Dakota Storm Read online

  “Like you did?” David spat. He was tired of his father getting away with going straight for the jugular with his own family. Damn it all to hell, if anything in this world hurt more than Misty being with Brandon, he’d like to know what it was. And his dad knew it as the gospel truth, which was why he brought it up. Just to hurt him.

  David watched his father's reddish cheeks and neck turn absolutely crimson. “You and your mother lived a damn decent life because I busted my ass on this land. And I mostly did it all by myself!”

  “That's because you ran off every hired hand that came around. No one could live up to your expectations. Least of all me.”

  “You need to forget that girl. She chose some asshole who has never gotten his hands dirty a day in his life. I'd say she's shown her true colors. Probably thinks that boy will make good money. They'll settle down in some fancy house with a manicured lawn where you can wave to your neighbor from your kitchen window. You can't give her that.”

  Where was this coming from? David’s anger melted away to be replaced by confusion. It was as though David was missing an integral piece to this conversation that only his dad knew. “I never said I could.”

  “Dan told me you're helping them with vaccinations tomorrow.”

  The change in subject jarred him. Dan, Misty and Matt’s dad, was about the closest friend Big Mike had ever had. Dan was the absolute opposite of the man standing in front of him. Calm, kind, and always there if you needed him. David had never figured out how Dan and his father could be friends all these years. “Yeah. You need me here?”

  His dad shook his head, and for the first time in David's life, he watched the fight go out of Big Mike. “No. I have it covered. Lord knows they've helped me often enough in the past.” He turned to leave and seemed to think better of it. Over his shoulder, he said, “Let her go, son. She wants a life you can't provide.”

  The fight had gone out of his dad completely. David couldn't understand it. He wanted to ask him, but there was no way in hell the question would garner an answer anyway. “I don't think you know her as well as I do. I don't think she's the type to be happy in the suburbs.” And I don’t think she’ll ever have the kind of relationship with Brandon that she and I could have.

  His dad shook his head and started making his way out of the barn. “You'd be surprised.”

  Chapter 7

  Morning had come too fast. Misty had a kink in her neck and a raging headache that just wouldn't go away. Probably from the long drive to and from Rapid yesterday. A grand total of eight and a half hours in a car where she'd done nothing but overthink her life to death while listening to Brandon's favorite station, Talk Radio. She'd popped a few aspirin to get rid of the aches and pains because she knew she needed to be at her best today. Cows tended to get ornery when being corralled into a tight space and given vaccinations. She could get seriously hurt if her head wasn't in the game.

  She rounded the barn and came up short, nearly tripping over her own two feet when she saw David standing beside Matt at the corral. She had no idea David was going to be there. He wore jeans, boots, and a blue T-shirt. He had one boot kicked up on the wood slat of the fence. The way he leaned forward tugged that T-shirt tight against his back muscles, and his jeans pulled against his...

  Stop it!

  She smoothed the hair coming out of her ball cap without thinking and started walking again. Now that David was home, he was going to be around more and more. Get used to it. It'll be this way until you leave for Rapid.

  She wasn't ready for David and Matt to turn around at the sound of her approach. She looked at the ground while she walked, focusing on putting one damn cowboy boot in front of the other. At some point she and David were going to have to learn to work together. Today might as well be that day.

  “You ready to fight with some cattle?” Matt asked.

  “Yeah,” she said simply. She couldn't make herself look at either of them, so she just settled next to Matt and leaned her forearms on the fencing like they were doing.

  Head in the game. Don't think about him. He's not worth it.

  Impossible.

  She rested her head on her forearms because the sun was nearly too bright for her headache. She reminded herself that David had chosen their path four years ago, and she'd merely began walking. She was probably just freaking out about taking the job in Rapid. She hadn't told Matt yet because she hadn’t seen him last night or this morning. She hadn’t told her parents, even though she’d spoken to her mom just before coming outside. The reality hadn't settled in yet. But she’d sent the email to Mr. Grier. She’d accepted the job.

