Page 3 of Wildest Forever (Lovelock Bay #3)

CHAPTER TWO

S itting in Randy's, the small saloon just on the outskirts of Lovelock Bay, my chest feels tight, my shoulders heavy.

The suits riled me up this morning, I'm not one to come to this side of town, I liked The Boot, but since that is nothing but ash on the floor, well, it's either here or my Sheriff’s office.

I needed noise. I needed the sound of the antique jukebox as it played John Pardy through the crackling speakers.

The floor was sawdust, the bar teak wood with a solid countertop in cherry red.

The room smelt of stale beer and leftover bonfire smoke.

Kind of liked it.

Marty sinks onto the stool next to me, shortly followed by Riggs and Tripp and I secretly hope Austin walks through the door, but he doesn't.

He is struggling, and as much as we try and get him out of the house, he is still very much grieving the loss of Harlow.

We all are, she left a gaping hole in all of our lives, but to Austin, her death was cataclysmic.

I swear the ground shifted beneath our feet when she left the earthly plane.

But she is being looked after by dad, and that makes the bitter pill a little easier to swallow.

“What a day,” Tripp groans as he gets the attention of the barman and orders another round of whiskey over ice.

My chest rattles as I suck in a heavy breath.

“Mm,” I just about muster as I drain the rest of my glass and slam it down onto the bar.

“Don't let them get to you,” Riggs' deep voice breezes across me and I find myself turning my face to look at him, my breath catching at the back of my throat.

“But they get under my skin.”

“That's the whole point,” he smirks as he lifts his cowboy hat from his head and places it on the bar before thanking the barman with a nod of his head as he places the whiskeys in front of him.

I lift my own hat off my head and mirror my older brother’s move, placing it on the bar before he slides the glass of whiskey into my hand.

“What if they get the land?” I mutter quietly so only Riggs can hear me.He looks at me, his brown eyes softening.

“They won't,” his tone is a little assertive, his head lowering but his eyes burning into mine. “I promise you Pacey, they will not get this land.”

I swallow down the bile that threatens to rise.

“Okay,” I smile at him, but it doesn't meet my eyes. It's more out of forced habit then genuine.

“Okay,” he smiles back and sits tall in his stool before he turns his attention to Tripp and Marty and I just sit and listen to their conversations whilst being lost in my own head.

My eyes skate down to his hand, the gold band wrapped around his finger, and I feel my heart pump a little harder in my chest.

I am so glad that he and Aspen ended up together, it was always him, she would have always chosen him.

I'm not mad that she wanted him over me.

But it cut me a little, especially with what happened all those years ago.

I drove her out of Lovelock Bay and that evening still haunts me.

I spilled secrets that weren't mine to spill, yet I did it because I was vicious.

I had her.

I wanted her.

But she wanted him.

Unrequited love was always the worst.

I loved her with all I had.

It was never reciprocated.

Hated that.

It burned in my bones.

Then I drove her out of Lovelock Bay only for her to return ten years later and turn everyone’s worlds upside down.

But it seems everyone is spinning back on their axis, except me.

I don't think I will ever feel the same again.

Sighing, I bring my glass to my lips and take a large mouthful, wincing as the burn coats my throat.

A whistle has my head snapping up as I see Marty nudging Tripp, giving him a fuck, look at her look. Tripp takes his word for it, as he and Riggs don't even bat an eyelid. They're talking amongst themselves.

Furrowing my brows, I turn to look in that direction and that's when I see her.

Sunshine blonde hair, tanned skin, sea green eyes that remind me of the ocean and freckles dotted across her nose. She is slim, petite and wearing tight high waisted jeans, a sage green crew neck tee and tanned cowboy boots.

Fuck.

I swallow down my heart that has lodged itself in my throat before it's back down inside my chest and banging against my rib cage.

It's her.

The cowgirl that showed up on the day of Riggs and Aspen's wedding.

The one who took my breath away.

But after that day she disappeared.

Never to be seen again.

Until now.

Her eyes dust across the room before they land on mine, and I give her a soft head tilt, my lips twitching before I pull my eyes and turn forward, taking a sip of my whiskey.

The heel of her boots skate across the floor and I know she is walking towards me, but I don't give her the satisfaction of facing her.

“It's you,” her soft voice floats across me and I roll my lips.

“It's you,” I mirror her words and try to fight the tug at the corner of my lips as a smirk tries to present itself.

