Protecting His Forever (4 page)

“Good.” She grins and turns around, piling food onto a serving plate.

“Good?” I repeat with an arched eyebrow.

“Honey, you’re a stubborn woman and knowing you, you would have turned him down.” She doesn’t turn around, just continues piling food onto the plate.

She’s right. I never date. Not that I don’t want to, but the truth is that every single date I have been on has been a disaster. Most are too grabby, and the others I don’t feel anything for at all. I’ve never even had a serious relationship.

Looking around the kitchen, I see an abnormal amount of food littering the kitchen. “Are you expecting company?”

“Your brother and some special guest is coming. Plus, Chase and…” She trails off to look at me.

“Kane.” She wags her eyebrows at me.

“Mom, don’t even start!” I point my finger at her. “It’s not even like that.”

“Sure, if you say so, baby.” She winks and goes back to her task.

Throwing my hands up in frustration, I hop off the stool. Walking through the house, I take a moment to admire the décor. Her house is as country as it gets—solid wood with horse shoes everywhere. This house was in bad shape when we got here, but it was ours. Mom saved for years to settle down on a farm, and it took months to get everything fixed the way she wanted it.

Opening the screen door, I go to the barn where my mom’s horse is. I remember the day she got this horse.

Ethan was coming home from his first deployment, and I was home on a break from college. His truck thundered up the driveway with a horse trailer on the back. Confused, I walked down the steps. My mom didn’t care about anything but seeing her baby boy, and she ran off the porch and opened Ethan’s door before he even shut the engine off. She pulled him out of the truck and gathered him into a hug, sobbing against his shoulder.

He looked over her head and spotted me. Grinning, he let mom go. I ran to him and jumped, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Missed you, sis,” he told me before setting me down on the ground.

“I missed you too, bubby.” I wiped away my tears. I missed him so freaking much. We were always close—he was my big brother. I may have felt like killing him half of the time, but he was my best friend.

“I got you something,” he told Mom with a grin.

“What do you mean?” she started to protest but stopped instantly when the horse trailer moved. She turned to look at it and then it hit her. Her eyes widened. Ethan grabbed her hand and led her to the back of the horse trailer.

“Ethan, what did you do?” she whispered.

He released her hand then opened the door and climbed up in the trailer. A second later he pulled a beautiful, buckskin horse behind him. The horse that my mom always wanted. She always took care of us and never got herself anything. She put us before everything.

“Oh, Ethan, you didn’t.” She all but ran to the horse. Running her hands down its body, she admired it before laying her head on its neck while her other hand rubbed its back.

Ethan pulled me into a hug, and I glanced up at my big brother – both of us smiling. “Welcome home, Ethan.”

Snapping back from the memory, I open the horse stall and pull Buck out. Yeah, she named her horse Buck. I pull myself up on Buck bareback. Kicking my feet slightly, Buck takes off in a trot.

Nothing is more freeing than riding a horse, and after the day I had, this is just what I need. We trot next to the fence that runs down the driveway. Clicking my feet again, she takes off in a run. Closing my eyes, I bask in the feeling of the hooves hitting the earth, the sun beating down on my head. Hearing a truck driving up beside me I open them in time for my eyes to meet Kane’s.

~*~

“Let me grab a plate for you before the boys get in here and eat up all the food.” Mom grabs a plate and starts piling it with an ungodly amount food that I’ll never be able to eat.

“Mom, I got this.” I go to grab the plate out of her hand.

“I know you do, sweetheart, but Momma likes to spoil you.” She gives me puppy dog eyes and hands me the plate.

Walking to the dining room table, I start to dig in. Cramming my face, I feel a presence walk into the room. My body stiffens because I instantly know who it is. Not looking up, I see hands grip the chair directly in front of me and pull it out.

“Ma! What's for supper?” Ethan yells from the mud room. Jumping in my seat slightly, I look up and my eyes connect with Kane. Blushing, I jump up to go check on Braelyn.

“Ethan Blaine! Don’t you yell at me. You’re not too old for a good old butt busting by your momma,” she yells at him. She comes around the corner and glares at him with her hand cocked up on her hip.

