Chapter Nine
Stormy woke next to Dirty, but the first thing that struck her wasn’t the odor of smoke and booze—it was eggs.
Frying eggs. And bacon.
Her stomach growled, and she wondered how the heck she could be hungry. In the past two days since coming to Eagle Crest with Dirty, she’d eaten more than she did in a week’s time.
Dirty said his Aunt Winter loved to keep him and his brothers full to overflowing and there was no point in Stormy trying to fight it. But she didn’t want to step foot on a scale when she got home.
She moaned as the delicious scents teased her nostrils. “Is that oranges I smell?”
Dirty’s chest rumbled against her back. “Yes, Aunt Winter will be squeezing them for juice.”
“Mm. Hand-squeezing?”
His laugh shook her again. “No, she has a juicer. Used to do it by hand, though, until we chipped in and got her a juicer when we were in high school.”
“It’s so early. I can’t get used to these early mornings.”
“That’s because we’re up till dawn in the club. Want to sleep in and I’ll tell Aunt Winter to save you a plate?”
“No. I’ll get up with you. I don’t want to miss anything you do.”
First thing, Dirty had taken her to the paddock and let her pick out a horse. She’d spent a lot of time crooning to them and petting them, but it was soon evident that one favored her. And that was the one Stormy’d been riding for the past two days.
She had to admit, her riding skills were rusty, but luckily, she had a sexy cowboy instructor.
Dirty was scorching hot in black leather. But put him in worn Wranglers, a T-shirt and a cowboy hat and just the sight of him made her feel she was about to combust.
He wrapped his thick arm around her waist and tugged her closer to his bare body. Her ass pressed against something hard.
“Umm, good morning?”
“Mm-hmm.” He nuzzled her neck.
She loved this about him—the way he spoke in hums and grunts of pleasure in the mornings. In two short days she’d been at Eagle Crest with him, she’d learned more about him than in months spent at the club.
He slid his hand along her rib cage until he cradled her breast in his palm. She issued a soft sight of happiness. Being in his arms had always thrilled her, but this was a whole new level of their relationship. Did he feel it too?
She felt more relaxed than she had in a very long time.
A faint clang of a frying pan and lid colliding signaled breakfast was served.
“I’m going to have to diet for a year to get these pounds off me.”
He rocked his hips again. “I can come up with some exercise.”
She slapped at him and another clank from downstairs had Dirty rolling out of bed and Stormy following.
As Dirty pulled on a fresh pair of boxer briefs and jeans, he shot her one of those crooked smiles that sent tingles racing through her lower belly. He pulled on a white T-shirt and looked ready to tackle the day while she felt like a mess.
“I need an extra minute or two.” She threw on a robe, gathered her clothes and slipped out of the room. In the bathroom, she grabbed toothbrush and toothpaste, watching her reflection as she brushed and washed her face, added a bit of lip balm and sunscreen. Finally, she dressed and pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail at her nape.
The woman looking back at her was not one she recognized. Not because she didn’t look the same. But because she was different inside.
She looked like a woman in love.
This woman had brighter eyes, a fresh glow to her face and a smile that wouldn’t stop toying with the corners of her lips.
She bundled her robe in her arms and when she opened the door, Dirty was leaning against the frame, gray eyes burning down at her.
“Sorry I took so long. You need to brush your teeth, huh?”
“You look beautiful. It was worth the wait.” He brushed his knuckles over her cheekbone and she caught his hand, squeezing.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Dirty.”
Another clang of pan and lid announced his aunt was getting impatient.
“Better hurry,” he said.
“I’ll go down and see if she needs any help.” On her way to the stairs, she paused to toss her robe onto the bed they shared. The big queen-sized bed of his youth, as he obviously couldn’t have fit in anything smaller.
The ranch house was decorated with a simple style of country quilts and the occasional wooden cutout rooster standing sentry on a shelf. But the photos of the family were what really made the space homey.
Dirty and his brothers growing throughout the years. Wet and wrapped in towels along a river. A graduation ceremony, with Dirty’s cap cocked on his head in complete defiance of convention.
She smiled at the photographs recording him growing up along with his brothers and looked forward to meeting them, though it would surely rattle her nerves at first.
Her restless feelings at the club had vanished, leaving only pure happiness here on the ranch. It was everything she’d hoped for and more. And it made her realize she wanted…
Well, this.
