Stray: Rowe Brothers Ranch, page 21
“Here,” Jackson holds up a donut. “Try it.” I hold his wrist as I lean in and bite the pastry.
“Oh wow,” I moan, as the holidays literally have an orgasm on my tongue. “Okay, she can hate me. I forgive her.”
“Apple spice with maple frosting,” He smirks, taking a bite. “And she doesn’t hate you. If anything, she hates her daughter.”
I steal another bite as we walk towards the square. “Why is that?” I ask while sitting on the bench and sighing. We’ve been walking around for over an hour, and Niamh’s shoes are starting to rub me raw.
“Because we were supposed to get engaged.” He says simply, and I choke on my apple cider.
“W-hat?” I sputter, staring at him in shock. “Are you… what?”
He waves his hand. “We were high school sweethearts, and I use that term very, very loosely. Anyway, she went to the city to go to college and cheated on me within the first two weeks. She said she needed to travel and experience life before she settled on a rancher in a small town. So I told her to get all the experience she wanted because I wasn’t waiting for her.”
“Wow,” I breathe out, looking around at the lit trees. “What a cunt.” Jackson barks out a laugh and shakes his head.
“It’s alright. It was… fuck… two decades ago. Damn…” He trails off before looking back at me. “You know, I just realized I have no idea how old you are.” I give him a small shrug.
“You never asked. Don’t worry, I’m legal.”
“Ha,” he says dryly. “No, seriously, how old are you?”
“How old do I look?” I ask, and he lets out a surprised laugh.
“Oh no, I know better than to play that game, Tink.” I laugh lightly and shrug.
“I’m thirty-two. My birthday was back in October.” He looks at me in confusion.
“You had your birthday and didn’t say anything to any of us so that we could do something for it?” I wrinkle my nose and shake my head.
“It was movie night with Morris. I was doing what I wanted to do. He made me watch The Shining. Good movie, a little creepy, but I–”
“Ozzy,” he interrupts my rambling while turning to look at me better. “You have no idea how much you meant to him. He’s never opened up like that to anyone.” I shift uncomfortably, and I stare up at the black sky.
“If we keep going,” I manage in a whisper. “I’m going to start sobbing.” He gives me a soft chuckle before nodding.
“Fair enough… So is this how you looked before the tattoos?”
“Oh god, no,” I laugh while reaching into my purse and pulling out my phone. “Now, if I show you these and you laugh, we don’t get to be friends anymore.”
“I would never laugh,” Even as he says it, I can hear the laugh wanting to come out.
“Hmmm… not convincing, but okay. So this is my senior year.” I say, handing him my phone.
“Oh, my god!” He laughs, shaking his head. The picture is of an eighteen-year-old me: big, round glasses, braces, frizzy hair and unkempt eyebrows. I had a massive smile on my face while holding a trophy for a chess tournament I won. “You were so adorable! Look how excited you are!” I look at the picture fondly.
“I was excited,” I say while taking the phone back. “I beat my crush, Simon Montgomery, in the finals.”
“Ohhh… bet he loved that,” I shrug while scrolling through my photos.
“He ended up fucking my mom. I think they have a kid or something. I don’t really know. Oh, here.” I look up at the shocked look on his face and wave him off. “He was of age, and trust me, that’s not even in the top ten worst things my mom did. Anyway, this was me about a month before… well, you know.” I hand him the phone and watch him as he stares at the photo. The woman staring back is basically a stranger now. Shoulder-length black hair, glasses, a soft face, clear eyes, and a massive smile. I miss her so much. Back then, my trauma was dealing with my lack of a mother.
“I had a mullet,” Jackson says, breaking the silence. “And not like a luscious badass mullet either. It was wispy, strawberry blonde, and I had these straight across bangs and shaved sides–hey now! I didn’t laugh this hard at you!” He smiles, and I’m cackling at the mental image of a young Jackson with a mullet.
“Wait, is that why your hair is long?” Jackson laughs lightly.
“You know what, Tink, I have long hair because my hair is gorgeous.”
