The Line, page 11
“Shhh, sweetheart. Don’t cry. Come here,” he urged.
I laid my head back on his chest and wrapped my arms around his torso again, so thankful that he wasn’t about to throw me out, but I should have known better. Joe was good down to his bones.
I cried into the shirt. “You don’t understand,” I choked out between sobs. “After all he did for me that day, I still stole from him.” I keened into his chest.
Joe pressed his head to the top of mine, offering me comfort, and it only spurred on another bout of hiccupping sobs.
“I needed it,” I defended through my tears. And I had. Without that money, I wouldn’t have eaten. Without that picture, I couldn’t have made it until Momma Lou found me.
“Shhh,” Joe soothed, and I didn’t know how long I cried into his chest, but it seemed to me like it went on and on forever.
When I finally quieted, I was horribly embarrassed to have let such a torrential outpouring of emotion out on a man I’d only met a month ago. God. What in the hell was happening to me? Turned out Everly Woods did cry, and I didn’t like it one bit.
I sat up next to Joe, scrubbing my face with my hands. “I’m sorry, Joe,” I said, beyond embarrassed.
“Don’t ever be sorry for talking to me, Everly.” He looked at me kindly. “Thank you for telling me that. It must have been so hard for you.”
I wondered if he meant telling him my story or living on the streets my entire life. I had a feeling it was both. His sweet understanding almost sent me into another crying jag. But he kept going.
“But I want you to know something. You did what you had to do to survive. It wasn’t a good thing, but sometimes in life, good people do bad things because they feel they have to. It doesn’t make those people bad. And you’re good, Everly, down to your very core. I know it.” Tears shone in his eyes. “I see how you’ve taken care of my Cole. I see you.” He paused. “And I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Something was different. I could feel it. The winds were changing. Everly would call this feeling my cowboy intuition, but that wasn’t really a thing. How little she knew about farm life made me smile, and I admit I’d been doing that a lot more lately. So had Joe. At breakfast this morning, he kept giving Everly soft looks, smiling her way. She’d just grin back and shake her head at him like he’d lost his mind. She was at home here, and it seemed Joe liked it like that. I wondered if he would offer her a place to live here full time—for more than just a summer. The winds were changing, yes—because of her.
Everyone loved her. Any time I saw Ms. Jane, she’d go on and on about what a good girl that Everly was. It was no surprise that Cody and Everly had become the best of friends. Their big personalities suited each other. On more than one occasion, I’d caught them cutting up together. Even shy Leo made an effort to always be in the barn when Everly was there with the horses. I’d overheard them more than once talking and chatting. Sometimes, I’d feel a slight ache in my chest when I heard them laughing together. I’d just ignore it, though. I couldn’t afford to have those feelings. It would ruin the good thing I had going.
Because, while everyone else got Everly, I got Eve. And, while Everly was pretty damn amazing, she didn’t hold a candle to Eve. Eve had a lot of Everly’s traits. She was crazy, loud, hilarious, genuine, and sweet. It wasn’t surprising how everyone loved her. But Eve was more. And she was all mine. She was fiercely protective, so tender, so kind, and so caring sometimes that it hurt. It was a good kind of hurt, like when my Momma would drive Austin and me down the big hill near our house real fast. We’d yell, “Faster, Momma!” and she’d put the gas to the floor of our tiny pickup. We’d fly down the hill, our stomachs would flip up and into our throats, and the backs of our teeth would ache. We’d laugh and laugh, half elated, half terrified.
I got that feeling every day with Eve. Every day was a new adventure where I felt equal parts electrified and scared to fucking death.
She just fit here like some kind of puzzle piece we hadn’t even known we were missing. She’d bulldozed in, surprising us, snapping her piece into place, and all of a sudden, here we sat, so damn complete that none of us knew what to think about it.
There was a lot I still didn’t know about her. Like this Momma Lou person, who she’d spent the last few years with. I’d never heard of her. I knew most of Joe’s friends. It was strange that I’d never heard of her. I didn’t really understand how she had gotten here from Momma Lou’s. Joe had only told me that someone would be joining us to help Missy with things around the house. There was still quite a bit more I needed to know about Everly and her life.