The screen door opens again and in walks Braelyn. My mother’s eyes widen and a hand goes to her mouth as she takes in Brae’s appearance. Braelyn is a ghost of the person she used to be. She used to have curves that any woman would have killed for. She is still beyond beautiful, but I’m deathly afraid the old Brae is gone, never to be found again.

“Braelyn?” my mother manages to choke out.

Braelyn looks up at my mother with a small smile and nods. Ethan looks between them both, lost. Braelyn used to spend every break from college with me, but it seemed like she couldn’t come when my brother was home.

My mother takes a small step toward her, and Braelyn meets her the rest of the way. My mother laughs slightly and leans back, wiping her eyes. “Come on, let’s get you fed. Go sit down, and I’ll bring you a plate,” she tells Brae before turning to Chase and Ethan. “You go get your own food in the kitchen.”

Leading Brae, who is twisting the bottom of her shirt nervously, to the table, I pull out her chair and help her sit down. Her body feels so frail. Sitting down beside her, I feel Kane’s eyes on me. Looking down at my lap, I try to hide my smile.

Dating is something I rarely do, but I’m going on a date with Kane this Friday night.
Holy shit.
The idea feels different than any other date I have ever been on because
Kane
is different. It feels different with
him
.

Grabbing my fork, I dig into my food. I’m not one of those girls that eats like a rabbit. I eat because I can. It’s sad when a woman is afraid to eat in front of a man.

Ethan sets a plate in front of Brae and then hands her a fork saying, “Eat.” The old Brae would have ripped him a new asshole over his tone, but I watch as she just nods and eats her food slowly. A wave of sadness washes over me at the girl before me. Ethan sits down beside Kane, and the chair sliding against the hardwood floors causes Brae to stiffen tensely. Ethan gives her a silent, reassuring look, and slowly, her shoulders relax and she continues eating.

Finished with my food, I push back in my chair to stand when a hand stops me. “I got it, sweetheart,” Kane says from behind me. He takes the plate from my hand and takes it in the kitchen.

Ethan clears his throat, and I slowly look over at him nervously. Ethan never let me date anyone when he was around. He always found something wrong with the guy and made his life hell until the guy canceled.

He arches his eyes brow at me and looks up glaring as Kane comes back into the dining room. I can’t resist looking at Kane. To my surprise, he is smirking at Ethan with a look of determination.
Oh, yeah. Ethan isn’t scaring him away that easy.

I’m not a crazy person, and resisting Kane would be absolutely stupid. Kane is hot. The kind of hot that makes a woman combust with the smirk he has and that freaking dimple.
Hell.

“You want some more pie, Chase?”

Chase gives her his panty-dropping smile that has her blushing.

“You can have all my pie you want,” she says then her eyes widen as she realizes what she just said.

“Ma!” I hiss and drop my head to the table.

“Fucking-A, Mom! Don’t say shit like that,” Ethan yells.

Chase and Kane laugh their butts off. When I hear a soft giggle beside me, I look up to see Brae with a grin on her face. She notices Ethan and me looking at her and instantly drops her expression.

Taking my phone out of my pocket I check the time. Its eight p.m. and I need to go home and write. Pushing my chair back, I stand up and look at my mom. “I have to go.” I walk over and give her a kiss on the cheek.

Early Friday Morning

As I leave the mall I get a sense of déjà vu. Gulping I try to block out the images of my attack. The hair on the back of my neck stands up the closer I get to my car. Letting out a deep breath, I quicken my steps.

The sight of a something sticking out of my windshield wipers has me stopping in my tracks. What the hell? I look at my surroundings before I continue closer to my car. Tugging my purse higher on my shoulder I grab the letter.

With shaky feelings I open it. The blood immediately drains from my face? Could this be an accident? The letter has just three words, and the message has me frozen in fear.

Found you Bitch.

Fisting the letter in my hand, I stuff it in my purse not wanting to admit that this could have been for me. Unlocking the door, I climb in the car and start the ignition then drop it in gear. I pull out of the parking lot quickly, not knowing that a man was sitting in his car a few feet away watching me.

