Page 13 of Bad Boy Husband

JAMESON

L ater that night, the tables were all packed up and the party was over. The guys and I had had a couple more beers after the others had left, but we’d eventually said good night when the storm had rolled in.

Everyone had been exhausted after a long, hot day in the sun, but I couldn’t sleep. Thunder cracked overhead like the sky was coming apart, lightning flashing in sporadic bursts that lit up my entire room.

It wasn’t the storm keeping me up, though. I quite liked those. Usually, the worse the storm, the better I slept. Something about nature releasing her power that way relaxed me like little else did, but tonight, I was on edge.

Around two a.m., I got up and padded barefoot across the cool tile to the kitchen in the pool house.

The rain was hammering against the windows so hard that it sounded like someone was slinging gravel against the glass.

At least that meant I was unlikely to wake Sadie up with a creak of a cabinet door or the soft thud of a glass against the counter.

It was dark in the house, but that ambient dark of the early morning in a suburb, where it never got quite as dark as out on my parents’ estate or the Shepard ranch.

I grabbed the bottle from the counter next to the sink and poured myself two fingers of scotch, the good stuff I’d brought from San Francisco. The liquid was sharp and smooth all at once, burning a delicious, calming trail down my throat and warming my stomach.

I exhaled, leaning against the island and watching lightning fork across the sky through the kitchen window. Am I really trying to do this? Is it the right call?

Those were the questions that had been keeping me up, but even after hours of pondering, I still didn’t have answers.

I didn’t know if it was about my inheritance, my seat on the board, or my family’s expectations, or if I’d simply asked because of the way Carson had been looking at her earlier, like she was already his.

My blood had run cold and hot at the same time, and that had spurred me on, sure, but I’d been thinking about it for much longer than Carson had been in her life. Hell, she’d only met him yesterday. I’d been considering asking her to marry me since my dad had first told me I was next.

I brought my glass back to my lips and tipped it again, swiping my tongue across my mouth after I’d swallowed. Is she right? Is it insane to even be thinking about this?

Trent was a very typical older brother to a younger sister.

In his eyes, she’d forever be that baby he had to protect, and despite what I’d told her earlier, I didn’t actually think he would ever get onboard with my plan.

Maybe if I promised him it was just an arrangement and I wouldn’t touch her.

But that was crazy and a promise like that would be an outright lie.

I refused to lie to my friend’s face, no matter how much was at stake for me.

If the opportunity ever presented itself to touch her again, I would be all over her like white on rice. I would bury myself so deep?—

I groaned and very deliberately shut down that train of thought.

Pressing the heel of my hand against my growing cock, I tossed back the rest of the scotch and poured one more.

Carrying it with me to the living room, I lay back on one of the couches and kicked my feet up.

Holding the glass on my stomach, I watched the storm.

By the time the rain finally eased to a whisper, dawn was bleeding pale light into the clouds and I sighed, still not even tired enough to consider a nap.

I got up from my perch on the couch, not in the mood to explain to Sadie if she woke up why I was lying here, wide awake, with a drink in my hands at sunrise. When I got to my room, I glanced at my bed but shook my head and grabbed my running shoes instead.

After pulling on shorts and a T-shirt, I laced up my sneakers and headed out into the cool, wet morning. The streets were quiet and damp, birds chirping in the crisp morning air after a night spent hiding and probably taking a battering.

I usually popped my earbuds in while I was running, but I didn’t feel the need to drown out the world today. Perfectly content to listen to the sound of my footfalls on the wet asphalt, the birds, and my own ragged breathing, I took off down Trent’s block.

The neighborhood was still mostly asleep, the golf course greens silver with the last droplets of rain clinging to the grass.

Occasionally, a car drove past or I encountered others out for a walk or a run, but it was mostly just me, my lungs burning as I pushed myself until the noise in my head dulled to a steady pulse.

On my return loop, I spotted Trent up ahead, pounding the trail like he was late for something. His head was down, his features blank, and his hair about as damp with sweat as mine.

“Morning,” he huffed as I fell into pace beside him. He glanced at me, blue eyes a little bloodshot, but otherwise, he looked none the worse for wear after all the drinks we’d had yesterday. “Did you sleep okay? That was quite a storm we had.”

“Yeah, I’m all good. You?”

“Fine.”

We ran in silence the rest of the way while the world woke up around us. Lawnmowers started and cars became a more regular occurrence. Parents were out with strollers and the sun started breaking through the clouds.

Once we got back to the house, we both headed for the kitchen and Trent started up his espresso machine. He pulled cups from a cabinet and expertly fixed me a dark roast that ended up tasting better than any I’d bought recently.

“This is good.” I sat down at the counter, wondering if Sadie was up yet but knowing better than to ask if he knew. “We haven’t really had much of a chance to catch up yet. How’re things going with you?”

He chuckled and shrugged, cocking a hip against the counter with his tiny cup in his hands. “I’m good, man. Tired of the same old bullshit every day, but I can’t really complain.”

“The ranch has been keeping you busy?”

“Always.” He shook his head. “My dad nearly had a fucking coronary when I told him I was out this weekend. I swear, that man doesn’t know the meaning of taking time off.”

“Harlan suffers from the same affliction,” I offered. “I’m pretty sure that’s what our futures look like too.”

He scoffed. “No way, man. I care about more than just cattle futures and harvests. Don’t get me wrong, I love that ranch and I’ll keep it going stronger than ever until I pass it down to my own son, but I don’t want to live like our dads, who’ve never lived for anything other than the business.”

“Fair enough. We always did say we were going to do at least one epic trip a year. Backpacking through southeast Asia. Safari in Africa. Take one of them ice-crusher cruises to the Arctic.”