  “Well, how did it go yesterday?”

  She glanced at her brother. Why was he bringing this up now? She looked away and cleared her throat. Now was as good a time as any. “I got the job. I'll be heading out there the beginning of August to get everything in my shop set up and get settled in.”

  Matt didn't say anything for a few seconds, which drew her gaze. He turned to her and smiled. “Congratulations. You going to start house hunting?”

  His smile was as fake as the nails on Caroline’s fingers. She hadn’t really talked to Matt about leaving. Sure, he seemed to think she wouldn’t like living there as much as she would a small town, but they’d never talked about being away from each other for the first time in their lives. She figured he wouldn’t care all that much. They were getting older. Their adult lives were beginning to take shape. But he sure had seemed bothered by the news.

  “I think I'll get an apartment to start out with. No sense in getting a house until Brandon gets there.”

  She might be imagining things, but out of her peripheral vision, she swore she saw David stiffen on the other side of Matt. She didn't rightly care what he thought. Just as she'd had to come to terms with him being gone, he'd have to face those same terms, only this time she'd be the one doing the leaving, and she had every right to do so.

  The sound of a car had them all turning their heads. A silver Honda Civic kicked up dust as it rolled down the driveway. She squinted against the sunlight that glinted off the windshield, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her, but no—it was Brandon's car. No mistake about that.

  What the hell? He knew she was helping with vaccinations today. She’d reminded him yesterday during the drive.

  She pushed away from the fence just as he parked by the barn. He threw open his door, and when he stepped out she heard Matt whisper the very same words that had popped in her mind at Brandon’s appearance. “What the actual hell?”

  Brandon was wearing dark jeans, a crisp black T-shirt, and a ball cap pulled low over his forehead.

  She stopped short, feeling like Bugs Bunny when his eyes popped out of his sockets. Brandon never wore a hat, and he was wearing it pretty damn well. He looked every bit as country as the two knuckleheads behind her.

  “Brandon?” She’d said his name as though it were a question in and of itself, wondering what he was doing here and why he was dressed the way he was. He often wore jeans, but usually chose a collared shirt over T-shirts. And never a hat. She looked down at his shoes. Steel-toed boots if she'd ever seen a pair.

  “Looks like he took you up on your offer,” her brother said from behind her.

  She turned to look over her shoulder at David, wondering what he was up to now. David had no expression on his face, and he wouldn't look at her. “What did you say to him?” she demanded, now knowing why Brandon was dressed the way he was. Didn't take a genius to figure it out, but she was having a hard time trusting her gut instinct right now.

  David didn't answer her. Matt did. “He asked Brandon if he wanted to help today, that's all.”

  Bull. Shit. There was more to it than that. Her brother’s lopsided grin said it all. She glared at both Matt and David before looking back at Brandon. Oh, this is not going to be good.

  True to their twin nature, Matt said from somewhere behind her, “Oh, this is going to be good.”

  David ma
naged not to shake his head in exasperation every five minutes. Brandon had already asked if the cows would be hurt by the vaccinations. No, you asshole, if you don't vaccinate your cattle then they get sick. PETA much? Brandon shouldn't be worried about hurting these cows, he should be worried about the cows hurting him. Some cattle hated chutes. They shot out of those things like a bullet.

  Getting them into the chute could prove to be just as dangerous. Usually this went pretty smoothly, and David, Misty and Matt had gone through this often enough to know who was doing what, when, and where. If Brandon wasn't around, there would be more bullshitting and less explaining, but Matt acted as the ever-loving Ag instructor for the afternoon to keep Brandon up to speed with everything he was doing now.

  Matt held up various bottles and explained what they were for. “This one helps treat and control various types of worms and such. It's just like having a baby get their shots. Babies don't know what's happening to them and they cry. These cows don't cry, they throw their impressive weight around. So you gotta pay enough attention and stay the hell out of their way while maneuvering them to where they’re supposed to be. I figure you can help Misty get the cattle in the chute, David will handle the trappings on the chute, and I'll administer the shots.”

