Honoring Freedom (Cowboys of Sagebrush Rose #3)

Chapter Two

The door came flying open to the bathroom and Keller nearly pissed all over the floor and himself. “Damn, Freedom. Pissing here,” he pushed out between thin lips.

“Like I haven’t seen it all before. From what I remember you never suffered from stage fright. You and your buddies used to see who could hit the bullseye.”

Sighing, he pushed himself back into his jeans and turned. She blocked his path to the sink. “Excuse me.”

She stared back at him like she could gladly filet him with her fingernails. “We’re not done talking.”

“I’ve been in town for weeks and you’re picking this very moment, while I’m in the bathroom, to have a conversation?” When she didn’t respond he gritted his teeth in frustration. “Can I at least wash my hands?”

She took a step to her right and he turned on the water at the sink. He looked at her reflection over his shoulder while he squirted soap onto his hands. He chuckled at seeing her annoyance. “It’s too early in the morning for this, Free. Come back when I’ve had a pot of coffee and maybe a fifth of tequila.”

“You need to take this seriously, Keller.” She angled her hip.

He splashed his face with water before he grabbed his toothbrush and squeezed out a ribbon of toothpaste on the bristles. “If you don’t plan to leave, then we might as well get this over with. What’s exactly bothering you?”

“Didn’t you hear me? I’ll repeat it. Tell Daddy that you’ve changed your mind and you no longer want to accept the job as ranch vet.”

"You don't get to order me around and tell me where I live," he mumbled as foam trickled down his chin.

“Oh, you can still live here. It’s far enough away from Sagebrush Rose that we won’t have to see each other.”

“Wow. So generous of you.” He spit into the sink. “For your information, ranch vet isn’t a job. It’s a career. I’m home. Right where I want to be. You’ll have to learn to accept that.”

“Not on my ranch you don’t. That’s my territory.”

“I don’t remember having to ask for your permission.” He rinsed his toothbrush and wiped his mouth on the towel on the hook. He leaned against the sink, giving her his undivided attention. He didn’t expect to feel a fluttering in his chest and chalked it up to their unresolved history together. Although fifteen years had elapsed since he last saw her, she had changed very little. Her hair, more strawberry than blonde, brought out the crystal blue of her eyes surrounded in thick, long eyelashes. So long that every time they fluttered shut, they grazed her freckled cheeks like a lover’s caress. He recalled how beautiful her smile always was, rivaling the sunlight, but now there wasn't even a glimmer of it.

Did she still really hate him that much? Even after all these years.

“I’m not joking.”

“This isn’t a joking matter.” He left her standing there smirking. He stepped down the hall into his bedroom and she was right on his heels.

“We’re not done discussing this.”

Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.

The bedsprings in Keifer’s room were being worked like an audition for an X-rated movie on the other side of the wall.

“He and his girl must have made up,” Keller said. He hated the thin walls.

This was one of the things he detested about living with his brother again. Growing up with five of them in the house, there wasn’t a single day that a fight didn’t break out over stinky socks left in every available nook and cranny, someone drinking all the milk and whose turn it was to take out the trash. And…awkward sounds coming from bedrooms.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Keifer’s headboard hit the wall.

“Oh, that’s just great,” Freedom’s sun kissed cheeks turned a pale pink.

“Try sleeping when it’s going on all night,” he mumbled while picking up his scattered clothing off the floor and dropping the armful into the laundry basket. “Then again, this could very well be payback. Do you still moan loud enough for people in the next county to hear?”

Her mouth fell open, but not from his words. She was staring at his torso again. There was a time when he felt a bit self-conscious about the scars on his body, but now he wore them proudly as marks from another chapter in his life.

“Got something to say, just say it,” he urged.

“What happened?” She stepped closer and touched the white, puffy scar that was three inches above his waist. He flinched instinctively, and she quickly withdrew her hand as though he had burnt her. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“Rangers. Shot by enemy fire.” He wasn’t sure why her touch had caused a scorching rippling effect through him. How could she still cause so much of a reaction in his body? Over the years, he’d thought about her, wondered where life had taken her. Thought about all those moments spent out at the lake in each other’s arms as two innocent kids finding their way through love. He laughed when he remembered that man who was a bit gawky, a bit na?ve, who gave his heart to the prettiest girl in Sagebrush Pine—only to have it handed back to him at the end of summer bruised and broken. She was still the prettiest girl he’d ever laid eyes on, but he’d matured and grew brains where the ladies were concerned. Enlisting in the military had been an eyeopener. He’d grown up fast, learned how to survive, met friends—those who became family. Wounded, he ended up at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany after being evacuated from the Middle East. Forced into an honorable medical discharge, Keller decided to follow an old dream and go back to college to finish his degree in veterinary medicine. After graduation, he worked on a ranch for years and then he received a call from an old friend of the family, Miloh Vanhoose, who was retiring from Sagebrush Rose and he wanted to find his replacement.

