Page 3 of Brooke's Bliss
Bay blinked, trying to wake up.It looked like he was goingto need all of his faculties to deal with whatever had Shane’s panties in awad.“We should talk about this in the morning.”
They had so much work to do and it would be cold as hell,and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep because sometimes when he dreamedhe saw her.
“We are leaving tonight.”Even at a whisper he could hearthe finality in Shane’s tone.That was his “we’re going to do my will” voice.
Bay bit back a groan and started to slide out of bed asquietly as possible.It didn’t take long to pack since they lived like collegekids in a freaking dorm.It should take longer for a nearly thirty-year-old manto pack all of his belongings.A couple pairs of jeans, underwear, and socks.His cell phone that only worked half the time when they could afford service.
He slid the most important thing in his pack and picked itup.His sketchbook.He didn’t have access to clay out here, and no one wouldlet him use the welding materials for anything but work, so drawing was hisonly refuge.
He followed Shane out into the frigid night after slippingon his coat and exiting the bunkhouse as quietly as possible.
The truth of the matter was he didn’t like Kingman Ranch.There was a heaviness to the place that seeped into his work.It wasn’t likeBliss, where everything had an aura of beauty around it.He had an entiresketchpad devoted to Bliss.Over the years they’d been several times, and everyvisit yielded work.At first they’d been erotic sketches of the lovers he andShane shared, and portraits of Stef Talbot in his element.Those early workshad been lush and blatantly sexual, as if that was the only thing on his mindat the time.
Except for one.One sketch of the most beautiful woman he’dever seen.The one who sometimes haunted his dreams.Golden brown hair and blueeyes, the wind had caressed her like a lover, blowing her hair across hercheeks as she’d turned toward him.Time felt like it stopped in that moment,but it hadn’t.Years had passed, but he could still call up the vision.
He’d seen her so long ago at one of those festivals thatseemed to happen once a month in Bliss.
Lately when he visited Talbot, he found himself sketchingthings like the old couple at Stella’s Café who held hands while they dranktheir coffee.A new mom with her baby and two husbands watching them with aglow in their eyes he worried he would never understand.A mangy dog who waggedthat tail like the world was a wonderful place.
He found none of that here.Everything at this ranch wascoated in a darkness he hadn’t been able to explain to his brother.
Looked like he’d figured it out himself.
He followed Shane as they moved toward the long drivewaywhere all the trucks were parked.Most of the hands didn’t have their owntrucks, but Shane wouldn’t let them be without a car.Hence them spendingeverything they had on that old piece of crap they were driving now.“Allright, we’re out.Want to tell me why we’re skulking away without a lastpaycheck?”A thought occurred to him.“Damn it, Shane.Tell me you didn’t sleepwith one of Kingman’s daughters.”
It wouldn’t be the first time Shane’s libido got them introuble, though usually he talked Bay into joining whichever forbidden fruit hewas pursuing that month.Not that he would touch one of the Kingman girls.Theywere lovely and colder than the Wyoming winter they were currently walkingthrough.
Snow clung to Shane’s hair as they made it to the truck andtossed their paltry possessions in the back.“No.I think they’re running guns,and I accidently saw a shipment.I overheard Dennis and Andy talking abouttaking me out tomorrow.They were going to kill you, too.”
Fuck.He stood there watching his brother climb into thecab.
This was serious, and they were in trouble.Or Shane was wayoverreacting.That was the likeliest reason.Leaving wouldn’t cause too muchtrouble except for the lack of a paycheck.It was two weeks until Christmas.Not a lot of people were hiring at this time of year.He hopped in beside hisbrother and closed the door as quietly as he could.
Shane started the truck but left the lights off.He turnedBay’s way.“You’re not going to fight me?Tell me I’m overreacting?”
Bay shrugged.“I never liked this place anyway.But, Shane,we have to work.It’s not like we have a place to stay.We got enough cash fora couple of nights at a cheap motel, but that’s about it.I don’t know what youheard, but I do know something’s not right here.It’s like that time that westayed at the artist commune and it turned out to be a cult.I get those vibes,but with less tofu and more violence.”
Shane huffed out a groan.“Damn, but we’re dumb.”He startedto pull the truck around the drive, going slowly so the sound of tires ongravel didn’t wake up anyone in the bunkhouse.Across the way, the lights wereoff at the foreman’s house.His brother had been smart and waited until he wassure everyone would be asleep since they had to move the herd early the nextmorning.“We have to get out of Wyoming.We should head south.There’s probablywork in Texas.”
Bay had to be careful about this.“That sounds good.”Hewatched the big house as they drove by.There were a few lights on, butKingman’s house was far enough away he wasn’t worried they would hear them.“Maybe we can stop at Stef’s.I’ve got a couple of ideas I’d like to work on,and you know he said we could use the guesthouse whenever I needed a break.”
Stef Talbot had “discovered” him as an artist, and the manhad been an excellent mentor.Oh, Bay knew Stef viewed him as something of anenigma, but he was still kind to them, offering them room and board and a spacein his studio to work.
Shane sighed.“And what would I do?I assume we’re stayingfor Christmas.I can’t sit on my ass and watch you sculpt and paint.”
Shane didn’t understand him either, but it didn’t matter.Shane was…more than his brother.He was the odd other half of his soul.Hecouldn’t function without Shane.Didn’t even want to try.It had driven hismother crazy, but even from an early age he’d recognized the importance ofShane.“We’ll find something.It’s a couple of weeks.Nothing more.I’m surethere’s some seasonal jobs we can do.I just…I need to work for a while.”
It had been building for months, the need to spend days withhis hands in clay or chipping away at wood or marble to find the treasurehidden underneath, the one only his eyes could see until he uncovered it.
“All right then.But only until we’re back on our feet,”Shane said.
Bay nodded.
When they made it to the highway, Shane turned on the lightsand headed south.
To Bliss.
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