Chapter Two—Montgomery

The place hadn’t changed, only the seasons. His brooding brother hadn’t changed for damn sure, not that he expected any different.

Mont knew coming home was going to be hard for everyone, including himself. Kaden and Mont had been close once before, before Kathy. When Kaden fell for a girl, he fell hard, but this one was more interested in getting Mont’s attention than Kaden’s.

Kaden hadn’t believed him.

Mont would have never accused Kaden of stealing one of his girls. If he said she came onto him, kissed him, he would have believed Kaden.

Obviously, Kaden didn’t hold the same morals. He shunned Mont after it happened, only adding to the reasons why he left after his parents’ death.

Now he was back to start staking claim on his half of the business. After winning two national championships and four years of traveling with the rodeo, riding bulls during the day and girls at night—he was tired. He wanted something different, something solid, someone he could come home to every day.

He parked his truck beside Kaden’s, looking around the property at the freshly mowed grass and the new horses in the field. His parents’ house hadn’t changed in his long five years away.

That was why he had to get away, or at least one of the many reasons. Those makeshift flowerbeds his momma had beside the steps were still there, one of the rocks missing because he’d thrown it through the old firehouse window to show how strong he was in second grade.

The rocking chairs, all four of them, had a mist of red paint where Kaden dared him to spray paint a horse on the front door.

All those memories he’d shoveled into the back of his mind, trying to hide the pain from his parents’ death. He couldn’t live in those memories every day like Kaden.

Kaden refused to move out and move on. Mont started building himself a home the year after he graduated high school, finishing two years later.

It wasn’t as grand as their parents’ ranch house, but it was plenty for himself and one day a family. Now he was thankful he had built it because sleeping under the same roof as Kaden proved a hazard to his health.

A small Honda sat to the opposite side of the driveway, parked underneath one of their Magnolia trees. He couldn’t imagine Kaden found himself a woman because no sane man that lays with a woman every night should be that furious.

Mont noticed Kaden’s four-wheeler parked by the back gate, so he walked around toward the back, hopping fences until he made it to the barn.

Kaden was bent over, feeding the horses when he rounded the corner of the opened barn door.

“Everything looks good.”

Kaden didn’t bother turning to look at Mont. “Glad to have your approval.”

Mont would let his hostile remarks slide off of his back. It’d be one hell of a long road if he fought him over every little thing. “Whose Honda?”

Kaden dropped the feed sack to turn and glare at him. Slowly, he took off his gloves, shoving them in the front pocket of his Levi’s. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll never meet her.”

So, there was a her?

Mont interlaced his fingers on the back of his neck. “You married somebody?”

Kaden hissed underneath his breath. “What? You’re upset that you weren’t invited to the wedding?”

Mont’s heart sank to his gut. Married? His brother married someone without telling him. It felt like a knife wound in his heart. He looked at the silver wedding ring around his left finger and up to his brother’s dark eyes.

“Yeah, I am. I guess you don’t want to hear the same ole apologies, huh? You’ll never believe me? Even after you’re married? You still worried about Kathy St.—”

“Don’t say her name.”

“Why? You think she’ll hear us? She’s gone, buddy. Why can’t you believe me?”

Kaden chuckled without humor. “Because I don’t believe you. I think it’s best you leave. I don’t want to work with you, or have to look at your ugly mug, to be honest.”

Mont tightened his hands into fists. “Well, that’s too damn bad. I’m not leaving, because I own half of this ranch, and if you think you’re gonna swat me away, you’ve got another thing coming. I’ll take you to court.”

Kaden took a step toward him while pointing his finger in his face. “You don’t give a damn—,”

“Kaden.”

The lady that stood at the barn door was stunning; Mont wouldn’t deny that in the least. She held two glasses of sweet tea, her dark, hazel eyes moving from Mont to Kaden. “Is this your brother?”

Kaden cleared his throat. “Take those drinks back to the house.”

Her eyes narrowed before she defiantly walked over to him and handed him a glass. “I’m Abigail. I’m your sister-in-law. I’d say I’ve heard a lot about you, but we both know that’s a lie. It’s nice to meet you. You look like your momma in the eyes.”

“Thank you for the tea. It’s nice to meet you too.”

Mont glanced over at Kaden, who turned to start a stare down with Abigail. “Can’t you ever listen to anything I say?”

Abigail blinked her eyes a few lazy times, pushing her long, blond hair from her shoulder, as she said, “No.”

Mont liked her already, and after a taste of her sweet tea, she had two points in her court.

Kaden mumbled something beneath his breath. “I don’t want you around here,” he said again. “You can see your way out.”

“So, you want me to contact a lawyer? Ya know my buddy from high school has a law degree. I believe he has a firm in Willow County. I guess I’ll give ‘im a call.”

Mont heard Abigail whisper something to Kaden as he walked off, but he hushed her. Mont would have to contact his friend from school because his brother was more bull-headed than he’d ever seen.

By the time he had made it back to his truck, his mind had drifted to Swayze from the diner. She’d been a shock for him to see working in that overly priced spot. Pine Valley had some pretty girls, but those girls had grown up there, moving off the first chance they got.

Swayze was new, and for some reason settled down in the one-horse town.

He wouldn’t question it, not yet at least.

The attraction he had to her was more than those girls riding town to town trying to get with a bull-rider. Yeah, bull-riders had groupies; they just dressed in blue jean cutoffs and boots. He didn’t want any of that anymore.

