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I fastened my trousers and belt and headed toward the sink, quickly glancing into the mirror. “Cold as a witch’s tit,” I said, grinning at the man staring back at me. Although I’d heard on the new forecast in the airport that this was considered mild, pleasant weather in Colorado. It was all coming back to me, including that winter I spent huddled around a fire.
Holy crap. I looked like shit.
There was no other way to describe my disheveled appearance. That’s what an unexpected layover due to a ridiculous late season surprise of a snowstorm had caused. After being caught in the Chicago airport, forced to sleep on stiff metal and plastic chairs that should be used as kindling for a dumpster fire, I’d made a mental note that upon my eventual return to Miami, I’d purchase a Learjet. My father had decided to take a last-minute trip using the corporate jet. It had been his way of icing the bitter cake.
Even my rental car had been handed off to another customer given my eleven-hour late arrival. I’d been lucky to obtain a pickup truck instead. And not a new one either. Fuck. I needed a gallon of coffee given the early hour and lack of sleep. While I’d arrived late according to the schedule I’d wanted to keep, it was still earlier than what I’d told Mr. Barclay. I had plans on spending a full day without his involvement, seeing the ranch as an outsider before launching into my decision of what to do with the place.
That also meant I was staying in a shitty motel since it would appear Montrose didn’t have any five-star lodging. Hopefully, I could still find a juicy steak in town, or all bets were off.
“What? First class must have treated you well, brother,” Jackson said as he laughed.
“You need to get out more. It’s something our grandfather used to say.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t know him. Remember?”
“You would have liked him, Jacks.”
“From what you told me, I’m sure I would have.”
That was another sad truth about our family. Our father had kept us like an island, which was one of the reasons he’d driven our mother away. The dark circles under my eyes had upholstered bags. I half laughed at myself. I drifted from exhausted to slightly out of my mind.
“Fuck. Me,” I huffed as I stared into the cracked mirror secured to the ugly green tile covering the walls of the gas station bathroom. It had been so long since I’d been to town that everything appeared different, my GPS going crazy trying to get me to my grandfather’s ranch. I barely recognized anything in the small town as I’d passed through. Now I had a terrible feeling I was hopelessly lost.
“You alright, bro?” Jackson asked, obviously amused by my painful exclamation.
“Yeah, peachy. Remind me never to make off the cuff decisions again. And research private limos for me. Will ya?” I raked my hand through my hair before sniffing one armpit then the other.
“You are kidding. Right?”
I snorted. “Yes, I’m kidding. It’s just way too small for me here.” Or maybe I was feeling suffocated because of how many years had gone by.
“Well, at least you got away from the office.”
“Please tell me you didn’t go to New York.”
“Hell, no. Dear old Dad will need to handle some business all on his own. I’m about ready to quit.”
“Ah. I’m so sad for him.” I shifted to speakerphone so I could wash my hands. “And don’t you dare quit. I don’t have anyone else I can trust.”
I heard my brother’s deep sigh and knew why. He’d met our grandfather once, but he’d been so young I doubted he remembered. “You know what I was thinking? I should have gone with you.”
“Well, you have your life, and you didn’t know Walter, but you’re welcome to come out and see how small the place is yourself,” I said as I grabbed a paper towel.
“Don’t put it past me, bro. It depends on how much dear ole Daddy tries to mold me into a carbon copy of you while you’re gone.”
My younger brother could always make me grin. “I’ll call you in a couple days. Don’t allow Dad to convince you to head to New York.”
“Not a chance. I hate that place. Enjoy your time in cowboy land.”
I laughed as the call was ended. From what I’d remembered about Montrose, Colorado, it had been a small town, a good place to raise a family. At least that’s what my grandfather had told me more than once. It had definitely grown in population but from just driving through, I could tell it still had that smalltown atmosphere. I grabbed my phone, shoving it into my pocket before heading out to grab a huge cup of coffee. I stopped short, the robbery in progress not something I’d seen every day.
“Don’t make a move, little bitch,” some asshole was saying. “Just do what I say and you won’t get hurt.”
Morning light had just crested over the horizon. I hadn’t paid attention to the person standing behind the counter when I’d walked in. Seeing it was a beautiful, young, and likely helpless woman, I was momentarily stunned by the fact she was alone. And by the girl’s stunning beauty.
She was a gorgeous redhead with freckles covering the bridge of her nose, her faded blue jeans and oversized sweater unable to disguise her hourglass figure. My cock immediately twitched.
“I don’t think so, buster.”
