“But Mama and Daddy are fightin’,” she repeated.
I placed my hands on her shoulders. “Ellie, please… if we don’t get the trailer hooked up Dad’s gonna bereallymad.”
She stared at me for a long moment, like she didn’t know what to do. I knew she didn’t understand what was going on. Why everything was the way it was. Istilldidn’t know why Dad was angry all the time. Didn’t know why he stayed when he threatened to leave at every turn. Most times, late at night, when I couldn’t sleep because my body hurt so bad, I hoped, wished, prayed he’d just leave. But then I’d wake up and he’d be sleeping in the recliner or passed out on the couch. And we’d just repeat the same cycle over and over. Day after day.
Ellie Mae finally wiped at her tears. “Okay, Maverick,” she squeaked before looking down at her faded pink unicorn. I needed to wash it again for her and sew up the hole she’d made from pulling on one of the strings. “Come on Wild Star, let’s go hook up the trailer!”
Present Day
Late June
My eyes shot open,my heart and mind a war of emotions. Twenty years and my brain still knew when to let those ugly memories surface and haunt me. But of all the days… I could have used a break today.
I glanced over to the clock on the nightstand. 3:46 AM. My alarm would go off in fourteen minutes. I blew out a slow breath. How much could I get done before it went off?
As I dressed, I tried shaking off the images from the dream. They lingered like cobwebs in the back of my mind. I wished I could forget. But some things you just couldn’t. They stuck with you forever. Like a tattoo.
Or an armful of burns.
I glanced down at my arms, my gaze scanning over the canyons and rivers of mottled, scarred flesh. They didn’t hurt anymore really, but every now and then phantom pain slithered up and down, reminiscent of the flames in the accident.
I shivered, shaking off the memory as I pulled a clean pair of jeans out of the bottom drawer and drew them on, tensing my toes against the starch that fought so valiantly to keep the legs pressed shut. I snatched a pair of black socks from the top drawer and a crisp, white tank from the middle. From the closet in my room, I selected a black, long-sleeved button-up shirt and shrugged it on, trying not to wrinkle it before sliding on my leather belt with the buckle I’d won in Nashville. My gaze settled on the plastic hat box tucked away on the corner shelf of the closet. I pulled it down and grabbed out my black felt cowboy hat. A little hum fell from my lips as I inspected it, brushing away some dust before setting it on my head.
I glanced at myself in the mirror leaning in the corner of my room by the armchair. Another hum of approval as I tugged on my sleeves before going to the chair and pulling on my work boots. Good, old-fashioned Ariat cowboy boots made for riding and working. Like me—they weren’t fancy, but they did the job.
I slapped theOFFbutton as the alarm finally caught up to me and strode out into the kitchen of my new home. The lights were still out at the barn. So, Cash hadn’t fed yet. Unsurprising.
He wouldn’t be up until I all but broke down the door and forced him out of bed. I’d deal with him later, right now I needed a minute for myself. A minute of peace without his loud, obnoxious ass chiming in on some bullshit.
Pressing theONbutton on the coffee maker, I moved to the front door and stepped out into the warm Texas darkness.
Chapter two
Before He Cheats
Cheyenne
You've gotta be kiddin'me.
Voices echoed in my trailer as I made my way towards the front door. Correction…moans. Yep, those were moans coming from my trailer, and they sure as hell weren’t mine.
Fury scorched through me, bubbling up from my stomach.
Really?
Nate had the audacity to sleep with someone inmytrailer. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’d known his reputation and been stupid enough to sleep with him anyways. We weren’t really official, but still…you’d think he’d at least have the decency to try and be discreet with his other lovers, instead of, you know, screwing them in my home.
I rolled my eyes as I paused under the awning. MyHowdy Y’allwreath looked a little sad, the hot Texas sun washing out the color of the bright, fake flowers I’d arranged around the wreath. The trailer still creaked and swayed, the god-awful melody of moans and grunts making me want to throw up.
I’d been gone for an hour. One damn hour and he’d been stupid enough to bring someone here. He deserved everybit of scorn I dredged up inside me, ready to unleash on him in just a moment. But catching him in the act, yelling at him, maybe even throwing out his things just didn’t seem like enough for this bullshit. No, this deserved something a bit more dramatic. And Daddy always said I got my attitude from my mama…who was a petty bitch.
Turning on my heel, I strode for my truck, Brandy, my red Australian Cattle Dog, right on my heels. At least I could depend onsomeone. She sat dutifully at my side as I rifled through my backseat. After a moment, I found what I was looking for. A sadistic smirk tugged on my mouth as I grabbed the cattle prod off the floor. With fire in my eyes and ice in my heart, I stomped back toward my trailer, those moans rising, rising, rising. I all but ripped the door open, cutting their little love making short.
Nate had some brunette bent over my kitchen table—eww,I’d have to deep clean literally every inch of this place now—as he plowed into her from behind. His horrified gaze met mine, all the desire dying in his eyes like embers fizzling out beneath a spray of water.
Good. Glad to know I’d ruined this moment for him. Just like he’d ruined my Saturday morning. The brunette’s brown eyes met mine, terror and guilt and confusion shining in the dark depths.
I crossed my arms over my chest, putting the cattle prod on full display as I leaned casually against the doorway. “Oh, don’t let me interrupt…please, continue,” I said with a calm I definitely didn’t feel. Not as pure, unbridled rage thrummed through my veins.
