innocent with me, Stetson Rollins Cole.”
“Shit,” I exhale.
“She just called you out, bro,” Kyle contributes, falling into a fit of laughter.
“She sure did,” Abigail says, looking overly excited to roast her brother. “Good thing for me, I got it all out of my system before I met Kyle.” She reaches for Kyle’s hand, and he pulls it to his lips for a kiss.
“Let’s keep it PG, lovebirds. There’s children around,” I tease.
“You know…” Abigail draws out, and I’m smart enough to predict where this is going. “You could have this, too, if you opened yourself up a bit more.”
Yep. That’ll do it.
Our pops died ten years ago next month, Mom following him to the other side shortly after. To say their deaths were hard on me and Abigail would be an understatement.
They were a living, breathing example of what true love looks like. In the most real and raw form. My pops was not only dedicated to ranching but also adored my mom for everything she was. He never put anything before her, and that’s exactly the way it should be.
She came first, then us, then the ranch.
But fuck. Life without them? It feels cruel.
Every single day of my existence, I question whether I make them proud or not. Am I honoring their life in a way that they’d appreciate? That’s what matters to me.
Guess it doesn’t make anything easier when I’m doing it all on my own. Abigail has Kyle and the kids.
All I have is a successful ranch—which I’m eternally grateful for—a shit ton of animals, including Mustard, ahealthy bank account, and an empty spot beside me on my king-sized bed every night.
Again, wealth means nothing without internal happiness.
You can’t buy a life partner, no matter how much easier that would be.
“You don’t think I’ve tried, Abbi? When women meet me, all they see is dollar signs. Not who I am. And I feel like a little bitch even saying that. I’m too old to hunt women down and exhaust myself searching for the right one.”
“Says who? God, Stet. You’ve got more game than any guy I know,” she says, turning toward Kyle and apologizing in laughter. “You have so much to offer. What happened with that Jules woman? She seemed…friendly.” The hesitation in her voice can’t be missed.
“Friendly?” I stare at her blankly. “You really want me to tell you what Jules was around for? Let’s just say, we started out wanting the same thing.”
“Then she got clingy and pushy,” Kyle mutters, attempting to understand my drift.
More like too materialistic to keep up with.
“Not gonna lie, I caught her snooping through the papers on your desk last week. I called her out for it and swear she went pale as a ghost,” Abigail informs. “I’ve never gotten good vibes from her. She wants one thing and one thing only.”
Fucking hell. I knew she was disingenuous, but shit. That’s low.
“I’ve met women like her. She’s a gold digger,” Kyle deadpans.
I sigh, hating that I even have to waste my energy on this conversation. “I won’t lie and say that’s the first time she’s been caught, either. Hence, why I’m trying to make itabundantly clear that we’re done. I just can’t figure out why it’s so difficult to meet a decent woman. I fucking hate it, but I’m determined to be picky. I won’t compromise on finding agoodwoman just because I feel like my time is running out. And I mean, actually good-hearted. Not just one who can suck cock like a champ.”
