Have you ever felt like Alice falling down the rabbit’s hole? You don’t know where you’re going or what’s going to happen, but the exhilaration and excitement keeps you from stopping.

That’s how I feel. Right now.

Luke and I have been with Brantley for almost two weeks now, and I’m still not sure if I’ve reached the bottom of the hole, or if I’m halfway there. Brantley is wonderful and kind, full of compassion and so considerate of my feelings. At first, he wanted to drive me into town every day for work because I refused to let him get my car fixed. It would have cost more than the vehicle was worth and I just didn’t see the point.

It took me three days, with the help of Blaine and Pops, to convince him to let me take one of the extra ranch trucks. Because the school bus didn’t go out to the RMR, I now drop off and pick Luke up on my way home.

Home.

Such a weird thing to think or even say out loud. But as I sit here, waiting for Luke after football practice, I realize that’s what not only Brantley but also his ranch, have become.

Our home.

A sacred place I never thought we’d have. I feel protected when I’m there, safe and loved. It’s an odd feeling to know I can go to sleep at night and not worry about whether one of mom’s men are going to try coming into my room once they’re done with her.

“Hey, Ady!” Luke greets into my open window, startling me.

“Geez Luke! You scared ten years off my life.” I smile, so he knows I’m teasing as he rounds the hood of the truck.

“Sorry sis,” he doesn’t look it, “we had really good practice today, and the coach wants to take the whole team for pizza after our next game.” It’s been so long since I’ve seen him this happy.

“That’s great Luke.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I try to lie.

“Liar.”

Rolling my eyes, I look to him, really look at him. All grown up. More knowledgeable than most boys his age.

“Did I…” I don’t even know how to ask. “Did I do wrong by making her leave?” It’s all I can think about lately. I hate how much headspace our mother has taken over.

“What? Seriously, Ady?” I nod. He blows out a harsh breath as I drive onto the highway back to the RMR. “I love her, I can’t help it. For a long time, she was good to me. But I always noticed how rude and uncaring she was to you. It’s like a part of me hated her for loving me.”

“Oh, Luke…”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t know everything that happened when it was just you and her. I don’t know what happened to your dad, but I did know she blamed you and I always wondered when her hatred over my dad would turn on me. I waited years for it to happen once I was old enough to comprehend what was happening.” He shakes his head in mock amusement. “You did us both a favor Adilynn. I can’t hold that against you.”

“When did you get so damn wise Luke?” He shrugs and grins. “So, I guess, next I should ask you what you want to do about the farm? The land. Everything. Do we go back and fix it up? Do we sell and buy something else? What do you want to do with it, Luke?”

He stares at me in horror, and I’m worried about his response. “You don’t want to stay with Brantley? At the ranch?”

“You do?” I counter. Before I make any decisions, I need to know where Luke stands with his wants. It’s not just my own life I’m making them for anymore.

“I like it there, Ady, a lot. I like the guys and Brantley and even Pops when he isn’t cursing someone out for one thing or another.” I smile because it’s true, the man like’s to be a monkey on everyone’s back.

“So, if Brantley and I… If we were to give this–us–a shot, you’d be okay with it? You’d want to stay there?” I force my gaze to stay on the road ahead of us. Half afraid to see him say one thing and mean another.

“I watch him you know, when you’re around, when you’re not.” Luke’s hand grips my shoulder in support. “I feel like he’s a pretty happy guy, easy with smiles and jokes.” I swallow harshly as Luke talks. “But when you’re around there’s this shift in his whole demeanor. It’s like when Beast falls in love with Belle. The way his chest puffs up, and he stands taller.”

“Beauty and the Beast, you’re kidding?” I can’t help my laughter, and he smiles with me.

“Exactly like them. True love.” His words are filled with awe.

“You get all that huh?”

“I’m twelve, Ady, not blind.” He’s been saying this a lot lately.

“I guess so.”

It’s a lot to take in. Knowing how I feel, how Brantley feels, hearing Luke describe what’s clear for everyone around us to see, I’m blown away. My priorities are shifting, and three months ago I would have been appalled, but now it’s exhilarating. I want so much with Brantley, and I can only hope he wants the same.

“Who’s that?” Luke leans closer to the dash as we drive up to the ranch. The place reserved for the ranch hands parking on the west side of the barn is empty except for one lone truck. An unfamiliar truck.

My trust is understandably shaken where strangers are concerned, so I instruct Luke, “Stay in the truck,” as I park beside the house where Brantley asked me to.

Stepping down from the vehicle, I slam the door loudly so that whoever is here knows someone’s home. Pops and Brantley were out at Drew’s stocking up on vet supplies for the animal’s emergency care after Thunder’s last fiasco a few weeks back. Everyone else is around doing ranch stuff, and I know with the other trucks gone, they aren’t anywhere close.

