River's End (River's End Series, #1) (3 page)

Instead, she licked her lips and glanced at her side. Joey was staring with displeasure at Chance and curious to know her motives. Jack smirked, no doubt, ready to point out to Joey he was right about her before he told her to get off his land.

She had no recourse and looked down and then back up at her brother. She only hoped it mattered to Chance what she had to say. “Mom’s dead.”

Chapter Three

Jack stepped back. He never expected her to say that. Shocked, he stared down at Erin’s profile. Her face was to the ground now, studying the toes showing through the black straps of her idiotic shoes. Jack looked up at Chance, who shuffled his feet in surprise. Then his face went blank. He scowled down at Erin as Jack had previously. God! He was a cold son of a bitch. Jack always felt a weird chill go through him whenever he was in Chance’s presence. He couldn’t quite explain why. There was just something off with Chance, almost a kind of evil inside him.

“So? What do you want me to do about it?”

She flinched. “I just thought you’d want to know.”

“Okay, I know now.”

Erin bit her lip and stared up at her brother. Chance suddenly straightened. “She leave any money?”

“No. No, there’s no money. There’s nothing.”

“You’re not lying, are you? I’ll find out if you are, you know. Lawyers and shit will know.”

She shook her head. “I’m not lying. I thought, maybe, I could stay with you for a few days, to figure this out.”

“Stay with me? Here? Are you shitting me?”

Joey’s head bobbed between them. “Are you for real? You think she’s stealing from you? Why would she come here if that were the case?”

Then the strange demeanor that Chance only ever used with Joey suddenly overcame him. Chance purposely tried to tone down who he really was, so Joey didn’t see it. Judging by the expression on Joey’s face, he really didn’t like how Chance was treating his sister.

Neither did Jack. What was wrong with this man? Just because he didn’t want Erin there, near his brother, didn’t mean he needed to listen to that.

Chance suddenly smiled. “I’m sorry. You surprised me. Joey’s right, of course. Let’s go inside and talk, huh? You can tell me everything.”

Erin stepped back. Perhaps she was surprised by Chance’s suddenly affable tone. She nodded and glanced up at Joey before following her brother.

The Polettis disappeared inside the trailer. His trailer. On his land. What was that all about? A pathetic act for his benefit? Or did the girl’s mother just die and she came here to tell her brother? He supposed it would be a good reason to need a break from college. Or did that just coincide with her story about the break from college? Yeah, he was that gullible. Joey believed every word. Jack didn’t. He wasn’t so sure the Polettis hadn’t just put on a very fine show for Joe and him.

****

Chance crossed the trailer and shoved a heap of clothes off the couch. He sat, sprawled with his legs open and arms folded as he glared at her.

“Mom really dead?”

“Yes. She died a few weeks ago.”

He didn’t express any trace of sorrow. Or ask how she died. He didn’t care. He never did. About her. Or their shared mother.

“Why did you come here?”

Erin glanced down and tapped her toe. “Brian was eager for me to join him in ways I would never. When I refused you can imagine his reaction. I didn’t dare risk trying to get inside the apartment. I left half my stuff and took off.”

“Apple didn’t fall far, did it?”

“Like you didn’t either?”

He smiled and goose bumps broke out over her arms. She hated him. So much so, it suffocated her to think of them being anything alike.
They were not
. They could never be alike. But she needed his help; and therefore, had to rein in her disdain of him and keep it in check. She vowed if she ever got over this, she would never subject herself to the mercy of her brother again. Someday, she would not have to rely on the kindness of others ever again.

Chance looked her over. “Real fuckable girl now, aren’t you?”

She looked away as the chills spread over her. Who said things like that to his own sister? He laughed.

“Guys forget they have brains around a girl like you, huh? Joey looked like you could ask for the keys to his truck and he’d happily hand them over. Must come in handy.”

“Not like you’d think.”

“Except Jack. No. Old man Rydell could see right through you, couldn’t he? Don’t sweat it, he don’t like me none either. Hate the tight-laced prick, but he ain’t dumb.”