“Okay, fair enough. You do have gorgeous hair.” The night continues with mindless conversations and easy questions. I learned that Jackson taught his brother Jensen sign language when they were younger so Jensen could talk to him, even when it was too overwhelming to speak vocally. He doesn’t eat fish, and just about every night at two in the morning, he wakes up and wants a snack, so he keeps a snack drawer in his room.
I told him that I was a trauma nurse before my accident, and since I had been so afraid of people that, I worked part-time as a virtual nurse before getting hired on at the ranch. When I grew up, all I knew was that I wanted a puppy and that I’ve lived in busy cities my whole life, but I made sure to live in the loudest parts after my accident because the noise helped with the flashbacks.
“Do you miss the city?” He asks as we head back to the truck, main street having closed down over an hour ago.
“God no,” I laugh. “It was so busy, but I was completely alone. At least here I have the ranch and you.” I nudge him slightly as he opens my door.
“Do you see yourself leaving here?” I look up at him. His nose and cheeks are pink, and I give him a smile.
“Not if someone gives me a reason to stay.”
“You know,” Theo starts, though her eyes are laser-focused on the pretty brunette on the dance floor. It’s ladies’ night at The Spur, which means Theo is picking up, and somehow, I got roped into being her “wingman.” I would much rather be sitting on the couch with Jackson, trying to continue to work up the nerve to get him to spend the night in my bed, but alas, here I am, watching the ladies quite literally throw themselves on Theo.
“Dr. Denise is still needing a nurse. The one Pops told you about. I went there yesterday, and she asked what you were doing now.” I take a sip of my bottled water. I do remember him mentioning her briefly, but I brushed it off, not wanting to think about another position because that would’ve meant accepting Morris’ passing.
“Who is she again?” I ask as Niamh walks over and sets a soft pretzel basket down in front of us. I notice she has a face mask on today, covering her from her nose down. It looks like it’s overheating her. Her face is flushed, and a sheen of sweat coats her forehead.
“She is our lady doctor.” Theo continues, unbothered by Niamh’s appearance. “Handles all our exams, prenatal, and does home births if the ladies can’t get to the hospital in the city. She’s very nice. Her old nurse retired last month, and we don’t get many medical professionals in this town, so I’m sure you’ll be getting job offers from her and the town’s primary doctor, Dr. Hill. If you’re looking to stay around.” I knew of Dr. George Hill. I talked to him multiple times over the months to get refills for Morris’ prescriptions.
“Yeah, I do recall Morris mentioning that. I guess I could give her a call tomorrow.” I say softly, and Theo grins.
“Well, alright, we might just be able to keep you around.” I laugh lightly.
“I would like to stay here, it’s quiet.” However, the quiet isn’t the real reason I want to stay. My eyes flicker to the opening front door, and I watch my real reason walking through the door with Jensen by his side. Theo glances up and rolls her eyes.
“Niamh, lover boy is here,” I watch the look of horror shine in Niamh’s eyes as she starts brushing back her hair and taking off her apron to reveal her light blue flannel shirt.
“Shit,” she whispers. “He never comes in on ladies’ night.”
Theo snorts. “Looks like Jackson is dragging him along.” I smile shyly as our eyes lock, and goddamn this man. His rugged looks and piercing eyes. The eyes that bore into my fucking soul when we have sex. I never thought I would want sex again, but he is kind and patient and constantly communicates with me. I didn’t know sex could be like that. It’s otherworldly. The orgasms he gives are otherworldly. I wonder if I should thank him for the fantastic sex… but like, how? Do they make a thank you card for that?
“Hi Jensen!” Niamh beams brightly. I watch Jensen look away and cough into his hand.
“Is our table available?” The poor girl visibly deflates, and I have the urge to smack him upside his head.
“Jensen,” Theo shoves the man with her boot. “Don’t be an asshole, Niamh said hi.”
“Oh,” Niamh shakes her head and looks away, “No, it’s fine, um… It’s not right now, sorry.” There is an awkward moment of silence before she takes a step back. “Well, I better be off. I need to actually do my job.” Niamh jokes and walks off, leaving me to glare at the man.
“Wowww…” I mutter. “A real panty dropper right here.” I muse, causing Theo to choke on her beer as she tries not to spray it everywhere.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jensen huffs, staring at where Niamh walked off.
