Page 9 of Saving the Rain
“Sup, pretty boy. You put your best lipstick on for today, or what?” Hayes calls out.
I’m turning around, ready to head inside the barn, when I hear it. The laugh and curse that floats over to us in reply is unmistakable. A voice that immediately makes me realize there’s no possible way it could be anyone else who has just arrived.
Kayce looks up as he rounds the tailgate, just ashe’s shoving his phone into his back pocket, and falters. Blue eyes widen comically when he sees me standing there, and it feels like that fateful moment he appeared out of the darkness beside the bonfire all over again.
Like this kid is a bad smell I can’t shake. He keeps turning up where I don’t bloody well need him to be.
The air damn near crackles as he looks back at me, exactly like the same little kid who always wanted to run. I see it flicker in his eyes. That urge to bolt.
“No fucking way,” he mutters.
I couldn’t agree more.
Hayes’ head is on a swivel, looking between the two of us, first gesturing to point a forefinger at Kayce, then at me.
“Have you guys met before, orwhat?”
Chapter 4
Of all the fucking ranches.
As my shitty luck would have it, Raine works here. Today can go to hell already, because this was the last thing on my mind coming down from Devil’s Peak. Promising Beau Heartford I’d always be available to help take guests out for rides when possible clearly wasn’t enough of a good deed. I’ve gotta tolerate his grouchy ass now, too?
I mean, not that I’ve been able to shrug off how much seeing my stepbrother affected me the other night. The crappy memories were all waiting to burst forward once that bandage got ripped away without warning. Now that I’msober,it’s a hell of a thing to have to confront all of that history unexpectedly.
Right now, I feel like I’m crawling out of my skin as he gives me those judgmental, obsidian eyes. The fucker surveys my presence in silence, seeming to enjoy every second I have to fight to collect myself while rooted to the spot here in front of the barn.
Yeah, I fucking get it. I judge myself for my past and my mistakes, and my shitty decision-making, too. Except, seeing this prick for the first time in years—for the first time since he left the circuit where we’d been competing against each other on the regular—all it does is provoke me. His mere presence dumps me back on shaky ground.
It’s bad enough I’m trying to figure out who I am and my sexuality. As if my world isn’t already kinda flipped upside down, the memory of that night insists on boring into my brain. The sight of him smacked me sideways, and it’s like my head is still spinning in an effort to recover my senses. The impact of the blast keeps ringing in my ears, and I feel like a prize idiot stumbling around trying to regather my bearings.
Raine, however, doesn’t seem bothered in the slightest by the fact we’ve yet again been thrown together without warning. If anything, there’s a look hidden behind his silence that tells me he’d love any excuse to watch me fail at this, too. He’s standing there in a forest green flannel that has certainly seen better days, with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and jeans wrapped around strong thighs. A faded cap pulled down over unruly dark locks reveals a few curls poking out at his nape—his hair is longer, wilder than I remember it being.
He shouldn’t have this much power over me. Not now that we’re both adults.
Not after all this time.
Then why am I stuck, boots cemented in place, while the back of my neck glows red hot, and I can’t stop looking at his tattooed forearms?
I spend hours on end with Chaos in the close confines of a truck, driving to and from rodeo events. In all that time I’ve never so much as looked twice at the guy’s arms or hands.
“You both know each other or something?” Chaos asks. One eyebrow lifts, and the expression he slides my way is one ofWhat the hell is wrong with you, Wilder?
Good fucking question. I don’t know either.
Swallowing to clear my throat of cobwebs, I nod. “Uh. Yeah. This is my stepbrother.”
“Oh, shit... for real?” Chaos’ eyes pinball between the two of us.
“For real,” I grumble and scuff my boot in the gravel before jerking my head in the direction of the horses. We really need to get started on saddling up so that they’re ready in time for this group. “Let’s go and just get on with it, huh. I’m sure Raine’s got plenty to do.”
I know Chaos will be bursting at the seams, ready to put the blowtorch on me with questions, but for now I’d rather focus on being busy and doing anything in my power to ignore this entire scenario.
Raine runs his tongue over his front teeth and doesn’t budge. It’s like he’s purposely filling the barn entrance, challenging me to come closer, in some sort of weird game of chicken.
The sound of an incoming call slices the tension rippling across the several feet separating us. Chaos fishes in a pocket for his phone, takes a glance at the screen before looking over at me. “Gimme a minute, it’s big bro. Probably with his panties in a wad about something.” Flourishing an eye roll, he answers at the same time as wandering off inside the barn.
“I know you’re old... but would it kill you to learn to send a text like a normal person instead ofcalling, asshole?” he grunts into the phone, his voice fading the further he walks away.