Sometime over the years, he’d changed, wanting one person to come home to every night, not a different pair of shoes sitting on his floor every morning. After swearing he’d never say it, he wanted a woman like his momma.

A good, southern woman he could work hard for, come home to, and drive her up the wall every night. He wanted a wife.

Laughing, he let his arm hang out of his pickup window, smelling the after scent of rain and cut grass. He never expected himself to want that out of life, because when you’re young, the thought of being trapped in a marriage is petrifying.

The sun sat low as he pulled into the small grocery store parking lot. There were only a couple of cars parked there, and he figured he could get in and out quickly. His refrigerator looked brand-new because there was absolutely nothing in it or his cabinets.

That tends to happen when you haven’t been home in five years.

The bright, florescent lighting flickered as he pushed in the glass doors. The only sounds were the humming of the florescent lights and his heavy footsteps. Mont grabbed a shopping cart, starting his quick trip because he hated buying groceries.

When he rounded the second corner to the chip aisle, he stopped in his tracks because there she stood with her son pulling her in the opposite direction. She had an arm full of random things, her focus on the big bag of chips or the smaller one.

It seemed weird to see her out of uniform, in well-fitted jeans and a loose, gray T-shirt. There was nothing fancy about her, and it piqued his interest because she didn’t need anything fancy to be beautiful. Ryker pulled his Batman cape around him like Dracula and tried to spin in a circle.

“Momma! Pleeeease!”

“Ryker,” she hissed, still looking at the bags. “Just a second. Mommy is reading.”

“Momma! No!” Ryker fell out in the middle of the aisle, kicking and wailing his arms around.

Swayze sighed, bending down to pick him up when she noticed Montgomery.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Ms. Swayze Sways,” Mont said, pushing closer.

Swayze blew a piece of hair from her forehead and tried unsuccessfully to pick Ryker up. “We were just leaving—”

“Yeah, looks like it,” Mont said, bending down to look at Ryker. Ryker stopped throwing his tantrum and stood still. “Hey, Ryker, you remember me? I’m your buddy that gave you a ride.”

A slow grin crawled up Ryker’s face, and he hid partially behind Swayze’s leg. “Ah, there’s that smile. Now you stop giving your momma a hard time.”

“Batman!” Ryker shouted.

“He’s a pretty fun dude,” Mont said, looking up to catch her staring at him.

She averted her gaze, turning to look over her shoulder at the empty aisle. “Thanks for that, but we really need to get going…”

“Montgomery King!”

Mont turned around to see a squatty woman in an apron walking toward him. It was Mrs. Eileen who had worked in the back as a butcher for as long as Mont could remember. “Hey, Mrs. Eileen, how are you?”

“I’m doing well for an old woman, darlin’. How is life since you’re back in town? Are we finished riding those crazy bulls? You know your momma didn’t like all that. Why weren’t you here for your brother’s wedding a couple years back?”

Mont looked back to see Swayze had left the aisle and cursed underneath his breath. Mrs. Eileen kept talking until Mont pulled her into a hug. It was evident that no one knew he hadn’t been invited to his brother’s wedding.

Kaden could play the victim all he wanted to, but Mont wasn’t going to bite into it. Pine Valley could think what they wanted about him. He didn’t give a damn then, and he didn’t now.

“It was good seeing you. I’ll be back in next week, I’m sure.”

She frowned, studying his face. “Okay now, you come back. We’ve got things to talk about,” she said, waddling away. “I have a huge shipment coming in for the fourth of July, too.”

Mont pushed his cart toward the front, catching Swayze and Ryker as she started gathering her food already in bags, while Ryker whined for some balloon on a stick at the register. “Pleeeaaase!”

The cashier, a young girl that looked like one of Pastor Baker’s kids, due to the freckles and worried look, stood uncomfortably watching Swayze mercilessly begging Ryker to stop. “You have ten at home.”

“I want the balloon, Momma!”

Swayze sighed, standing up to close her eyes and then look up at the ceiling. “I only brought enough money for the food, Ryker,” she whispered.

“No!”

Mont walked closer, abandoned his cart, grabbed a balloon with some dogs on it, and he handed it to the cashier, putting down two dollars with it. “Here, I got it.”

“No,” Swayze said, trying to put the balloon back up.

“Just stop,” he said. “I’ve got it. It’s a dollar—”

“Balloon! I want that balloon!” Ryker continued to scream and stomp his feet.

Swayze’s cheeks turned red as she shook her head, trying to handle Ryker and push her hair that had fallen into her eyes. “It’s fine; he has two at home.”

“Momma!”

The cashier slowly rung up the balloon and gave Mont the change. Turning to face Ryker, Mont bent down, handing him the balloon. Ryker stopped crying, wiping his puffy eyes and snotty nose with his hand before grabbing the balloon.

Mont stood back up to look at Swayze, but her face made him cringe. “I told you no,” she hissed. “He’ll never learn his lesson if I let him walk all over me.”

Mont looked at the cashier, who turned her attention to stacking cigarettes behind the counter. “I was just trying to be nice,” Mont whispered, stepping closer. “You looked like you needed some help.”

“Well, don’t quit your day job because you suck at reading people. I don’t need your help, or anything from you. We are fine alone,” she snapped, grabbing Ryker’s free hand while he waved the balloon around with the other.

“Swayze,” Mont said. “You’re overreacting. I was just trying to help.”

“Well, don’t,” she said, turning to walk out of the store.

Montgomery watched until the glass doors closed behind her.

“Well—damn.”