Broken Love (4 page)

I PULLED THE pillow over my head as I moaned.

Jesus, even my internal moan hurt my head.

Dropping the pillow to my side, I slowly sat up and swung my legs over the bed. I glanced down to see I was wearing a T-shirt. Closing my eyes, I buried my face in my hands. “I don’t remember anything last night.”

Slowly standing, I pushed my feet into my slippers and made my way to the kitchen, shuffling my slippers across the wood floor.

I lifted my arms above my head and stretched as I tried to think of where in the hell my Motrin was. I’d never had such a terrible headache. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t sick to my stomach.

Opening a cabinet, I pulled the Motrin out and grabbed three. Opening the refrigerator, I grabbed the orange juice. After pouring myself a glass, I turned and leaned against the counter as I popped all three pills into my mouth. The coffee machine was on and there was a fresh pot of coffee going.

I pushed off the counter as I frantically looked around. “Holy shit,” I whispered. Had I brought someone home?

“Hello?”

Taking a few steps around the kitchen island, I looked into the living room.

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

Silence.

I closed my eyes and willed myself to remember last night.

“Coffee. What I need is coffee.”

It was probably Jay who brought me home and made the coffee. Oh damn, she’s gonna be pissed and say I ruined her night.

I grabbed a coffee mug out of my dishwasher and headed over to the coffee pot. I poured a cup and brought it up to my mouth. I would have inhaled it, but I was pretty sure my head would have exploded. The mug was about to reach my lips when I saw a note.

Taking a sip, I picked up the note and focused my hungover eyes on it.

“No. Oh please, God, no.”

“No!” I screamed and then stopped when the pain pierced my head.

“Oh my God. Oh my God.” I spun around and headed to the sofa where I sat down and began rocking back and forth. “Oh shit. It’s all coming back. Ryder ran into me. Then I threw up. What happened next?”

I quickly stood up as I placed my hand on my stomach. “I’m going to be sick!” I yelled as I ran through my condo to my bathroom. Dropping to the floor, I wiped my tears away. I always cried when I threw up. Ever since I was little.

Lightly placing my head on the wall behind me, I wondered what all I had said to Ryder. My body slumped as I let out an overly-dramatic sigh. When I finally decided that sitting on the bathroom floor wasn’t going to do a damn thing, I stood up and headed into the kitchen.

“Food. Once I eat, I’ll feel better and everything will be okay. It’s not like I’m ever going to see him again.”

“You always talk to yourself?”

I screamed as I spun around to see Jay standing in my doorway. “You! You left me alone.”

Jay smiled as she tossed her purse onto the table I had at my front entrance. “Oh trust me, you were not alone. Mr. Hotty McHot Pants was with you. Sounds like you had one hell of a night.”

My eyes widened in horror as my heart dropped to my stomach. “W-what? How do you know?”

“Ryder called me from your phone. Said something about having to leave for a meeting or something and he couldn’t bear the thought of you waking up all alone. Guess he thought you might be feeling the aftereffects of last night. So tell me, Ava, did Ryder
ride her
last night?”

“What?” I asked confused.

My mouth dropped open as I let her words sink in. Ryder brought me home last night? Yes, I remember that. Don’t I?

“Are you sore?” Jay asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

Frowning, I said, “Yes, my head is killing me.”

“No, I mean between your legs.”

“Why in the hell would I be sore between—” Then her words hit me like a brick wall.

Jay smiled but attempted to hide it behind her coffee mug. My eyes darted from side to side as I tried to focus in on my body. “We couldn’t have. He wouldn’t. What kind of man has sex with a woman who’s drunk?”

“Hot guys?”

I shook my head the best I could considering it was pounding in my ears now. “Nope. I’d know if I had sex. I haven’t had sex.”

“Maybe his dick was small and you can’t tell.”

I rolled my eyes at Jay. “Do you hear what comes out of your mouth?”

My phone rang and for a moment I panicked it might be Ryder. Seeing Mom flash across the screen, I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Lord Jesus,” I whispered.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Morning, sweetheart. Are you on your way?”

I glanced up at the clock on my wall.
Shit! I’m late!

“Yep! I left not too long ago. I’ll be there soon.”

Jay raised her eyebrow up at me and shook her head.

“Okay, sweetheart. Don’t be late; you know how important this is to your father.”

“Right! I’m not going to let Daddy down, I swear.”

Taking another sip of coffee, I rushed past Jay and headed into my bedroom.

“See you soon!”

“Bye, Mom.”

I hit End and turned to Jay. “Help me!”

“I’m on it. First things first. Brush your damn teeth and take a quick shower. You smell like a damn bar.”

I PULLED DOWN the driveway to my parents’ house and floored it.

I’m late. Oh shit, I’m late.

Liza was sitting on the front porch holding my precious little nephew, Nickolas.

I put the car in park and practically ran over to them.

“Let me have him!”

Liza laughed and handed Nickolas to me.

“Hello to you too.”

I glanced up and smiled at Liza. “We totally need to do a girls’ night. I have so much to tell you about Paris and Italy. Maurice got on Jase’s nerves when he spent a couple days with us. I loved it! Of course ever since France, Jase really hasn’t been the same.”

“I know. He spent some time with a girl there and things didn’t end the way he wanted them to. I’ve tried talking to him about it but he keeps pushing me away.”

The front door screen made a small noise when it opened, causing us both to turn and look. My mother placed her hand on her hip and starred at me. “Ava? How long have you been here?”