“It means,” Theo drawls, spinning to look at her brother. “You could be tapping her ass if you weren’t such an idiot.” Jensen’s face blanches before looking away.
“I have no desire to tap her ass,” he whispers, his face going from ghost white to red. “She is my friend, and that’s all.”
“Uh huh, well that’s a good thing because I think someone else might be moving in on her ass” Theo snorts at Jensen’s almost feral expression, “Alright, Romeo, come on. I need someone less attractive than me so I look better by comparison. Ozzy has been getting all the numbers tonight.” I laugh as Theo finishes her beer and drags a grumbling Jensen away.
I stare shyly at Jackson, who raises a brow. “You look awfully familiar,” he teases, and I roll my eyes while he sits on the stool beside mine. “No, no, I swear, I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere before…” He taps his chin before snapping his fingers. “That’s right! You’re an actress!”
I scoff and give him a quizzical look, “Alright, I’ll bite. No, I’m not an actress.” I say, unable to fight the smile pulling at my lips.
“Really?” His voice is low and smooth, and he has that cocky smirk front and center. “Because you’ve been starring in my dreams every night.”
“Oh my god,” I groan between laughs. “Please tell me that’s never worked before.”
He leans in closer, his lips hovering a whisper away from mine. “I don’t know. Ask me again tomorrow.” I bite my bottom lip and watch his eyes flick to them. “Dance with me,” he says, and I pull back.
“W-what?” I laugh, looking at the floor.
“I said, dance with me. A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be sitting at the bar all night.”
“What makes you think I haven’t been out there? Theo told you I’ve been very popular.” I watch his lip curl just the slightest bit before he covers it up.
“Careful, Tink,” he warns, extending his hand. I take it as he leads me to the dance floor.
“Careful of what?” I ask as a slow song starts, and I wrap my arms around his neck.
“I’m trying to be a good man, but if you go around poking me, I will show you a different side.” His hand rests on the small of my back, and I love the heat it’s causing. I give him a playful smirk.
“Oh? And what side is that?” Jackson leans in, his hot breath on my ear causes goosebumps.
“The side that will rip the eyes out of any mother fucker stupid enough to look at you.” He kisses my ear before pulling back.
“You have a jealous side?” I say, somewhat stunned. Jackson just never came off as that type. Sure, he threatened that guy the last time we were here, but that was because he was grabbing me.
“With you?” His hand reaches up and cups my face, “Baby, I told you, I will burn this world down for you. I will turn into the worst kind of man to keep you protected. And I have no problem beating the shit out of anyone who tries to take you from me.” I stare up into his eyes, so serious. Part of me feels like this would’ve given me pause months ago, but now, I know him. I know Jackson is a good man. Leaning up, I capture his bottom lip between my teeth and run my tongue over it, earning a groan from him.
“Ozzy, you drive me fucking mad.”
“The feeling is mutual.” I smile softly. “Can I ask you for something?” I say tentatively.
“Baby, I’ve told you, you don’t have to ask. Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it.” He says while inhaling my neck while we continue the slow dance.
“Stay with me tonight,” I force out, even though I’m terrified. “Stay in my bed.” Jackson pulls back and scans every part of my face, something I’ve noticed he does to make sure I’m comfortable with what I’m saying.
He must be satisfied with whatever he sees, because he kisses my forehead. “Come on, then.”
“W-what?” I laugh as he leads me off the dance floor. “Now? It’s like nine o’clock!”
“Uh huh, yep, gotta go, wayyyy past your bedtime.” I squeal as he throws me over his shoulder, causing the bar to let out whistles and cheers before making his way to the truck.
“Are you really sure?” Jackson asks for the millionth time as I sit on my bed.
“Jackson, if you don’t get on this fucking bed, I’m going to kick you out,” I warn while watching him remove his jeans and shirt. He crawls into the bed, and I watch as he lays completely straight. Aww… he’s nervous. Chuckling softly to myself, I slide over to him.
“Can I touch you?” I ask softly, and he gives me a slight smirk.
