Page 2 of Wildest Forever (Lovelock Bay #3)

CHAPTER ONE

PACEY

M y heavy feet move through the wildflowers that are in full bloom, my fingertips brushing against the delicate flowers.

My chest aches slightly as I move closer to the large, oak tree that stands tall at the bottom of the field.

Inhaling sharply, tears burn behind my eyes as I glance down at the wooden cross that is dug into the soft dirt beneath me, a gold plaque polished on the front.

Jorge Rivera

My exhale shudders as I curl my fingers around the top of the cross, my heart a little heavier now as I drop my head, my hat falling to my feet and I don't bend to pick it up.

“I miss you dad,” I whisper into the wind that dances through the branches of the oak tree and I know he is here, he is always here with us. “Things aren't quite the same, and I am terrified that the war on the land has only really just begun.”I mutter my thoughts out loud, softly.

Letting my eyes close for a moment, I inhale heavily when I feel a grip on my shoulder, a soft squeeze has my eyes lifting, casting behind me and my heart settles deep inside my chest when I see Buck standing there.

“Son,” the quietness of his voice causes my skin to erupt in goosebumps and I can't even hold back the tears as the raspiness of his voice hits me right between the shoulder blades, winding me in an instant.

I turn, seeking him out and I don't care that I am a thirty-year old man, I throw myself into his body as the tears soak through his sky blue checkered shirt. His arms envelope me, holding me tight.

No words are said.

He just lets me sob into his chest, comforting me like I am a little boy who needs his dad.

But that was just it.

I did need my dad.

He wasn't here.

My chest rattles as I suck in a breath before I feel it cave in, the unbearable ache presenting itself.

“It's okay, it's okay,“ he soothes me, his head bowing and I feel his nose on the top of my head as he inhales heavily.

I have no idea how long I stand in his embrace, but it felt like time had stopped still.

It was only me and him.

The sound of a branch cracking underneath a boot has me lifting my head and looking over Buck's shoulder to see three men standing in suits, head tilted as they take in the scene in front of them.

I move back, sniffling as I do, quickly picking up my cowboy hat and place it back on my head as I try and hide my red rimmed eyes.

“What do we owe the pleasure,” Buck spins, hands in the front of his dirty denim jeans as he steps forward, head tilting to the side and he sizes up the three guys in front of him.

“Here to talk about taking this land off you.”

And Buck lets out a throaty laugh.

“Then we have nothing to talk about,” he gives a soft nod as I step up behind him, but he holds his arm out, silently telling me to stay where I am.

“Come on, you surely don't want to run all of this land at your age,” the tallest one looks down at Buck before giving his two suited friends a toss of the head and a laugh.

“It's my land,” I find myself saying, tilting my head higher, thumbs hooked into my belt and the low afternoon sun reflects off my sheriff badge.

His eyes fall to it then settle back on mine.

“Okay, let us take it off you then,” his lips twitch as his fingers flex around the handle of his briefcase and I shake my head.

“I can't do that I'm afraid,” I go to step forward, but Buck stops me again.

“What does this land have over you apart from a few cows, horses and a wooden house?”

I suck in a breath, rage burning beneath my skin and Buck drops his head for a moment before lifting it and glancing at the rolling hills.

“What does this land have over us?” I repeat the words and I clench my fist by my side.

“Yeah?” the one beside the main guy looks at me, and I see the softness that flashes across his eyes.

Buck lets out a shaky breath before speaking.

“This land isn't just land. It's so much more than that.

It's where my daughter grew up, it's where my son grew up and still lives, working on this land every day, it's where my family are, my friends, my blood...” Buck trails off and this time he lets me stand beside him, my shoulders rolled back and my chest pressed a little further out.

“It's where we make a living. Sure, it's tough at times with the harsh winters and the constant rising costs of living, but we make it work.

We have to. This is not just land, it's a choice, it's a home, it's our life.” Buck continues and his eyes slice across all three of them.

“My best friend, who's land you are standing on, he is buried under the oak tree, he is part of the soil, part of this land, this is home . This is his. His body is buried with the place he loved the most, so in answer to your question, what does land have over us...” Buck turns to look at me, “it has everything over us. We live and breathe this land.”

I nod, stepping forward.

“As my father imprinted onto us, live by the ranch, die by the ranch .”

Silence breezes around us for just a moment.

“You can't hold onto it forever,” the main guy says.

“We will hold onto it for as long as we can. When I’m gone, I’ll be buried next to my friend, along with my wife and his, but our kids will live on, our grandkids will run these fields, and when they're old enough they will also run this land, and so on, so forth...” Buck inhales heavily.

“So I suggest you go back to whatever hole you came out of and fuck off our land, because at the moment you are trespassing and we have every right to remove you from our land with any means necessary...” and I open up my bodywarmer to show my pistol that sits tucked in my rib holster.