“How is it you work here then?”

Chance smiled and scratched his crotch. Erin looked away. She opened the mini-blind behind her. Sunlight reflected the particles of dust floating in the air.

“Joey hired me. He owes me.”

“What could Joey possibly owe you for?”

“I saved his dumb ass life.”

Hearing that Chance had done anything decent in his life actually surprised Erin. “How?”

“Awhile back, he rolled his truck off one of the roads. I got him out.”

Chance had not only done something decent, but courageous too? “That’s amazing. You just happened along on him?”

“Nah, we’d been out drinking.”

“So you knew Joey before that?”

He smiled. “Drifting around gets tiresome. Finding places to stay, new people to work over, always having to look ahead. Well, I heard in town that the Rydells were the people to know around here. They’re like fucking royalty to the assholes here. They been here for hundred years or more. Own more land than most cities. So I figured I’d get on here. Only Jack refused me. So I made it my business to know Joey. We hung out some. Lucky break he drove off the cliff. Kid thanked me with the job. Free rent. Free use of their truck. Only gotta buy my food and entertainment. Not so bad a setup.”

“And that’s why Jack lets you stay?”

“Yup,” Chance said, lowering his feet to the ground before he stood up and gave her long body scan. It grossed her out to see how he looked at her. Chance was her damn brother. “I wasn’t too happy to hear you’d shown up here. Jack looked pissed about it. But you know what? Maybe I like it. Piss Jack off some. Yeah, maybe I’ll find a use for you yet.”

She shivered. She would never do whatever sick thing Chance had in mind for her. Still, she had to stay there. “So I can stay?”

“Guess. I don’t have no fancy sheets or nothing. Just my couch.”

She nodded and gulped. The couch was too piled high and covered from disuse for her brother to have any clue what it was like. “I have a sleeping bag. Can I clean up in here?”

He glanced around as if shocked by her request. “Just don’t start nagging me about anything. And try to stay out of my way.”

She almost promised him she would never willingly be near him.

****

Erin spent hours cleaning. She took out trash bags of rubbish and clutter. She threw aside armloads of Chance’s laundry. What did she care if Chance stunk? She scrubbed until her hands were red. There was no vacuum. After debating fruitlessly with herself, she finally decided she would have to ask one of the Rydells for a vacuum. She couldn’t stand to sleep there without trying to pick up most of the mouse droppings. She asked Chance, who merely shrugged and agreed there sure did seem to be some mice around. She cringed. Didn’t that bother him in the least? First thing she intended to get was a package of mousetraps.

She glanced down and saw her feet had deep tracks in them from the straps of her sandals. She was dressed stupidly. She didn’t have a lot of clothes and left Seattle without most of her things, thanks to Brian. Tomorrow, she planned to find a store to buy some respectable things to wear. She refused, however, to slip her shoes off and come into any actual contact with the filthy, mauve-colored carpet.

She opened the trailer door as the evening began setting in, and dusky light filled the interior of the trailer. Chance left her alone hours ago; and apparently used one of the ranch trucks at will. Thanks to Joey. She hoped he wouldn’t come back anytime soon. She stepped out of the trailer, and started across the road, heading toward the main house. She stopped and stared. What would it be like to have a place like this to call one’s home? She’d never lived in anything more than one-room apartments where she usually bunked down on a fold-out couch.

The house loomed before her, with light shining from the first floor and shadows flickering around the windows. Beyond the solid wood structure rose the black line of mountains, and the orange-colored sky that lingered as sunset deepened. It was so ethereal, almost eerie in peach and white light. She turned and looked out over the valley that swayed and dipped up and down until it met the silver flash of river. River’s End was directly across the river from the ranch, but only added a small dot to distract from the mountains that encircled the valley. The river shimmered, long and black, in the twilight. A breeze picked up, lifting her hair. It was cold. So cold, her skin felt blue. She really needed some warmer clothes.

