Five
Rhett
“Damn it,” I grumble as I get in my truck after kissing Lena goodbye this morning. I should have been back at the farm yesterday, but with her having Monday off, I decided to take it off as well. One of the perks about being able to work remotely when needed. That also opened up our Sunday evening to have dinner with her parents, which by the way her mom is a hoot, giving as good as she got. Her dad, that was a whole other story. It took a whole lot for him to warm up to the guy who’s in his only daughter’s life. I can’t even imagine how I’d play that out if it were Lena and me in the situation. I’d like to say that maybe I would be easier on some boy, but I know that’s an outright lie.
My truck eats up the miles away from Selena, my gut churning in the process. Not that we’re not solid. We fucking are, without a single doubt in my mind. Hell, we stayed up half the night, talking about everything under the sun. For now, we’ll try this traveling back and forth. The ride home doesn’t take long, and the minute I turn onto the dirt road that leads to the small house that was recently built for me in the back of the property, I’m already contemplating turning around. The ringing of my phone through my truck’s Bluetooth stops me when I see it’s my sister on the line.
“’Lo.” I press the answer button on my steering wheel.
“Hey, big brother, think you can come around the office today? I know you’re just getting back, but I think we might have another potential client, and it’ll take you out of town.” I hear the mischievousness in her voice.
“You sure about that? The last one was a waste of fucking sperm. His mom should have swallowed,” I grunt.
“Rhett, don’t be so disgusting.” She should be more than used to my mouth by now. Laney knows for a fact that if it weren’t for my mouth that drove more hands away from the farm, her now husband, Creed, wouldn’t have come home, and they wouldn’t be married now.
“You’ll live. I’m making my way to you now. Please tell me you at least ran this guy’s credentials. The last one was a word-of-mouth customer, and we know how that one panned out,” I grumble, still pissed that we didn’t make a sale.
“I think you benefited in the end, didn’t you?” Of fucking course, she was standing next to my parents when I told them I wasn’t coming back home just yet, and just because you’re thirty-two years old, that doesn’t mean you don’t call home to make them aware of your plans.
“Got that right. Now I’m hanging up. Since you gabbed so much while I was driving, I’m already here.” I hang up, put my truck in Park, then I’m off to see what the next client is looking for.
Six
Selena
“Oh God, both of you? That means I’m in for the biggest gang-up of all time,” I bemoan as I’m putting the half-style apron I wear for work around my waist.
“Hey, I resent that.” Raven puts her hands up in mock defeat.
“Mi hija, don’t make me take my spoon to your rear end. Now, come on, your padre isn’t around, and it’s time you spill the beans.” My mother, I swear, she’s nosier than a cat.
“I suppose this was only a matter of time. You both know Rhett. And you both know we’re in a relationship. I’m not sure of the logistics yet, but we’ll make it work. That also means I’ll be going to his place, and he’ll be coming to mine, on a regular basis. So, Momma, I need you to make sure ‘Padre’ doesn’t come unglued at the seams.” I used air quotes for padre because the only time my parents bring out their first language is when they want something, or they’re pissed.
“Yes! It’s about damn time you took some initiative when it came to that tall glass of water. I mean, come on. You two have been playing cat and mouse for months. If I were in your shoes, I would have climbed him like a pole,” Raven teases. The best part of that statement is that’s literally what she does for a job, and I, for one, commend her for it. If my body were as banging as hers and I had the confidence she has, I’d be right there along with her. Of course, it helps that working at an upscale strip joint is putting her through college. Did I mention her parents are shit bags? No matter how much my parents tried to insist on helping put her through college, she refused. This was something she needed to do for herself, plus the money is freaking amazing.