Rough, Raw and Ready(88)
“I’m havin’ a bad go of it. Truth is, if it wasn’t for all the free pussy I probably wouldn’t be doin’ it.”
“Don’t seem like the pussy is so free if you’re knockin’ up women all across the country and payin’ child support,” Trevor said slyly.
Tanner’s eyes narrowed. “That ornery fucker told you?”
“Yeah. Four women? You think you’d know what caused that condition by now, Tanner.”
“I was drunk. What can you do? Besides, I’m tired of livin’ on the pittance Pa gives me every month.”
Trevor froze, even as his heart rate spiked. “Pa is payin’ your way on the circuit?”
“Well, yeah. Didn’t he pay yours?”
Some favorite son. All the years he’d scraped by, living on next to nothing, and his father had basically given Brent a blank check? That went beyond unfair to plain damn sadistic. “Hell no. If I didn’t have enough money to pay the entry fees I didn’t compete.
Which made it important for me to win.”
“But you didn’t win.” Meanness glinted in Tanner’s bloodshot eyes. “You never brought home that all important World Championship belt buckle, didja?”
“I made it a lot further than you ever did.”
Tanner shrugged again. “Almost don’t cut it. Might as well be at the bottom of the heap rather than stuck in second place.”
Trevor stared at his brother. Surprised…yet not.
“That don’t have nothin’ to do with us runnin’ the ranch.”
It had everything to do with runnin’ the ranch.
230
Lorelei James
The whole scenario unfolded in Trevor’s mind like a nightmare. He and Chassie would sell her family home and move here. He’d do all the work. Brent would continue to be lazy, continue to lie, continue to think his charm made up for his lack of a work ethic. Brent would resent the hell out of him so he wouldn’t do shit either. Neither his mother nor his sisters would welcome his wife into their inner circle so Chassie would be alone. After a few kids their marriage would end up like his parents’ marriage and her parents’ marriage.
Chassie wouldn’t stick around if she was miserable. All these cheery scenarios were before Trevor considered Edgard couldn’t be part of his life and the thought of losing either of them made him ill.
“…told him I wouldn’t do it.”
Trevor refocused on his younger brother, chattering away, oblivious to Trevor’s silent ruminations. He slid out of the bench seat and stood. “I gotta call Chassie before supper.”
“Feelin’ the weight of that old ball and chain?”
“Something like that.” Trevor felt the weight of her absence like an iron ball in his heart and he bailed before Tanner subjected him to more of his so-called Wyoming charm.
Trevor tried Chassie’s cell phone. No answer. He tried the house phone. No answer.
He paced in his room. Forcing himself to wait five minutes before he dialed again.
Finally after thirty minutes of beating a path in the carpet, Chassie picked up the house phone on the twelfth ring.
“Hello?” she said breathlessly.
“Chassie? Baby, you all right?”
“Uh. Yeah.”
“Where you been? I’ve been tryin’ to call and you didn’t answer your cell.”
“Oh. Umm. Edgard and I were in the barn and I must’ve forgot it. We just walked in the house.”
231
Rough, Raw, and Ready
A rustling noise, like a hand clapped over the receiver.
“Chass?”
“What? Shit. Hang on a second.” Mumbled voices. Chassie snapping, “It’s fine.
Don’t even think about it. No!” The receiver crashed and she shouted, “Give it back!”
“Hey, Trev, what’s up?” Edgard asked.
“What in the hell is goin’ on there?”
“Nothin’. How are things going with your family?”
“Shitty.” Trevor heard angry whispering.
Edgard said, “That’s good.”
Trevor stared at the phone in his hand. “Good that things are goin’ shitty?”
“Ah. No. Sorry, Chassie was yammering at me and I didn’t hear what you said.”
“Let me talk to her.”
“She’s washing her hands.”
“Give her the goddamn phone. Now.”
“Fine.” Trevor heard them arguing although he couldn’t make out the actual words, just the tone.
“So when you comin’ home?” In the background he heard Edgard say, “Tell him.”
Trevor frowned. “Tell me what?”
“Um. Tell you how much we miss you.”