A comfortable home, fresh air. And plenty of loving.
“We—” Winter came around the corner and swallowed whatever she was about to say when she spotted Stormy.
“Hi.” She smiled. “Dirty’s not down yet. He’s brushing his teeth.”
“Ah. Come along and sit down to breakfast then. Matthias has already tucked in—you’d think he’s a teenager with the way he packs away the food. We—Dirty will be lucky to get a crumb.”
“Then I’d better beat him to the table.” She followed Winter into the eat-in kitchen and took a seat at the round table standing before a big double window with a checked green and white valance. The steaming bowls of food had been covered with lids to keep everything warm, but the delicious scents seeped out.
“Oh the orange juice.” She picked up the pitcher and poured a tall glass, moaning as she brought it to her lips and tasted the bright citrus.
“You like it, dear?” Winter beamed.
Dirty dropped into the seat next to her and offered a crooked grin to the people who’d raised him. “She could smell it from upstairs.”
“It’s delicious. Thank you.” With the orangey goodness in her belly, she filled her plate with scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns.
Dirty fought her over the last slice of bacon, but she gave it up to him in the end.
“I can fry more if you’d like,” Winter offered, half-rising from her seat.
“No, this is fine. I’m used to eating very little in the mornings.”
Winter eyed him. She’d done this a few times in Stormy’s presence, and she wasn’t sure what to make of the long looks. It was a mixture of pride, worry and something else. As if she wanted to say something but held back.
Dirty had told Stormy that his aunt didn’t approve of him joining the Bighorns, so maybe that was it. But Stormy couldn’t help but wonder what would be said, and if it might be her own presence stopping Winter from speaking her mind.
Later she’d try to give the two some time alone.
Matthias and Dirty talked ranch life—separating certain cows who’d calf soon. Keeping the bull away from others that weren’t ready yet.
When Winter asked her if she wanted to help with the chickens after breakfast, she nodded with a smile. “I’d love that. Though I have no clue what to do.”
“It’s easy. I’ll show you the ways. Then maybe we can have some girl-talk.”
At her elbow, Dirty tensed. She swung her gaze to him and found his jaw clenched around a bite of food, the muscle flickering wildly, like a ticking bomb.
He didn’t want her alone with his aunt? Why would that be?
“I was taking Stormy out with me to tend the herd,” he said, fork poised over his plate. His big hand dwarfed the silverware.
Was it her or was Winter’s smile too wide, too accommodating?
“Of course. If that’s what you want, dear. I’m not a slave driver, forcing you to help with the chickens.”
Suddenly, she wanted to know what the woman had to say to her. Under the table, she rested a hand on Dirty’s muscled thigh. I’ll be okay. I can hold my own.
She had been raised a Bighorn, after all.
“I’d love to help with the chickens.” She squeezed Dirty’s thigh and felt his hand come down atop hers, the weight warm and comforting.
Breakfast talk went on. A meeting of the cattle ranchers guild was mentioned for later in the week.
“You two should come along. You know it’s more of a party than a real meeting,” Winter said, looking between them.
Dirty gave Stormy a long look that said he’d welcome having the house to themselves more than any party.
“We’ll see.” Dirty’s voice grated out as he squeezed her thigh.
He pushed back from the table and Matthias stood too. “Meet ya in the yard,” he said to Dirty.
He gave a hard nod. “You want to come along or help with the chickens?” He slid his gaze to his aunt. Something passed between them, something that seemed to vibrate like Morse code running along a line.
“I’ll help Winter.” Stormy offered a smile and got up to start clearing plates. Dirty dropped a kiss between her brows and went outside.
With the kitchen tidied and the breakfast cleared away, she and Winter dug into Chickens 101. Winter laughed at how little Stormy knew about the animals and joked nobody should be ignorant of what’s on their dinner plate. She had to admit, it was a good rule and she threw herself into feeding, watering and cleaning after the flock.
While they worked, a peaceful calm stole over Stormy. One she’d only experienced here on this ranch.
“You know, it’s so lovely here. I can’t imagine ever being sad while living this kind of life.”
Winter beamed at her. “I feel the same, sweetie. I’d never live anywhere else.” She eyed Stormy for a long minute. “You love my boy.”
