The Wanted Short Stories (Wanted 5.5)

I stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing off vegetables, as I listened to Alex and Colt fighting—again. Alex had just turned nine, and she was well on her way to twenty-one. Colt would be eight in a few months, and he lived to torment his sister.

The phone rang, and I leaned over to pick it up. I was hoping it would be Gunner. He’d taken a job designing a lawyer’s new house in Fredericksburg. It was a favor to the architecture firm where he’d worked part-time after college.

“Hello?”

“I need a drink—a tall drink filled with alcohol—preferably served by my naked husband.”

I rolled my eyes. “Ew…really? Come on, Ari. No matter how many times I tell you that grosses me out, you just never stop.”

I could picture her sitting at her desk with her feet propped up, smiling her devilish smile.

“Tell me you don’t feel the same way…well, not about my husband serving the drink to you. Instead, it would be your cowboy.”

I closed my eyes and tried to picture it. “That would be heaven, especially since I hardly see him anymore.”

“That sucks, sweets. With as busy as the ranch is, I’m surprised he took this job.”

I frowned and glanced back to the kids since they had been way too quiet.

“Oh my God, Ari, if you hear me scream, don’t panic. I’m fixin’ to pull my hair out. I’ll call ya right back.” I hung up the phone and walked over to the table.

I looked down at Alex. “What did you do?”

I peeked over to Colt. Alex smiled and shrugged her shoulders as she sat down in the chair. She gently laid the scissors on the kitchen table and attempted not to laugh.

I turned back to look at my baby boy. I tried really hard not to laugh, and I bit the inside of my cheek. “Colt, why did you let your sister cut your hair?”

I glanced at Alex. “And is that a wash-out dye, Alexandra?”

She shook her head. “Nope.”

Colt jumped up. “You said it would wash out, Alex! You promised it would.” He looked at me. “Did she cut my hair good, Mama? She told me she’s been practicing on her Barbie dolls.”

I placed my fingertips on my temples and silently prayed for a miracle. I wanted the last five minutes to be erased, so I could get a do-over.

I let out a long and dragged-out sigh. “Alex, how in the heck did you find the time to dye his hair and cut it while I was on a three-minute phone call?”

Again, she shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve learned to move fast, Mama. I have to with Luke and Will.”

My mouth dropped open. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I pointed to the door and said, “Go up to your room, Alex. You’re grounded.”

“What?” Alex said as she jumped up. “But, Mama, he was being so annoying. He wouldn’t stop talking. I had to do something.”