I did know one thing though. I wanted her to stay. I couldn’t imagine a day without her here. I was thinking about all the things I wanted to still show her around the farm as I was saddling up Beauty and Beast because today was a big day for my Eve, and I couldn’t wait.
“You’re gonna be good to our girl today,” I told Beauty, rubbing her behind her ear when I heard Everly’s and Joe’s laughter.
I came out of the horse stall just in time to see Joe speed around the corner and into the barn with Everly perched on his lap, her arms draped over his neck in a death grip. Her head was thrown back in laugher, her eyes closed, her hair a riot of toffee strands surrounding her head. They were practically up on two wheels when they sped into the barn, and I found myself laughing right along with them.
Joe was watching Everly, his eyes dancing, his smile wide, his laugh loud like Everly’s. No wonder they got along so well. They were so similar—so daring, carefree. They were wearing identical grins.
They came to a sudden stop about two feet in front of me and a cloud of dust surrounded us, which sent Everly into another fit of laughter. She let go of Joe’s neck and wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingertips. Then she fanned the air around us.
“You’re gonna kill us one day on this thing,” she said, grinning up at Joe.
“Never,” he said, gazing at her. “I’d never hurt a hair on your pretty head and you know it. Besides, I had this wheelchair specifically designed to race all over the farm and I’ve been doing it for years. I’m a professional.” His eyes twinkled.
She climbed off his lap. “A professional race car driver,” she mumbled under her breath, smiling. She looked up at me. “What you doing out here, Cole?”
“I have a surprise for you today. You’re gonna have to skip grooming the horses, though.” I winked at Joe behind Everly. He knew that today was a big day, too.
Everly looked towards Beauty’s stall and pursed her lips. “Can’t we do whatever you want to do after I visit with Beauty? She’ll miss me.”
“Alrighty,” Joe interrupted. “I gotta head out and check on a few things. Y’all kids have fun today.” He sped off, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.
I put my arm around Everly’s shoulder, dragging her to Beauty’s stall. “Come on,” I urged.
After we came around the corner, Everly stopped dead in her tracks. She stared Beauty up and down and then at the saddle on her back.
“Seriously?” Her eyes shone with hope and fear.
I could tell that she was scared. I wondered if she knew Joe’s story.
“Yep. You think you’re ready?” I gave a strand of her hair a gentle tug, grinning. I was so proud of her. She’d earned this moment.
“Yes!” she practically shouted. “Do you think I’m ready?” Her face was serious.
I hugged her into my side. “Of course I think you’re ready, or I’d never let you get up on that horse. You’ve put in the time. Now, it’s time to ride.”
I let Everly go and grabbed her hand, bringing her over to Beauty. “Grab her reins and let’s walk her out to the paddock. We’ll get you used to riding out there first.”
She looked nervous, but my girl was brave too, so she grabbed the reins, and I helped her walk Beauty outside.
“So, how do I get on?” Everly was so excited that she was practically jumping in place. “I’m a little nervous and I want to be as safe as possible.”
I shook my head and smirked. “I don’t know.” I glanced her over. “I think you need one more thing before you ride.”
Her face fell. “Are you for real?” She pinched my arm. “You’re messing with me right?” She pursed her lips.
“Nope.” I slowly took her in, from her cowboy boots, past her jeans and old worn flannel, straight to her hair hanging loose around her shoulders. “I think you’re missing something.”
Her brow scrunched. “Well, spit it out so I can get on this horse, Cole Briggs. You’re making me crazy,” she huffed.
“Wait a second. I think I have something in the Jeep you could use.” I walked out of the paddock and to the Jeep before reaching into the trunk. I jogged back to Everly as fast as I could, hiding my surprise behind my back. I hadn’t been this excited in a long damn time. I couldn’t wait.
Everly watched me approach, her face full of questions and annoyance. I huffed out a laugh.
I brought the small, white Stetson from behind my back and held it out between us. “If you’re gonna ride, you need a hat, right?” I smirked.
