Page 44 of Trick or Tease

GARRETT

I headed toward the corn maze, my jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth.

The nerve of Ron. I told him I needed time to talk this through with Billy, that I never actually promised the land was for sale.

But of course, that didn’t matter to him.

Ron operated under the assumption that the world revolved around him and that money could solve any problem or bulldoze any obstacle.

Fucking rich people.

I stopped dead in my tracks as that thought hit me.

Up until a few days ago, I looked up to Ron.

I wanted to be him. I emulated the man. I wanted to be successful, powerful, and respected in legal circles.

I had spent years trying to prove myself worthy of his approval, working late nights and weekends to climb the ladder at his firm.

I wanted his acknowledgement like a fucking kid deprived of his parents’ attention.

But now? Now I couldn’t imagine wanting to be anything like him. The thought of turning into someone who saw dollar signs where other people saw homes, community, and legacy made my stomach turn.

I found him stumbling out of the maze exit, his expensive suit rumpled and twisted, pieces of hay sticking out of his perfectly styled hair. His face was flushed red with fury, and his eyes were wild. He looked like he had been through a war zone instead of a corn maze designed for families.

Then I saw Jake walk out behind him grinning like he just had the time of his life.

I knew that look. And I knew exactly what he had done to Ron.

That was just a little funny.

The moment Ron spotted me, he exploded. “What the fuck kind of hillbilly nightmare did you send me into?” he shouted, brushing hay off his jacket with violent swipes. “Those goddamn kids kept jumping out at me, screaming like banshees! One of them grabbed my ankle and I nearly had a heart attack!”

“Ron, keep your voice down.”

“Don’t tell me to keep my voice down!” His voice got even louder, drawing stares from families nearby. “I’ve been calling you all day, and instead of handling business like a professional, you send a bunch of teenage psychopaths after me!”

I glanced around nervously as more people started gathering, drawn by his increasingly loud rant. Parents were pulling their kids closer. I could see some of the local volunteers looking concerned.

I held up my palms in what I hoped was a calming motion. “Look, let’s go somewhere private where we can talk about this?—”

“Talk about what? There’s nothing to talk about!

” Ron gestured wildly at the farm around us, his voice dripping with disdain.

“Why anyone would pay a dime for this godforsaken place is beyond me, but we’ve got some dumb shit client on the hook who’s willing to pay top dollar, so let’s make it happen! ”

“Ron, please.”

“Please what? Please continue to waste my time while you play farmer with your yokel brother?” He stepped closer to me, his voice carrying across the field.

“I don’t know what kind of spell this backwater shithole has cast on you, but you need to snap out of it and remember who signs your paychecks! ”

A small crowd had definitely gathered now. I could see Billy pushing through the group, his face filled with anger. Sabrina was there too, her arms crossed, watching the whole scene unfold with barely concealed disgust.

“That’s enough,” I said firmly, trying to grab Ron’s arm and steer him away from the crowd. “Let’s go talk in the house. You’re causing a secene.”

He yanked his arm away from me. “Don’t touch me!

You know what your problem is, Garrett? You’ve forgotten where you came from.

Well, let me remind you—you came from nothing.

This place is nothing. These people are nothing.

And if you think I’m going to let you throw away a seven-million-dollar deal because you’ve gotten sentimental about some corn maze and a haunted house, you’re out of your goddamn mind! ”

The words hung in the air. I could feel the eyes of everyone around us, could sense their shock and anger at hearing their home and their community dismissed so callously.

“Dicks,” Sabrina cursed. “Birds of a feather.”

She stormed away.

Ron reached into his jacket and pulled out another copy of the contract, waving it in my face like some kind of weapon. “Enough of this bullshit,” he snarled. “Get your hayseed brother over here so we can get this done. I’ve got a plane to catch.”

Something inside me snapped. Maybe it was the way he said “hayseed brother” like Billy wasn’t worth the time to learn his name.

Maybe it was seeing the hurt and anger on the faces of people I had grown up with, people who had welcomed me back with open arms while I had been secretly planning to betray them.

Or maybe it was just that I finally understood what really mattered.

“Back the fuck off, Ron,” I said, stepping closer to him. “No one makes fun of my brother like that.”

His eyes widened with shock, then narrowed with fury. “Excuse me? Did you just threaten me? Do you have any idea who you’re talking to? I made you, Hogan. I pulled you out of this nowhere town and gave you a real career, a real life. And this is how you repay me?”

“By standing up to a bully who thinks money gives him the right to shit on good people?” I could feel my hands shaking with rage. “Yeah, this is exactly how I repay you.”

Ron’s face turned an ugly shade of purple. “You ungrateful piece of trash. When I’m done with you, you’ll never work in law again. I’ll make sure every firm from here to California knows what kind of disloyal twat you are.”

I’d heard enough. I grabbed the contract from his hands and ripped it in half, then in half again, then kept tearing until it was nothing but confetti. I threw the shreds right in his shocked face, watching them flutter down like snow.

“You’re done, Hogan,” he sputtered, pieces of paper sticking to his hair. “Don’t bother coming back to the firm. Don’t bother coming back to the city once I get you blacklisted everywhere. You’ll be lucky to get a job defending drunk drivers in traffic court.”

