Page 15 of Healing Her Cowboys
“How do you even stand him sometimes?” She took a bite of the corn dog and chewed as if it owed her money. Her good mood had left just as quickly as it came, which aggravated her even more.
He shrugged. “Sometimes I’m in a mood to start a fight with him. When I’m not, I just choose to ignore him. He’s a hothead, but he always cools off, eventually. Don’t take it personally. He’s annoying as fuck, but he has a good heart when he shows it.”
“Annoying is an understatement.”
They both laughed as they ate the food Atlas brought back. She put Brik out of her mind. She wasn’t about to let anyone ruin her good time.
***
Brik needed to cool off away from Reese. Every stir of emotion he had lately was aimed at her, no matter how hard he tried to remain indifferent.
A cool breeze drifted around him, but it didn’t calm the heat filling up in his chest and spreading through his limbs. He couldn’t shake off the image of Reese dancing with a stranger. Her smile was bright and carefree as she moved around thedance floor. It was a joy he’d never seen her have around him. Sure, it was probably his fault, but it didn’t push away the jealousy that was boiling up inside of him.
Just as he was finally beginning to calm himself down, a familiar voice called out to him. He looked over to see Jason and May arm-in-arm and walking towards him.
“Look who decided to join us in the real world,” Jason said. “I thought it would be a cold day in hell before we ever saw you at a festival.”
“Stop teasing him, honey,” May said. “It’s good to see you, Brik. Did Reese and Atlas come with you too? I don’t see them.”
“Yeah, they’re around here somewhere.” Brik stuffed his hands into his pockets to ward off the chill.
“How’s Reese working out?” Jason asked. “Is she getting your ass into gear?”
Brik shrugged his shoulders. “She’s definitely good at her job. I’ll give her that.”
Jason raised an eyebrow. “Was that a compliment? She must be something else if you’re supporting her. I don’t think I’ve heard you say anything positive about anyone but Atlas.”
“Who’s complimenting her? It’s not like I need her constant pity or anyone else’s,” Brik said.
“Reese is the last person I know to offer anyone pity,” May said. “Support and comfort maybe, but never pity.”
Jason nodded in agreement. “May’s right. Reese has never been like that. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding. Talk it out with her. If she’s really helping you, do you really want to lose her?”
Their words struck a nerve, and Brik felt horrible for the way he’d been treating Reese. It wasn’t her fault he was fucked up in the head and didn’t trust anyone. His mother died after giving birth to him, and his dad turned into nothing but a functioning alcoholic who didn’t care if Brik existed or not after she died.That’s why he enlisted, to get as far away from his reality as possible. It didn’t matter. Escaping only brought him more problems.
He made that choice to enlist all by himself. Just like he had made the choice to go against his corrupted superiors and save a rich Muslim family they were trying to kill and steal from. The family survived, but he lost his leg to a carefully planted IED.
May’s hand patted his arm and brought him back to the present. “You’ve been through a lot, Brik. You and Atlas both. It’s okay to accept help from others, especially if the one offering it is sincere.”
“Go find her and enjoy the festival,” Jason said. “Even if you pulled some stupid shit, Reese isn’t one to hold grudges.”
Brik watched Jason and May as they walked away, and he discovered a renewed focus. He turned back around, determined to face the complicated feelings he had for Reese and finally own up to his so-called “stupid shit.”
Chapter Eight
The ride back was tense and awkward. The three of them rode in silence, and Reese had never wanted the radio to play more in her life. Music. Podcasts. Anything would do if it filled the quiet. She sat between both men again, unable to look at either one of them, but with both of their bodies pressed up against hers, they were hard to ignore.
The tension between them was palpable, simmering just beneath the surface, and as they drove back to the ranch, she couldn’t help but wonder what they were thinking.
Reese felt almost like what happened was her fault, but that didn’t make sense. She was trying to have fun and let loose like Nina suggested and Atlas had promised. She’d only had the one beer when her favorite song came on, so she wasn’t drunk.
Reese had closed her eyes and danced all by herself in her seat. She hadn’t asked for anyone to join her. Besides, it was only onedance, and it wasn’t like she was grinding up on the stranger. The cowboy had been nothing but respectful.
Everything happened so fast. A night at the fall festival had turned into Brik being angry all over again. It absolutely wasn’t her fault, so why did she feel like a child awaiting punishment?
Even with the quiet tension, the warmth of them soothed her, and she felt protected in a way that she hadn’t felt in a long time. It was weird to feel like she had known these men for longer than a few days, but her emotions had been all over the place since meeting them.
Her strong rule of not getting romantically involved with her patients was hanging by a thin tether and ready to snap at any moment.
