Chapter 28
I’ve gotten used to getting up at the ass crack of dawn. Actually, it’s before the ass crack of dawn because the sun isn’t even up yet. But Dusty’s already in the kitchen, making us all breakfast. He makes us breakfast every day. We offer to take turns, but he still does it.
I don’t know what I would make if it was my turn. I’m just a kid. I don’t cook so good. I guess I could toast bagels or something.
It’s probably for the best that Dusty cooks.
Micah and I share a room in the bunkhouse. He’s cool. Since I bought the gaming system, he bought the TV in our room, and we spend a lot of time in here in the evenings, playing around.
“I smell bacon,” Micah says as he climbs out of bed and scratches his chest. Without saying anything else, he leaves the room, and I yawn.
Neither of us is a big talker. That’s probably why we get along so well.
I get up and pull on my jeans and a T-shirt, grab my hat and boots, and walk out to the kitchen, where sure enough, Dusty’s finishing up breakfast and the other guys are already having coffee at the table.
Even Ryker’s here this morning, which isn’t typical for him. He usually meets us later on.
“Is Aunt Wills okay?” I ask him with a frown.
“She’s still sleeping,” he replies and then sips his coffee, and I immediately feel better.
Good.
I call her Aunt Wills, but she’s really my mom in every way that matters. She’s the only mom I remember. I don’t know much about my real mom. I just remember being hungry. And sick.
I was really sick.
“I hear you all had fun yesterday,” Dusty says as he piles the bacon on a plate. “Went for a swim p>
“Yeah, it was fun,” Micah says as he joins us. “I didn’t know that lake was there p>
Ry grins. “As long as you finish your work each day, you can swim as much as you want. We lived in that lake when we were kids. It’s the best way to cool off p>
“Just no swimming alone,” Micah’s dad says, giving us both a stern look. “Be safe about it p>
We nod and dig into the food. I’m hungry here, but never because I haven’t been fed. It’s because we work so fucking hard. And I kind of love it. I like the horses and the cows, and we got chickens last week, and that’s pretty cool. I don’t know dick about chickens, but I guess I’ll learn. I mean, won’t they freeze in the winter? It’s weird.
“Hey, Aiden,” Ry says as we finish eating, “there’s something that came for you yesterday. You’ll be with me in the barn this morning p>
“For me?” I raise an eyebrow. “It’s not my birthday or anything p>
Ry just laughs, and then we get our stuff and set off for the barn.
“How’s everything going?” he asks me.
“Great p>
“Do you still like living out here p>
I frown. Is he going to tell me that we have to move back to the city after all? I won’t go back. I’d rather run away.
“I love it here,” I tell him honestly. “Will I really have to move into your house when the summer’s over p>
“Yep, you’ll live with us during the school year,” he replies.
“So I don’t have to go back to Missoula p>
He stops walking and turns to me, takes me by the shoulders the way he does when he’s telling me something serious.
“Aiden, you are staying here. You and Willow live here now. Wills even put her house on the market. You’re not going back to Missoula, okay p>
“Okay. Good p>
“Have you had any weird messages come through on your phone from a number you don’t know, or an unknown number p>
Now he’s making me nervous again.
“I haven’t looked at my phone since last night,” I reply. “I got a text from Mac to hop on and play Call of Duty with him. But there’s nothing weird p>
“That’s what I want to hear. If that changes, you tell me right away p>
“I will. I mostly ignore my phone. I’m too busy to pay any attention to it p>
“That’s not a bad thing.” Ry opens the barn door, and we walk inside.
“Hey, girl,” I say to Sunflower, the horse I ride the most. She can be skittish, but she loves me. I rub her head and then follow Ry to the other side of the building, where a big box sits in the corner. “What’s that p>
“The punching bag I promised you p>
One thing I’ve learned this summer is that if Ryker promises something, he comes through. Always.
“I know you’re not quite as angry as when you first came here, but we can all use a round or two with a punching bag once in a while,” he says with a shrug. “I need your help hanging it p>
“Sure, I can do that.” I like it when he needs my help. I like feeling useful.
