Page 10 of Revelry
The sun was shining, the drive was smooth and a rare sense of calm flooded me. I inhaled deeply, relishing it and praying the calm stayed, wondering where it had even come from.Sometimes the noise in my head was too much and very rarely led to peaceful moments like this.
Turning off the road, my truck rumbled over the cattle grid and under the wooden arch that readRedemption Ranchand down the gravel path. I parked up next to Kat’s truck. A pink Volkswagen Beetle I hadn’t seen before was parked in my spot.
“Must have visitors,” I murmured, reassuring myself that it was okay if I wasn’t parked in my usual spot. It wouldn’t change anything except how many steps up to the stables it was, but by, like, ten so really it was fine.
Smoothing a hand down my dress shirt, I grabbed my leather satchel, the bag rattling with all my tools.
I counted my steps to the stables and hearing voices inside, I entered.
“Morning Katarina,” I called, not wanting to startle her. I’d frightened her a couple of times recently, but I think that was more to do withwhatshe was doing in the stables andwhowith, than me.
Then my calm morning shattered.
She stood there, five feet nothing with a dainty hand planted on her rounded hip, flicking her curly black hair over one shoulder. The dress she was wearing struggled to contain her ample chest which I couldn’t help but linger over, too long. Her legs were short, thick and well-toned, smooth as cream with her small feet tucked into a pair of lilac cowgirl boots.
My mind screamed that I’d been silent too long. “Gertrude.”
“Hey, Tatey.” She finger-waved at me coquettishly. And I would have found it annoyingly adorable, if I wasn’t distracted by her black eye and split lip.
Rage boiled in my veins, and I couldn’t get my feet to stop as I made my way over, gripping her delicate chin and twisting her face to the light. I took in her bruising, her cuts and the way she held my stare defiantly the entire time. I had found her in asimilar state before and the rage that sparked then had nothing on what I felt now.
“Was it him?”
A small shake of her head, her indigo eyes drowning me.
My temper was hanging by a thread and I needed answers, now. “Then who did this?”
I could feel Kat bristling by my side and my rage dulled slightly. I didn’t want her to think I would hurt Gertrude; I wouldneverhurt this woman. She’d been hurt enough. But Kat wasn’t used to my uncharacteristic anger. I’d fought my entire life to remain calm; my peace of mind depended on it. But my fury had been sparked.
“No one, sugar.” Gertrude waved a hand dismissively.
My nerves itched and twitched beneath my skin to dosomething.A sensation I was familiar with but the intensity of it in this moment was enough to make me incredibly uncomfortable.
Gertrude had always made me uncomfortable.
She had as a teenager, and she still managed it now. But instead of being an awkward adolescent, I was a full-grown man, still feeling on edge. I was nearly twice her height and yet I felt like I was that gangly boy again, hoping she would look my way.
Gertrude had been wild as a teenager. Her curves had come in quickly and made her very popular with the boys. Ones that treated her like shit. Seems like they still did judging by her face. She used to tear up the town with Kat, wreaking havoc wherever they went, causing chaos and destruction and just witnessing it all shoved me right out of my comfort zone. I didn’t get to have fun as a teenager, I had responsibilities most kids couldn’t even dream of.
Even though it had been a decade since I’d seen her, I would never forget Gertrude. My teenage fantasy turned tormentor.When I was young, I fancied myself as some kind of protector of her.
Apparently, I still did.
I stroked my thumb over her chin, almost involuntarily like I wanted to soothe her somehow. But that wasn’t my place and I dropped my hand, my fingers still twitching.
I swallowed, trying to gather myself. “Are you…well?”
She dipped her head, smiling wide at me, her plush lips catching my attention and bringing out urges and neanderthal thoughts I’d long buried. “I am, are you?”
She was lying. I could tell from the pause in her words. She knew I hated liars, I had enough issues and anxiety figuring out what people normally meant, let alone when they masked their words with lies. She liked pushing my buttons and the ease with which she could still do it astounded me.
I needed to get away from her. Away from the evidence of abuse on her face that made me want to hunt down and destroy whoever put it there. But her being here had my mind quieting in a way it hadn’t since I was a teenager and I wasn’t used to it.
“Excuse me,” I said and turned, my bag of tools clinking as I hurried from the stables, struggling to catch my breath. Gertrude being here was unexpected. I didn’t like unexpected.
I headed back to my truck, retracing those extra ten steps before I settled myself inside my vehicle.
It wasn’t until I’d gotten all the way to my practice that I realized I’d forgotten the routine of the window.
