Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“I’m going to kill him.” My voice is hard as granite. “And I want to know why you’ve never talked to me about this.”
“Because what are you going to do?” His voice is so loud now, but I allow it because I can plainly see that he’s needed to get this out for a long time. “Talk to his mom? She doesn’t fucking care. She’s just like him. I’m sick to death of him talking shit about you. About Ryker and hockey and every goddamn thing. I don’t even use my phone anymore because he wouldn’t stop texting me.”
I tilt my head to the side, stunned. “Aiden. What in the hell? Baby, you don’t have to deal with all this bullshit by yourself, and yes, I can do something about it. We can press charges against him. Plus, you don’t have to defend me. I’m perfectly capable—”
“Yes I do,” he roars back. “Because I love you, and you’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and if someone’s going to talk shit about you, they’re going to get a goddamn broken jaw.”
“That’s my boy,” Ryker mutters, but I don’t look at him.
“He’s a jealous, miserable kid,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “I’m not saying you need to feel bad for him, and I’m not going to tell you to take the high road because he’s taken all this way too far, but you do know that he behaves that way because he’s jealous, right?”
“I don’t care why he does it.” Aiden pulls his hands down his face. “I don’t give a shit about him. I don’t want to ever see him again.”
“I fucking hate bullies,” I say, shaking my head.
“I want to live at the ranch,” he continues. “All the time, not just this summer. I don’t want to go to school in Missoula. I can go in Paradise Valley, where Micah goes.”
“As far as I’m concerned,” Ryker breaks in before I can reply, “you can move in permanently today. The ranch is your home. For both of you. I want you with me.”
“You do?”
I’ve gone completely quiet, but for the first time since Aiden saw that little shit in the store, he has hope in his eyes again.
This isn’t something that Ryker and I have discussed. The plan was for us to stay on the ranch for the summer and then return to Missoula. I’m a planner. I don’t do well with things being shaken up without warning.
Without a conversation.
“Of course I do,” Ry continues. “I told you, you guys are mine. I don’t want you to move back to Missoula.”
“Thank God,” Aiden says with a relieved sigh. Then he turns his attention back to me. “That’s okay, right, Aunt Wills? We can move to the ranch?”
“We’ll talk about it.”
“It’s perfect. You already have the best recording booth ever, and you like the house. You practically grew up there,” Aiden says, trying to sell me on the idea.
“I said we’d discuss it,” I repeat. “Now, tell me what you need to make you feel better tonight, buddy.”
He shrugs and kicks a rock.
“Can I have a hug?” I ask him, making him roll his eyes.
“I guess.”
I walk into his arms and press my head to his chest and give him a squeeze.
“I love you, baby boy.”
“I love you too.”
I grin up at him as I pull away. “Shall we head out?”
“Yeah, I have to set up my new system.”
He climbs into the SUV, but before I can walk around the car, Ryker grabs my hand and makes me turn to him.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asks. I hate the scowl on his face.
“No, of course not.”
“Wills—”
“Let’s talk about it over dinner. I’m hungry.”
His lips flatten into a line, but he finally nods. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ryker
The majority of this day has been a clusterfuck.
I had to put a cow down this morning. Something attacked her in the night, and she was a fucking mess, suffering in the pasture. I’m glad neither of the younger kids saw her.
That’s some shit you don’t get out of your head.
Sure, this is a ranch. We have farm animals, and I’ll be adding more, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve become completely desensitized when it comes to the suffering of animals.
It fucking sucks.
Then, I decided to cheer myself up with a ride into Missoula with my two favorite people. Aiden was thrilled.
But when I heard that British prick talk sexy to my girl, I would have dragged him through the phone to kick his ass if I could have. I don’t want anyone speaking to her like that but me.
Because she’s mine.
Just as things were getting better, Aiden’s bully came out of the goddamn woodwork and upset all of us, and when I tried to reassure Aiden that he and Wills can both move in with me, Willow iced up.