Chapter 3

 

 

Monica was avoiding him, and it was starting to really get on Kyler’s nerves.

After the first night, he’d barely seen her, and they’d only spoken a handful of words. Granted, she was helping Jeanette with wedding plans, but surely they weren’t working on that twenty-four hours a day.

Stomping up to the main house after another hard day of helping move cows from one pasture to another, he silently bemoaned all the bad choices he’d made to get him here. He wasn’t a rancher. He had no secret boyhood desire to be a cowboy. He couldn’t care less if all five thousand cows were in the north pasture, or in the kitchen being served on a plate, but he was stuck doing this until he figured out how to do something else.

The dining room was abnormally empty when he reached it, but Monica, and Jeanette were there along with Lacy, Franki, Lauren, and Marilyn. He froze in the doorway, panic filling his chest.

“Hey, Kyler.” Lacy greeted him with a smile.

“Hey, um, where’s everyone?” he asked, his eyes zeroing in on Monica’s beautiful profile. Her eyes darted to his, and then away, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him. What had he done? He’d made love to her for hours the other night, and they’d certainly both left the encounter pleased. Why was she so skittish now?

“Getting ready for the bachelor thing in town. Aren’t you going?” Jeanette asked.

“Shit. I forgot.” He shrugged his shoulders. “What time are we supposed to be there?”

“Hawke said he wasn’t supposed to show up until nine-fifteen, so I would assume before that,” Jeanette responded. “They’d better not have hired strippers. I don’t want to spend the days before my wedding in jail because I had to rip the hair off some skinny bimbo’s head.”

The girls all turned surprised looks her way, and then broke into fits of laughter. Kyler just stood there in confused silence. He had no idea what was so funny.

Monica was the first to gather herself. “My, oh my, how you’ve changed, Jeanie. From perfectly polite city girl, to beat-her-ass country-girl.”

“Oh, I can still be polite while I tear her eyes out. I’ll apologize afterward. I mean, really, she’s just doing her job. It wouldn’t be her fault our men were lecherous bastards,” Jeanette said with a nod.

“Well maybe this event won’t be all bad if there’s going to be girl fights,” Kyler heard himself saying. Internally, he cringed, but he noted the curve of Monica’s lips even as the other ladies turned on him. “Okay! Okay! I was just joking. Besides, there’s no way any of those men are going to even look at another lady when they have this pack of beauties back home.”

Franki rolled her eyes. “Nice try, slick. You’ve already dug the hole; you may as well lie down and accept your fate.”

“And of course, pregnant women are the most beautiful of all…” he said, giving Franki a wink as she made a gagging sound.

“I think Drannon’s in the office, Ky, if you want to escape the estrogen,” Lacy offered, earning herself a kiss on the cheek.

“My savior. I’ll make sure the bail money is ready, ladies.” He started to leave the dining room and then turned back. “Hey, Monica, can I borrow you for a minute?”

Jeanette waved a hand at him. “Hell no. Last time you borrowed her, you never brought her back. I didn’t get to see her again until morning, and she was falling down tired.”

Kyler felt his face break into a wide grin, but he held his tongue. Monica’s pink cheeks were enough to warn him not to accept the invitation to discuss the subject further. “All right, but you can’t keep her all to yourself, Doc. I’ll find you tomorrow, Mon.”

Turning away, he left the woman of his dreams in the midst of the family he never had. It wasn’t like he’d had a terrible childhood. As a single mom, Amelia DeWitt had worked her ass off to make sure her only son had everything he needed growing up. She’d worked two and sometimes three jobs at a time to put him through school and allow him to play various sports. While they’d never had big luxuries, they’d certainly never done without, but he’d always wished for siblings, or cousins. Someone to share a permanent bond with.

Monica’s face filled his mind, and he couldn’t stop smiling. He wanted to bond with her all right. More than once, and as permanently as he could make it. She was going to discover that avoiding him only made him hornier.

“What’s that shit-eatin’ grin for?” Nolan Meyer met him in the hallway with his son, Todd, in his arms.

“Just saw the girls, and they were squawking’ about strippers and cat fights.” Kyler explained. “Are you going to the bachelor party?”

