The last thing I wanted to do was step foot through the door. “Okay, I’ll go,” I agreed. I grabbed my Stetson from its wall peg and covered my unruly hair.
“If you’re following me, it’s time to go,” Matt told us as he walked to the front of the barn. We followed him outside and he climbed into his truck. “I’ll see you at O’Brian’s,” he said before shutting his door.
James and I climbed into the cab of his truck and fastened our seatbelts.
“So how pissed at me are you?” James asked as he turned the key in the ignition. The truck growled to life and James steered it down the driveway.
“So you did have something to do with Marci showing up,” I frowned. “I wasn’t sure about that until just now. How did you find her?”
“I went through those yearbooks you mentioned. The one from Cole’s senior year had a long love letter from Marci tucked inside. I did a little research online and learned that she’d recently gotten a divorce and moved to the area.”
“So did you just call her up and ask her to drop by?” I asked.
James shook his head. “Not exactly… I put together an email about the new trail rides, and I sent it out to a huge group of people. I figured if Marci had any lingering feelings for Cole, she’d show up after reading about the ranch. It was pretty clear by the look on her face that she wasn’t really interested in buying trail horses.” He paused and glanced over at me. “You haven’t answered my question. Are you pissed at me?”
I moved a strand of hair away from my eyes and stared out the window at the sunset. “I don’t know… your mom running into Clark was one thing. But this seems so… manipulative and deceptive. They were already fighting. Emailing Marci may have crossed the line.”
“I sent the email long before we left for Kentucky, Willow,” James told me. “And after what happened in Kentucky, I’m sure it was the right thing to do.”
I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘after what happened in Kentucky’?”
“After that piece of shit put his hands on you and kissed you right in front of me,” James fumed. “Do you know what I realized when I saw him do that?”
“That Bradley is an asshole?” I suggested.
The corner of his mouth turned up, but he shook his head. “No, I already knew he was an asshole. When he kissed you, I realized that if our parents get married, I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life watching someone else kiss you. And I’ll have to stand idly by as your doting stepbrother. If they get married, Willow, it will be the end for us.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “Are you sure about that? Maybe it would all work out… maybe we could all be happy. I’m sure we’re not the first people to fall for each other after their parents got together.”
James shook his head. “It would never work. People like to pretend that they’re accepting and nonjudgmental, but that’s almost always a façade. They’d be nice to our face and rally against us at their weekly church potluck. If you don’t believe me, ask Matt. I’m sure he gets that kind of treatment all the time.”
I sighed, knowing that James was right. Once we were family, a huge stigma would shroud our relationship.
“I wish you could scoot over next to me, like you did on the way home from Sterling,” James said softly.
I glanced around and saw that Matt was the only other person on the road. “Just till we get to town,” I said. I unbuckled my seatbelt and moved to the middle of the seat. James wrapped his arm around me, and we flew down the highway in content silence.
***
When we walked into O’Brian’s, Lucas spotted us from his booth. He jumped to his feet and rushed over to greet us.
“Willow, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” he said, wrapping me in a hug. “I was so excited when Matt called and told me you guys were joining us tonight.” Lucas pulled away from me and kissed
“If you’re following me, it’s time to go,” Matt told us as he walked to the front of the barn. We followed him outside and he climbed into his truck. “I’ll see you at O’Brian’s,” he said before shutting his door.
James and I climbed into the cab of his truck and fastened our seatbelts.
“So how pissed at me are you?” James asked as he turned the key in the ignition. The truck growled to life and James steered it down the driveway.
“So you did have something to do with Marci showing up,” I frowned. “I wasn’t sure about that until just now. How did you find her?”
“I went through those yearbooks you mentioned. The one from Cole’s senior year had a long love letter from Marci tucked inside. I did a little research online and learned that she’d recently gotten a divorce and moved to the area.”
“So did you just call her up and ask her to drop by?” I asked.
James shook his head. “Not exactly… I put together an email about the new trail rides, and I sent it out to a huge group of people. I figured if Marci had any lingering feelings for Cole, she’d show up after reading about the ranch. It was pretty clear by the look on her face that she wasn’t really interested in buying trail horses.” He paused and glanced over at me. “You haven’t answered my question. Are you pissed at me?”
I moved a strand of hair away from my eyes and stared out the window at the sunset. “I don’t know… your mom running into Clark was one thing. But this seems so… manipulative and deceptive. They were already fighting. Emailing Marci may have crossed the line.”
“I sent the email long before we left for Kentucky, Willow,” James told me. “And after what happened in Kentucky, I’m sure it was the right thing to do.”
I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘after what happened in Kentucky’?”
“After that piece of shit put his hands on you and kissed you right in front of me,” James fumed. “Do you know what I realized when I saw him do that?”
“That Bradley is an asshole?” I suggested.
The corner of his mouth turned up, but he shook his head. “No, I already knew he was an asshole. When he kissed you, I realized that if our parents get married, I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life watching someone else kiss you. And I’ll have to stand idly by as your doting stepbrother. If they get married, Willow, it will be the end for us.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “Are you sure about that? Maybe it would all work out… maybe we could all be happy. I’m sure we’re not the first people to fall for each other after their parents got together.”
James shook his head. “It would never work. People like to pretend that they’re accepting and nonjudgmental, but that’s almost always a façade. They’d be nice to our face and rally against us at their weekly church potluck. If you don’t believe me, ask Matt. I’m sure he gets that kind of treatment all the time.”
I sighed, knowing that James was right. Once we were family, a huge stigma would shroud our relationship.
“I wish you could scoot over next to me, like you did on the way home from Sterling,” James said softly.
I glanced around and saw that Matt was the only other person on the road. “Just till we get to town,” I said. I unbuckled my seatbelt and moved to the middle of the seat. James wrapped his arm around me, and we flew down the highway in content silence.
***
When we walked into O’Brian’s, Lucas spotted us from his booth. He jumped to his feet and rushed over to greet us.
“Willow, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” he said, wrapping me in a hug. “I was so excited when Matt called and told me you guys were joining us tonight.” Lucas pulled away from me and kissed
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