  “You're having Misty round them up instead of giving shots?” Brandon asked.

  “Misty's not giving the shots,” David said, checking the chute's levers and stability. He hadn't even looked at Brandon when he'd snapped that.

  Matt shrugged. “You put your arm through those steel rods to give a shot and the cow starts jumping around, you could snap your bone. Not that she hasn't done it before, she just isn't doing it today.” Matt glanced at Misty. “Don’t go all feminist on me. I just figured you’d work with Brandon a little better than one of us.”

  Brandon looked duly schooled. Misty smiled under her hat. David rolled his eyes.

  “Should have had them out to pasture by now, but once we give them their shots, we'll get them out tomorrow,” Matt said.

  That was going to be another long day, and of course, David had agreed to help. The three of them often bounced back and forth between the two ranches, but the vibe between them lately didn't feel right. The knowledge that he'd been the one to create that bad vibe settled around his shoulders.

  Brandon nodded toward the American flag bandana Misty had tied around her neck. “You look very country.”

  She smiled. “Once these cattle start stirring up this dust, you're gonna wish you had one too.”

  “All right, let's get this show on the road,” David said, shutting that shit down. He wasn't going to have this become some flirt fest. He still couldn't believe Brandon, a soon-to-be lawyer who'd never worked on a ranch, had shown up. They shouldn’t allow him to help at all. If Dan were here he wouldn’t even allow it. Brandon knew shit about livestock. Not your cup of tea? Guess we'll see.

  Ten minutes later, David thought Brandon was more skittish than the cattle. Brandon jumped out of the way anytime a cow came near him, which left Misty doing most of the rounding. Which was fine. That's how it was going to be before Brandon had shown up anyway.

  Could two people be more unsuitable for each other? To give Brandon credit, he really was trying for Misty. It was becoming clearer and clearer that the two had no intentions of breaking up. Misty had seemed conflicted at the rodeo for a handful of seconds, but given their past, he didn't see why her reaction would be surprising. Brandon had been there for her when he hadn't.

  “Steady,” he said to the cow in the chute. The Angus, eyes wild and shuffling its feet, hit against the sides of the chute in an attempt to escape. He knew how it felt. Unable to move. Unable to change its fate. Brandon wasn't going to let go of Misty, and she didn't seem to be ready to let him go, either. Now that she snagged the job in Rapid, David doubted he had a snowball's chance in hell.

  Matt gave the cow her shots, and David waited for Matt to signal that he was finished. He thrust up the lever, and the cow burst out of the chute into a separate corral.

  While Brandon did his best to herd the cattle, Misty homed in on one and had it running into the chute within a minute. She was pretty much ignoring Brandon while giving him praise every now and again. David tried his best to ignore both of them. When Misty got a cow to run into the chute, he'd slam the lever down to trap it, sometimes a little harder than needed, and Matt would give the shots. The Evans needed to update their equipment. This setup was older than he was.

  This went on for a while. In and out. A few well-earned bruises. Lots of cussing, and even some good-natured—well, Matt's was good-natured—ribbing on Brandon.

  One of the cows was getting all worked up. Its tail was twitching, and it was slamming its bulk into the sides of the pen. There was always one or two troublemakers in every bunch. He knew Misty was keeping an eye on her, but David cautioned Misty to be careful anyway. His warning earned a glare from Brandon. David ground his molars. Come at me, you prick...

  Misty knew the game. Had done this plenty of times before. But when you cooped up cattle and pricked their necks, they weren't the happiest of animals. He did his best not to look her way, but every now and again his gaze found her, and he locked on.

  Damn he liked the way she moved. He couldn't really say she was a graceful woman. No. Not Misty. She was more tomboy. More pounce than grace. More muscled than slim. Very agile. Tough. Sometimes she'd pull that ball cap of hers low on her forehead, and he'd have to remind himself to pay attention to what he was doing.