“Hello!” I call when no one makes their presence known. Luke knocks on my window and scares another ten years off my life as I spin around to him, I see he’s pointing out by Thunder’s paddock.

Brantley has it, so the horse can come and go as he pleases in the barn. Because no one can get near him, they didn’t want the horse to be contained.

Shielding my eyes from the mid-day sun, I see a man on the far side of the paddock watching Thunder, who seems to be very tense. Turning back to Luke, I mouth, stay put, and slowly wander over, keeping the paddock in between us as a shield.

“Can I help you?” I call, and Thunder stomps his big hoof at the man in what seems like anger. The horse doesn’t like this stranger, and I trust animals far more than people, so I’m keeping my distance.

The man moves to the side, to try and see around the beastly animal, but Thunder counters the move, so I remain out of his sight. He laughs like it’s a joke. “Did you teach him that?” His voice is gravelly like he smokes a pack a day.

“Is there something I can help you with?” I won’t get personal with him.

Ignoring Thunder, he slowly walks along the outside of the paddock, coming closer to me. Which only amps up the horse’s frustration and I can see him getting more and more agitated by the second.

“I’m looking for my nephew or my father.” He’s five feet away, and I can see his eyes for the first time, so much like Brantley and Pops.

“And you are?”

He offers his hand, and I watch slightly amused as Thunder puts good use to his name as he thunders forward with harsh steps. “Names Darrell Marbury. Brantley is my nephew.” He doesn’t put his hand down, and I don’t offer mine.

Skeptical, I look around, hoping someone will come home. I’m in unchartered territory here. Neither men have ever mentioned him before. “I’m sorry, but they’re not here right now. Can I help you with something?” I’m getting annoyed with asking this question.

When the man steps forward again, Thunder goes nuts and rears back on his hind legs, kicking his front out in front of him aggressively.

“You need to leave,” I tell Darrell. I don’t care why he’s here, if Thunder is acting so abnormal, I trust his gut.

“This is my ranch too.” He says, taking a step back.

“Ady?” Luke calls from the truck’s open door.

“Get back in the truck, Luke!” I yell at him as Darrell greets him, “Hey there young man!” with a friendly wave.

That just pisses me off. I step towards him, more anger and menace flowing through my body than at any other time I can remember, and snarl, “Don’t talk to him. He’s off limits. I don’t know you, I don’t care who you are, but you need to leave. Now.”

Hands up, he backs away slowly. “Calm down there, little missy. I’m just looking for my share of land. You tell Brantley I’ve been by.” Before he can get in his truck, I see Brantley’s and sag with relief.

The vehicle is barely stopped before he’s hopping out of the driver’s side and charging forward, while Pops gets out of the passenger’s side slowly and makes his way over to Luke.

“I told you, I fucking told you not to show your face around here again. You’re not wanted, and we have nothing for you.” Brantley seethes with anger as he gets in the older man’s face.

Darrell looks shocked at the amount of hatred emitting from his nephew. “Why do you hate me so much? Until recently we’d never met.” Not exactly an unfair question.

“Seriously?” Brantley laughs harshly. “Grams died, and I sat there, I watched as Dad, Pops, the fucking mailman cried over her, but nothing from you. Mom died, and it was the same thing. Dad died, and I called you six times and nothing. Now you show up out of the blue to talk breeding. I don’t fucking think so.”

“Wait a minute, that’s not fair. I didn’t know about my mother until after the fact, and your mom well she didn’t like me. She wouldn’t have wanted me there, to begin with.” I notice he doesn’t defend about his brother.

“What about Dad? Huh, your own brother.” I can see Brantley’s skin crawling with this need to do the other man harm.

Darrell looks away briefly. “I was mad at him still, okay. Is that what you want to hear? That I was too angry to say goodbye, too bitter that he had everything handed to him while I had to work my ass off.”

“Bullshit. You were offered the ranch first, you horses ass.” Pops wanders over with Luke. “You two go on up to the house.”

Grabbing Luke’s hand tightly in my own, I hesitate. “Brantley?” He turns to me then, the muscles in his face relax as he walks over to me.

“It’s alright flicka, I’ll be up in a few minutes.” His lips lay gently on mine as one hand slides around my back to bring me in closer to his body.

“Gross.” Luke gags from behind me.

My entire body tingles as Brantley chuckles while pulling away, a real smile on his face. “Missed you today.”

“Missed you too.” I smile gently. “I, uh, I’d like to talk to you about something. After, this.” My gaze slides over to his grandfather and uncle in a glare off.

“Anything you want.” He turns me with a swat to the ass and pushes us towards the house.

“That was really gross, Ady.” Luke looks a little green as we enter the house. Ignoring the raised voices outside, I drag my brother to the kitchen to help me start dinner for everyone.

