Chapter 4

Chapter Four

B y the time Dallas got Vivian and her new pet back to the ranch, it was midafternoon. The drive had been a long one. There'd been a delay because of some idiot who thought it was a good idea to rubberneck an accident on the other side of the interstate, which in turn led to the idiot rear-ending a semi half a mile ahead of Dallas.

The only good thing about the trip was that right up until they got to Mike Paul's place, Vivian had slept. And Dal? Well, he'd spent more time than he cared to admit remembering things he thought he'd forgotten. Like how she made noises in her sleep. Or how the sunlight brought out burnt amber highlights in her dark hair and made her eyes glitter. He remembered the first time he knew she existed as something more than background noise. Sure, he knew her as one of Benton's younger sisters, but up until then, she'd never registered as anything other than annoying.

Until she became something more on a hot summer day, mid-June or July, when he'd been skipping stones at the jumping rock with Benton. They'd snuck a few beers and had been there for hours when Vivian showed up and wanted to join. Back then, she'd been a skinny thing, maybe ten or eleven, with wild hair and a mouth that was salted with the kind of language usually heard in the bunkhouse. Dallas had been impressed with her vocabulary. Had even told her so, though all she did was scowl at him.

Benton told her to leave, and she'd grabbed a rock from his hand and skipped it across the water like a pro, farther than he or Benton had been able to do. Then she'd given both of them the middle finger salute and left as quick as she'd come.

The next few years had brought changes. She'd gone from that precocious, in-your-face, skinny preteen to an even wilder teenager. She became the kind of kid that folks talked about, not only because trouble had a habit of following her, but because she was beautiful. The kind of girl that made an impression. The kind that got noticed.

And he sure as hell had noticed.

He wondered how things would have turned out if he'd just left well enough alone. If she had never crossed his radar. If he had never touched her. Would they be friends? Could they be friends?

Dallas watched her walk up the front steps and across the large porch, that bag of bones and fur pressed close to her chest. She didn't turn around or acknowledge him. Didn't thank him for driving to Wyoming and bringing her home. She disappeared inside, and that was that.

He hadn't expected anything more. He pointed the truck toward the outbuildings and drove over, his mind on a couple of things he needed to do before he finally went back to his place for the night.

The barn dogs ran over as he exited the truck and headed inside. He gave them a pat, which was enough for them, and watched as they ran past him to sniff around the truck tires, no doubt on sensory overload from Mike Paul's place.

He spied Benton and one of the new guys, a drifter named Griff, and walked toward them, his stride slow and easy.

"Griff," he said with a quick nod to Benton. "I checked in on the Appaloosa. She's doing okay, and the colt is nursing on his own. I figure we can get them back here within the week."

"Good to hear. Nora's been asking every day since Mike Paul came and got her." Benton stretched and grimaced.

"You okay, old man?" Dallas chuckled.

"Damn shoulder is acting up again."

"That's what happens when you roll a truck going eighty." The previous year, Benton had been in an accident that had kept him in the hospital for weeks. Luckily, he'd come out of it in relatively good shape, though Dallas wasn't surprised there were some lingering issues.

"Getting old sucks," Benton said with a grin.

"Talk to me when you're fifty."

"Hell, I'll let you know how I feel when I hit forty," Benton replied. He turned to Griff. "Tell the boys tomorrow is a go. They'll need a good night's sleep and to be up early."

"Will do." Griff tipped his hat to Dallas and headed for the bunkhouse.

"Glad to see we're still on schedule to move the cattle tomorrow."

"Yeah. The weather is looking good for the week. You up for it?" Benton flashed a smile. "Or did twenty-four hours in the company of my sister turn your panties inside out?"

"She's still prickly."

"Yep."

Benton eyed him up and looked as if he had something on his mind. He and Bent had been the best of buddies for as long as Dallas could remember, and yet, there were things Bridgestone didn't know, and more things Dal wasn't willing to share.

"What is it?" Dallas asked.

"Something's up with Viv. I don't know what it is."

Dallas let out a small breath and cursed to himself. She was definitely one of the things he didn't like to discuss. "She's not the sharing type."

"Nope." Benton started toward the exit, and Dallas followed him. "It's like she's here but not here. She doesn't interact with the family. Hell, I don't think she's hugged or touched Nora." He glanced at Dallas. "Is that normal? Not to want to touch your niece?"

Dallas didn't get a chance to reply.

"Plus, she's giving Dad the cold shoulder, and he's trying real hard. I know us kids have a complicated past with the man, but all of us have moved on. He's not the same. He's changed, and she should give him a break."

Growing up on the ranch, Dallas knew just how toxic their home life had been after their mother died and Manley turned to the bottle for comfort. He'd been a mean drunk and ran over his family like a steam locomotive, uncaring about the carnage and hurt because he was too wrapped up in his own pain. It wasn't an excuse, but it was the truth.

