A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(54)

I stormed into the living room, threw pens at him, and threatened him with locking that door. Being that he was bitchy from being an invalid, he tried to pick a bigger fight, saying he knew how to pick locks. Then I turned into a five-year-old.

He had a collection of baseballs he’d gotten signed through the years, and other corresponding memorabilia, on display in a hallway curio cabinet. I ravaged it. I messed it all up, stuff on all different shelves, this player’s ball on that player’s shelf… I screwed it all up, closed and locked the cabinet, and wandered away.

The phone call I got the next day was a screaming William. I put the receiver on the desk and let him yell. The apology I got when I got home was heartfelt.

My office stuff was 95% put away from thereafter.

Sometimes you just had to be the alpha dog.

In three months he was finally healed enough, and strong enough, to go to the ranch and check on the bull riding. It was way past time in William’s mind. The ranch and its projects were his baby, and even though Adam had his own ranch growing and prospering, William didn’t fully trust him. Nothing personal to Adam, but in William’s mind, if he wasn’t doing it, something was missed.

I got home from a busy day to William shouting, “Hurry up! We’re late!”

Refusing to let him harry me, I put my stuff on its table, made my usual route through the door, into the kitchen where I got some water, and into the living room where William was dressed in spiffy jeans and a crisp plaid shirt.

“Nice to see you, too, dear,” I muttered as I stood in front of him. “I thought we weren’t supposed to be there until seven?”

William looked at me impatiently. “We aren’t, but I want to drive by the ranch and see how things look. I also want to get there early.”

I sighed and nodded. “Alright, let me change.”

I busied myself with changing and getting ready. William was on the couch, waiting “patiently” for me to be finished. Once I was out of my work clothes, into my crap clothes, and had my hair back in a ponytail, I went out to meet the monster.

“Okay.”

He looked at me with barely contained excitement. Then he got serious and his aura seemed to dull somewhat. “I wanted to talk to you before we went, Jess.”

His face was somber, almost sad.

“What’s up William?” I asked as I climbed into his arms.

He hugged me tight and put his head in my hair. He sighed in content. “I don’t think I am going to be able to make the San Francisco trip. Can we postpone a little until I have my dancing feet back?”

I laughed, straightened, and kissed him on the tip of the nose. “Of course, you ninny! Talk about stating the obvious. C’mon, let’s go. You were squawking about being late two seconds ago, now you are dilly-dallying.”

We got to the ranch, tried to drop off Fred and Ginger, but they wouldn’t get out of the truck, so we gave up and did a drive around William’s property so he could check everything out. He was a hands-on type, and it showed. Adam had kept up with everything, instructing the various ranch hands what was needed and when, but William still made notes and muttered about changes he’d make.

When we got to the bull area the regulars were already there. Early. Adam milled around, not doing a good job of looking busy, eagerly waiting for William to get out. It was clear how much Adam missed William. And just as clear the reciprocation, when William bustled over, a huge smile on his face to match Adam’s.

They had talked on the phone nearly once a day, mostly about ranch stuff, but they hadn’t seen each other in three months. William hadn’t wanted Adam to see him weak and vulnerable. That was a long time for BFF’s, but they were men, and not prone to squealing. Instead, like men, they shook hands forcefully, squeezing each other’s arms and clapping each other on the back.

“Good to have ya back, man! Just weren’t the same without ya!” It was as close as Adam would come to screaming and dancing around like a tween.

William just nodded and looked around. I could tell he had missed it.

Adam saw me and crossed the space in a couple strides, his smile bubbling over into his crushing hug. He was allowed to show affection for a girl. Thankfully I’d changed my clothes—he left a big body’s worth of dirt on me.

“Hey Jessie girl! Good to have you back!”

“Ow!” I wheezed.

“Adam, she’s still sensitive.” William grabbed Adam’s shoulder.

“Oh right. Sorry.” Adam put me down immediately. “Just damn glad to have you back!”

Ty nearly danced up next, ready for his manly shake and his back slapping. Then another few guys. I shook my head with a half-smile and joined the girls, who were in their usual spot at the side of the arena.

“What have you been up to Jessica?” Candace asked, beaming. “I hear you got another promotion at work. I told you you would climb to the top! Too smart for the bottom.”

“Yeah. I think I had help with that, though. I think Mrs. Davies got her nose in it. She is ten times more connected than William or Tom when she wants to be. No one seems to say no to her.” My eyes followed a large bull being loaded into the shoot.

“It would have happened anyway,” Candace said.

“Are there more people here than normal?” I scanned the various groups clustered all over the grounds. Some were slightly older, bull-riders-past by the looks of them, but many were waiting to ride. More than a few were complete strangers, all geared up and ready to go.