The phone beeps for the second time in five minutes and I roll my eyes. "Ms. Jones, you're needed in the office."
I push the intercom button. "I'll be right there, thanks." Looking over at Tommy, who's sitting here trying not to lose it over the small amount of blood on his leg, I smile. He scraped his knee, again, and the kid's staring at me with shiny eyes, like his world is ending. Ah, the wonderful life of a school nurse.
"There you go, bud. Just don't go so crazy out there next time, okay?" I send him on his way back to class with a smile then huff, bracing myself for this trip to the office. Being summoned like that is never good, and it's been happening more often than not lately.
I push into the office, the heavy wooden door slamming behind me, and I shake my head at the old building. Everything in this town's falling apart.
"What's goin' on?"
"He's at it again," Melissa, the secretary, says. She hits a button on the phone and hands it over the counter to me.
"Hello? This is Kinlee." I close my eyes and press my fingers against my eyelids, knowing the route this phone call's about to take.
"Kinlee," Mr. Bearns, the high school principal, says tiredly. "Will was found in the locker room, playing with a lighter." He sighs and I slump against the counter, shaking my head.
"Where'd he get the lighter from?" I ask, trying to understand how my little brother's so...different. That's a freaking nice way of putting it.
Two years ago my life imploded. My parents were instantly killed in an accident and I, at the age of twenty-three, was forced to hold what was left of my family together. I raise my sixteen-year-old twin siblings on my own. Now I'm a twenty-five year old stress case, trying to do my best. My sister, Wendy, is pretty 'normal', all things considered, but my brother...he's something else. Two years now I've been trying to figure him out, and each time I think we're getting somewhere, something like this happens and it's a step in the wrong direction. We've been taking steps in the wrong direction for a few months now, and I'm starting to worry he's never going to turn himself around.
"I certainly didn't give it to him." Principal Bearns huffs. "The minute I walked into the room he tossed it to me and smiled. Seems like it's just a cry for attention, but he can't stay in school."
"Please don't suspend him," I quietly beg, trying not to let the entire office hear this conversation.
Will's been suspended enough times he shouldn't be allowed back in school. But, as it goes, we live in a small town and I've known these people since the day we moved here fifteen years ago. They're all trying to help in some way, and I hate that the most troublesome boy in town is my responsibility. I love him, but something's gotta give.
"You gotta pick him up today, Kinlee. If this went beyond my eyes, you know I'd have no choice. Have a talk with him, will ya?"
"Okay." I glance at the clock. "Thank you, Mr. Bearns. I'll be there in a little bit." I hand Melissa the phone, she takes it and hangs it up.
The look on her face says enough, but she voices it anyway. "That's the fourth time you've left early for Will this month, Kinlee."
I groan, resting my forehead on the counter. "I don't know what to do, Mel," I say, eyes closed. "I keep thinking he's gonna turn around. We have good days, and then really bad days." Her hand comes to rest on my arm and I sigh, standing up straight, then smile at her. "We're gonna get through this."
She's smiling while her head bobs her nod, but she believes those words about as much as I do right now. "I'll let Darren know you had a family emergency."
"Thank you," I whisper, leaving the office and grabbing my purse on the way out of the middle school where I've worked for a little over a year now.
I was just finishing up college when the accident happened. I had big plans. But what kind of sister would I be if I weren't here doing what's right for my siblings? So, here I am. It didn't take too long to find a job with the same hours as the kids, but I don't know how much longer I'll be allowed to keep my job if I have to keep leaving like this. It's weird working with some of my old teachers, but it pays the bills for the most part, and working evenings at the diner makes up for the rest. This isn't what I wanted to do with my life, but I will put those kids before me any day. I do my best for my siblings, but unfortunately sometimes my best isn't enough.
After a few turns of my key in the ignition, my car revs to life. This damn thing needs to get me through the next couple of years, at least until the twins start working and earn their own money, then maybe I'll be able to afford a new one. Hell, not even new. Just something a little more reliable.
I grew up lower than low class. My daddy worked hard, but hard work at minimum wage isn't anything to shake a stick at, especially when you have three kids. Sure the twins didn't come around till I was nine but there wasn't a time in my life I remember having a surplus of toys to play with or extravagant vacations or anything. Moving here was probably the most exciting thing to happen in my youth. We moved into a bigger house, but it still wasn't big enough for three kids. The Miller's farm used to butt up to our property and they would let me ride their horses, so I never minded too much. My parents raised me to be humble and appreciate everything in life. I didn't necessarily want for much, but there wasn't ever anything extra. This car I bought with money I'd saved my entire life. At seventeen, I bought it from Mr. Miller and it had a few good years left in it, but it's finally on its last leg. Yet, I don't have the money to get a new one right now.
