A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(7)

It didn't help me currently, however. I just sat there, waiting for Gladis to get home, drinking a drink that was supposed to have vodka and orange juice.

William came over the next night, but held me like he was losing me. We made love like it might be the last time, his heart raw and bleeding. I very nearly told him the surprise a million times, each time opening my mouth to say it, but then closing it again. He should trust me. He should believe me. It killed me that he didn’t.

I went to Adam’s, as planned, Lump in tow, to feed the bull and look at it. I even told it how much hassle it was causing me. I ended the sermon by shaking my fist at it. It responded with a mean grunt, an evil gaze, and a trot forward. I walked away quickly. Mean little bugger.

With Lump standing guard, Adam hugged me fiercely and said, “Stay the course, Jess. You are doing the right thing. He’ll see it a’fore the end. Just stay the course.”

Each day was excruciating. William heard about each visit, causing his eyes to be mournful and his nightmares vivid. He didn’t say a word, however. Not to me, and not to Adam. He waited patiently for the end.

It broke my heart each time I set eyes on him.

Christmas day. Finally. I couldn’t take any more!

Per Adam’s request, William, Lump and I met at Adam’s ranch early to help with some horse situation or other. It was all made-up, of course, just needing to get William there.

We arrived a quiet bunch. Tension was running so high that not even Lump would try and ease it. I had gifts for everyone in the back except for the punching bag. I wrapped a picture of that, leaving the real one in Gladis’s gigantic garage.

Adam came out of the house and pointedly looked at me. He then looked at William, not bothering to hide his anger. Adam was a victim in this, also. He was the other guilty party, in William’s eyes. Except, Adam hadn’t even gotten a chance to defend himself.

William took a deep breath, pulled his chin up, and walked to meet his friend. They shook hands like strangers, Adam’s eyes on fire, William looking at the ground.

“This way,” Adam barked, shaking his head and leading the way.

We set out for the horse barn, which obscured the view to that nasty little bull. That thing looked at me with evil intent every time I went to feed it. I was keeping the blasted thing alive and it was still a big ol’ bull jerk! I was happy to give it up! More than happy.

It was a long, quiet, tense walk. Adam’s shoulders were tight and his fists clenched. William was despondent. Lump was staying the hell out of it, and my heart was thumping in my chest. I could hear each crunch of foot fall on the dirt as we made our way through farm equipment, animals and fenced in areas.

As we rounded the barn Adam stopped, motioning everyone on. William, now in the lead, gave a miserable glance around, noticed everything was already squared away, and stopped in confusion. He wouldn’t meet Adam’s eyes, so in his uncertainty he glanced around the area, probably waiting for Adam to step up and lead the way.

He looked through the barn at the cleaned out stalls, he noticed the properly hung and put-away equipment, and finally, after eight long heartbeats, his eyes landed on the mean little sucker, currently looking at us all like he was plotting our deaths.

Seriously, I wouldn’t have cried if that mean little bastard was made into hamburger!

William quirked his head into the bull’s angry stare, probably trying to figure out why a mean little bull was in a horse paddock, before he turned his whole body to face it. He dropped his head.

“I’ve been a righteous ass,” he muttered.

“You sure f**kin’ have, man!” Adam seethed. “You got no idea what that woman went through to get that for you! Spending every last cent, dressin’ up like--”

“Adam!” I yelled to cut him off.

Adam shook his head. “Sorry Jess, but I will have my say. It can wait, but dad-gum it I will have my say.”

Adam kicked at the ground, turning to stomp away. Two steps into it, he spun back around.

“You know, Jessica, you’re the only one that trusts me. I got that one,” he pointed at Lump, “thinkin’ I’m gunna kill her or some damn thing, when all I really wanna do is to hold her and protect her.” Lump’s eyes got wide. “Then this one,” he turned to William, who still had his head bowed, “thinkin’ I’m off with his girlfriend doin’ the unspeakable, when I would saw off my arm for either of you. Thinkin’ I would f**k up family. Fuck that!”

He spat, his face a livid shade of red, before turning on his heel and strutting off.

Lump went the other direction, giving William and I a moment.

“Well,” I said half-heartedly, “I really didn’t mean to bring this much drama with the gift, but Merry Christmas.”

William quietly contemplated the color of dirt. He hadn’t moved.

I thought I would just ramble on until something happened. “Lump and I did have to dress like sluts for that old man. So you had the slut part right, though I don’t know where you got the Colorado part. I had to tell that old guy that you were horrible, too. Hope you don’t mind. He was thinking he wasn’t going to sell it and I had to get on his side.”

I paused for a reaction. I got silence.

Please don’t dump me. Please don’t dump me.

“And I did have to come to Adam’s a lot because he made me feed and water it, and check on it. Don’t know why he couldn’t just do it, but he said I needed to take responsibility because it is technically mine—but I’ll get it transferred over when we get back to Adam’s. Lump wouldn’t do it, either—I think they were torturing me for something. Or maybe laughing at me. Actually, probably laughing at me, because that bull is a spiteful little shit and he scared the crap out of me when he stomped and threatened to come after me. I’m probably on candid camera.”