Cowboys Mine (4 page)

“One of us will be driving your truck. You can ride
shotgun.”

“I can drive my own truck, Colt. Don’t start pushing
me around already.”

“If you want to be helpful, go check the back and
see if the brake lights come on.”

They tested all the lights and signals and Colton
ensured the hitch was secure. Everything was ready to go once North showed up.
He wasn’t looking forward to seeing his brother. Last night had been brutal.
The way their mother always lashed out at him when she was wasted, convinced he
was their father, shredded North to pieces. But despite her verbal abuse and
constant drug relapses, they still had hope she’d get better. Time was supposed
to heal all wounds, but he was losing hope fast. Colton frequently told her
there was more to life than Jess McReed, that she shouldn’t be so affected by
his actions and betrayal. But she seemed beyond repair, as if their father had
taken everything noble and loving about her when he abandoned the family.

They leaned against the side of the camper, looking
out into the fields. It was getting harder and harder to put on his happy face.
The day was still early, only the occasional call from the rooster filling the
air. Neither of them said a thing.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she finally asked, her
voice hushed. Eva didn’t turn to face him, her eyes still riveted on the
landscape.

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“What about your mother?”

He frowned, fiddling with a piece of straw. “She’s
sick is all.”

Eva shook her head. “That didn’t look like any kind
of sickness I’ve ever seen. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she looked
ready to kill her own son.”

He shifted to his side, forcing her to do the same. “It
ain’t your business, Eva Ford. Little girls shouldn’t be horning in on other
people’s affairs anyhow.”
 

Colton didn’t need Eva raising a fuss in front of
North, upsetting him further. They had a long trip ahead of them, and he wanted
his personal mess left behind.

“I’m not allowed to care?”

“No.” He stepped away, massaging behind his neck
with both hands. “Not about this.”

“Does it have something to do with your father
leaving?”

Every muscle in his body tensed, his blood running
cold. Why did she ask him such a question after all these years? He thought it
was common knowledge that it was a forbidden topic. Colton had no plans or
desire to talk about the deadbeat who’d left permanent scars on his body and
soul. As much as Colton swore he hated the vicious man before he left, it was immeasurably
more painful when he’d walked away.

“Eva, don’t,” he warned. He may love the little Ford
girl, but she was pushing the envelope. “Subject is closed. All you need to
worry about is Bessie and Ruby. Understand?”

Eva could never fathom what he was going through.
She was born and raised by the best family he’d ever known. All she knew was kindness,
safety, and unconditional love. The biggest obstacle in her life was getting
her prized cows to the rodeo. She lived in a counterfeit paradise, oblivious to
the real-life issues just next door, never mind around the world. It was the
reason they couldn’t let her go to Chester alone.

Colton and North had been forced to man up as young
men. They worked their land, supported their mother, and struggled to keep on
the straight and narrow. Their mother was sliding down a slippery slope of
addiction and refused to get help. Everything in their life was tainted in some
unspeakable way. It was one of the reasons he was drawn to Eva. He felt that
her light could somehow scare away a bit of the darkness surrounding him.

North rode up to the trailer on horseback,
dismounting before stopping. “Everything’s secure at home. You ready to
go?”
 
His chin was up, his shoulders
back. All his brother’s walls were firmly in place, a safety measure to avoid
the pain. It was the same destructive cycle, and Colton wasn’t sure how much
longer his twin could hold onto his own sanity.

They’d taken the car keys and filled the fridge and
cupboards with food before leaving. God willing their mother would keep her
promise to keep clean while they were away. It was tiring playing the parent to
his own mother. He’d called their Aunt Laura to tell her they’d be gone the
week. She promised to come check on their mother, and he prayed she’d listen to
her sister’s advice to get clean.

“Trailers are hitched,” Colt confirmed.

“I’ll drive the trailer. You take Eva in her
pickup.”

He knew North would avoid Eva like the plague after
what she’d witnessed last night. North liked to play house, to pretend life was
peaches and cream to everyone looking in. By ignoring their grim reality, he
was essentially living a lie, his only happiness found in a fantasy world.

“Fine.” Colton found Eva around the corner and
motioned for her to follow him.
 
When
they reached her truck, he beckoned for her keys.

“I can drive just fine, McReed.”

He waggled his fingers, not planning to head out
until he had them in his hand.

She crossed her arms under her chest, and he looked
away. “Part of the reason I’m going to the Chester is to prove to my daddy that
I can take care of myself. I’m not getting any younger, and the thought of
growing old alone doesn’t sit well with me. If he can’t see me as a woman,
he’ll never let me grow up.”

“You saying he doesn’t approve of you taking a husband?
You going to Chester to find yourself a man?”

Eva shook her head in exasperation. “Never mind.
Let’s go.”

****

Eva ate some of the dried apples her mother had
packed her. She watched the landscape change outside the passenger window, the
farms getting smaller and towns larger. They’d already been driving for an
hour.

“I’ve never been to the city,” she said, hoping to
make some friendly conversation. It had been too quiet in the cab of the truck,
and she wasn’t used to feeling uncomfortable around Colton.

“I know, Eva.”

So
much for that.

“You don’t have to be mean.”

“I’m just tired. I’ll be happy when we get there,
and ever happier when it’s all over with.”

She’d already decided not to mention what had
happened the night before again, no matter how tempting. If the McReed brothers
wanted the topic of their mother off limits, she had to respect that. It just
seemed unnatural to ignore something so important. Eva had hoped they felt
comfortable enough with her to tell her anything. She’d never judge them, never
push them away.

