Chapter 4
King
My body is vibrating with need, and I’m pissed about it. As soon as the woman gets through the barn doors, I punch the wall I’m standing next to. Fuck! I want to scream it, but I know I can’t. Not with a ranch full of middle schoolers.
For the last five years, I’ve avoided every damn woman like the plague. When my father died and my brothers and I inherited the ranch, it’s like they came out of the woodwork. They want one thing, and I found that out the hard way. The first woman I ever got serious about I proposed to. I knew I needed a wife and some kids to carry on the Bryant name. I was doing my duty as a rancher. At least, that was the plan until I found out she was sleeping with another man. She even admitted to me that she loved him... She was only with me because of the Bryant ranch and what it could give her. Since that day, I’ve put up a wall around my heart, and I haven’t let anyone get close.
Fuck, I hate to think about the past. I take off my hat and wipe the sweat off my head. It’s as if I’ve been working all day out in the Tennessee heat instead of standing in the cool office in the barn.
I don’t know what it is about that woman, but there’s no way I could have hidden my attraction to her. She’s a pretty little thing, and I know we could have had some fun together. At least for a little while.
I should get back to work. I’ve already spent more time with the kids than I’d planned to, but I’m drawn to the barn doors. I put my hat back on and walk out, leaning against the doorway.
I spot the woman instantly, even with her back to me. She has her long black hair in a ponytail, and the way she’s shifting from foot to foot, I can tell she’s still hopping mad. The image of her hazel eyes getting darker the closer I got tells me that she was attracted to me even if she didn’t want me to know. Too bad her body betrayed her because I could see her puckered nipples through the thin material of her T-shirt.
Damn. I stuff my hands into the front pockets of my jeans and push them out a little. I definitely don’t need to be caught standing here gawking at her with a hard-on. As if she feels my eyes on her, she turns and looks over her shoulder. As soon as we make eye contact, her face tautens, and she turns around quickly. Definitely not the move of someone that is trying to bag a Bryant.
“King.”
I turn and watch as Olivia walks toward me. “Hey, Olivia.”
She stops next to me and faces the children. They’re working on knots, and I’m not sure who’s enjoying it more, the kids or my brothers.
Without looking at me, Olivia starts to speak. “I wanted to thank you for letting me bring the kids for a field trip.”
“Anytime. You know that.”
She nods her head. “Yeah, and I appreciate that. I feel like most of them look forward to this day all year long. I think they learn a lot when they’re here.”
I grunt. “Yeah, well there’s some things you can’t learn in a classroom.” When I realize how that sounds, I continue, “No offense.”
She laughs good naturedly. “None taken.”
We stand and watch the kids, and I notice Elijah with my brother Griffin. He’s concentrating hard on the knot he’s working on, and the moment he gets it, his whole face lights up. I nod toward the kid. “Who’s he? Is his family new in town?”
“Who?” she asks, searching the kids.
“Elijah. The one with Griff.”
“Oh, him. Yeah, well, he’s new this year.” She turns and looks at me excitedly. “He’s actually this year’s recipient of the Double B’s Ranchers Camp sponsorship.”
“He is?” I ask, surprised.
She nods. “Yep. I don’t think he knows yet, but I told his mom on the way out here. She was so thankful. I promise you don’t have any idea how much this means to her. She’s a hard-working mom, very involved at school. I think she needed this... she even teared up when I told her.”
“That’s good. Elijah seems like a good kid and a hard worker.” I start to laugh, still amazed. “You know when I asked him what he wanted to do he said he wanted to learn how to muck a stall because he read about how important a clean barn is.” I slap my hand on my thigh. “I mean, can you imagine that? This whole ranch and all the possibilities and he wanted to muck a stall.”
She nods. “It sounds like Elijah. I don’t know much about their life before Whiskey Valley, but I know they’ve had it hard. Natalie’s raised him right. Actually...” She starts to look around. “She said she was going to thank you while she was here, but I didn’t even think. She doesn’t really know a lot about the ranches and who is who. She sort of stays to herself. She probably didn’t know who to thank.”