“Always,” I grin as I kiss his chest while my hand slides down his stomach to his waistband. I hear his sharp intake of air and smirk as he lets out the sexiest noise when my hand grips his shaft. “Mmm… fuck baby,” he pants, and I make my way down until I’m at eye level with his rapidly hardening dick. I lick him from root to tip, relishing in the hiss he lets out. “Fucking god, Ozzy… baby you… You don’t have something for me to hold on to.”
Looking up from swirling my tongue around his head, I see what he is talking about. I don’t have a headboard yet.
“If you grab my belt–”
“Fuck my mouth,” I interrupt, shocking us both. He blinks several times as he tries to compute what I just said.
“Ozzy,”
“You told me if I want it, I just have to say it.” I move off him and fall to my knees on my floor. “I want you to hold my head and fuck my mouth like you do my pussy.” He stands, looking down at me in apprehension.
“How are you going to say stop? You have to give me a way of knowing it’s too much, or I will have to say no, baby.” I look around before reaching onto the nightstand and grabbing his phone.
“I’ll signal with this,” I say, waving the phone. He still looks nervous but nods.
“Alright, I’m going to grip your head,” I close my eyes at the feeling as his fingers hold my skull. “Open that mouth, sweet girl.” He breathes, and I obey, opening wide while looking up at him. His jaw is slack as he watches his cock disappear into my mouth. He hits the back of my throat, causing me to gag, and is about to pull out when I grip his hips and force him in further. My eyes fill with tears that roll down my cheeks as I try to adjust. After a moment, I moan, letting him know I’m okay.
“Goddamn,” he groans, and I feel his grip tighten as he pulls back and thrusts back in. My one hand grips his hip while the other massages his balls, causing him to throw his head back, his abs tight and his chest heaving. “You feel so good, Ozzy. You’re doing so well. You okay, baby?” He pants out, and it overfills my heart that he continues to check in with me. I give him a small nod and a moan as I hollow my cheeks, sucking on him as he continues.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He runs a thumb over my tear-stained cheek. “Fuck, that’s… right there, baby. I’m coming, get off now, or it’s going down your throat.” I don’t get off. I put him in fully as I feel his release coat my throat. “Ozzy!” He grinds out my name on a breathy cry as his hips thrust a couple more times. I lick and suck him clean before he helps me stand.
“Ozzy,” his voice is soft and stunned. I smile and kiss his palm.
“You looked tense. Maybe now you will relax and cuddle me.” I go to the bathroom to clean up, and upon returning, I find Jackson back in my bed. This time, I curl up against him, and he wraps himself around me. I wait to feel claustrophobic, but it doesn’t come this time. This time, I close my sleepy eyes and fall into a deep sleep.
Jackson
“Fuck, I’m freezing.” I shiver as I walk into the warm house, only to have Mama whack me on my arm.
“Son, how many times am I gonna have to scold you for cursing in front of your nephew?” I give her a sheepish grin before kissing her cheek.
“Sorry, Mama,” I say, stomping the snow off my boots. “This cold front moved in quicker this year,” I mutter, removing my coat.
“Did everything get done?” She asks while sitting on the couch to continue coloring with Wyatt.
“Yeah, we are good for the winter. I’m gonna head upstairs, try to thaw out in the shower, and then grab Ozzy since it’s still snowing out.”
“You don’t think she can drive in the snow?” I hear Mama call as I head up the stairs and huff out a laugh.
She would try just to prove a point, but I would rather not deal with that headache tonight. The last three weeks have been a whirlwind, to say the least. We’ve been in crunch time, getting the ranch and animals ready for the winter, which has been made a little more complicated because Jensen has been in an angry depression for two weeks. It’s something I didn’t know was a thing until I witnessed it. Niamh has a boyfriend, a nice boyfriend who treats her well, and Jensen is beside himself and, therefore, utterly useless on the ranch. Ozzy got herself a job as a nurse at the women’s clinic in town. She seems to enjoy it, though it’s only been about a week. It took time to get paperwork and whatnot done, but she looks happy and seems to be getting out of her shell some. She goes to ladies’ night at The Spur, and I stay home because I want to give her her time. She helps Mama around with her chores, and she has her own little flock of chickens.
