Alphas of Red Moon Ranch(64)

“I love you too,” she said, and meant it. As though she were sending him off to war or far, far away. It felt like she was, too. Tonight was a game changer, for better or worse, that much was certain.





Chapter 51


They split up outside the house with a kiss—Jacob revved up his work truck and Holly hopped in the Buggy. She’d puttered halfway down the hill when she spotted Trish waving her down on the side of the road. She slowed just long enough for the young girl to catch up.

“Morning, Mrs. Holly,” Trish said and propped her elbows on the open window.

“Good morning,” Holly smiled. If Trish was calling her Mrs. Holly, all polite and proper, the young girl clearly wanted something. “I’m on my way to campus. Do you need a ride into town?”

Trish shook her head. “Um…not really.” The young girl looked over her shoulder as though to make sure no one was watching, long dark hair tumbling down. When she spoke again, her words came rapid-fire. “Look, Mom’s out with Jacob and Dad’s working on the farm, so we have the day off and I thought…maybe…since you’re going there anyway…I know, before, you mentioned…um…”

Quiet panic filtered over the young girl’s expression and Holly couldn’t help but smile. “Do you want to come with me to Elmswood?”

Trish lit up like a Fourth of July night sky. “Yes. Please.”

Holly lifted an eyebrow. “What would your mother say about that?” She was already on Cassidy’s “shit list.” She didn’t need to make matters worse. Holly knew how adamant Cassidy was about keeping Trish on the ranch rather than letting her go to college. While Holly didn’t agree with the choice, Cassidy was Trish’s mother, and there were some lines she didn’t want to cross.

Trish gave a little shrug. “I’m not applying. Just looking.”

Holly hesitated, but…at the end of the day, Trish was eighteen. She could make her own decisions. Besides, if Holly was being honest with herself, she saw a lot of herself in Trish. She couldn’t help but water the budding academic in the young girl. Finally, Holly relented with a small nod and said, “I could use an assistant for the day.”

“I’d love that,” Trish said eagerly. “Thank you.”

“Thank you. You’d be doing me a favor.” Holly stalled the car long enough for the young girl to clamber in and shut the door behind her.





Chapter 52


“So what’s your secret?” The engine rumbled as tires spat out dirt and rocks.

“What do you mean?” Jacob kept his eyes focused out the road, straight ahead, but he could feel Cassidy staring at him.

“Come on,” Cassidy scoffed. “You’ve been normal lately. Well, normal for you, anyway. You don’t look like you’re itching to burst out of your skin. That’s an achievement for you, right?”

Jacob acknowledged her with a grunt. “You know, Brent was a much quieter copilot.”

“Then you should’ve thought about that before you chased him off.”

Cassidy had a lot of great qualities, Jacob thought, but her inability to keep her every thought from falling out of her mouth was going to get her in trouble someday. Yes, without Brent around, she was Jacob’s new right-hand man…well…right-hand woman. His Beta-in-charge. But that didn’t mean she could now question him at every turn, and he shot her a look that told her that, in not so many words.

Cassidy, predictably, crumpled in her seat. Backing off, tail tucked. “I’m just saying,” she grumbled, but then effectively dropped it, and that was all Jacob needed.

Brent was a sore spot. Jacob understood Cassidy’s position well enough: Brent was her brother and she’d go down in flames defending him. But Brent was Jacob’s brother, too, and Jacob had made the only call he knew how to make.

Jacob was Alpha of the clan for a reason. He knew how to make the hard decisions. The rest of the clan could pout and roll their shoulders back irritably at his choices, but they’d all fall in line if they knew what was good for them. Brent was a brother, a hard worker, and a best friend. But he was also a traitor, and Jacob had made a very clear example of him. You’re either with the clan, or you’re against us. Easy as that. Black and white. Jacob didn’t do well with greys.

Still, he knew this was a hard time for everyone. There was going to be a little chatter from the clan. Mercifully, Jacob cut Cassidy some slack and steered the subject away from Brent. “It’s no magic trick. Holly’s been working with me. Helping me get the animal out of my system, I guess.”