“Finished saving the ranch?” she teases, and I scoff a laugh as I shake my head from side to side.

“Not quite,” and I focus on the bottles of whiskey that are lined up behind the bar.

“I'm sure you'll do it, Superman,” my smirk defeats me and only then do I turn to look at her, her fingers teasing the rim of my cowboy hat. “Unless you want some help?” and her teeth are bared as she widens her grin.

“I fear you'll be my kryptonite,” I sigh, my eyes sweeping over her again and I watch as her head tilts slightly, eyes narrowing on me.

“Guess we'll never know,” she laughs softly before swiping my hat from the bar and placing it on her head and I groan internally.

“You shouldn't have done that,” I whisper, and I can hear the commotion from Riggs and Tripp behind me, Marty cussing because she isn't giving him an inch of attention.

“Why's that cowboy ?”

“You know what they say,” I curl my brow as I twist my body to face her now, playfulness flitting across my hazel eyes.

“I don't,” she leans a little closer, letting her eyes fall to my lips and it takes everything in me to not lean into her.She’s brazen.

“You wear that hat...”

“I ride the cowboy?” her cheeks dust pink at the words that leave her lips and I shake my head, laughing as my fingers tap against the whiskey glass.

“You belong to me, you become mine, Sunflower... is that what you want?”

and her grin widens.

“To be the Sheriff’s girl?” she steps back, scoping me out as she looks me up and down.

My jeans dirty, tee a little grubby and my long hair swept off my face, messy and knotty after being tucked under my hat for most of the day.

“Yeah?” I tease her, knowing full well my heart isn't capable of loving another again.

The first girl wrecked me.

I'm not sure I have it in me to fall again.

“I've had worse offers,” she winks at me before she lifts the hat from her head and places it on mine, “but not today cowboy, not ready to be wifed up yet,” she blows me a kiss before turning her back on me and walking away, her hips swaying and I find myself staring at her peachy ass as she does.

“Fuck,” I groan, rubbing my palm across my thigh and turn to look at the guys.

“Got a little crush, Pacey?” Riggs teases, a rumble of a laugh passing his lips as he drains his glass and I flip him off.

“Like fuck,” I grunt, finishing my whiskey then stepping off the stool.“I'm off,” I nod as I begin to walk away, and I hear the sound of footsteps closing in behind me.

“You good?” Tripp’s voice wraps around me as I tug on the door, walking into the warm air before I turn and look at him.

“I will be,” I smile, nodding my head before I step towards the truck. I needed my bed.

Tomorrow was a new day.

Driving the truck down the long and winding driveway of Cottonwheel Ranch, Blossom Cove, my heart drums in my chest. Mr Wheeler contacted me a couple of weeks ago requesting a meeting to try and stop the suits from pursuing the sale of their land, but it's not looking good.

I tried to get Tripp and Riggs to join me, but Mr Wheeler denied their help.

Apparently, he only wanted me which then makes me unsettled. Glancing out the window at the rolling green fields, I can see the tipped mountains in the distance that sit on our land.

We're close, but a town along.

After the warning explosion in our derelict mine, things started moving pretty fast.

I have arranged for a team to go into the mines and see if they can find the diamond that is apparently buried down there—the one my grandfather found and hid for safe keeping—only problem was, he hid it so well no one has found it.

It's not the land that they want.

It's what lays under the land.

What runs under our home.

Buying the rest of the land around us just makes sense, it won't be long, and our picturesque town will be filled with new homes and shopping centres making it a bigger tourist attraction than what it already was.

We were okay though, we were tucked away and didn't seem to draw any attention until Clay and his family made themselves known and that's when everything began to crumble down around us.

Pushing the truck into park, I inhale heavily then reach for my hat and place it on my head before I slip out and make my way up to their house.

A small panelled farmhouse tucked between maple trees. The step creaks beneath my boot and my brows furrow. Stepping forward, I lift my hand to knock but I don't get a chance to when I see an older man with graying thick hair and large, round glasses smiling at me.

“Pacey?” and I give him a firm nod just as he pushes his large hand out towards me, I clap it into his palm, and he gives me a firm handshake.

“Mr Wheeler?” I smile and he steps back, inviting me into his home. Crossing the threshold, I hold my breath for a second. No idea why.

I am feeling a little apprehensive, but I can't work out why.

“Tea?” he asks as he walks towards a large kitchen and I feel like I have been transported back in time.