Jeremiah (Stud Ranch 5)

Charlie didn’t meet my eye as she popped the trunk and headed there to put the luggage inside. I joined her, leaning over close so her dad couldn’t hear. “You okay?”

She flashed a smile that didn’t meet her eyes. “Fine.” She hefted the heavy suitcase and I helped her lodge it in the trunk.

“Here, Dad, I got that,” she said, reaching for the suitcase he still stood holding awkwardly to the side of the car. He handed it over passively. I got the feeling that was his role in the family. Standing by silently.

I helped Charlie get all the bags into the car and then joined her dad in the backseat for the World’s Most Awkward Half Hour Drive to get back to the ranch.

Charlie tried pointing out landmarks along the way.

Her mother was supremely uninterested and spent most of the time on her phone.

Bitch Status confirmed. I swear, if this woman wasn’t paying for the wedding, I’d be severely tempted to give her a piece of my mind. I’d never been big on tact. I’d have to be on my best behavior for the next week.

Her dad just sat like a lump beside me looking out the window. Did the guy even have a personality? Or maybe he had once, but it had just been shaved down over time by being forced to be a lapdog to his wife. Weird freaking dynamics. No wonder Charlie had wanted out of her childhood home as quick as she could. Unfortunately, she’d landed in the clutches of a monster, only recently escaping.

She deserved all the good things coming to her, and I determined all over again to make this week as smooth as possible for her, mother-of-the-bride-from-hell or not.

I could all but feel Charlie’s relief when we pulled up to the ranch gate. “I’ll get it,” I said, jumping out to unlatch it.

I hauled the gate open and waited for the car to drive through, closing and locking it behind them before hopping back in. Just in time to hear her mother commenting, “I’m just saying, a manual gate? What century are we living in?”

“Things are different out here, Mom,” Charlie said, and I could hear the tension in her voice. “There’s no need to waste money on things that aren’t important.”

“What if it’s raining?” her mother asked. “You still have to get out in the mud to haul open the gate? What if you’re in heels?”

Charlie didn’t answer, because obviously, yes, we did. And heels weren’t usually ranch attire.

“That’s the good thing about Texas,” I piped up. “Most of the year not much rain.”

“Except for when it rains so much there are tornados,” her mother answered acerbically.

I barely bit back the retort that the tornado in question had done the world a favor by getting rid of her asshole former son-in-law, but that probably wouldn’t win me any brownie points.

“Just a few more minutes now,” I said brightly as the car bumped up the long gravel road. “I think you’ll really like the suite we’ve prepared for you.”

A noise came from Mrs. Winston’s throat as if she’d believe it when she saw it.

I turned my head toward the window so no one would see me roll my eyes.

Minutes later, we were finally pulling up in front of the house. From the outside, you couldn’t tell it was only half complete inside. It was two stories, like the original, but unlike the original, it didn’t have a wraparound porch yet, or much in the way of landscaping.

We’d all been working so hard to get the inside finishing touches done, I hadn’t really stepped back to think about what a first impression of the place might make…

But now as we drove up, I had to admit… It wasn’t as impressive as one might hope. Not nearly what it would be once it was all finished up. It just sort of looked like a big square box with some windows cut out. The siding had been painted blue, but there hadn’t been any shutters or window treatments put on yet.

“It’s really nice inside,” Charlie said defensively, obviously doing exactly what I was—looking at the house through her mother’s eyes. Which was bullshit, because before now, we’d all been proud of the progress being made. Especially with the blood, sweat, and tears we’d all been putting into it lately.

“I see,” her mother said, that note of distaste again in her voice.

I shoved out of my car door, casting my eyes again to the sky. Lord help me not to strangle this woman. Give me patience.

Reece came out the front door of the house, obviously having heard the sound of the engine. He waved at everyone in the car, a big, genuine Reece smile on his face.

He was in jeans and a white undershirt that were covered in drywall dust. He went over to stand by Charlie once everyone had gotten out of the car and congregated near the hood. He put an arm around Charlie and flashed his white-toothed grin at her parents.