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face the house.
“It’s part of the guest accommodation. There are a few rooms we rent out upstairs, and the downstairs has been converted into a restaurant.”
“It’s beautiful. It looks just like the ranch house from the outside, but smaller.”
He nodded. “The house used to belong to a neighboring property. When they put their land and house up for sale, my grandparents bought it and extended the retreat. They’d wanted the land for a while as it gave them access to the river.”
“How long have your parents been running it?” I was fascinated to hear the history behind the ranch.
“Pretty much since they got married. Mom came over from England to study at the University of Texas. When she met Dad, she never went home. After they were married, Dad and Gramps ran the ranch together.” He paused, and I waited for him to continue. “When Grams died, Gramps took a bit of a back seat with the day-to-day running. Then he died a few years ago, and they inherited it; that’s when they expanded the place further.”
“Wow, and what about you? Have you always worked here?”
“It’s all I’ve ever known. I love the ranch. Dad wanted me to go to college, but I wasn’t interested. I knew what I wanted to do. I didn’t need to go to college for that.”
“It must have been amazing to be a child on the ranch with so much to explore and do?”
He laughed, his stomach rippling under my hands with the force of his chuckling. “The summers were incredible. No school and endless days of sun. We’d leave the house after breakfast and only come back when it was dark. The three of us had the best time.”
“The three of you?” I asked, intrigued to see who he was talking about.
“Me, Sav, and Josh. His parents worked long hours, and he spent most of his time here. We’d spend hours swimming, fishing, and horse riding.”
“So, Sav and Josh have been together a long time then?”
Brody laughed again. “Not exactly. But it’s girly shit so I’ll let Savannah tell you,” he replied cryptically. He kicked his heels against Titan and he set off in a walk. I clasped my arms around him again, secretly loving that I got to be this close to him, even if it was only for a short time.
Brody
As I kicked my heels against Titan, I felt Quinn’s arms reach back around my waist. Her hands rested on my stomach, and instinctively I brought my own hand to rest over hers. Before I knew what I was doing, my thumb was circling the skin on the back of her hand. I heard her breathing hitch and I couldn’t help smiling, knowing I was having an effect on her. As much as I was enjoying having her body pressed up against mine, her arms wrapped around me, I knew I was in trouble with this girl. I don’t know what possessed me to suggest she ride with me in the first place.
“It’s so beautiful here, Brody,” she said quietly.
“Wait until we get to the river, you’re going to love it.” I squeezed gently on her hand, excited to show her everything. We chatted on and off the rest of the way and I pointed things out to her as we went. Places Sav and I had played as kids, and the lake where Mason had proposed to Lib. As we reached the river I heard Quinn gasp.
“Oh my God, Brody! This is amazing.”
“This is where we bring guests to fly-fish. We offer canoeing, and of course swimming in the summer. Mason, Colt, and Taylor organize all the activities. Though Colt might not have a job after today.” Anger flooded my body as I thought back to him putting his hands on her.
“No, Brody,” she said sharply, her arms falling from around me. I turned to look at her. “You can’t fire Colt. He only grabbed my arm; I just overreacted.”
“He’s a slimy bastard, Quinn.”
“Yeah, he is,” she agreed. “But that’s not a reason to fire him. Promise me you won’t.” I groaned and looked out over the river.
“Why did you overreact?” I was hesitant to ask, not knowing if she’d want to tell me. I felt her stiffen behind me, and I could almost feel the tension radiating off her.
“Sorry, I’m not ready to talk about it yet.” Her voice was quiet, and I nodded reaching my hand back to squeeze her leg.
“But you’ll tell me when you are ready?” I asked, latching on the wordyet. I turned my head so I could see her face while I waited for her to answer. The bruising around her eye was now a pale yellow, while the cut on her lip had scabbed over. In a day or so the outward signs someone had hit her would be gone, but I knew the terror of whoever she was running from would stay with her for far longer.
“Yes, I’ll tell you. But you’re not going to like it.” Before I had a chance to respond, she changed the subject. “Do you think we could get off for a bit? My ass has gone numb,” she joked. I held her gaze for a while before conceding that she wasn’t going to tell me anymore.
“Of course. Come on.” I helped her down and saw her wince as her feet touched the ground. “How are the ribs feeling?”
“A little sore, but worth the discomfort to see this.” She gestured with her arm to the view of the river.
“It is beautiful. Even though I see this on almost a daily basis, it never gets old,” I said, looking out toward the river.