Throwing it into park in the high school lot, I move slowly as I climb out of the car. Each time I walk up to this big brick building, the memories of this place always get to me. This isn't a big city, by any means, but my high school class had a few hundred kids in it from neighboring towns and each one left an impression on me in one way or another. I met my best friends in these school buildings. I guess that's a good thing about small towns. I know I'll forever have memories here.
Heading for the office, I walk past the wall of fame and stop to smirk at the young faces smiling back in all of the photos. Seven years since we were kings and queens of this place, and only one of us actually got out and did something with their life. I'll never forget the day he left, and how torn we all were to see him go, but Bo Hart had bigger things in store for him than this small town. Granted, plenty of us are happy living the simple country life. I'm happy having just enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month, but every now and then I wonder what it's like living bigger than life, like Bo is. Not that I'll ever get to attempt it. More money means more problems, my dad used to say, but sometimes it's nice to dream.
Swinging the door open to the office, I see my brother slumped in the chair by Mr. Bearns' office and I shake my head at him.
"Will, what the heck?" I plop into the seat next to him and let my purse drop to the floor.
"They were makin' fun of us," he grumbles and I groan, leaning back in the seat. The secretary, a woman that hates my brother, glares at us.
"So? What were you gonna do? Burn the place down?" I whisper.
"No," he snickers. "It pissed me off." His heel keeps kicking the leg of my chair. My heart hurts for my brother, and only because I know how he feels, but he's channeling it in all the wrong ways.
"You gotta kill 'em with kindness, Will. Trust me." I nudge him. "I gotta take you to the ranch so I can get back to work." I pick up my purse and sling it over my shoulder, grabbing his backpack and holding it out for him. He pulls himself out of the chair and takes it with a huff.
Mr. Bearns doesn't even bother to come out to talk to me. Though, I don't blame him. Not much else to say.
"I hate that office," Will bitches as we head out to the car.
"Then maybe you shouldn't play with fire inside school. You wouldn't have to spend so much time there if you could figure out how to control your anger. Last week you were beating kids up on the football field and this week you're threatening to burn the place down. You're going to be expelled, Will. Then what will we do?" I shake my head, unlocking the car door for him before getting into the driver's seat. He practically falls into the car and I take a deep breath. "What's on your mind? Want to talk about it?"
"No," he mumbles, pulling his hood over his face then shoving his ear buds in, drowning out any and all attempts I planned on making to help him figure this out.
I call Jo on the way and warn her we're coming over. By now she knows the drill, and I couldn't be more thankful for the Kenshaws and their help over the years. Even when Brandt caught Will trying to catch the hay bales on fire, they still let him come around. He's not allowed in any of the barns anymore though. He stays strictly to the fields with the horses, but he's still welcome there, thankfully.
Brandt and I met in middle school and after high school remained friends. When he brought Jo into the mix I was a little uncertain of her, mainly because she looks like she doesn't belong here, but looks don't matter. We learned that fast with Jo. I love her like family, especially because Brandt's never been happier. I'm convinced I'll never find what they have. At least not in this small town.
The entire drive to the ranch, Will doesn't talk to me. He's pulled so far away from me it's unbelievable and I'm at a loss as to what to do with him. He won't express feelings so I have no idea what he needs. I pay attention to him. I buy him what I can. I love him like our parents never passed, but nothing ever gives.
By the time we get to the ranch, I've gone through every scenario in my head of how this kid's going to end up if he doesn't get his act together and nothing ends pretty. As I pull away to head back to work for the remaining two hours of the school day, I can't help but worry he'll end up in prison, or dead before I can figure out a way to get through to him.
I'm thankful when the weekend comes and I can relax a little. I feel like it took three weeks just to get to Friday. Between stress at work, tips at the diner being less than stellar, and dealing with Will, I was ready for a good glass of wine before Friday ended. Today I worked a twelve-hour shift at the diner, but tomorrow's Sunday so I'm off from both jobs. I couldn't be happier. I don't have long before I gotta get home and make sure my brother's not out terrorizing the town, but I'm sitting at the bar where my best friend Chase works when he's not running the tattoo shop.
"Plans tonight?" he asks, watching me carefully. He knows the weekends I end up here aren't the best of nights for me. I need it after this week, I tell ya.
"You're watching it," I say, taking another drink of my wine. I'm not trying to get drunk, just attempting to unwind.