Surprise painted every feature of her face. “Oh my God,” she breathed.
“Unless you don’t want it?” I frowned, feigning sadness, and lowered the hat. Still, I worried that maybe she didn’t care about a stupid hat. My heart thundered in my chest. I wanted her to love it.
“Oh my God,” she said again. “That’s mine?”
I held the hat out once more. “Had it made just for you, Eve.”
The hat was weighty in my hand. I looked down at it. It didn’t feel like I was handing over a simple hat. The banging in my heart said I was giving her something more.
The softness—the kind that only she gave me—sat heavy in her eyes. “Cole,” she said sweetly.
And that Cole was loaded. It said nothing, but it said everything. And, all of a sudden, I was riding down that hill in my momma’s car again. My stomach flipping up into my chest. The rush and the excitement thrummed beneath my skin.
I wanted to devour her.
Make her mine.
I wanted to kiss her.
I wanted to feast on her lips until my taste was permanently on them.
I didn’t want her to ever be rid of me.
My cock thickened behind the tight fabric of my blue jeans. It wasn’t the first time I’d been hard for Everly. Nearly every moment in her presence, I’d craved her.
My body had wanted Everly’s for a while now. Only, now, my heart wanted her too.
The realization was staggering, and I took a step back and cleared my throat, fighting the emotion. I wanted this. I wanted it right now. I just couldn’t have it. I needed to get things right in my life first. She deserved something more than I could give her at the moment. And I wanted everything for Eve. I wanted it all.
“Well, I’ll just take this and put it back in the Jeep,” I joked, trying to break the emotional tension.
She smiled sadly, like she knew what I was doing. “You better give me my damn hat, Cole.”
I laughed. “Are you sure?” I walked over to her, holding the hat over her head.
She jumped up and down in excitement, clapping her hands a bit. “Hat me, baby!” she yelled.
I threw my head back, laughing loud before placing the Stetson on her head.
She gazed up at me, her eyes shining. “How do I look, Cowboy? Do I look badass?” She arched an eyebrow and smirked.
She didn’t look badass.
I didn’t smile because this wasn’t a damn bit funny. “You’re beautiful, Eve.”
Fuck. She was. She looked like the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen wearing that hat.
That softness traversed her features again, but I didn’t want that gut-fluttering thing again, so I glanced away.
But Eve knew. She knew me better than I knew myself, so she spun in a circle, her arms out towards the sky, her head tilted that way too. “A beautiful badass,” she sang to the clouds, laughing.
I couldn’t not look at her. “My Eve. A beautiful badass,” I agreed, laughing with her.
Cole showed me how to ride Beauty with the same painstaking slowness he always did. He pressed himself against me. He smelled my hair when he thought I wouldn’t notice. His body was always too close to mine, but somehow still too far. I didn’t know if he did it to torture himself or torture me, but I didn’t care.
I was in love, and not just with my cowboy.
I was in love with Joe, these people, this farm. I was in love with sunrises from my front porch rocker. I was in love with long family dinners after a hard day’s work. I was in love with dessert in my bed while cuddled up with Cody and a movie. And, now, I was in love with riding. I’d been out on the horse for a bit now and Cole had finally let me out of the paddock. I had Beauty going at a gentle trot. It was terrifying but exhilarating.
“Sit up straight, Eve,” Cole said beside me, always there, taking care of me—looking out for me.
I straightened my back, grinning over at him astride Beast. He looked delectable, his big, muscular thighs tight around Beast’s torso. His black T-shirt snug against the bulge of his biceps. His skin was tan and taut, and those hands that held those reins were rough and large.
I’d dreamt of those hands touching me since I’d arrived and first seen him. When, on occasion, Cole did innocently press those callused hands to my skin, I’d burn up. Once, this man’s touch had just warmed me. Now, it was all fire and heat. A wild inferno blazed inside me. I couldn’t think of that man’s hands without igniting. So I averted my eyes and did what I did best—hid my feelings with hilarity and sass.
“How badass-cowgirl am I right now, Cole?” I said, raising my eyebrows.