“Go fuck yourself, Ron,” I said. The words felt better than any closing argument I had ever delivered.

Better than finalizing a billion-dollar deal.

“And get the hell off my family’s property.

I would suggest you don’t come back. These hicks and yokels know how to run tractors that dig really big holes.

And they know a lot about compost and fertilizer. ”

Ron stared at me. I realized he probably didn’t understand the threat. He was more of a city boy than I had become. He didn’t know shit about farming.

“Are you threatening me, Hogan?”

I offered an innocent smile. I was a lawyer after all. No way in hell was I admitting anything.

“I didn’t hear a threat,” I said with a shrug. “Just a kind word of advice.”

“I will destroy you,” he hissed.

“Uh-oh, counselor. Did you just threaten me in front of a hundred witnesses?” I asked, grinning.

He tried to storm off with whatever dignity he had left, but the universe apparently had other plans.

That same black cat that had been crossing my path for weeks came streaking out of nowhere, weaving directly between his legs.

Ron went down hard, arms windmilling as he pitched forward face-first into a pile of horse shit, probably from the Headless Horseman’s last gallop past.

The splat was magnificent.

The crowd erupted in laughter and applause. Ron struggled to his feet, stains painting his face and expensive suit, his dignity completely shattered. He limped toward his town car without another word, leaving a trail of laughter behind him.

I felt Billy’s hand on my shoulder. When I turned, he was grinning at me like we were kids again.

“Thanks, brother, for sticking up for me,” he said, pulling me into a fierce hug. “I knew the real Garrett was still in there somewhere.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I’m so fucking sorry, Billy. I almost?—”

“But you didn’t,” he interrupted. “That’s what matters. You chose us when it counted. It just took you a while, you dick.”

I laughed. “No one said I was the sharpest knife in the drawer.”

He stepped back, still gripping my shoulders. “So, you want a job? Because I’m pretty sure you just got yourself fired.”

I laughed again. “I think you’re right.”

Someone, Jake, I thought, let out a loud whoop.

“Show is over,” Lucy said. “Let’s get back to having some good old-fashioned fun, people!”

Billy shook his head, that grin still plastered across his face. “Well, I think you just sealed your fate. We’re going to have to get you some new boots.”

I groaned and shook my head. “Cowboy boots take forever to break in.”

“Work boots will be fine,” Billy corrected with a laugh. “Can’t have you slipping around in horse apples like your old boss.”

The thought of trading my Italian leather for steel-toed work boots should have horrified me. A week ago, it would have. But now? Now it just felt like coming home.

“Get back to work,” Billy said, clapping me on the shoulder. “We still have another three hours and a lot of people to give a good time to.”

I nodded, feeling lighter than I had in days. Maybe years. “I want to drive the tractor this time.”

Billy’s grin got even wider. “Have at it, brother. Have a good time.”

As I walked toward the tractor, I looked around for Sabrina. I didn’t know where she had gone, but she had looked pissed. I hoped she would give me a chance to apologize. I knew I had pushed her away and she was one of the most stubborn women I had ever met.

I wanted to go to her, to explain everything, to beg for another chance.

But first, I had work to do. I had families to entertain, memories to help create, and a community to serve.

That was going to be her priority too. She wasn’t going to give me the time of day until the festival was over. Then I would grovel.

A few people slapped me on the back. Others shook my hand.

I was relieved they weren’t holding the almost-sale against me. They all seemed to welcome me back to the flock with open arms. That was not what I expected.

I climbed onto the tractor seat, adjusting the controls and feeling the familiar rumble of the engine beneath me. It had been years since I’d driven one of these things, but muscle memory kicked in as I put it in gear and started up the winding path toward the old house.

The group behind me was a mix of college kids and young couples, all chattering excitedly about what they might see. I found myself falling into the role naturally, raising my voice over the engine.

“Welcome to our spooky hayride!” I called back to them. “We’re heading up to the old Hogan house, where my great-great-grandfather Samuel built his legacy. Some say he’s still watching over the place, making sure no one disturbs what he worked so hard to create.”

As we climbed higher, the old house came into view. I smiled at the memories that came to mind. The battery-powered figures moved in the windows, creating eerie silhouettes that danced behind the glass.

I could picture her in that upstairs room where we’d made love, where she’d surprised me in that black lace lingerie that had nearly brought me to my knees. The air mattress was probably still there, hidden away in the closet along with the blankets I’d bought specifically for our nights together.

God, I wanted her back in that house. Back in my arms. I’d been an idiot to push her away, to let my fear and confusion drive a wedge between us when all I really wanted was to hold on to what we’d found together.

“Legend has it that Samuel has been haunting the house recently. His spirit has been more active than usual, as if he’s protecting the farm from those who would try to destroy it.”

I caught sight of movement in one of the upper windows. It startled me. I knew it was probably just the mechanical figures, but for a moment it looked almost real. Maybe Samuel’s ghost approved of my decision to tear up that contract.

We wound our way down the back road toward the wooded section, and I slowed the tractor to the perfect speed for Tyler’s performance. Right on cue, Tyler appeared on his horse, the black cloak billowing dramatically behind him as he rode parallel to our trailer.

That was a damn good idea.

I couldn’t wait to see what we could all come up with for the following year. Next season was going to be ten times better.