Reece (Stud Ranch 4)

I clicked on the nightstand light to find the pill bottle, then popped two of the sleeping pills into my mouth. I chewed them into a chalky paste and swallowed them down with the tiny bit of water still left in the cup on my nightstand. And then, before I could think better of it, I shook another little blue pill into my hand and tossed it into my mouth too.

There was no water left, though.

I chewed up the pill and tried to swallow anyway, but grimaced. It left a terrible taste in my mouth, sticking to my tongue. It wasn’t going to do me any good unless it hit my blood stream. I needed more water.

Groaning, I pulled my robe around me and grabbed my cup. Going to the bathroom on this floor meant walking past Ruth’s bedroom though, and the wood was creaky. Safer to head downstairs.

Ruth had stuck her head in my room several times today. I’d pretended to be sleeping even though the sound of the door had woken me at least two of the times, and who knew if she’d checked in more than that.

So I snuck down the stairs. My foot creaked on one step near the bottom and I froze, eyes squeezing shut. I listened, but didn’t hear any movement from behind me, breathed out, and continued down to the kitchen.

I filled up the cup and drank a gulp, swishing the water around in my mouth to get rid of the awful pill taste before swallowing.

I was about to turn around when I paused, glancing at the top shelf of the cabinet across from the fridge. The kitchen had been remodeled not long ago, with pretty glass door cabinets. So I could see several bottles of Ruth’s favorite cabernet sauvignon winking at me from the top shelf. Ruth wasn’t one to bother with the fancy stuff, so it was a generic brand. I’d reimburse her next time I went to town.

I pulled down a bottle and winced at the noise the drawer made when I opened it to find a corkscrew. I finally found it and was just aiming to stab the pointy end into the cork when the outside door off to the porch suddenly opened.

I screeched and jumped backwards, brandishing the corkscrew outwards.

Only to see Reece standing in dim outline in the inside of the door. He flipped the kitchen light on and I jumped again.

“What are doing down here in the dark?” He looked at the clock on the wall. “At two in the morning?” He gestured at the wine. “Popping a bottle of wine?”

“I, uh.” I waved my hands. “I just—” I shrugged and my shoulders sagged. “—needed a drink.”

Then I crossed my arms over my chest and glared back at him. I was embarrassed at being caught and angry he was stopping me from just going back upstairs. “What are you always doing up in the middle of the night anyway. Don’t you ever sleep?”

He just shrugged and averted eye contact to the fridge. Hmm. Who was being cagey now?

“Then don’t make me drink alone?” I said, tilting the wine glass towards him. I wasn’t sure if it was generosity on my part or because now that I really thought about it, spending time with him sounded a million times better than climbing back into that bed.

He narrowed his brows at me but still nodded. I grabbed two wine glasses, finally popped the cork, and poured. I filled mine a tad more generously than his, but set the wine glass in between both of us, figuring he could pour more for himself if he wanted more. I wasn’t going to pretend I wanted an appropriate amount simply for propriety’s sake.

Reece’s eyebrows went up when I tilted my glass back and chugged it like Ruth had the beer at the bar.

“Is that something I should be worried about?” he said, gesturing with his glass at mine.

I looked at him surprised. “Of course not. I mean, yes, it’s likely concerning, but not something you should be worried about.”

He let out a startled laugh. “I’m not sure that distinction matters.”

I shrugged, then reached for the bottle I’d set between us to refill my glass. Reece put a hand on the long neck to stop me. “Charlie. What’s going on? Ruth said you were in bed all day. You didn’t seem sick at all before— Before what happened with the heifer. What’s wrong?”

I glared at him. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.” I jerked the wine bottle out of his hand and, just to spite him, upended it and chugged from the mouth of the bottle. The wine was a bit bitter, but sweet enough, and I downed what was left in the bottle fairly quickly.

Reece had crossed his arms over his chest. “You done?”