Vivian Arend - Rocky Mountain Rebel

Vicki tugged the blankets around her shoulder as a snort of laughter escaped her. “Don’t worry about it.”

Their eyes met and they grinned.

She patted the mattress. “I’m glad that didn’t happen earlier while we were in the middle of fooling around.”

“Me too.” He rejoined her, the warmth of her naked skin waking up other parts of his body as well.

Only she yawned and rested her head on his chest, so he ignored his hard-on and held her as she fell back asleep.

Joel peeled himself away in the morning, somehow getting out of bed without taking her all over again.

She reached a hand over the empty spot left behind. “Joel?”

He squatted. Knelt on the floor, really, to reach her. “I’ve got chores. You come out to the ranch later for your lessons, okay?”

He pressed his lips to her temple, so sleep warm and soft— Damn, leaving her was tough. Now he understood better why Blake was a grumpy ass some mornings.

He dragged on his things from the night before, eyeing his watch on the drive to the ranch. He had enough time to grab a coffee and change so he didn’t get his good clothes wrecked.

He slipped into the trailer and pulled to a stop. Jesse rotated from where he was holding up the kitchen counter, coffee pot bubbling away beside him.

His twin looked him over. “Walk of shame, eh?”

“Like you haven’t come home wearing the same clothes before.” Joel breathed in deep, the scent of caffeine nudging the back of his brain. “You make enough coffee for two?”

“Of course.” Jesse cleared his throat. “Everything okay last night? You took off like a shotgun blast.”

Joel grabbed the cream and sugar while he waited for the coffee to be ready. “Had a bit of trouble, but it worked out okay.”

“Really.”

They waited in silence, and it was the weirdest thing. Jesse didn’t look too happy. Joel scrambled for a reason. “You pissed because I spent the night with her?”

Jesse shook his head. “I told you what I thought, you told me. It’s none of my business, right? Only…”

Dead silence again.

Awkward, and confusing. This wasn’t how it was around Jesse, ever. They were both upfront and honest.

This tension between them was stupid. Joel chose to ignore it, looking instead for a few other answers. “Last night did you hear anyone talking about Vicki?”

Jesse snorted. “Um, yeah.”

Asshole. “I don’t mean the usual, I mean anything out of the norm.” Maybe Vicki wouldn’t appreciate him sharing this, but he had to know. “Someone hit her.”

Jesse tensed. “Hit her? Like how?”

“Across the face. Some woman called her a whore. That’s why I left so fast. She was pretty shaken up.”

“Fuck.” Jesse stared out the window. “Yeah, some of the guys were talking about the Hansols. Sarah got caught in Mike Lanhott’s bed.”

“And someone must have mistakenly pointed out Vicki as Sarah.” Joel had been right. How the hell could he help Vicki when idiots like that decided to cause trouble? “Whoever it was needs a butt-kicking.”

Jesse seemed to jerk himself to attention. He fiddled around as he filled two travel mugs and handed one over. “I asked you before if you knew what you’re doing. I’ll ask again. This seems like a crazy situation. You really want to get in the middle of it?”

“Damn it, Jesse, enough. I’m in the middle, there’s no changing that.”

Jesse literally backed off, pacing to the far side of the room. “Fine. Don’t bite my head off more than you’ve been doing. It was just a—”

“What the hell does that mean?” Joel put his cup down and glared at his brother. “When did I bite your head off?”

“Lately? Every time I ask your plans. Or when I suggest we go do something.”

“Bullshit.”

“Not bullshit.” Jesse grabbed his coat. “I’m starting chores. I’ll meet you there.”

The door slammed behind him as he left.

Joel thought through the past days as he got changed then headed over to the ranch. It was no use, though. He had no idea what the fuck Jesse was moaning about.

It was a couple hours later before he tracked him down, both of them working opposite sides of the chore list until finally meeting. Jesse’s odd behavior aside, Joel was frustrated by the menial jobs today. Chores were far more boring when done alone, and he missed having someone to help pass the time. Not that they ever talked much, only there was a rhythm in two people doing familiar tasks.

He found Jesse in the feed room, loading sacks. “Way to hold a conversation there, bro. Walking out gets us to the bottom of things fast.”

Jesse shrugged. “You didn’t really want to talk. You want to drive to the back to check the breeding stock or deal the sheep?”

“Why don’t we do them together?”

“Nope. Don’t feel like wasting my entire morning with you.”

What the hell? “You’ve got a mighty big chip on your shoulder, jerk.”

Jesse dropped the bag he’d just tied, standing and glaring Joel’s direction. “You want to lay off. Trust me on this one, bro .”

“Tell me what’s wrong, asshole.”

“You’re too busy.” Jesse slammed out the door. Again.

What the fuck was his problem? Joel grabbed the sacks from the floor and surged after his twin. He tossed the load in the truck box, twisting to give the conversation another go. Jesse, however, was damn near pouting as he stared into space.

Good grief. “You seriously want to do chores alone?”

Jesse shrugged. “Been doing them that way a lot lately.”

Joel thought hard to put that comment into perspective. Nope. He couldn’t figure it out. He opened his mouth to find out more when Vicki’s motorbike sounded in the distance.

Jesse made a big deal out of rolling his eyes. “Guess your girlfriend is coming to steal you away.”

“Grow the hell up, Jesse, and stop being an ass.”

“When you stop, I’ll stop. How’s that for a deal?” Jesse slammed the door of his truck and gunned the engine, heading out way faster than he should. Joel held his breath as Vicki pulled to stop just in time as Jesse shot off the gravel onto the highway ahead of her, cutting her off.

Fucking asshole. Joel grabbed his phone, but Jesse refused to pick up, his phone going to voice mail.

“You try something stupid like that again and I’ll beat your head in. What the fuck were you thinking?” Joel jabbed the end call button and shoved his phone into his pocket as Vicki pulled to his side.

She caught the heavy bike and set the kickstand, swinging her leg over and jerking her helmet off. “What is his problem? Goddammit, he could have killed me.”

A total body shiver took her, and Joel wrapped his arms around her. “I gave him hell. So sorry that happened.”

“Not your fault.”

But it seemed like it. Guilt smacked him upside the head. Jesse was in a mood, and it felt as if it was his responsibility to get his brother out of it. Just like in the old days.

Only, this wasn’t his responsibility, not really. Jesse was acting up, and this time Joel refused to join him, rescue him or otherwise step in until the jerk confessed what the hell was wrong.

But Vicki he needed to take care of, and now. He caught her by the hand, rubbing her cold fingers. “You okay?”

Vicki flushed. “Umm, yeah?”

Their activities of the previous night rushed back in. He looked her over carefully, enjoying the view even as he was honestly concerned. “Sore?”

She cocked out a hip and planted her fists on her hips. “Gee, you should come right out and ask if my hoo-ha hurts. Yes, Joel, I’m a little tender, which is why I didn’t appreciate having to basically can myself fighting with the bike as Jesse did his bat-out-of-hell imitation, but I’ll live.”