Herd That (The Valentine Boys 1)

Georgia snickered.

“Damn,” Darby said. “Does this mean that I can’t use your bathroom anymore?”

I licked my lips at Ace’s words, then sat stiffly in his arms for a few long seconds before he tipped his head back down, his hat once again blocking out all the light.

“You’re not freaking out right now, are you?” he asked curiously.

Apparently, the last time that he’d said it, I’d freaked out.

Which, admittedly, I had.

I hadn’t even acknowledged that he’d said it.

I opened and closed my mouth for a few long seconds, then finally said, “I love you, too,” in the squeakiest voice that’d ever come out of my mouth

He laughed, then tightened his arms around my body for a few long seconds before saying, “And you really are moving in with me.”

I bit my lip.

“Isn’t it a little too soon?” I questioned.

I mean, it hadn’t even been that long yet.

“Maybe,” he admitted. “But us Valentines don’t really play it safe.”

Georgia snickered. “My man had me moved in with him in a short period of time, too. I think it’s just an alpha male thing, not necessarily a Valentine thing.”

Ace grunted.

I forgot to breathe because while we were discussing living arrangements, Scooby had been notched into the little shoot thingie with the gate on it, and the gate had swung open with Hector on Scooby’s back.

And Scooby just stood there.

For two whole seconds.

Hector, getting pissed, leaned forward.

And then Scooby did what he was born to do.

Buck.

Oh, holy hell did he buck.

“Damn,” Darby and Ace said at once.

“Holy shit,” Georgia breathed.

Everybody all around us breathed in deeply, every single molecule of air, it felt like, being sucked into throats all at once.

Then Hector was flying through the air so high that everybody and their brother stood.

Ace stood with me in his arms, and I practically climbed him so I could see over the tall guy who’d went a step farther and went onto the bleacher’s seat just so he could see.

That was when I saw Scooby barreling down on Hector who’d landed in a heap next to the fence.

Had he hit the fence?

Had he gotten hurt?

Was he going to ever move?!

Then Hector was being tossed up and out of the ring by none other than Banks.

Banks literally picked him up by his leather vest and chaps’ belt and tossed him up and over.

Then, before our eyes, Banks went flying.

Scooby dropped his head, lifted it up, and tossed Banks what looked like ten feet in the air.

Ace growled and started down the bleachers with me on his shoulders.

Banks landed on his feet and was running back toward the fence, Scooby hot on his heels.

But Banks made it before Scooby could get to him, and Scooby’s head hit the bars of the fence just as Banks’ feet cleared it.

Then, for good measure, Scooby head-butted the bars again, making the entire row of fencing shake.

Banks flipped him off.

I couldn’t help it.

I started to laugh.

Ace did, too.

But only after he turned and pointed at his brother, who was giving us a thumbs up.

“That was… wow,” I finally said.

Ace snorted. “You could say that again.”Chapter 21Professional gate opener.

-T-shirt

Ace

“Where’s your better half?” Callum asked as he bench pressed his next set.

I felt a pang in my chest at my newly acquired gym partner not being where I wanted her—i.e., by my side.

“She started work today,” I reminded him. “Remember?”

He grunted and re-racked the weights, then nodded.

“I forgot.” He sat up and stretched out his shoulders. “How’s she liking it? She started this morning, right?”

I nodded my head. “I’ve gotten two messages from her all day. She was supposed to meet me here—which is why we’re here so late—but she texted me about thirty minutes ago to say I should start without her. Something about a meeting that she didn’t know she had to attend.”

Callum grunted.

“Do you think I should get a job?” Banks asked from behind us.

I frowned.

“Umm,” I hesitated. “What happened to working at the ranch?”

Banks sighed and stood up, stretching his arms up high over his head.

“I’m bored at the ranch and you know it,” he said. “With Jensen, Colt, and Remy on his way? You won’t need me. You have more than enough hands on deck. Not to mention, they’re better at it and have more patience.”

That was true.

I’d noticed it more than once.

Yet, I didn’t say anything because having him help run fence and train horses was extremely helpful.

However, Callum and I were doing the job just fine by ourselves when it came to running the ranch. And with Jensen and Colt adding their two cents on how to do what? Well, Callum really wasn’t needed

It was just that Banks helping out seemed to make everything just a little bit better. I loved the shit out of my brother, and as much as I thought of my friends as family? They weren’t ever going to be Darby, Callum, Banks, or Georgia. You didn’t share something like we did and not have an unbreakable bond form out of fire and blood. Something that could never be broken, or replaced.