Admittedly, she didn’t know much about their history
even though she’d known them her entire life. Their father had walked out on
the family over a decade ago. She’d seen their mother many times, but she
mostly liked her solitary existence. She even refused to join the prayer group,
ladies’ night, or the knitting club her mother belonged to, making excuses
until no one bothered to invite her to anything. The brothers came to their
house almost daily but never invited Eva over. Now she was beginning to
understand why.

The McReed twins had a bad reputation around town. They
were known as womanizers, brawlers, and drunks. Eva had a hard time believing a
word of the gossip when they’d only been loving and patient with her. Her
father trusted them unconditionally, despite the other cowboys in town warning him
to keep them away from his only daughter.

“You didn’t come in for breakfast today. You
hungry?” she asked.

“I’m fine.”

Eva punched Colton in the arm, garnering his full
attention. He alternatively watched the road and her. “What was that for?”

“Stop being a jerk. We’re going to be stuck together
for a week, and I refuse to be at each other like cats and dogs. If it were up
to me I would have come alone.”

He shook his head. “That wasn’t gonna happen.
Besides, your father wouldn’t have allowed it.”

“After he talked with you,” she reminded.

“The city is no place for a country girl.”

Eva huffed, but she also felt the tension slipping
away. Playful banter she could handle, but having a rift between her and Colton
or North was too much. Besides her parents, they were all she had.

“We’ll see.” She pulled up her legs and cuddled on
her seat. The fields hurried by the window, an endless blur of greens and
golds. She’d barely slept all night, replaying the terrifying events at the
McReed home over and over in her head. The drone of the engine lulled her until
her eyes were too heavy to keep open.

She was woken by the sound of a door closing. After a
brief bout of confusion, she sat up straight and looked out windows. There were
people everywhere. She’d never seen so many people in one place in all her
life. The rodeo was even busier than her father’s corn roasts. Colton had
parked the truck, leaving her alone in the cab. The area was laden with
livestock trailers and pick-ups. She was glad the brothers were with her
because she wouldn’t have a clue where to start. Eva began to think Chester was
out of her element.

She hopped out of the truck and looked around for
North and the trailer. She saw it parked a few down the line. She adjusted her
ponytail and took in her surroundings. There were horns, loud speakers, music,
and cattle clamoring. Vendors lined the streets selling everything from event
tickets to hotdogs. The scent of popcorn and caramel filled the air. She was
star struck, walking in a daze along the dirt path as she took in all the
sights, sounds, and smells.

“Lost?”

She turned around and found a seasoned cowboy
approaching from behind. He had chocolate brown hair and squinty green eyes.
Her heart did a little flip when he tipped his Stetson in greeting.

“I’m new. I’m entering my cows in a
competition.”
 
She continued forward,
pointing to her trailer.

“Can I have a look?”

Eva smiled and unhooked the back door of the
trailer, proud to show off Bessie and Ruby. “Let me know what you think,” she
said, waving him to enter the tight confines of the trailer with her.

He stepped up, his leather boots creaking, and he patted
Bessie as he settled in beside her. “These are big girls. Very nice.”

“I’d love to place…even if it’s just a ribbon.” She
turned slightly in his direction, taking the cowboy in from head to toe as
discretely as possible. His cologne was rich and musky. His Wranglers were worn
with age and low on his hips. “Are you riding?”

“Plum near every day.” He shifted his stance and
leaned against the side of the trailer, looking directly down at her. “You’re
the prettiest little thing I’ve seen in a long time. Just gorgeous.”

She knew her face was heating and turning every shade
of red. It wasn’t often a man paid her a compliment. Around town, she was just
one of the locals, invisible to the opposite sex. Men daring enough to pay her
mind were usually scared off by Colton or North. She liked this new attention.

“My name’s Wade, by the way. What’s yours, sweet
thing?”
 
He took a section of hair from
her long ponytail and felt it between two fingers. Eva froze.

She had to think for a minute before even
remembering her name. “E–Eva,” she stammered, suddenly suffering from the worst
case of dry mouth.

“You should come and watch me ride. I’ll be on
tonight at six in the bull pit. I’d love to have you cheering me on. You’ll be
my good luck charm.” He trailed the backs of his fingers along her jaw line.
She leaned into his touch, nearly closing her eyes. Was she that starved for attention?
It was only natural to feel desire for a man, she decided. She was no longer a
girl, and women had needs.

The thunderous boom of the ramp dropping down into
place made her jump.
 
A very
serious-looking North stared at her when she looked back.

He hopped up into the trailer, coming into Wade’s
personal space. “Can I help you?”

“Eva was just showing me her prize cows.” He turned
in her direction with a wink. “Which I’m sure will take first place.”

“You’re sure of that now, are you?”

“North, cut it out.” She shuffled out with Wade and
promised to watch him at his event before he left. This could be the start of
something big—true love, the passion of a lifetime.

When she returned to the trailer, Colton and North
were both waiting for her. “Shouldn’t we be unloading them?” she asked, hoping
to avoid an uncomfortable conversation about the birds and bees. “I have to
turn them in and get registered.”

Colton ignored her, looking at the path Wade had
just taken. “Who was that?”

“That was my new friend…Wade.”

“Wade have a last name?”

She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sure I’ll find
out next time I see him.”

“There won’t be a next time, Eva.” North crowded her
against the side of the trailer, bracing his arm near her head. “You need to
stay close to us and stop talking to strangers. You think
Wade
gives two shits about you or Bessie? All he cares about is
what’s between his legs.”