* * *

I’m fucking fuming mad as I stand, watching my family go in the house. Pulling up to the ranch and seeing Luke sitting in the truck I’d given to Adilynn, and her standing tense, close to Thunder, I was pissed immediately before I’d even seen it was Darrell here. When he came into view, it was hard not to charge him like an angry bull.

“You need to leave Darrell, and never come back,” I tell him. If Pops wants it differently, then so be it. But until the old man speaks up, I have no reason to give any wiggle room to this man.

“Half of this ranch is mine,” Darrell snaps.

“No, it ain’t boy.” Pops shakes his head. “The day you walked away you signed those papers, forfeiting all rights to the ranch unless we sell. And even then, you only get 10% of the profits. You don’t have a hand to hold on this one Darrell.”

All color drains from his face. I read that document, and he basically signed his name away. He had to sign one part where he agreed to either reading the complete document himself or a notary or lawyer read it for him. The entire thing was signed in front of a judge.

“That’s not right Pops, and you know it.”

“Except it is, you knew what you were walking away from. You even had the choice to be a partner with Lance, and you turned it down. Don’t act all butt hurt about it now.”

“Is this why you really came back, Darrell? Because you keep throwing a bunch of things around.” I seriously just want to finish this shit with him and be done with it.

“I came because I want to breed one of my mares with Thunder.” He sighs.

“Then why these games about the ranch?” I snap.

“Because it ain’t right that you’ve got all this success, and I’m near foreclosure.”

I’m not touching that one with a ten-foot pole. “What mare?”

“Midnight Blue.” Alarm bells ring in my head loud and fucking clear.

“You know Eric Rhodes?” I’ll fucking kill him if he had anything to do with Adilynn being hurt.

“Brantley?” Pops asks. He knows about it all, but I never mentioned the man’s horse’s names. It wasn’t important.

“He’s one of my ranch hands. Why?” Darrell asks skeptically. “I came ahead of him, he found a boarder place for a few days until I sent him back home.

“Except he didn’t fucking go home!” My ears ring with my rage. I can barely stand still. “Tell me you didn’t fucking know he did it.”

“Did what?”

“Attack Ady. He left her naked by the creek behind her property for dead.” Flashes of her bruised and bleeding flesh enter my mind as his mouth works like a fish struggling for air.

“Eric did that?” He’s genuinely shocked, and some of my anger fades. “Are you sure it was him?”

“Adilynn is, and that’s all I need to be sure.” I look back to the house to see Luke standing on the porch, his face drained of any color as he slowly walks forward.

“You know him?” Luke calls.

“He works for me, yes.” Darrell squirms under the kids’ scrutiny, and I won’t stop it.

“He tried to kill her. The only person in the world who cares about me, he tossed her off like garbage, like her life is worth nothing when she’s everything.” Tears gather in his eyes. I reach over and place a hand on his shoulder, squeezing in a show of support. “You need to leave. You have to go, right now.” Luke demands. A coldness enters his voice I’ve never heard from someone so young.

“It’s time to go, Darrell,” Pops tells him while I watch Luke. He’s never spoken too much about Adilynn’s attack, and I can see he has a whole lot to get off his chest.

“I’m sorry about the girl, but that’s not my fault.” Darrell tries to backpedal.

“Not your fault?” Luke rolls the words around his mouth. “You brought him here. To a town, a family, you knew wanted nothing to do with you. You let him come to our house and board your horses. You. Brought. Him.” His fists are in balls at his sides. “You need to leave. Right now!” His control snaps and I have to hold him back from attacking Darrell. He flails in my arms screaming obscenities at my uncle, a man I hardly know.

“Luke?” I hear her soft voice, full of worry for her brother, as her steps come closer. “Luke, what’s wrong?”

“He did it!” The boy yells. “He brought Eric here! He let him hurt you!”

“I’m sure…I mean…Brantley?” When her voice cracks, so do I.

“Get the fuck out of here Darrell.” I still have a struggling Luke in my arms as Pops pushes his son towards his truck.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” He looks remorseful, and that’s the only reason I offer a sliver of anything. “If you’re sorry, if you want to make amends with this family, my family, you’ll turn Eric into the Sheriff. You’ll hand him over, and you and I will be square. We’ll talk. But not until Eric is arrested.”

“Done,” he agrees, shocking Pops and I as he takes off.

I let Luke go, and he races into Adilynn’s arms. Both with tears streaming down their faces as Blaine and Mason drive into the yard, soon followed by everyone else.

“I wanted to kill him, Ady!” Luke screams against her chest. Never have I seen this woman, this soft, sweet, and loving woman, look as broken as she does right now.

“Brantley?” Her voice cracks.

“I know flicka.” I cradle the two of them in my arms as the guys walk around us, giving us the space we need. “I didn’t know,” I tell her because even though the timing is right and maybe I should have clued in, I was so damn consumed by this new thing with us, I didn’t even consider it an option.