“Nope, not this time. Todd’s had a fever all day. I think he’s teething, but until I’m sure he’s not sick I want to stay close,” Nolan said, hugging the one year old tighter.

“Gotcha. Well, take care.” Kyler lifted a hand in an awkward wave, and moved on toward the office. He didn’t envy Nolan his night in with a sick kid, but he wondered if he’d make the same choice in the future. When the child was his own, would he feel as connected to it as Nolan did? It seemed like Nolan was never more than ten feet from Todd unless he was actually at work, and even then, he called a few times a day to check on him.

Entering the office, he found most of the guys already there. Hawke and Roman sat side by side on the funky couch that looked like it belonged in some whore’s bedroom, while Vin and Sheriff Brandon Bowers were in the chairs opposite them. Drannon was at his desk with the phone to his ear. Everyone looked his way when he stepped inside.

“Kyler, there you are. We were just wondering if you were joining us,” Roman called out, giving him a warm smile. Next to him, Hawke didn’t even look up, and Kyler could feel the tension in the air between him and the other man. It wasn’t likely Hawke would forgive Kyler anytime soon for trying to steal from Jeanette’s place. Then again, Kyler hadn’t apologized to Hawke, he’d only given Jeanette that boon because Drannon had forced it out of him.

“I actually spaced it, but the girls reminded me when I came up for dinner,” Kyler responded, moving away from Hawke toward Drannon. If nothing else, he wanted to stick close to someone friendly, especially if they were going to be at a bar surrounded by alcohol.

“There will be plenty of food at Mick’s. Carly’s got quite a spread planned for tonight.” Vin tipped the bottle of beer he held in the air. “Anyone hear from Luke? Is he coming?”

“He is, but Mark isn’t,” Bran replied. “It seems a baby decided to be born tonight, so the good doc has to welcome it into the world.”

“That sucks,” Hawke commented. “Not the baby, him missing the party.”

The guys laughed, and went back to discussing the current rodeo lineup as Drannon hung up the phone and looked Kyler’s way. “Kyler, how you doing?”

Kyler shrugged, and stayed quiet. Of all the guys, Drannon was the most alpha in nature, and the only one who really made Kyler feel inadequate. Drannon Russo had come to Crawley Creek as a foster child when his mother died of an overdose, and he’d overcome the many obstacles in his path, including being arrested for embezzlement at one point. Through it all, he’d kept his head up, and ultimately made his way back to Crawley Creek. He was an equal partner in the business, but he was absolutely the leader of the ranch. Considering his past, Drannon should hate Kyler’s guts, but for some strange, beautiful reason, the man sought to save him instead.

“Are you sure you can handle this tonight? The guys will understand if you want to hang back,” Drannon said softly.

Kyler appreciated the thought behind the words, but he immediately shook his head. “No, I’ll be fine. I can keep my shit together for one night.”

“I hope so man. This night is about Hawke, and it needs to stay that way.”

The firm warning stuck in Kyler’s mind for the rest of the night, and each time he felt the temptation growing too strong, he considered the consequences of giving in. He couldn’t leave Crawley Creek now. It was his only link to Monica. Hell, it had brought her back into his life. If nothing else, Crawley Creek had been his salvation from himself.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Monica was on the front porch under a blanket when the cars pulled into the driveway well after four a.m. She’d been unable to sleep, her thoughts tumultuous ever since she’d laid eyes on Kyler DeWitt again. Never mind the fantastic things he’d done to her body. Her clit throbbed remembering the feeling of his piercing sliding through her folds. She’d never imagined sex could be so intense, and now she was struggling with all the emotions being with this family had created. There was an unusual sense of camaraderie among everyone, even though many had only recently come to the ranch. From the stories they told, they’d been through so much in the last couple of years, it was bound to build a bond between them, and she envied it.

She’d heard every possible story of falling in love in the last couple of days, from Drannon and Lacy’s instant attraction and romantic wedding, to Franki and Roman’s hilarious meeting when he ran over her motorcycle. On top of the wedding planning, it was bound to stir up some emotions. She just wasn’t quite sure how to process them all. What was real, and what was caused by all the PDA and lovey-dovey couples around her?