He chuckled. “Extremely badass-cowgirl. The baddest badass I know.”
I giggled. I was damn giddy. I reached one hand up and touched the Stetson on my head. Cole had given me a hat. I bit my bottom lip to keep from smiling too hard. He cared for me. I could tell. It was a sweet feeling to have someone besides Momma Lou care so much for me. And, when Cole had handed me that Stetson, his face had said it all. He wasn’t just giving me a hat. I didn’t know what else he was giving me, but I knew that it was something big.
We rode in silence, and the goodness of the moment settled over me. Until I noticed the wrinkle in Cole’s brow as he stared off into the distance. He seemed distracted. His lips turned down in a frown, and I could feel him thinking beside me. I knew what troubled Cole. That look had become as familiar to me as Cole himself.
I’d promised myself I’d above all else be a good friend and help Cole, even if it pissed him the hell off. So I spoke up.
“Why don’t you just go see him?” I asked.
He snapped his head my way, surprised by my question. “See who?”
I pushed my lips. “You know who. If you want to see Grey, go see him. He may not be your son, but he’s still your nephew, right?” I said, slowing Beauty a bit so I could talk to Cole.
He shook his head. “You can’t just leave shit alone, can you, Everly?”
No, I couldn’t just leave shit alone. I wanted him happy, but I’d really pissed him off. He never called me Everly anymore. I was Eve, and I loved it. Everly felt like a slap in the face.
That slap hurt like hell, but I was tough and I’d survived a lot worse, so I kept on. “I’m sure your brother wants you to see him, be a part of his life—”
“Just stop right there. You don’t know anything about Austin. He’s a selfish shit, and last I heard, he’d taken all of the money and run off on Marla. I don’t give a flying fuck what he wants.”
I stopped Beauty next to Cole and Beast. I let out a deep breath. “All the more reason to go check on Grey, then, right?” I asked gently—quietly.
I wasn’t trying to get Cole riled up, but he was still torn up about Grey. And the kid clearly needed him. A selfish part of me didn’t want Cole within five feet of Marla, but another part of me knew he had to make peace with this situation, and he couldn’t do that without seeing her and Grey.
“Maybe,” Cole acquiesced. He stared off into the distance, deep in thought again, and I gave Beauty a nudge to get her going again.
The rest of our ride was silent. I wondered if I’d made a mistake by sticking my nose where it didn’t belong, but what did it matter now? I’d been doing that since I’d arrived, and Cole seemed to be dealing with it okay. Besides, I cared, and I wasn’t the type of girl to care and not do anything.
I walked Beauty back into her stall, and I was taking her saddle off and rubbing her down when Leo came in to help.
“Have a good ride?” He grinned at me.
Excitement was still coursing through me. “God, it was amazing, Leo. I was scared, but Beauty was great, and Cole was so patient.”
I heard Cole in the stall next to us putting Beast away. He’d likely stew on what I’d said for a bit, but he would come around. He was, at times, quick tempered, but he was also one of the smartest, most caring people I knew. He would do the right thing.
Leo snapped me out of my thoughts. “So, a few of the guys are going to Jack’s tonight to have some drinks and I was wondering if you wanted to go with us?” He was bouncing from foot to foot and sporting a nervous smile to boot.
The slamming of Beast’s stall door made me jump, and I wondered if Cole was really in that bad a mood from our talk.
I sighed and continued rubbing Beauty down. “I don’t know, Leo. Isn’t Jack’s a bar? That’s not really my scene. I don’t drink.” That was a lie, but only a small one.
I’d only drunk one time. I’d been fourteen and freezing and hungry. An old bum that hung around the train station—everyone called him Percy—had given me some of his gin. He hadn’t resembled a Percy to me. More like a Ralph or a Bart, but I’d been starving and so cold that, when he’d offered me a few sips, I’d taken them gratefully. The liquor had burned my throat going down, and I’d almost coughed up a lung, but it had warmed me up enough to sleep soundly that night. The way I’d felt the next day had kept me from indulging again. I’d felt bad enough on a regular day without adding a hangover to the mix.