Keller had practically jumped at the chance to speak to Sam Rose about taking the position. By the end of that fifteen-minute phone call, Keller was hired. He looked forward to being in Sagebrush Pine again, living in his childhood home where the memories of his late parents were in abundance. As a kid, he’d always wanted to spread his wings, take flight from the small town, and now he couldn’t be more pleased to return. Funny how life worked.

“It looks terrible.” Freedom was still staring as she walked around him to see if there were more scars that she could examine.

He saw compassion flash in her eyes. He didn’t want her pity, but as he looked closer, he realized it wasn’t pity that he saw in her eyes. She was intrigued. “While you’re back there will you scratch my back?”

“No, I won’t,” she huffed and put distance between them. “We need to come to some kind of compromise. You are pushing boundaries and it’s unfair.”

“You’re right, Freedom. What was I thinking? You’ve convinced me that I should quit the job I haven’t started, pack my bags, and hit the road, and find another dream.”

“That’ll work.” Her eyes gleamed.

“I’m staying. I do have a suggestion though. If you think this situation won’t work, then why don’t you move?” He would have laughed at the incredulous expression on her face if it wasn’t for the fact that nothing about the current situation was funny. His brother was next door getting laid, the pounding and squeaking was hitting a crescendo, and his ex-girlfriend was attempting to order him around. And he had livestock at the ranch that he needed to examine that morning. He didn’t have time for a fight with Freedom. They tended to last until she got her way. Not this time though. “Anything else?”

“You’re unbelievable.” A storm brewed in her eyes.

“You’ve told me that before.”

She tightened her fists into balls. “Are you doing this just to spite me?”

“Not everything revolves around you and your family. One thing you should know, I’m not the same man who followed you around like a puppy. I don’t have time for a spoiled woman. That ship has sailed.”

“You must have a bigger ego than I thought you did if that’s what you think I want. You’re a…a brat!”

He leaned in, catching her scent that reminded him of wildflowers in the spring. He captured one of her wild curls between his fingers and brought the silky tendril to his nose, inhaling the familiar coconut fragrance. Feeling a rush of need sink into his body, he pulled away, allowing the tendril to fall back to her flushed cheek. “Takes one to know one, I suppose.” She stared up at him through the full sweep of thick lashes and her bottom lip trembled. “You best stop looking at me like that or things will get a lot more complicated and a lot hotter at Sagebrush Rose.”

Her lush bottom lip puckered slightly. “Don’t flatter yourself. That ship has sailed, remember?”

“Are we trying to convince each other or ourselves?”

Her eyes darkened. "I believe you're the one wanting history to repeat itself."

“You haven’t changed a bit, have you? Still as spicy as a candied jalape?o.”

“I’ve changed. I no longer find myself entertained by men who are emotionally immature.” Her tone was clipped.

“That’s great because I no longer allow myself to associate with your type.” He strolled past her to the open suitcase that still held his clothes, everything he brought to town with him. He swiped up a shirt and shook out the wrinkles. It didn’t matter what he wore. By noon he’d be sweaty, covered in horse and cow shit, and ready for a shower with a hose.

Keller watched her watching him button his shirt. He wished he didn’t get a rise from her, but she still sparked something in him that he couldn’t quite eradicate.

He lowered his gaze over her and guessed she had changed more than he thought. Physically at least. She had more curves now.

The last button on his shirt popped off, flying across the room. With a sigh, he slipped the buttons back through the holes.

She must have felt a bit sorry for him because she rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a shirt, holding it out to examine if it’d work. “Here.” She held out the chambray. “It’s your first day. You’ll want to look semi-presentable.”

“I thought that only mattered on the first day of kindergarten?” he said with a chuckle. “Anyway, animals don’t care how I look.”

“Warning, Daddy will use you for more than taking care of animals. You’ll also see to overseeing any strife among the crew. Probably even stitching up injuries a time or two.”

With a narrowed gaze, he accepted the shirt and pulled it onto his shoulders, buttoning it with more care than the last one. “You mentioned strife. Has there been tension in the ranks?”