On the front lawn of Crawley Creek that morning, there was absolutely no lovey-dovey anything happening. Someone fell out of the passenger side of a big black truck, laughing loudly as they did. At the other vehicle, someone stumbled, and landed hard against the side of the SUV, cursing loudly. Were they all drunk?

Within moments the guy on the ground was lifted to his feet by the driver of the truck, and as they drew closer she realized it was Kyler and Hawke, only to her surprise, Hawke was the one who needed help walking.

“Thanks man, y’know yur not s’bad aft’all. Yur kinda a good kid when ya wanna be,” Hawke slurred, knocking his own hat from his head.

“I’m not that much younger than you are,” Kyler grumbled. The two went inside, and were soon followed by several of the other guys in various states of dishevelment. Drannon was the last, and clearly the only other sober one.

“Hey Monica, what are you doing out here?” Drannon asked when he spotted her.

“Waiting for the sunrise. I couldn’t sleep,” she answered.

Drannon nodded. “There’s not a more beautiful sight than the sun rising over the ranch. Except for my beautiful wife of course.”

Monica laughed. “Of course. Looks like everyone had a good time last night.”

“Yeah, it was great. I don’t imagine much will get done around here today, but at least Hawke had a memorable night.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Kyler’s voice came from the door. “I just left him on the sofa in the living room because his feet stopped working before we made it to the stairs. As drunk as he is, he won’t remember much.”

“You’d be surprised,” Drannon remarked. “Even alcohol can’t cover up some memories.”

With that, Drannon entered the house, wishing them both a good night, and Kyler headed her way.

“I didn’t expect to find you still awake.” He reached for her, lifting her up so that he could take her seat and settling her on his lap. Memories of nights spent in his lap watching movies, and playfully eating breakfast in the morning while perched on him, flooded her brain as he hugged her tight. “You feel good.”

“So do you. You’re warm.” She pulled the blanket a little tighter around her, and tucked her head into the crook of his neck. “Do you remember that weekend you were sick and we had to cancel our double date with Marcus and Violet?”

He chuckled. “I remember. I felt godawful, and I was grumpy as a wounded bear, but you stuck it out and never once punched me.”

“You weren’t that bad.” She giggled. “Okay, you were a bit whiny, but you had the flu. Everyone’s whiny when they have the flu. That was the only time I ever felt like I was being strong for both of us.”

“Good, I don’t want my woman to have to be strong for me.”

Monica lifted her head to glare at him. “First of all, I’m stronger than most men I know, and second, I liked being able to take care of you for a change.”

“You don’t have to tell me how strong you are. I’ve seen you in action. I was there when they buried your granddad, remember?”

The reminder was a shot to the heart, and she felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. “A lot happened in a short time that year.”

He nodded, and pressed her head back to his shoulder. “But we got through it. Together…”

His words hung on the air, heavy with accusation. They’d been inseparable until she freaked out and ran. She’d really hurt them both, and for what?

“Ky, I’m sorry,” she whispered the words, and for just a moment, she wondered if he’d even heard her. Every muscle in her body was taut until he brushed her bangs from her forehead and kissed her gently.

“I’ve missed you, Monica. More than you know,” he murmured, his words echoing in her ears on the quiet night.

“I missed you, too.”

It seemed to be enough, and she was relieved when he didn’t push for more from her. Together they sat in the rocking chair and watched the first rays of pink appear on the horizon. The new day dawned clear, and birds chirped cheerfully around them. Monica felt as though, in that one moment, her entire world was at peace. When was the last time she felt that?

Startled by her own inner revelation that Kyler brought her the sense of peace she’d been chasing, she shifted in his arms and quickly realized he’d fallen asleep.

Tipping her head back, she stared at him, her eyes traveling over him even though every bit was already permanently etched into her brain. He had a strong nose that turned up slightly at the tip, and high cheekbones any model would give their right arm to have. His lashes were long and full where they formed crescents in his sleep. It was his mouth that drew her, though. He had lush, full lips that could be both soft as satin and hard as stone. He used them to bring pleasure to them both, yet they’d caused her anguish once or twice too. Could she stand to hear him ask her to stay? They both knew he would. Fate had brought them back together because things were unresolved between them, of that she was sure. She just wasn’t sure what the outcome would be. She couldn’t stay at Crawley Creek. In fact, she had a flight booked to leave for Texas in two days. Her next job involved visiting an old friend, and she was kind of hoping the distance would give her some perspective on all of this.