He leans on the bar and smiles at me, that twinkle in those eyes is going to make some girl fall hard for him.
Just not me.
We tried it years ago. Chase and I have been friends just as long as Brandt and me. Being from this small town there's not a plethora of men to choose from, so it felt like a no-brainer hooking up with Chase. He's extremely good looking and knows how to treat a girl if he likes you. But when it came time for our relationship to go from fun dates to anything else, it just didn't feel right. It felt like messing around with a family member. The same thing I would feel if Brandt and I had ever tried anything. There were no hard feelings when I broke it off with Chase. He stuck around and has become a pretty amazing friend over the years. When my parents died he was exactly what I needed. He's fun and carefree and I needed to let go at times. Jo and Brandt were great, especially with my siblings, but the only person I could unwind with was Chase. Maybe because when I was with the Kenshaws, the twins were always with me. Don't get me wrong, Chase likes my siblings, but time with Chase meant time away from home and responsibility. The fun and carefree lifestyle has died down since though, especially the worse Will's attitude becomes.
"How's the old clan?" He leans back and crosses his tattooed arms.
God, girls swoon over those arms. Everything about Chase is sexy bad boy, and that worries me that he'll never be tamed. He deserves to be. I know he probably thinks being tamed is more of a punishment than something good, but I just hope one day he'll find that girl that shows him his full potential.
I chuckle, carefully turning my glass. He only brings them up because he's trying to be a good friend and knows they're important to me, but Chase had some sort of falling out with 'the old clan'. The reasons are unknown. I think it had a lot to do with his sister, Fiona. She was rather promiscuous and easily caused a dozen fights amongst our group of friends. There was a lot of drama for a while, which I think is why Chase kind of pulled back from everyone but me.
"Everyone's fine. Though, I really only see Jo and Brandt anymore. You know mostly everyone else has pretty much moved away. What's up with your sister? She still doing well in Vegas? You haven't brought her up in awhile." She's his twin and they had been inseparable until she left this place. I know he misses her like crazy, but he hasn't mentioned her lately.
"She's engaged." He shakes his head. "Some money maker out there. But she's happy."
"No shit?" I chuckle. "Well good for her. That's good."
"She'll start poppin' out kids soon, livin' the American dream in the desert." He swipes at the counter then tosses the rag down. "What about you, Kin? You ever thought about that? Kids, family?"
I stand. I've pretty much written love out of my life until the twins are away at college and I can breathe a little, but that's nothing I need to whine about. I'm good the way we are right now. "You know I got no time for that in my life, Chase. Hey, I gotta head home before Will burns the house down. He's still on this pyro kick."
The look on his face is sad. Anyone who knows about my troublesome brother gives me this look. They've all tried to help, but there's no getting through to Will.
"We still on for breakfast?"
I smirk. "Chase, you and I have been having Sunday breakfasts for years now. It ain't gonna change. Be at the house at eight and be prepared for cranky teenagers." I slap down a twenty and he shoves it back across the bar at me.
"And you know your money is no good here, beautiful." He grins and I roll my eyes, swiping the bill off the counter and shoving it back into my pocket.
"Thank you." Before I hurry out of here, he walks around the bar, wrapping his arms around me. A hug from Chase has always relaxed some of my stress, at least for a few brief moments.
"I'll bring the bacon," he says, letting me go. I smile up at him and he winks, giving me that smile that I'm certain will one day change a lucky girl's life.
Jo says I'm leading him on, that he's hung up on me, but we tried that. It didn't work out, and I'm fairly certain he felt the same about the situation as I did. At least he agreed when I brought attention to how awkward and forced being intimate with him felt. He's my best friend and I worry if I pull away, he'll fall back from me like he did everyone else.
I head home for the night and spend it in front of the TV by myself. As the twins get older, they spend less time at home. The two of them have their small group of friends, which I love, but this tiny house seems too big when it's just me here. I end up falling asleep on the couch at nine and get woken up when they come tip-toeing in at just after midnight.
"Where've you guys been?" I sit up, rubbing my eyes.
"Ryan's. His mom brought us home, we thought you were working." Wendy heads toward the hall as she talks. Ryan is Will's best friend and has been for as long as I can remember. His family is strict, but they're good for the kids.
"Chase'll be here in the morning for breakfast!" I call out before heading to grab a glass of water. I hear them grumble, but they're lucky I can't tell what they're saying. They don't care when he's here, so it better just be bitching about having to wake up early.
The next morning, Chase delivers, as always, with donuts, bacon, coffee, and a huge smile I love to see, even if he's later than he usually is.