Turning back to the house, she started up the stairs that led to the porch. She stared hard at the front door, her hands suddenly sweaty with nerves.

She raised her hand to knock when a voice behind her nearly made her scream in fright.

“Need something, Ms. Poletti?”

She whipped her hand back and turned. There sat Jack Rydell. He was near where the porch wrapped around the house and at the opposite side from where she walked up. He sat in a deep Adirondack chair, his legs stretched out before him, resting on the railing. A beer sat between his legs. He’d been staring at her entire trek across the yard.

“You scared me.”

His gaze went from her ankles up to her chin, although he seemed to purposely pause at her chest. She crossed her arms over her middle.

He tipped his beer bottle towards her chest. “Bit cold out here, isn’t it?”

Did he really have to draw attention to her chest? For it was that cold. It wasn’t like her body was reacting to it on purpose. What a jackass. “I don’t have a jacket,” she muttered through clenched teeth.

His eyebrows rose. It sounded so stupid, so contrived. Who didn’t have a jacket? Anyone who lived in the Seattle area had multiple jackets. Unless they were so stupid, they let everything they owned get taken from them. She hunched her shoulders forward and crossed her arms tighter over her chest. He couldn’t see through her shirt, but she felt exposed to his disdain and didn’t like it.

“How do you not have a jacket?”

Warmth spread over her skin, it was so embarrassing. But she refused to tell this man, who already thought so little of her, that she was kicked out of her own mother’s apartment. “There was a fire. I lost a lot of my things. It’s why I asked Chance to let me stay with him.”

He raised the beer to his lips and drank before lowering the bottle with his fingers holding the long neck as he stared at her. “Mom died. Fire. Lost your things. Life isn’t going too well for you, is it?”

He didn’t believe her. “No. Lately, things aren’t.”

“So what was it you wanted? Looking for Joey?”

“Joey? No. I’m sorry to ask this…”

His mouth tightened as he waited for her request. Why did he think so little of her?

“But could I borrow your vacuum?”

His eyes narrowed. “Vacuum?”

“Yes. Chance doesn’t have one and he’s never once vacuumed the trailer.”

Jack leaned forward and set his beer on the railing before standing to his full height. He stepped closer to her. He was a foot taller than Erin and she had to lean her head back to see past his chest. Up close, he smelled like fresh air and something more… something earthy. Hay? Horses? She didn’t know. She supposed horses could smell good. She’d never been close enough to one to really know. He grabbed the hat on his head and swiped it off.

He had red hair.

That realization struck her as he stared down at her without a smile or trace of kindness in his rugged face. Now hatless, his thick, straight hair swept haphazardly over his forehead. His blue eyes were staring at hers. She forgot to breathe, he was staring so intently at her. But no. That wasn’t right. He wasn’t looking into her eyes; he was gawking at her chest. She glanced down and realized her shirt had slipped and a full inch of her bra was revealed. She grabbed the fabric of the scoop-necked shirt and tugged on it as she looked up at Jack. The stupid thing didn’t fit right anymore. She’d lost so much weight in the last few weeks, it never stayed put. Jack raised his eyes to hers and stared at her finally with a mean smirk on his lips. He thought she’d done it on purpose.

“So can I?”

“Can you what?”

“Borrow a vacuum?”

His mouth twitched. “A vacuum? Sure.”

He walked around her, heading to the door and inside. She stared after him. She looked right, then left, and wondered what she was supposed to do? Follow him? Was he really that rude?

She walked to the half open door and stepped inside before stopping dead. So did everyone in the room. It was filled with all men.

Inside, the door opened into a large room, offering her a glimpse of the kitchen on the right and the living room on the left, as well as the second floor, all the way up to the roof. A giant, river rock fireplace separated the room, and halfway through the large, open space sat a table big enough to seat twelve. Right then, however, it seated five.

Joey sat next to a teenager and a young boy. Across from them sat two more men. A woman was in the kitchen. They’d been eating dinner and now they were staring at her.