All because Gaetano Tempesta is an incurable asshole who enjoys wreaking havoc.
However, there’s no one there. He lied.
I’m still tempted to put my brother in a headlock until his face turns purple. But I’m also relieved. And I won’t repeat this mistake of getting riled up over nothing. Cecilia isn’t the kind of girl who will be impressed with macho tantrums.
Getty is so busy howling with loony laughter that it’s pathetically easy to sweep his legs from under him. He lands with a thud and throws a handful of dirt at me, his furious expression no different than it was at age three after he was informed he couldn’t eat a jar of marshmallow fluff for dinner.
Fucking brothers.
No matter how much you love them, there are always times when you’re tempted to throttle them with your bare hands.
Gaetano gets left on the ground to stew over his bad choices and I walk around to the front of the vast building we call the big barn. It’s where the sick and injured animals are kept, as well as the orphaned calves, until they can join the rest of the herd. At the moment we have a pair of twin calves in there so Cecilia gets to see the cute side of ranch life.
The barn’s wide door is propped open and Miguel is heading this way, slowly walking beside Cecilia and chatting in his usual lively manner. On any typical day our ranch foreman has his hands full and I hated pulling him away from his work but there’s no one better suited to give Cecilia a tour. Miguel has the uncanny ability to set all animals at ease, whether they’re walking around on four legs or two.
Cecilia wears a thoughtful expression and checks out the sights with curiosity.
She did very well earlier. That scene in the study was necessary and it was also heavy. Emotional. Her chin trembled as she gazed at the portrait of the woman who remains the center of our family more than two decades after her death. Cecilia showed nothing but respect and I could tell my father was pleased.
It’s nice to see that she’s now loosened up a little. A few strands of hair have escaped from her ponytail and she looks comfortable in her new boots. All the wary tension is gone from her posture and she moves with easy grace.
Miguel stops at a stall and calls her over. Cecilia peers into the stall, listening avidly and nodding as Miguel talks an animated blue streak.
I was right to conclude how easily she’d be seduced by it all. The ranch, the country landscape, the small town a short drive away.
She belongs here with us. She’llwantto stay.
Miguel takes note of my presence and flashes a quick grin beneath his mustache. A sign that all is well.
In the background, Fort is speaking to a couple of the wranglers and Tye is dicking around with a length of rope. He was always the least enthusiastic about ranch chores, preferring sports over cowboy shit. He only changed his tune after his hockey career ended.
Cecilia walks this way and gets within six feet before she notices I’m standing here. Her eyes spark before she has a chance to check her reaction.
Then she gives me a shy smile that makes my cock twitch. I wish we could skip a few steps and tumble into the nearest bed.
Fuck, this girl is so perfect. I can hardly wait to get my hands on her.
“Did the boss already leave?” Miguel asks.
He removes his hat, pushes a hand through his sweaty hair and promptly parks the hat back on his head. In all the years I’ve known him I think I’ve seen him without a cowboy hat for a grand total of about an hour.
“A few minutes ago.” I tear my eyes away from Cecilia. “He’ll be gone until Friday.”
Miguel squints at the horizon. “A big section of the north pasture fence took a beating during that blizzard a few months back. The whole damn thing should really be replaced.”
“I can give you the green light. Do what you’ve got to do. And thanks for taking some time for the tour this morning.”
“No problem,” he says just as a skinny cowboy named Del walks over and mutters in his ear. Miguel nods and shoots me a glance.
“Go ahead,” I say. “I don’t mean to keep you from your work.”
Cecilia is listening and she aims a bright smile at the ranch foreman. “Thank you so much for everything, Miguel.”
He tips his hat. “My pleasure, ma’am.” Then he whistles for the other boys to follow him to the stables so they can mount up and ride out.
Fort, who always jumps at any chance to disappear into the wild, starts to follow them until I grab his arm.
“Do me a favor and take Mr. Personality with you. You’ll probably find him on the far side of the barn, still sprawled in the dirt and scheming revenge plans. Drag him if you have to.”