A lump lodged in Stormy’s throat, though why it was there, she couldn’t say. She was happier than she’d ever been. She dropped her gaze to the ground she was raking and nodded.
“He doesn’t know,” Winter said gently.
“I haven’t told him, no.”
“Why not? If it’s not too forward of me to ask.”
She straightened, the rake handle feeling suddenly cold in her hands. “It’s complicated.”
“Love’s rarely easy.”
She nodded.
“It’s worth figuring out, though. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see my sons settled with wives and children of their own. You’ve seen the wedding photos on the walls, I’m sure.”
She bobbed her head. “Beautiful couples.”
“I wouldn’t mind putting up one of you and Wes as well, sweetie. You’d fit right in. If you stick around, you’ll meet everyone else. They come up every few weekends or so…” She continued talking, but Stormy had zoned out.
Zeroed in.
On one name. Wes.
Wes was Dirty, Dirty was Wes. She was in love with a man named Wes.
Her heart warmed as she said it over and over in her mind. Just that tiny kernel of knowledge had done so much to expand that love in her heart.
* * * * *
Wes knelt in the thick grass and braced a gloved hand on the tractor to peer up under it. The scents of oil mixed with crushed grass. He sat back on his haunches and looked at his uncle.
Father.
It was takin’ some getting used to, thinking of Matthias as his dad. He wasn’t sure why, though. He’d spent an entire year between nine and ten years old pretending it was the case.
Right around the time he’d been bullied in school for being a string bean and “not a real Roshannon.”
“Well, son? Is it leakin’ or not?”
Wes nodded. This wasn’t the first time Matthias had called him son, but the word was charged with electricity that zapped Wes with a warm happiness now.
“Dammit. Another gasket?”
“More’n likely.” Wes pushed to his feet and looked back toward the house.
“You don’t need to worry about her.”
Wes jerked his head toward his father. “What makes you think I am?”
Instead of answering, he asked a question of his own. “Why is it you asked us not to call you by your name?” He cocked a brow in the same way Judd and Aiden did—the same way he did.
Wes pushed out a harsh sigh. It had gone against the grain to ask this of his family, but he’d felt it wasn’t exactly the time to let Stormy into his entire life. As soon as she heard his name, she’d know who he was.
And how much did she know about this Alexander Bonner? She could be tipped off, thinking Wes had come to the Bighorns under false pretenses.
There was also the niggling question in his mind that Bonner was her brother. Since their talk at the party, that sixth sense was blaring like a fucking fire siren. Something he couldn’t ignore.
All he had to do was ask Stormy her last name, but somehow the secrets between them felt big and difficult to conquer. He didn’t want to end what they had.
Matthias let out a rough sigh too. “She doesn’t know anything about you being a bounty hunter, does she?”
“Nope.” He picked at a string on his shirt pocket. “And it’s worse—one of my bounties is in the club.”
“Damn, you’ve boxed yourself into a corner, that’s for certain. She won’t be happy when she learns the truth.”
He leaned heavily against the tractor. “No, she won’t. I’ll probably lose her. But can I ignore a fugitive, not capture him when I know where he’s hiding?” He shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s in my blood.”
His father watched him for a long moment. “Seems like there’s more.”
He always did know Wes.
“She mentioned a brother, someone I’ve never seen or met. And I know every member of the Bighorns, both chapters, except one.”
“Your bounty.”
He nodded. Now that it was in the open, it sounded just as bad as when it played through his head.
“I’m guessing you don’t know her real name.”
“Before we left for Eagle Crest, I asked a woman in the club if Stormy’s her real name or a nickname, and it’s real. But I didn’t want to know her last name.”
“I can see why. You’ve got some hard thinking to do. Don’t discount that your brothers are lawmen and could handle this for you. You don’t need to be involved at all.”
Wes swallowed hard. “Wouldn’t matter. We’re related and any bad stuff that goes down will be because of me. I just got the Bighorns to trust me and now…” He trailed off, looking into the distant mountains and wondering how easy it would be to just steal Stormy away and never look back at the club.
“I don’t know what I’m doing. I need some time to think on things. I’m hoping you and Winter don’t mind if we stay here until I do.”
His father gave a shake of his head and roughly pulled him into an embrace. “Always welcome here. You know that. And Winter loves having her boys around. She really likes Stormy too.”