“Gosh, for a while now.”

Liza turned and looked at me with a smirk. “Yep, she’s been sitting out here loving on her nephew.”

My mother’s smile warmed as she walked over and kissed me on the forehead. “Okay, well your father and Layton are with the boys and the gentlemen who are going to help the ranch become certified organic. They’re headed back up to Layton and Whit’s place and they want us to meet them there.”

Walker and Jase were the ones to convince our fathers that it was time to go organic. It was something we all talked about as a family. My father and Layton had been business partners for years, and I loved how involved we all were as a family when it came to the cattle ranch, including me. I’d been known to throw on a pair of jeans and boots and get in there when it came time to doing the dirty stuff.

“So, who exactly are these guys who are going to be helping?”

Motioning for us to get up and follower her to Liza’s car, I stood up and smiled down at Nickolas who was sleeping peacefully in my arms.

Liza opened the backseat door as I placed him in his car seat and Liza took over.

“Two guys who started a consulting business helping ranches all over the country who are wanting to go organic. Their father owns a cattle ranch in Montana.”

I smiled and said, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to go to Montana.” Snapping my seatbelt in, I laughed. “Can they offer us a tour of their dad’s ranch?”

Liza got in the car and started down the driveway. “Yes. As a matter of fact, they offered for all of us to come stay for a weekend and tour the ranch.”

“Are y’all going to go?” I asked looking between Liza and my mother who was sitting in the back seat.

My mother nodded. “I think so. Layton thinks it would be a great learning experience, plus it is a hell of a lot cooler up there right now.”

Dropping my mouth open, I glared at my mother. “Wait! When are y’all going?”

“Two weeks,” Liza said with a giggle.

“What the hell! Y’all are all going to Montana and you didn’t even let me know!”

My mother cleared her throat as she adjusted something on Nickolas. “Well, Ava I figured you weren’t going to drop everything for a last minute trip.”

“To fucking Montana I would!”

“Watch your language,” my mother said with a slight grin. She always told me I was her little me and I knew I was. I also liked being compared to my mother. Not only was she beautiful, but smart as hell and sassy to boot.

My arms crossed over my body and I pouted as Liza lost it and laughed full on.

“Oh, stop being a baby, Ava. We just decided this earlier today when your father got the email from Mr. Montgomery. He wants us to come before they start getting colder weather in.”

“I’m in!”

“What about your job?” Liza asked.

“It’s fine. The owner of the boutique owes me a huge favor, so I can take some time off from there. And I can work anywhere for Maurice with the designs.”

My mother smiled big and said, “Well, it looks like we’re taking a family vacation to Montana!”

Liza and I both let out soft screams of joy so we didn’t wake up Nickolas.

Minutes later we were pulling up and parking in front of Layton and Whitley’s house. Whitley came walking out onto the porch and down to the car with a huge smile on her face. “Oh I love when my daughter comes to visit me!”

Liza laughed. “Mom! I see you every day when I come to work!”

Whitley brushed off Liza and headed to me where she pulled me into her arms and hugged me. “I’m talking about my adopted daughter.” Pushing me back some, Whitley let her eyes wander all over me and then pulled me back into a hug as she whispered, “You look so beautiful, but your eyes are totally bloodshot.”

I let out a chuckle as I whispered back, “Is it that obvious?”

Whitley stepped back and quickly said, “I have eye drops, don’t worry.”

Laughing, I gave her a friendly push as I headed up to the house.

“Everyone is outside; Jase just started grilling some steaks!” Whitley called from over her shoulder as she scooped Nickolas out of Liza’s arms.

Wrapping her arm with mine, my mother and I headed through the house and to the back. “Now, Ava, try to keep your very outspoken thoughts to yourself.”

My mouth fell open as I let out a gasp. “Oh my God. What do you think I’m going to do? Offend the little old consultant men, and then they won’t want to work for us?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

Liza bumped my shoulder as she rushed past me. “Don’t worry, Court, when she sees them she’ll be too busy wiping the drool from her mouth to even talk.”

I rolled my eyes and took off after Liza as she yelped and ran through the kitchen with me hot on her trail.

“This is not the first impression I’m talking about, Ava Moore!” my mother called out as I followed Liza out onto the back porch. Liza immediately took a right turn and I didn’t realize how fast I was going. Trying to come to a stop, I hit the stairs and ran down them only to run right into the back of someone, causing their drink to go everywhere.

“Shit!” I shouted as my head throbbed from slamming into what felt like a brick wall. As I put my fingers up to my temple and closed my eyes, I prayed the hangover would just go away.

“Ava?”

I know that voice.

Peeking one eye open, the other one quickly followed as I gasped and said, “Ryder?”

I quickly scanned around only to find everyone staring at both of us, and I couldn’t help but notice the stunned expression on my father’s face. “You know my daughter, Ryder?”

The smile that spread across Ryder’s face spoke volumes.

“Yes, sir, I do.”

I could feel all eyes on me as I let out a nervous chuckle. “Well, I mean we’re just acquaintances.”

Ryder raised his eyebrows as the other extremely hot guy standing next to him coughed and looked at Ryder.

“No, I mean we’re more than that.” Shaking my head and then moaning from the sheer pain, I held up my hands and said, “No! I mean, we’re just friends. New friends. Like I ran into him on the street and knocked all his paperwork out of his hands and then ran into him again—”