  “Ho, look out!” Matt called.

  That ornery cow tried to knock down a section of the pen, and Misty jumped away just in time, both stirring up dust and making noise. Hers was mostly of the four-letter variety. He both loved and hated working with her. She'd said the same thing about him riding bulls. She’d always said she was very proud of him, but terrified he'd get hurt.

  That was eons ago. Wonder if she'd worry about him now?

  Another cow, another round of shots, another pep talk in his head that she’d accepted that job in Rapid and he had no chance to win her back. He should let it go before he drove himself crazy.

  Matt's booming voice pulled David out of his pity party. “Misty! Get that damn bitch cow in here so we can let her loose into the other pen. She's riling all of ‘em up.”

  Misty gave a simple nod and went straight after the cow like the country girl she was. She headed around it, coaxing it to the chute—a place it did not want to go. She'd managed to get the cow halfway there, ignoring the three pairs of male eyes on her, all tense and ready to help if necessary. The cow jumped back and narrowly missed Misty. Instead of dancing away like Brandon, she yanked off her hat and slapped the cow on the backside with it.

  “We don't need you to flirt with it, just get her in.”

  She glared at Matt and pulled her hat back on. “What do you think I'm trying to do?”

  Not like Brandon was helping any. He stood on the wrong side of the cow, for one. For two, he wasn't waving his arms or bellowing at it. He was just holding out his hands, likely scared shitless. He's trying though, and that's all Misty will ever see.

  Then Brandon moved toward the head of the cow. Wrong thing to do. The motion made the cow jump backward toward Misty again, and she yelled at Brandon in old Misty fashion. “We're trying to move her that way.” She pointed toward the entrance of the chute to emphasize her point just before she hopped up on the railing to avoid getting trampled by the cow.

  David and Matt exchanged looks. “Go help her,” David said. He didn't want to see her get hurt, and this was taking longer than was necessary. Brandon was making it worse.

  Matt made a face. “You.”

  David wanted to cuss him out. “I'm working the chute. I'm the one trapping them in here, jackass.”

  “I'll work it,” Matt said, smiling.

  Matt just wanted to start shit like a ten-year-old. Wanted David to show up Brandon.

  Hell. He'd take it. He wanted he
r to see what a God-awful match she and Brandon were anyway. She loved working on the ranch. Loved fishing. Loved being outdoors. All the things Brandon detested, and all the things David loved.

  You can't show him up. She already knows what you can do. But Brandon coming here and trying is something she's clearly eating up.

  His personal pep talks were getting lengthier. David wasted no time cornering the disgruntled cow. Misty came up on the other side of the cow, toward the back end. Together, they maneuvered the ornery little shit into the chute. He went back to working the chute, not counting this as a victory. He wasn't sure there was anything he could do to make up for what he'd done four years ago, and wrangling a cow into a chute just wasn't going to cut it.

  A few hours later they were finished with the vaccinations, but they still had to move the cattle and break down the chute and equipment. Everyone was thirsty and needed a break, so they took twenty minutes to let the cows settle down.

  Misty tugged her bandana down and took a healthy swig of water. She was slick with sweat, and when she took off her ball cap to wipe at her forehead, her hair was stuck to her head. Her jeans were filthy. Arms dirty and sweaty as she stood there chatting with Brandon. She looked hot as hell and David loved it. He didn't realize he was staring until Matt nudged him in the back.

  “You look desperate.”

  “Maybe I am,” David admitted to Matt for the first time.

  “Sorry, bud. I'm starting to think you can't derail that train.”

  “Why not?” he asked, although he pretty much agreed. Here they were talking about Misty and him in a way they hadn't touched on yet, and Matt wasn't throwing any punches. More progress. Maybe if he had Matt on his side he'd have a better chance. The pep talks weren't lasting very long anymore.

  “Because he did something you didn't do. He stuck around. Not to mention she took that job. You know, part of me didn't think she would. She's never really been out on her own, and he's not even going to be there for another three years.”