He let out an amused snort and squeezed the back of his neck with his free hand. “Yep, and look at us now. Thirty-one and not even a single epic trip to talk about. When was the last time you even threw one of your yacht parties?”

I scoffed down laughter and peered up at him. “That depends. When was that party you flew out for?”

“About three years ago.”

“Then the last one was about three years ago.”

“Seriously?” His eyes widened. “Wow. We really do suck.”

“We grew up.” I shrugged. “It had to happen sometime.”

He groaned. “Our parents would be so proud. If only they actually acknowledged that we have, in fact, grown up and that we’re busting our butts even if we are doing things our own way.”

“Some things,” I countered, falling into a rhythm with him that was as easy as it’d ever been. “Other things, we’ve got to do their way.”

“Speaking of which, that barbecue out at the ranch tomorrow might get a little tense.” He sighed. “Things between Sadie and my parents really aren’t great.”

“If I recall correctly, they’ve never exactly seen eye to eye.” I knew I was recalling correctly, but I couldn’t let on that I remembered absolutely everything about her.

Trent had no idea that Sadie and I had had that summer fling. At the time, it hadn’t felt like just a fling to me, though. For a little while, I’d even thought I’d found the one . I’d been so incredibly serious that I’d been ready to marry her back then, but I’d been young and dumb.

All it had taken to knock me out of that fantasy had been a single joke. Trent said he’d kill me and feed me to the Shepard hogs if I ever made a move on his baby sister. That had been enough to make me not only blink, but to blow the whole dang thing to smithereens.

“Yeah,” he said after taking another sip of his espresso. “They’ve always had very different views about life. It’s worse now, though.”

“Worse how?”

He sighed. “They think she’s throwing her life away. She’s spent all these years fighting for her independence and they let her think she was going to have it, but they’ve always hoped she’d come back into the fold.”

“So when that didn’t happen, they cut her off?”

His lips pursed, his eyes on mine for a beat before he nodded.

“What can I say, bro? You know how it is. None of us were born to have our own lives, and that includes you and me. That’s why I introduced her to Carson.

I’m hoping she’ll see that it doesn’t have to be so bad.

I mean, you met him. What did you think? Decent guy, right?”

I shook my head, giving him my opinion straight up. “That’s a bad idea, Shep. It’s never going to work. He tried to give her a steak last night and then looked at me like I tried to choke him with a dildo when I told him she was a vegetarian.”

“Choke him with a dildo, huh?” He chuckled and shook his head. “Only you, Westwood.”

I winked. “My creativity knows no bounds, but that doesn’t make it any less true. It’s just not a good fit, I don’t think.”

“I don’t know, man. I think I disagree with you. Personally, I feel like it’s a great idea. She needs someone to lead her back to our lifestyle and Carson could be the guy to do it.”

I really had to rein myself in to keep from snapping at him. My fingers curled into my palms under the table. “ Our lifestyle? Weren’t we just talking about all the epic trips we were going to take but haven’t gotten around to?”

“Trips, Jamie. Just trips. Brief periods of time where we get to explore and do whatever the fuck our little hearts desire. That doesn’t mean we’re going to make full-time careers out of screwing around and wasting money.”

It was better to get out of there before I said or did something I would regret, so I just nodded and stood up. “I’ve got to go grab a shower. You guys should hit the golf course without me today. I’ve got some more work to get done and it can’t wait.”

“You see?” he said mildly. “Even when you came out here for a bros’ weekend to take a break, you’re still doing the responsible thing. That’s what I’m talking about. Sadie thinks her entire life should be about saving the world and she won’t compromise. She just needs to find a balance, is all.”

I grunted, but I was already up and leaving the kitchen, knowing that if I didn’t get out, I was either going to put my fist through his jaw or get into it with him. Both of those things would be bad—and both of them would end with her telling me to shove my proposal where the sun didn’t shine.

When I got back to the pool house, I showered and changed, relieved to be forgoing another day at the golf course. Trent and the guys could cozy up to Carson, who I knew would be meeting them there, and spend another few hours talking shit under the blazing sun.

I wouldn’t have been able to put up with a whole day of not standing up for Sadie, but this also gave me an opportunity to reach out to my lawyer.

Sterling had put me in touch with the guy he’d used to draw up the contract he’d given Laney, and he’d assured me that the man could follow instructions, gave clear and concise advice, and didn’t try to put in any bullshit terms or loopholes.

I sent him an email asking for a contract outlining what I needed for the next month.

Then I leaned back in my chair, my heart pounding in my ears.

I knew the lawyer would be discreet. Sterling wouldn’t have recommended him if he wasn’t, but this was the first official step I’d taken toward legally having to file my taxes with hers.

While I was still reeling about it, I heard the door open and glanced out the window just in time to see Sadie meet up with Collins by the pool.

The girls hugged and took off, and aggravation tore through me as I watched Collins twine an arm around Sadie’s like an evil octopus trying to suck her in.

As it was, Sadie looked nothing like herself today. High heels. Fancy linen slacks. A baby pink silk shirt. She was dressed like Collins or my mother, not the girl I knew her to be. It irked the shit out of me.

I have to get her back to San Francisco. She can’t stay here in Dallas and have the life slowly sucked out of her.

Just like that, my doubts and uncertainty about whether I’d done the right thing were gone.

Sadie Shepard might’ve been raised for the life her parents wanted for her, but she hadn’t been born for it and I’d be damned if I let anyone convince her that she was less than simply for wanting to live on her own terms. As the absolutely fucking fantastic, big-hearted, giving, and generous person she really was.