"Not everyone can forgive so easily. Vivian's wired differently than you guys. That's all." Dallas shoved his hands in the front of his pockets. He didn't want to talk about Vivian and the past because dragging that shit up wasn't good for anyone.

"How is she?" Benton asked. They were by Dallas's truck. "She's been here for over a month, and I have no idea what's going on inside her head." He sighed. "None of us do."

What did he say to that? On the spot, Dallas shrugged. "Last night was the first time I've seen her since I've been back. Other than the wedding." And that had been in passing. He'd been leaving when she was showing up.

"You just spent hours with her in a truck."

"Look, I get you're worried about your sister, but I'm not the guy who can fill you in on where her head's at. We're…" He took a beat, realizing his heart had picked up speed. "We're not friends. Not for a long time. We don't share secrets." He shrugged. "I can tell you one thing that hasn't changed."

"What's that?"

"She's still a tough nut to crack, and unless you're willing to put in the time and a hell of a lot of effort, you'll never get through."

Benton looked at him, his eyes narrowed a bit more than Dallas liked.

"You two were tight once. Close."

There it was. The secret that hadn't really been a secret. The one nobody talked about.

"That's old news. A lot has happened between now and then." Dallas was done walking down memory lane. "I need to get back to my place and make ready for a week on the range."

"Griff and the boys looked after your animals while you were away. I'll do it while you're bringing in the cattle."

Dallas's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're not coming along?"

"I wish." Benton's mouth thinned out, his expression dark. "Aside from the fact that I have a meeting with my lawyer tomorrow, one I can't miss, I don't want to leave Nora for that long. Cal and Millie are busy with their new baby, and Scarlett and Taz have their hands full with three. And Viv, well, like I said, she's not the mothering type. Wouldn't be good for either of them."

"Fair enough. Don't worry about things. We'll get the herd moved down to the southern pastures and ready for winter." He opened the truck door. "I'll see you when I get back."

"Oh," Benton said, moving out of the way. "I almost forgot. Lenora showed up around an hour ago, and I think she might be at your place."

Shit. "Thanks."

On one hand, Dallas wasn't in the mood for any kind of company, but he supposed if he had no choice, a nice quick session between the sheets with Lenora would be the kind of company he was looking for.

Ten minutes later, he pulled into his driveway and spotted her rusted-out Chevy parked where it shouldn't be. He frowned, knowing it was useless to dwell on it, but damn, he'd told the woman more than once to park to the side.

Pansy, a gray-and-white mix of shepherd and wolf, came loping up from the barn, and he gave the dog a good scratch before wandering down the lane. He'd check on his animals, then head inside to get laid. If God was in a giving mood, Lenora would be on her way home before he had to ask her to leave.

As it turned out, Lenora wasn't exactly in a giving mood. She sat at the kitchen counter and scowled when he walked inside.

"Where were you last night?"

Dallas chucked his jacket and walked over to her, blood thick and thoughts dark. Lenora was an attractive woman who knew the drill. But at the moment, it appeared she'd tossed aside the rules he'd laid down when they first started up together. Mainly, she had no say in his life, and he wasn't interested in anything they did outside the bedroom.

Her blonde hair hung in silky waves down her back, and those baby blues flashed with anger. She glanced at him and pouted, her plump lips exaggerated as she looked up at him from beneath her long, obviously fake, lashes.

"I waited for over an hour," she said, facing him and gesturing toward the general vicinity of her body. She leaned forward. "The men who are lucky enough to get some of this don't make me wait. Ever." She emphasized ever . "You were supposed to meet me."

Christ, she was whining.

"I helped Benton with a problem."

"No shit." Her lips thinned. "I heard the problem was Vivian Bridgestone." She said the name as if it were poison on her tongue.

"We're not talking about her."

Lenora opened her mouth to speak, but he moved so fast, he saw the surprise that lit up her eyes. Something dark unfurled inside him. Something that had nothing to do with Lenora. He leaned down, all that anger and darkness inside him boiling over. He needed an outlet, and she would do.

"If you're not here to screw, then leave."

Her eyes widened. He should have felt bad for being such a bastard, but the truth was that he wanted her to leave more than he wanted to screw her. Which, in and of itself, was sad because she was right. Not many men would turn her away. What the hell was wrong with him?

She was silent for a few moments, then, decision made, pushed him back so that she could slide off the chair. There was no more talk. She reached for his belt and undid his jeans, freeing his cock with expert hands.

She knelt down and took him into her mouth, while his hands sank into all that blonde hair that fell over her shoulders. As she worked him over, Dallas's head rolled back. This felt good. Real good.

And yet it wasn't a blonde he visualized as he slammed his eyes shut and held her in place. It was a brunette with shots of copper in her dark hair and eyes that had drops of the sky in them. This wasn't right. Using Lenora while the ghosts of his past wandered his head.

And yet, bastard that he was, he'd take it. All of it. And hope that it chased away the shadows.