Page 8 of Wyatt

“I could,” I tell her, sliding my egg onto a plate. I would love nothing more than to take her up on her offer, but I need to think about it first before I make another rash decision like the one to leave Landry Ranch in the first place.

“Well, think about it. I better go. It’s my turn to make lunch and it takes me way longer than you to whip up some sandwiches,” she says, a smile in her voice. I keep telling her to get her brother’s to hire a new housekeeper and cook, but she said they refuse to for whatever reason. Maybe they’re trying to save money for all the incoming babies. “I’ll text you later about tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. Bye, Scar,” I say, and after she says her goodbyes and is off the phone, I make my way over to the futon to eat my breakfast of a fried egg and dry cereal I snatched from my cabinet.

Looking around at my bare essentials apartment, I sigh and dig into my meal. Maybe going home isn’t such a bad idea. The fact that I still think of the ranch as home is indication enough of where my heart lies. Will it be hard to live there again and see Wyatt every day, knowing what almost could have been but never will be? Yes, but living here without my family has been hard too, and I’m tired of dealing with it.

Life at the ranch may have been about caring for other people, but I loved all of them and it filled my heart with joy to know that I was a part of something. Even though I’m stronger for it in some ways for living alone, I feel empty, the only things filling my heart are memories and the small scraps of information I get from Scarlett over the phone.

“Nothing needs to be decided today,” I tell myself as I eat up and think about how to fill the rest of my day before my shift starts. Even though I know that’s true, I feel in my heart that I’ve already made the decision.

Chapter Five

~Wyatt~

Sweat drips down from my forehead as I drive another nail into the framing for the expansion to the homestead that my brothers and I started over a month ago. We talked to an architect and got some designs to add a whole new wing to the homestead since the family keeps growing and growing.

My siblings and I all talked one night, and with the exception of Scarlett, who still insists she’s leaving here as soon as possible, we decided that we all still wanted to live together. In order to do that, we needed more space, and more space is what we’re getting. If I have anything to say about it, as soon as Georgie gets back we’ll be working on filling a room or two with kids of our own. The thought brings a smile to my face as I work on getting this frame up.

Georgie leaving lit a fire under my ass, and while I wanted nothing more than to call her up and drag her back home to me where she belonged, I also wanted to respect her wishes and use the time to get things ready for when she came back. Besides, she wasn’t answering any call that wasn’t from Scarlett or one of the other girls, and even then she wouldn’t ever tell them where she was.

I’ve spent the last three months worried as hell about my little honey bee and haven’t slept soundly since the night before her birthday. At least I get daily updates from Scarlett, so I know she’s safe. It’s not nearly enough, but it’s something.

Speaking of my sister, Scarlett comes running around to the side of the house we’re working on with a bright smile on her face, and I immediately drop my hammer to the work table next to me, dusting my hands off on my pants. When she’s finally next to the four of us who have been working on this project all morning, she preens as she looks at our faces, but says nothing.

“Well?” I finally prompt her to get her to spill the beans. “Did you convince her to come home?”

The morning Georgie left, I explained what happened to everyone, including Scarlett. Boy, she was pissed at me, hollering all kinds of insults at me until she was blue in the face. When I confessed that I love Georgie and that it was all a mistake, she calmed down some, but she was still mad about her friend leaving in the first place. They all were, though my brothers were slightly more understanding since they’ve had troubles sharing their feelings with the one’s they love as well.

The light in Scarlett’s eyes dims slightly, but only just. “Not yet, though I did sew some seeds there.” Scarlett’s been asking Georgie to come home every chance she gets. If anyone could convince her, it’s my sister. Scarlett takes out her phone and flashes a text screen at us. “I did get her home address and the name of the bar she’s working at.”

“Bar?” My brother’s and I all bark at the same time. There’s nothing wrong with working at a bar, it’s an honest living after all, but I don’t like the idea of my sweet honey bee surrounded by intoxicated men and women every night.

By the looks on their faces, I can tell my brothers don’t like it either. They think of Georgie like a sister and want to protect her as such. My feelings are decidedly not brotherly, but I want to protect her all the same.

“What bar?” I ask, not liking the look on my sister’s face when I do.

“Uh,” she hesitates, kicking at the wood floor. “I’d rather not say. It doesn’t matter because I’m going to drive to Oklahoma City tomorrow and convince her to come back.”

“Oklahoma City?!” I nearly shout, pissed that she’s been this close yet so far away this whole time. My feet step closer to my sister and she bites her thumbnail, a nervous habit she’s had since forever. “You know what, never mind. Tell me where she’s working.”

Scarlett shakes her head, but when I give her my scariest big brother look, she balks and spits out the answer. “The Angry Cock.”

My brow furrows with confusion. “What the fuck is an angry cock?” I ask.

“Well, brother. Since you’re the only single one among us now, you probably know better than we three do,” Brooks says as he waggles his eyebrows and slaps my other two brothers on the chest. Sawyer shakes his head like he’s disappointed, but I see him stifling a smile. Mav doesn’t even bother to hold in his snicker and chuckles under his breath.

“Fuck off,” I tell them, flipping the bird with one hand while I pull out my phone with the other. I search my maps app for the place she’s working at and nearly drop my phone. “Why the hell is she working at a place in the damn near worst possible part of town? Fuck this shit,” I say, pocketing my phone and heading towards the side door. “I’m going there tonight.”

Before I can step inside the house, a hand on my arm has me whipping back around. My eyes meet Scarlett’s and she gives me a hard stare. “You going to hurt her again?”

“No. Never,” I tell her immediately. “I will never hurt her again. I love her, Lettie Lou.”

Scarlett gives me a curt nod. “Good. Now go bring back my best friend.”

“Yes, ma’am.” With those words, I head inside and head up to my room to get ready. Tonight, I’m going to see my woman, and if luck is on my side, I’ll be coming home with her too.

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