I can’t get attached. I can’t get used to him being around. I just can’t. Maybe dinner with my cousins isn’t such a bad idea. He’ll realize just how different and incompatible we are. Sure, we have great sex, but life is more than just good orgasms. Right?
Chapter Thirteen
I’m anxious to get back to Texas. Something I never thought I’d be thinking. Of all the fucking places Poppy could be from, she had to be from fucking Texas.
“Thanks.” I take my bag from the driver and walk up the jet stairs.
I’ve arranged for three of our soldiers to already be onboard waiting for me. When I step through, it’s not them I see waiting, though.
“What the fuck are you all doing here?” I ask, looking from Emilio and Frankie to my sister Imogen.
“We’re hitching a ride,” Emilio says. “These two want to go to Frankie’s ranch and I go where she goes.” He points to his wife. Still fucking weird to think of them as married.
“Why are you going to the ranch?” I direct this to my sister. I don’t give a fuck what the other two do.
“I want to get away for the weekend,” she says.
I look to Emilio. “The ranch is a two-hour drive from where I’m headed. You planning on driving there?”
“I have people who will be waiting to take us,” he says.
“Do Mom and Dad know you’re going?” I ask Imogen.
“They will. I’ll call Mom once I get there.” She shrugs.
I laugh. That’s because if she called our father, he’d fly out there and drag her back to Vegas. I don’t love the idea of her going off to some fucking ranch with those two delinquents, though. Frankie and Emilio are trouble when they’re alone. Together, they’re even worse.
“Mr. Russo, we’re ready for takeoff.” The pilot steps out of the cockpit.
“Right. Let’s go.”
A stewardess takes my bag, and I sit down in the chair next to Imogen. My sister isn’t the biggest fan of flying, so the fact she’s willingly gotten on this plane to leave town for a weekend trip tells me something is wrong. Her hand grips mine as we take off, linking our fingers together.
“You know I’d never let you fly on this plane if I thought it wasn’t safe,” I tell her.
“I know. But accidents are never planned, Sammie J. That’s why they’re accidents,” she says.
“I guess.”
As soon as we’re in the air, I stand. “I need to talk to you in the bedroom,” I tell Imogen. I know whatever is going on with her, she’s not going to tell me in front of anyone else. When Imogen follows me into the small bedroom, I shut the door. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. Why are you going with those two to some fucking ranch?”
“I want to ride the horses.”
“You’ve never wanted to ride horses in your life. Why now?” I ask her.
“You’ve never chased a woman across the country before. Why are you doing that now?” Imogen throws back at me.
“I like her. She’s different.”
“Obviously, you’re spending a weekend in Texas for her.” Imogen smirks at me. “You hate Texas.”
“I like her enough to put up with the small-town, country-ass bullshit.” I shrug. “If you want to ride horses, come with me. Poppy lives on a ranch. They have horses.” I have no idea if that’s true, but what kind of ranch wouldn’t have them?
“I’m not being the third wheel on your dirty weekend, Sammie J.” My sister’s nose scrunches up.