“As much as Amaryllis and Cecily?”
Wes didn’t know why it mattered so much to him that his family approved of Stormy, but it did.
His father released him and met his stare. “Son, we’ll always be happy as long as you are.”
He nodded.
“One more thing before we fix this damn gasket.”
Wes looked up. “What’s that?”
“Don’t you think it’s about time you start calling Winter your ma? She has been nothing less to you all these years. And I think you both need it.”
He nodded, a lump blockading any words he could think to utter.
“Good. Now let’s get to work.”
* * * * *
As Stormy watched Dirty—or Wes—cross the lawn between barn and house, she couldn’t help but think how silly it all was. Her life in the club had never made her ask people’s real names. To her, they were Wrench, Breaker, Sundance. None of those were given names and somehow, it had never mattered. They were family.
So when Dirty came along, she hadn’t given it much thought. But now that she knew his name was Wes, she wondered what else she didn’t know.
Spotting her, he gave that crooked smile that wrapped around her heart and gave it a big hug. But she had things to say and this time she was more nervous than when she’d asked him to bring her to Eagle Crest.
“Sit down?” she asked.
He was grubby and looked tired, but she didn’t want to wait and allow life to envelop them before she could get up the gumption to speak what was on her mind.
With a smile, he drew her down to the porch step and held out a hand, clean compared to the rest of him.
“What were you doing?” she asked.
“Fixing a gasket on the tractor. I washed up out back of the barn.”
She nodded. Her heart raced.
“What’s going on?” he asked quietly. “Did my aunt say something to upset you?”
She hesitated. “Well, she did say something.”
“And that was?”
“Your name. Wes.”
He went as still as a predator in stalk mode, watching her with a flat stare that almost frightened her. Finally, he broke her gaze and looked down. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I should have.”
“I’m sorry I never thought to ask. But now I’m curious about what else I don’t know about you.”
He compressed his lips. “Okay. I’m not sure I want to do this here, after we’ve had the best two days of my life.”
Now she was scared. Her stomach fluttered and she had a wave of dizziness. She braced herself. “Tell me what it is.”
He searched her gaze. Silhouetted against the beauty of the ranch and distant mountains, she didn’t think she’d ever forget how beautiful this man was or how dear to her.
“Stormy, my last name’s Roshannon.”
She’d heard that somewhere but couldn’t place it.
When she didn’t respond, he said, “My family, my brothers… they’re in the law. Judd’s a sheriff and Aiden’s a special investigator.”
She flashed her gaze to his. “And you?”
“Bounty hunter.”
“I’m not sure why you were afraid to tell me.”
He made a noise in his throat. “It didn’t matter—at first. I came to the club looking for someone who knew my mother, who may be my father. I found Sundance and discovered he’s not related to me.”
That would be shock enough, but she could see by his face there was more.
“I was just Dirty, hanging out at the club, getting to know the guys—and you. You were the best part, Stormy.”
“But…” she prompted.
“But things have changed. I’m looking for a fugitive known to be a Bighorn.”
Her blood ran cold. All the secrets between her father and Alexander, his leaving suddenly and staying away so long. She knew he’d been arrested once and was out on bail, but…
Dirty gripped her fingers too tight, and she pulled free.
“I need to ask you something now, Stormy.”
She trembled and wrapped her arms around herself. Feeling alone and far from home.
“I need to know if your last name is Bonner.”
She didn’t have to tell him, was under no obligation. But not answering Dirty made her feel she’d crack in two. He was searching for her brother, that much was apparent. And she was torn, trapped in the middle of what would become a war. Not only between her father, brother and Dirty, but the club would be involved too.
She took a step backward. “It’s Bonner.”
A breath whooshed from him and he tore off his hat, jamming his fingers through his hair. The action killed her. Knowing he was as ripped apart as she was.
Suddenly, he stood and grabbed her, cradling her face so she couldn’t escape as he searched her gaze. “This doesn’t change anything between us.”
“How can you say that, Dirty? We can’t be together.”
“Yes, we fucking can. I’m not giving you up. I’m in love with you.”
Her world spun on its axis. A woman shouldn’t hear a man loves her for the first time when she’d just realized she had to walk away from him.
Oh God, it hurts.