Jeremiah (Stud Ranch 5)

Jeremiah kept up his stupid stoic stance the whole time but I ignored him and lost myself in the romantic moment of my best friends uniting in love.

When Xavier finally announced, “You may kiss the bride,” the crowd got to its feet and cheered as Reece dipped Charlie and kissed her deep. And uh… for a good long while. Whistles and laughter came from the crowd until, long moments later, he lifted her back upright and released her. They were both grinning and laughing, including Xavier, who only looked slightly more terrifying when he laughed.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife!” Xavier declared.

I felt a wave of relief wash through my body. Holy shit. We’d actually done it. They were married now, with no major hiccups. I laughed along with everyone else as the couple walked back down the aisle. Everyone opened the little bags of birdseed they’d been given and they tossed it on the newlyweds as they passed.

And then it was on to the reception, just in the field off to the side. We’d put up a big tent for the reception (in case of rain) yesterday along with tables. All the guests helped move the chairs from the ceremony space into the tent around the tables while Reece and Charlie took a moment to refresh themselves inside.

“Yes, over there,” I guided some guests where to go. “Yep. Barbeque from the Salt Lick is the main course but there are vegetarian options too.”

They thanked me and then moved past, chairs in tow.

And then Jeremiah was in front of me, towering and blocking the Texas sun. “You. We need to talk.”

I pursed my lips. “Can it wait? I’m kind of busy here.”

Jeremiah looked around. “Everyone’s figuring it out. Then they stand around and eat. It’s self-explanatory. Come on.” And he took my elbow and started dragging me to the side of the house nearest the bunkhouse, where there weren’t any guests. “We need to talk.”

“Fine,” I said, jerking out of his hold. “There’s no need to manhandle me.”

As soon as we were around the corner and away from prying eyes, he started spitting accusations at me. “How could you not tell me my brother had knocked Charlie up? I fucking proposed to you but you were keeping something this huge a secret from me? In what world is that fucking okay?”

I blinked at him and crossed my arms over my chest. “Excuse me? You wanna maybe rethink your tone? I’m not your brother’s keeper, and by the way, neither are you. Charlie’s my best friend and she asked me to keep a secret.”

“And I was going to be your husband!” he all but shouted.

I sucked in a breath and only managed to eke out a single word. “Was?” followed by a choked out, “Past tense?”

He threw a hand out. “Oh, come on. You really think we’d work? I was basing that on some romantic nonsense thinking my brother had finally—” He shook his head hard, and it was like with every second he was becoming more remote. “But he hasn’t changed, not really, because people don’t. No one ever changes. Shit will always fall apart and I have to be the smart brother who doesn’t let himself get caught up in it. I can’t get distracted or— Or whatever fantasy land we were living in.”

I stepped back. He might as well have punched me in the face. He didn’t want me. That was all he was really saying. He was using a bunch of other words, but I heard what it boiled down to. He didn’t want me.

Fucking fine, that was a familiar enough feeling in my life.

“Fuck you!” I lunged forward and shoved his chest. “Fuck you for pretending to—”

“To what? Have all my shit together?” He held out his hands and I frowned, because that hadn’t been what I was about to say. “I don’t!”

“Oh, that’s more than obvious. It’s clear you’re no more mature than all those little pricks I fucked in high school.”

He caught my arm and looked at me hard. “Careful.”

I just shook my head, giving him a venomous smile back. “Oh wow, look at the big man. You wanna knock me around some now, huh?”

“What? Jesus.” He let go of me and backed away. “Fuck. You don’t know me at all, do you?”

And tears burst from my eyes because I did know him, dammit, and it was the only reason I’d let him in so deep. But none of it mattered. Because now here he was breaking my heart anyway.

I looked up at him through my tears. “Why are we fighting again?” When what I really wanted to ask was, “Why are you doing this to me?” and to beg him to take the last five minutes back.

And I wanted him to laugh at me and say he didn’t know why we were fighting and then pull me into his arms and run his fingers through my hair. I wanted him to say everything would be all right, or we’d figure it out tomorrow after everything cooled down.