Carefully she eased out of his lap, and pressed a soft kiss to Kyler’s forehead before she draped her blanket over him and left him sleeping on the porch. She needed to tell Jeanette she had to go first. There was still a lot to do for the wedding, and with only weeks left to prepare, Monica was sure her friend would be upset she had to jet for work.

She found Lauren and Marilyn at the kitchen counter rolling out some sort of dough.

“Good morning.”

“Morning,” Marilyn said warmly, as she carefully cut circles into the dough. “Did you sleep well?”

“Morning, Monica,” Lauren echoed.

“Not really, but that’s not unusual for me. I travel so much my internal clock is screwy. What are you making?” She eased onto a barstool to watch.

“Biscuits. Once they’re in the oven, I’ll make gravy to go with them,” Lauren explained.

“Why do you go to all the trouble of making your own biscuits when you can buy the can and just bake them?”

Marilyn looked horrified but Lauren just laughed. “Well, the canned biscuits work in a pinch, but honestly, I just like homemade better. Besides, the ranch mama-bear might have a fit if I force fake biscuits on her.”

“Darn right I would. Biscuits in a can? Who ever heard of such a thing. My granny would be rolling in her grave if I tried to put those on my table,” Marilyn said, tsking over her work.

“More likely your granny would send up a prayer of thanks for the convenience. These days everything is a hundred times easier than granny had it,” Lauren protested.

Marilyn nodded. “Agreed. It’s crazy how times have changed. I remember having to get up and feed our wood burning stove before the sun rose each morning an hour or so before my mother and father got up for the day. My sister and I would take turns, and after we got the fire roaring we’d scamper back to bed and use each other to warm up. It was a different time.”

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” Lauren said, her eyes wide and her body frozen mid motion.

“I did. She died when we were just girls.” Marilyn blinked several times, and then turned to put a pan in the oven. “I’ve got an early hair appointment in town this morning, and Nolan agreed to take me, but with Todd sick yesterday, I’m probably going to have to find another ride.”

“Check with Franki; she’s been up early every morning because of the morning sickness. The guys came in late last night, so I doubt they’ll even make it to breakfast,” Lauren said, still holding the rolling pin as she watched Marilyn scurry off. When the older woman was out of view, Lauren got back to work. “Well that was odd.”

“She seems like a character,” Monica said with a giggle.

“Oh she is. I love her to bits. She used to take care of everything on the ranch for the guys that didn’t involve livestock. She did the housework, the cooking, the ordering…it’s amazing she’s still going strong.”

“How old is she?”

Lauren frowned. “Eighty this year.”

“Wow. My grandparents didn’t even make it to seventy, and they didn’t have near the piss and vinegar she does.” Monica reached to take the filled pan of biscuits from Lauren and put it in the oven for her.

“Thanks. Marilyn says the secret to longevity is outrunning death. If you keep moving, he can’t catch you.”

“Whatever works.” Monica went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. “Hey can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Kyler said he came home after rehab, but I get the feeling things haven’t been smooth sailing.” Monica noted Lauren hesitated as she considered her words.

“No, it hasn’t been smooth sailing, but I can’t imagine addiction ever is. I’m not sure how he ended up in such a bad way in Seattle. He was always such a good kid when we were growing up. Straight A’s, honor roll, he was even on our student government, but I don’t remember which position. His mom was devastated when he went to jail.”

Monica bit back a groan of misery. While she’d expected that Kyler’s life had been rough over the last couple of years, she hadn’t really believed it would be that bad.

“He’s doing so much better now, but I really don’t think he’s happy.” Lauren continued.

“Why’s that?”

The blonde woman shrugged, “I don’t know. Just a feeling in my gut. He’s not cut out for this life. Ranching isn’t in his blood.”

Unsure where to go from there, Monica said her goodbyes and made her way to her room. There was so much she didn’t know about Kyler, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to know more. It wasn’t like she could keep him.