“And with the law here by my side... well, we can hide you and make you disappear just like that,” Buck clicks his fingers and we watch as he swallows, his throat bobbing and his two friends begin to move back.

“Tell whoever sent you we're not selling. We already have enough to deal with, we don't need three jumped up assholes trying to push us into selling land. Land that has been in our family for years, it's our heritage... try all the land owners, they will all tell you the same thing.”

The main guy steps forward whilst the other two shrink back.

“This isn't over old man,” and he stands toe to toe with Buck.

Buck chuckles, his shoulder lifting up and down, his fingers brushing back and forth over his lips.

“I don't take threats lightly,” Buck replies, his voice low so only me and the suit can hear.

“This isn't a threat,” suit grits his teeth.

“Oh, it is,” Buck nods, his lips curling into a soft smile.

“We could have done this amicably, but it seems that isn't an option so we will move onto phase two,” suit flares his nostrils before looking over his shoulder as he hears footsteps approaching.

Relief swarms me at the sight of my brothers walking towards us.

Riggs and Tripp.

Riggs tall, stocky, broad shoulders.

Tripp a slimmer build to Riggs, a little shorter too.

Riggs' cowboy hat lifted slightly, Tripp's brown hair blowing softly in the summer breeze.

My lips twitch into a smirk, and I watch Buck's shoulders visibly relax.

“Gentleman,” Riggs’ loud voice echoes around the empty fields and I have no idea why he is addressing them as gentleman.They're vermin.

The taller suit turns to look over his shoulder and I watch as his eyes scope over my two brothers, Tripp's eyes are locked on mine and I give him a gentle nod.

“Who are you?” he shoots his question to Riggs and he chuckles, his shoulders vibrating as he does.

“The owner of this land.”

I feel my stomach twist.

Because it's the truth.

He is the man of the house.

The land is technically Riggs'.

It was always going to be like that.

“Is that so?” suit eyes me and Buck over his shoulder before they're back on Riggs.

“Yup,” his hands fold into the front of his worn jeans, his eyes narrowing on the suit in front of him.

“We want the land,” the suit says it how it is, shooting straight for Riggs' throat, but he just whistles through his teeth before turning his head and looking at the rolling green hills.

“Yeah,” he says on a sigh, his brown eyes connecting with the suit, “that won't happen.”

“No?”

“No.” Riggs' softer side has been tucked away as the low growl of a rumble drifts across.

“Like I said to the guys behind me,” he pauses for a moment and glares at his two silent friends. “We will get our hands on this land.”

Riggs laughs again but this time shakes his head from side to side as one of his hands slips from the pocket of his jeans and pulls on his beard.

“Okay,” he rolls his lips, amusement dancing through his eyes and Tripp steps forward, his eyes moving between me and Riggs.

“There is only so long you can hold onto this, the plans are already in motion for what we are doing with it.”

“I know the Governor who would have to sign off the plans, I really am not worried,” Riggs glares at the suit, his gaze narrowing.

“Okay,” suit nods then whistles, and his two lap dogs follow him as he knocks into Riggs' shoulder and scoffs a laugh as he does. I see the way Riggs' shoulders rise, his nostrils flare and his fingers bend into his fist.

“Calm it,” I hear the way Tripp says softly to Riggs knowing that he is about three seconds from exploding and ripping the suits limb from limb and burying them at the bottom of the field.

Hot ragged breaths flare from his nose, and I find myself drifting towards my big brother.

“You good?” I ask, my eyes pinned to the back of the three suits that begin their way across the field.

“I will be as soon as these fuckers are off our land,” my eyes cast up to him, his shoulders slowly dropping as the seconds pass.

“They’re never going to stop,” Buck says as he approaches us and I watch as Riggs finally tears his eyes away from the suits and lets them settle on his father-in-law.

“I don't give a fuck, there is no way in hell I am letting them get this land...” he pauses before casting his gaze to where our father lay buried in the ground.

“It'll never fucking happen,” he growls, “live by the ranch, die by the ranch,” and with that he gives a heavy nod and trudges back down the fields and towards the house.

Buck places his hand on my shoulder and gives it another squeeze before he follows my brother down the field, and I sigh heavily.

“You okay?” Tripp nudges into me and I nod.

“Well... I think so,” I lift my cowboy hat and run my hand through my long, dark blond hair before placing it back on my head.

“What's on your mind?”

“Everything,” I admit and that ache is back in my chest and I fucking hate it.

“It's been a tough couple of years,” he breathes out and I nod.

“It really has, when is life going to stop fucking us?”

“I don't think it ever will brother...” he trails off and throws his arm around my shoulders as we begin to walk back towards the house, “we just need to ride the storm; we're experts at this now.” He chuckles softly and I swallow down the lump that has lodged itself in my throat.

I have no idea how to ride the storm.

But I’ll try anyway.