Caleb's Blessing(57)

Something had changed, shifted in me for her. Not that I hadn’t loved her before, but now it seemed like my eyes were more open.

In the morning I was the one hovering, seeing to her every need, until it was time to check out and head back home.

“What the fuck is wrong with you lot?” The boys were acting kinda finicky if you ask me, something I knew meant trouble.

I looked at Mikey because if anything, he would be the easiest to break, but Adrian put him in a headlock and dragged him off.

I eyed the others but they had their stoic faces on. “Let’s blow this burg boss.”

I barely spared Diego a glance, before heading for the door with my girl under my arm. Outside the morning was fresh and new, a new dawning of a new day and so much more.

I didn’t question why we were in such an all fired hurry to get to the hangar and gone, I figured like me, they were all just in a hurry to get back home.

It was the whispering once we boarded the plane that told me some shit was up. I didn’t want to say anything in front of her just in case.

My boys have been known to get up to some unsavory shit in the past. Whoever she was I hope she wasn’t anybody’s wife or as in one case, the mayor’s daughter.

She was being a little quiet on the flight but I didn’t press her, things had gotten a little intense last night, and I might’ve been a little much.

Now instead of words I showed her she was loved through actions, like holding her hand the whole way, kissing her fingers every so often just to let her know that even though I was talking to the boys I was very much aware of her.

By the time we landed she seemed to be coming back to herself and was smiling and joining in the conversation more.

Back at the ranch Drake had held things down with a few of the hands from his place and there were no emergencies or fuck ups waiting for me.

I took her into the house before walking back outside to talk to him. I knew what was on his mind and will be for a while, but I wasn’t ready to deal with that shit.

As much as I might want to kill his wife for being a bitch, she was his woman and he loves her. I knew that it would fall on me to erase any tension from here on out. I just wasn’t ready to go there.

“How’d it go?” We both looked off into the distance as we stood in my front yard. He was already in her sheriff’s uniform and I was reminded of one of the reasons that I was so proud of my little brother.

Poor mom and dad, they didn’t get anything out of their kids that they’d expected. I studied business but preferred the rodeo, while Drake went all the way through law school, even passed the bar, but chose to settle for sheriff of our little town, than working in some big shot law firm in the city.

“It went fine I guess, at least the asshole knows what’s waiting for him if her ever sets foot anywhere near her again. I didn’t get to shoot the fucker though, but hey.”

“I just got a call.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, the ex is in the hospital.” I didn’t quite get it at first. I didn’t think that I’d done that damage, the ass really was a soft fuck.”

“What the fuck for? A few punches to the gut and a knee in the nuts? What the fuck was it?”

“Somebody broke his limbs.”

“Say what?” I didn’t let my eyes search out my boys as they went about the ranch making sure that everything was as it should be, but I knew. That’s what the looks and the whispers were about.

I was more upset that they got to do what I’d wanted to than that they’d done whatever the fuck they’d done.”

“I wonder who else he pissed off. Don’t look at me Drake, when I left the asshole was in one piece lying on the sidewalk.”

“The way I hear it he doesn’t know who got him. Something about being awakened in his bed and knocked around by men in masks.”

“You don’t say, well, I can’t say as I give a fuck one way or the other. Thanks for looking after the place for me.”

“No thanks necessary, now, how long before my wife is off your shit list?”

“Don’t ask me that now bro, I’, nowhere near ready to deal with that shit the way you need me to. If it was me she’d fucked with I might see my way clear to forgiving her, but she’s not getting away with fucking with Amanda, no one is.” I looked at him then so he could read the seriousness in my eyes.

“I just wanna know that this isn’t gonna cause a rift in the family, that we can get past this.”

“That’s something you’re gonna have to take up with your wife. She crossed the fucking line bro. You’re my blood and I love you, but that woman in there is my whole fucking heart, and the shit that was done to her isn’t easily brushed aside.