“What’s your favorite part of the ranch?” he asks me as he cuts open the box.
“What do you mean p>
He shrugs and gestures for me to hold on to the closed end so he can shimmy the bag out of the cardboard.
“When I first moved here, when I was about your age, my favorite part was the quiet. I liked that there isn’t a lot of noise out here. And the stars are cool too p>
I nod, thinking it over. “I guess I just like that I feel safe here p>
He stops what he’s doing and turns to me. “You didn’t feel safe with Willow in the city p>
“I always feel safe with Aunt Wills, because she’s a mama bear and she will cut a bitch p>
Ry smirks and nods. “Yeah, she is that p>
“But I didn’t feel safe at school. I never knew what to expect, you know p>
“Yeah.” He sighs and pulls a hook out of his pocket, then stands on a stool to screw the hook into the beam above us. “I know that feeling, and it fucking sucks p>
“I know what to expect here. I’m kind of nervous about starting a new school, but it’ll be a million times better than the last one, so it’s no big deal p>
“If there is ever even one minute that you don’t feel safe, you come to me or Willow and tell us. No more keeping that to yourself. Got it p>
“I didn’t want to worry her. She already has so much going on p>
“She’s your mama bear, kiddo. It’s her whole job to worry. And, news flash, she’ll worry whether you give her a reason to or not. Might as well keep her in the loop so she’s worrying about the right things p>
I never thought about it like that.
“Yeah, you’re probably right p>
“Of course I am. Here, I need you to lift this thing so I can slip the loop onto the hook p>
I bend my knees and get under it, then lift, and Ry guides it onto the hook, and then it’s all done.
“One punching bag.” Ry pats it and then ruffles my hair. “Now, let’s saddle up and ride some fence line today p>
I nod and turn toward Sunflower. I’m good at saddling her up, keeping her tack clean and taken care of.
She’s my best girl.
First, I brush her down and give her some carrots, and then I lay a blanket on her before lifting the heavy saddle onto her back. Once it’s secured, I turn to see that Ry’s done the same for his horse, and we ride out of the barn.
“It’s already hot out,” I say to Ryker as we head out into the sunshine.
“Yeah, we might all end up in the lake again this evening,” he says. “It’s handy. I could put in a pool, but what’s the point p>
“Aunt Wills would probably prefer a pool p>
His gaze whips to mine. “Why p>
“She doesn’t love swimming with fish and bacteria and all the other creatures in the water. Those are her words, not mine p>
“She didn’t say anything yesterday p>
I smirk. “Of course not. It’s not like she can choose a pool out here p>
He starts to say something, but his phone rings. “I have to take this, buddy. Ride ahead, and I’ll catch up p>
I nod and turn Sunflower toward the fence line closest to the house. But as I get closer, I frown.
Why are there people here?
They aren’t anyone that works here. Half of them are women.
Girls.
As I approach the fence, they start to wave, and I feel Sunflower hesitate.
“Whoa, girl, it’s okay. We’re just going to say hi p>
“You’re not Cap,” someone says with disappointment in her voice.
“You all need to leave,” I announce, keeping my voice strong. The girls are pretty. They’re not wearing much of anything. Bikini tops and jean shorts, their hair up, and their eyes hidden behind sunglasses. There are four of them, along with two guys.
They all look older than me. Maybe in college.
“We don’t have to go anywhere,” one of the guys says. “Where’s Ryker James p>
“This is private property,” I reply, keeping my eyes hard. “And you need to get the fuck off our property p>
“We were invited,” one of the girls says. “And you’re kind of cute. I’d do a lot of fun things to you if you introduced us to him p>
What the hell?
“Oh my God, I think that’s him p>
The girls start to squeal, and Sunflower spooks. She rears up on her hind legs and then bucks, and I can’t stay on her. The next thing I know, I’m airborne, and then I’m in the dirt, and everything hurts.