One Last Sunset (The Long Ranch Series Book 1) (8 page)

Got a drunk call from Clay.

Please, he barely had three beers.

Less than a week and you already fighting. Remember I’m not there to back you up.

I noticed that when my kidney was being tickled by some guys knee through my stomach.

Always the poet.

Sunny wanted to ask about Mel, but how could he? What would he say?
“I just finger banged your cousin and would like to fuck her until the sun rises in the west instead of the east.”
That might be a bit much. He decided to feel out JT’s mood.

Any word on Betsy?

I’ll need a best man soon.

I’m not doing anything for the next few weeks wanna meet in Vegas?

No, she’s getting the wedding of her dreams. Don’t tell my family.

How much it worth to you?

Get better soon, I might need you for more than a bachelor party.

But that’s what I’m best at.

Sunny rested his eyes, trying to process the strange turn of events. JT was getting married, His dad had been fired, and he’d come home and found the woman of his dreams. Strange, how he felt more on balance going from town to town with the rodeo than being settled for a month at home. Maybe it’s because he’s not home. The Long Ranch was his home. That’s where he needed to get back to, even if it was just for a few weeks.

* * * *

Time ticks away when all you want to do is check on your friend. Or…lover…Or…

Melody turned to her stomach and shoved a pillow between her knees with no satisfaction. She wanted to have Sunny between her legs, not some squishy pillow. Even the substitute ray of Sunshine she kept locked away under her bed wouldn’t sate her now. She’d tasted his lips. She’d felt his hand. The strength and desire. Could that be turned more? Her imagination fueled her over the years and he hadn’t failed to deliver on it, but what of those other fantasies? The one where he…

With an angry tug, she tossed the pillow against the wall and continued to toss and turn until light peeked under her shade. Getting up, she got dressed and ready to take on the day. Or, her cousin. As she rounded the corner to the kitchen, she ran straight into her father.

“Hey Mels, what’s the rush?”

She rolled back on her heels and tried to settle herself.

“Last I knew you didn’t have chores here anymore.”

“I know dad, I just...” Mel dropped her head and nervously wrung her hands.

“Hey, since when do you have problems talking to me?”

“I don’t know. It’s just…”

“A guy. I knew this day would come.” He sighed and placed his coffee cup on the island in the kitchen. “I know your mother wished it would have happened about four years ago, but honestly I’ve never wanted it.”

“You want a fifty year old daughter living down the hallway?”

“We are a sick bunch. Clevon hides it well, but JT being so far away is killing him.”

“I’m sure there’s a good reason,” Melody said as she picked up an apple from the bowl and twisted the stem.

“He’s always been a wanderer,” her father plopped down on a stool. “Him and that Parker boy. Half the time we couldn’t find them when it was time to work. Everyone thought they were lazy, but I knew better.” Henry scratched at his weathered face and his deep black eyes held her still. “You…I was surprised you went off to college.”

“Gotta find me a man,” she teased back. “Isn’t that why we all went to school?”

“Not me.” He winked. “Nah, that might have been MeMaw’s plan, but she never put that pressure on me. Your mama was a bonus.”

“When did you know?” Mel asked as she rested her elbows on the island.

“Before she did, I know that for sure. Once I knew though I wasn’t going to let her go. What about your fella?”

“I’m not sure about anything really. It’s too new—too fresh.”

“Anything more than five minutes and it’s old news. Bring him around.”

“Heck no,” she scoffed.

“Why not? We’d love to meet him.” Henry picked up his work gloves and hopped off the stool. “I don’t know why you didn’t bring any guys around here before.”

“Because they were petrified.”

“Of me? Little old me?”

“The m and m twins don’t help.”

“Any man not willing to take on a few male family members to prove his love for you isn’t worth the time.”

“By thirty my curfew’s lifted, right?”

“Thirty-five,” he said with a wink and slap of his gloves to her arm. “Love you, Mels.”

“Love you too daddy.” He was right. Much as she hated to admit it. Sunny knew her family. It should be easy for him to say,
“Hey I wanna date Mellie.”
Then again, maybe he didn’t want to.

She may have just been his best chance for ass last night and even that got disrupted. He wouldn’t even let her touch him when her brothers were around. She’d wanted to storm over to Walter’s this morning and demand an answer for why he’d fired Sunny’s dad. Stupidly, she felt she owed Sunny that. Her cousin had fired his father and yet, now she could care less. Much like he did. Caring less for her than she did for him.

Why had she even bothered? Because she’d had some stupid crush on him since grade school? Worse yet, because when he kissed her she came alive? Well, better dead and respected than alive and shoved in a corner. She’d been shoved there her whole life and she wasn’t about to stay there.

Heading back to her room the exhaustion that should have hit last night slammed against her in such a way she barely made it to her bed. Embarrassment could do that. Did do that to her.

Two hours later, Monty was waking her. Family rule—party all you want on Saturday, just get up in time for service on Sunday. Ugh, now she really regretted her stupid crush. Nodding off during church wasn’t unheard of, but the punishment wasn’t worth the risk.

There was part of her that felt church was the way her mother made her into a
Barbie
doll. Something about the outfits and her demand of being primped. Loretta ordered final approval and even during Mel’s most rebellious stage she’d kept herself proper of Sundays.

The flowered sundress cut in a bit and made Mel think of a fifties housewife. With her short hair, she could totally pull off a pinup gal from then, but that would require crinoline and heavy make up. Two things her mother would not approve of…at least at church. Instead, she slightly outlined her eye and put on a muted eye shadow and lip gloss.