“I know Brantley.” She whispers, lifting a hand up to my face, scratching her fingers along my rough stubble. Something she confided in me that she loved doing.

“Let’s get some food in you guys, and maybe we’ll go for a ride.” I guide them both towards the house.

“I’ll be right back,” Luke says as he runs upstairs.

Adilynn watches him with worry in her gaze. “He’ll be alright Adilynn.”

“I know,” she looks at me with her big green and gold eyes, the weight of the world on her shoulders, “I just worry about him so much.”

“I know you do.” I kiss her lightly, loving the feel of her soft lips under mine. “It’s what makes you such a great sister.”

Adilynn and Luke are subdued through dinner, much to be expected, but the men are loud as can be and I think it’s so neither of them feel the need to fill in the silence surrounding us. I appreciate it, but I can see the both of them are antsy to get away from the commotion.

Scooting my chair back, I look to Brock, “You got cleanup tonight,” as I go around and collect Luke and Adilynn.

“Where are we going?” She asks.

“I think I’d like to just go upstairs.” Luke looks away, and I can’t tell if it’s because he’s upset or wants to give us space.

“Luke?”

“I’m fine Ady. Just need some space.” The interaction between the two of them is full of love and support. “Go, get some air. I’m sure Windbreaker is dying to see you.” She nods, and he’s gone in a flash.

With her hand in mine, I walk us out to the barn where Windbreaker has made her spoiled self, home. There’s no doubt Adilynn has given her all to the animal. Windbreaker carries a confidence only an animal that knows it’s well-loved, sports.

Maybe she’ll rub off on my stubborn ass stallion.

“Tell me about school.” It’s one of the very few things we haven’t talked about. Fall is in the air as we walk slowly, neither of us in a hurry.

“School?” She repeats.

“Yeah. I know you know Drew Collins, in fact, he was pretty upset when he found out you’d left.” I keep my eyes ahead, so she doesn’t feel like I’m interrogating her.

“He was?” Feeling her gaze on me, I only nod. “I didn’t exactly leave.”

“No?”

“I had a scholarship. I worked for years to make sure my grades were good. Volunteered everywhere I could with animals to make sure I was accepted, to show them I was worthy of that scholarship. Turned out to be all for nothing.” Sadness rings clear in her words.

“How so?” I took business courses online, but everything I’ve learned about animals has been through on hand experience, not school.

“I’ve been taking all the extra courses I can. During breaks, summer, regular school year. I know I’ve been pushing myself. Working at Henderson’s, running the boarder by myself, but I swear Brantley everything was on track and worth it. All the lost sleep, the exhaustion, it was going to be worth it. Then I got sick, just some stupid stomach bug, but it turned into more over the summer, and I started falling behind. Coming in late, missing a few assignments or bringing them in late.” She laughs humorlessly. “The day my car broke down I was called into my adviser’s office and told I was being kicked out of the program because I was no longer holding up my end of the scholarship.”

“Seriously? Don’t they give warnings or something for this shit.” I’m pissed for her.

As I push open the barn door, she continues. “They did. In a written letter that they mailed to the house. Only I never got them, I suspect my mother did and simply hid them to spite me.”

“Bitch.”

“I’ll say. Anyways, Drew wasted his money in investing in me and I feel like a failure.”

“Wait, Drew? What does he have to do with it?”

Her head tilts to the side as she looks at me. “Drew’s clinic is one of three in the county I volunteered at through high school, and he set up the scholarship through his clinic. There were donations from the others too, but it was mostly his money.”

That’s when it clicks for me. She’s the one he was always talking about all these years. He even insisted I let him bring her here a few months after he mentioned his new high school volunteer. Said she was a miracle worker with animals, could tame any beast.

Laughing, I shake my head as I walk up behind her, wrapping my arms around her. I love the feel of her body nestled against mine. “He told me about you. A couple weeks ago, Thunder got stuck in a fence and was being an ornery asshole. Drew said he wished you were around, that you had a special touch with difficult animals, he mentioned you’d left and wished you hadn’t.” She looks back with a smile that lights up her eyes. “A few years back he tried to convince me to let you volunteer on the ranch when he came out, said you were a beast tamer. I told him no little girl was coming to my ranch to work with aggressive stallions during the breeding season. He never asked after that first time, and I never asked your name.”

“So, you were the prickly cowboy huh?” She turns with a teasing smile gracing her soft features.

“Sure was,” I tell her seriously, gazing into her soulful eyes, I can’t help but wonder what could have been if I only said yes. “You could have been mine already,” I whisper to her.

Bringing her hand up to my face, scraping her nails through my whiskers, I turn to kiss her palm. The smooth skin seeping into the very essence of my core. This woman, this small slip of a woman, who has this amazing heart of gold tells me, “I’ve always been yours, Brantley. I just didn’t know it yet.”