"They're not awake yet," I say, glancing at the clock. "It's almost ten. I guess I should get them up."
"We'll just call this brunch then." He winks and heads to the kitchen while I make my rounds to wake the kids.
I walk into Wendy's room and glance around; she's under her piles of blankets, fast asleep. This used to be my room before we lost our parents. Now I'm in their old room so the twins can have their own space. Like I said before, this house isn't the biggest, but it's home and it holds every memory of my parents I have, be it good or bad.
"Up, missy. Chase brought bacon and donuts." I nudge her shoulder.
She groans and rolls over, lifting a sleepy eyebrow at me. "He likes you," she mumbles. "A lot."
"He does not. We're just friends, now get up before I eat your serving." I toss a pillow at her then head to Will's room and try to open the door but he's locked it. Knocking, I rest my forehead against the door. "Will? Chase is here. Time to get up for breakfast." I wait, but nothing comes of my attempt.
Will doesn't really like Chase. He's never made it a point to bond with him like I was hoping, and he never gets up for Sunday breakfasts to join us. Him and Chase don't really have much in common, so I suppose that's why, but I just wish Will had someone in his life that he could look up to and talk to. Someone he'd actually open up to. Lord knows Chase has tried, but he doesn't know the first thing to do when it comes to an angsty teen who seems to hate the world
I finally resign from trying to get him up and head back to the kitchen where Chase has eggs going alongside the bacon. It smells amazing.
"Wendy should be out soon. I can't get Will up." I puff out a breath of frustration, plopping into the chair.
"He'll come around. Don't stress about him. Teenage boys are rough." He chuckles then turns back to the stove.
I take a minute to look over what he's wearing. Chase isn't the country boy most of the guys around here are. He grew up here, but he's always had that rocker vibe going on. Hell, him and Jo could pass for brother and sister. If it weren't for the southern accent, you'd think he was transplanted from a big city like Jo actually was.
Sometimes I'm sad I couldn't develop those feelings for him. It'd be easy as pie letting him into our family, but I can't settle. Not that Chase isn't a catch, but he's not in the pond I'd fish in. I'd rather be old with thirty cats than settle for something that isn't true love. I know I'll find it eventually.
Hopefully.
"Come on, Wendy!" I honk the horn, not wanting to get out of the car because I'm running late. It's Tuesday and I wish it were Friday. I seem to wish my days away more often than not anymore.
This morning I woke up to the smell of burning plastic, just to run into the kitchen at six a.m. to find Will burning a plastic bottle over the stove top because he 'liked the way the burnt plastic shriveled up'. I swear, he’s going to burn this place down and it worries me we'll all still be inside.
I see Wendy dismount the horse and sigh. She loves those horses. They both do, and If I had the means, I'd get them a horse. They don't complain about it though. They know money is tight, and for the most part they're respectful of it. I'm grateful I don't have teenaged siblings who are brand name snobs and expect everything under the sun to be handed to them. Wendy's pretty cool. And Will...well he just wants to burn things.
I watch her give Jo a hug, then wave behind her as she walks toward the car. And then I see the new figure she waved at. I haven't seen this person on the ranch.
Who is that? I narrow my eyes like it'll help me see clearer. While I'm squinting to try and focus on the stranger, who coincidentally just glanced over at my beater car then ripped his shirt off, the passenger door swings open and I jump.
"Hey. Sorry, I was talkin'," she says, buckling up.
"Mmm okay," I mutter, my eyes locked on the nice view out in the field. "Wendy, who's that man?"
Please don't say it's Brandt. That'd be really awkward eyeing up one of my oldest friends. Not to mention Jo's husband. My sex life has been nonexistent for a while now, but that's no excuse to ogle Brandt.
"I think Jo said his name is Bro? Bo? I think Bo..." She fumbles with her phone and plugs in her headphones, ignoring my blunt reaction.
"Bo?" I blurt, my eyebrows pulling together. "Wendy, Bo? You're sure she said Bo?" I jerk my head back to the field but he's gone. Long gone. Bo's been long gone from this town for about five years now. That can't be Bo. That body definitely wasn't the Bo I remember.
"Yep. Bo. He's pretty cool," she says with a shrug. "Nice to look at."
"Stop that," I blurt, taking a deep breath and pulling away. "You're too young for those cowboys."
She smirks over at me, shoving her earbuds in, and I'm left with a silent ride to wonder if the stranger on the Kenshaws’ ranch was actually Bo.
Bo's back.
And from far away...he looks real good.