Although it was true she did live under their roof rent free, it’s not like they’d approve any other situation. She never had a choice in the matter. But her father was right. She wouldn’t know where else to live. Unlike most kids at school she didn’t imagine traveling to Paris or living on the beach in North Carolina. Her dream may seem simple, but it wasn’t. She didn’t just want to be on the farm wearing a pretty dress and cooking stew for her husband when he finally got his work done for the day.

“I see we’re ready to repent for the sins of last night.” Her mother scolded while latching a gold bracelet on her wrist. “Exactly how late did you get in?”

“Eleven?” she asked with an arched brow.

“Yeah.”

“Your father said you two talked this morning.”

“I was going to go talk to Walt about something, but decided on a few hours of sleep instead.”

“You’re grown, but don’t lie to me. I won’t have that in my house.”

“Think what you want.” Mel found the apple she’d been playing with still on the island and decided to take a bite this time. “What time did Miles and Monty get home?”

“I know you are not trying to compare yourself to your brothers.” Her mother walked to the mirror by the door and checked her makeup. “They are older than you.”

“We’re all legal age, they’re just guys.”

Her mother swallowed hard and opened the door to usher them to the car where the rest of her family was loaded up like they were still in grade school.

Melody wanted to be angry, she wanted to rebel against the consistency and family togetherness. If only it didn’t make her feel warm and safe inside. Crawling into the back between her brothers, she twiddled her thumbs hoping her mother would admit the double standard.

“Seatbelt, Mellie, you know better.” When she clicked it, her mother nodded to her dad to start the car. Laying back, she lolled her head to the side and noticed Monty had a bruising on his cheekbone and chin.

“Mom, did you see the boys have been beaten,” she tried to start something.

“Not the first time, won’t be the last.” Her mother sighed while searching her purse for a mint. “They made it home, and not through the ER, that’s all the matters.”

“Are you kidding me? If I came battered you’d ground me.”

“For not being a lady. Melody, you have a reputation to protect. You’re a Long. That means something here.”

“What are Miles and Monty? Chillicothies? Millers? Constantines?”

Her mother sharply turned her head.

Melody caught her dad’s warning eyes in the rearview mirror.

“I am so sorry you were born into a family that has a history and standards. It was not my intention when I carried you for two extra weeks only to go through thirty six hours, seventeen minutes and twenty nine seconds of labor to get you out. I’d hoped to leave you by the side of the road, but you’re Tender Root royalty.”

“Why don’t we convert to Catholicism and you can send me to a nunnery?”

“You joke…the discussion has come up before.”

“Ugh!” Mel groaned while her brothers chuckled lightly as they rolled into the parking lot for the Second Baptist Church in the center of town. When Mel was younger, she always wondered why it was the only Baptist church, but still claimed to be second.

Youth group on Wednesdays was the only sanctioned activity Mel had growing up. The white church was traditional and reminded her of
Little House on the Prairie
. Her family had paid for the extension on the back that opened up the sanctuary and added classrooms for bible study. The
real
kind, not the Long kind.

Her family sat on the left in three pews with MeMaw in the front, along with Clevon, her mother and father.

She sat in the second row with her brothers and Clayton. Walter’s brood took up the third row and, as they took their seats, Mel turned to talk to Walter settling his namesake into the seat. “Walt,” she harshly whispered. “We need to talk.”

“Right now?”

“They’re just singing,” she chided, having never been one for the voice of the Lord as her mother called it. She liked the message, not the pomp and circumstance.

“What do you need?”

“Why did Race Parker get fired?”

Her mother turned from the front pew and side eyed her. Next, would be the hush, followed by the slap. She was too old to be dragged to the back of the church and scolded. At least she hoped she was too old for all that. After the look her mother gave her, she wasn’t a hundred percent on that one.

“That’s ranch business.”

“I’m sorry, do I not have a trust fund that helps run and get fat off it. Not that I’m ever invited to the family business meetings.”

“You’d just get confused,” Walt replied and pulled out the hymnal.

“Why did he get fired?”

“Hush up and praise the Lord before you end up meeting him face to face,” her mother snapped.

The choir was to the point of clapping their hands and the parishioners were following along. A few, including her mother and MeMaw were standing with their hands in the air in praise. This was the point Melody became distant with the others.

She turned and looked at Walter who shook his head at her to stop pushing. Fine, she’d stop, but he better hope he runs from the church or she’d tackle him. It had gone past her need to ask for a friend. She was part of the ranch and should be considered in the decisions. At least she would be told why things happened when she asked.

The sermon was on Proverbs twenty two six, training your child in the love of the Lord and the family rules. Mel knew that chapter and verse and she’d obeyed them all.

“I’m sorry, mama,” Mel said as the preacher dismissed the congregation. “I wanted the answer to a question and I should have waited until after church.”

“And what about in the car on the way here? How you acted? Anything about that?”

“It’s not right that I’m supposed to stay some princess, untouched in a box.”

“Your husband will be the one to touch you, child,” her mother said while smoothing out Melody’s hair. “And although I try to pretend he’ll be the only one, I was in college once too, so don’t try to act like you’re saving yourself while your brothers are man whores.”

“So, you do admit they’re sluts.”

“Child of mine, because I don’t acknowledge it doesn’t mean I’m a fool.” Her mother wrapped her arm around Mel’s shoulders. “Tell the truth, you keep the delusion your father and I have only had sex three times.”

“Living in the same zip code as you growing up kinda nullified that dream.”