Friday night

Tonight I’m going on a date with Kane. Butterflies swarm around my belly in anticipation. Slipping on a pair of black skinny jeans, I pair them with a maroon, mid-sleeve, flowy shirt. Wearing heels isn’t an option. Taking the big barrel curling iron, I curl my hair into sexy waves. I line my eyes with liner and mascara and then I’m finished.

Stepping back, I admire myself. My curvy hips and big butt are on display. Taking my bra straps, I perk my tits up. Grabbing some tinted lip balm, I dab some on my lips. The black eye liner makes my green eyes pop.

I’m not someone who likes to toot her own horn, but I look hot. Grinning at my own expression, I take my purse off the floor and slip my Kindle and phone inside. My Kindle is always with me—you never know when I can sneak in some time to read.

Walking into my living room, I tidy up the room nervously. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I notice the time. 6:49 p.m. Butterflies swarm once more. I’m nervous and this kind of nervous hasn’t happened to me before.

Peeking at the clock again—6:50 p.m. Sighing, I start to sit down on the couch when the doorbell rings. My head snaps up to look at the door.
I can do this, I can do this
, I chant to myself. Standing tall, I walk to the front door.

My hand is on the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, I swing the door open. There he is. I can’t stop the grin that overtakes my face. He steps forward into the light more and offers me a bouquet of roses.

He has a sideways grin on his face. Taking the flowers from him, I put them up to my nose and sniff.

Looking up, my eyes connect with his. His eyes are such a piercing blue. My eyes drag down his body. His arms are huge and covered in tattoos. That is hotter than hell. He has the hot bad boy look going on that I’m a sucker for. His lips.
Oh my God.
They’re the perfect Cupid ’s bow that is made for kissing. My eyes go to the bulge in his pants. If he is that well-endowed not hard then, wow.

Someone clearing their throat has me looking up. He’s chuckling with his arms crossed and giving me a look that says “gotcha”.
Smug bastard
. Blushing I stumble back, saying, “I’m just going to put these in water.”

Grabbing the vase, I place the pretty flowers in it. Hands grab my hips and lips graze my ear. I can feel his hot breath on my neck. I shiver.

“You ready to go, baby?” he whispers into my ear.

Nodding my head, I turn around to walk out the door. He takes my hand. Grabbing my shoes by the door I slip them on. I wish I could wear heels. I’m jealous of those women who can wear heels doing anything because when I try, I’m like a newborn foal. I’m pretty sure my ankles won’t ever be the same again after the last time I wore them.

He takes my key from my other hand and locks the door. He takes my hand again and leads me to the truck. I feel giddy. It’s like I’m a teenager who is going on her first date. It takes everything in me not to giggle and smile like a goon.

Kane opens the truck door, and I look up to the seat. He has got one of those big trucks that I would have to have a stool to get in. Sighing, I turn to look at him.

He gives me a confused look. “How in the world am I supposed to get up there? I don’t have giant legs like you.”

"Like this, sweetheart." He chuckles slightly. His hands wrap around my waist.

“Wait what are—” I squeal as he lifts me off the ground easily and places me in the seat.

I look at him shocked. “Wow…” I draw out. He just lifted me like I was a child.
Holy hell.

He chuckles and shuts the door. My eyes follow him as he walks to the driver’s side.

With a turn of the keys, the engine turns over and the seats vibrate as it roars. He switches gears and his muscles bulges and veins pop out on his tattooed skin.

I see him glance out of the corner of his eyes. Jumping in my seat, I hurry and look out of the window. He totally caught me ogling him, but to my defense have you seen the guy?

He pulls out onto the highway and drives toward town.
I wonder where he is taking me?
Taking my purse, I sit it on the seat beside me. I wring my hands on my lap nervously. I’m busting at the seams.

We sit in complete silence. It’s not the kind of awkward silence that makes you want to bang your head against the window, but a comfortable silence. I watch as the lights of the town come into focus.

“What do you want to eat?”

Glancing over at him, I manage to say, “Umm, it doesn’t matter.”

“Just tell me what you want.” He sighs as he comes to a red light.

“I don't care?”

“Sydney,” he growls.

Which automatically makes me laugh. “Aren’t you supposed to pick the place to eat?”

“Sydney!” he grounds out between his teeth as he looks over at me while we wait at the red light.