She gave a slight shrug. He guessed she was taking care to hold her cards close to her vest with how much she told him. “If you could lead a unit of soldiers into battle then you should be capable of teaching a bunch of unruly cowboys new and improved equestrian and cattle care. Even Daddy sees the advantage of modern medicine. That’s why he hired you, I’m sure.”

"Vanhoose said that you and your sisters have been using contemporary methods with the horses lately." He reached for his belt hanging on the hook and slid it through the loops along his waistband. “Sam told me he wants to adopt new methods. He said the crew needs a leader.”

“It has felt like an uphill battle. Daddy is quite traditional, and there are certain things he will never grasp. I'm torn between feeling elated that it required a doctor to persuade him to adopt new methods and feeling slightly resentful that only a male doctor could make him see reason.”

“I understand your viewpoint, but Sam values you and your sisters' opinions. Change is gradual, and modern techniques often take time to demonstrate their benefits. Sam has never been very patient. And let’s face it, Vanhoose is a damn good vet, but his methods and techniques are outdated.”

He stared at her and she shifted her feet. “What?”

"Are you done giving me a lecture now? I have to get to the ranch before Sam loses his last bit of patience.”

Frustration returned in her features. “Do yourself a favor and stay out of my way, Keller.” She swiveled and made her way down the hallway.

When he heard the slamming of the screen door he laughed.

If he planned to survive back in Sagebrush Pine, he needed to keep his mind off Freedom and focus on keeping the livestock and horses healthy. Sam had spoken to Keller about a few hands being lazy in their duties. He assured Sam that he’d never accept lackadaisical methods. Keller prided himself on his reputation. That’s where he and Sam saw eye-to-eye.

Working a ranch was an exhausting job, but he never minded demanding work. In fact, he craved the challenge. Long hours kept his mind off the years he spent in the Rangers and the men that never came home. Men who meant as much to him as any of his brothers. On that fateful day when he’d almost lost his own life, two of his buddies hadn’t been so lucky. The worst thing was, he’d missed both their funerals because he was still stuck in the hospital recovering from his life-threatening wounds. Three surgeries and two months of physical therapy later, he was shipped home in the back of a cargo plane and left to figure out where he would go from there.

With the help of a good therapist, a mild sleeping pill, and eating healthier, because he did like junk food, the nightmares became less frequent. The aches and pains in his body had even improved.

“I’ve changed in a lot of ways, Free. You wouldn’t like me at all now. Best we avoid each other,” he mumbled to himself and grabbed his boots from underneath the bed, shoving his feet inside.

He made his way into the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the ceramic bowl that his Ma had made years ago. He started munching on the fruit when Keifer came strolling in, looking quite like the cat who ate the canary, reaching into the refrigerator for a protein shake. When he realized Keller was eyeing him, he shrugged. “Got something to say?”

“Why don’t you move upstairs? Plenty of bedroom space and then I won’t have to listen to things I don’t want to hear,” he muttered and tossed the half-eaten apple into the trash.

“She’s right, you know?” Keifer drained the shake container and crushed it between his palms.

“Who are we talking about?”

“Freedom. Sagebrush Rose isn’t big enough for the two of you.”

“You listening to my conversations now?” Keller said with a shake of his head.

“You listening to my shenanigans?”

“Point taken. Thin walls. But you should keep your focus on the city girl you got down the hallway. Something tells me she can be a handful.”

"Relax. I know what she likes," Keifer said confidently.

"I’m leaving. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Keller murmured, pushing through the back door and stepping out into the blistering morning. It was going to be a scorcher, in many ways.

Keifer opened the door and caught Keller at his truck. “Help a brother out. Get me hired at Sagebrush Rose.”

“We’ll see,” Keller said, waving as he climbed into his truck. The engine roared to life, rattling the windows. It was the same Dodge he bought before he enlisted, and despite its aging engine, he couldn’t let it go—not yet. The simple man that he was, he opted for used over new.

He didn’t lack much in life but occasionally pondered what the future held.

He thought of a strawberry blonde beauty. Back in the day, he'd figured he knew exactly what his future looked like. He imagined spending his life with her. Man, he used to be a foolish kid who saw everything in vibrant Technicolor. Nowadays, things felt a lot blacker and whiter with no shades of grey.

Getting shot and facing death could do that to a person. Make a man start wondering what the universe had in store for him. Whether he wanted to face the reality of the situation or not, he’d be seeing a lot of Freedom in the days to come. Keller wasn’t the type of man to ignore the elephant in the room. The only question that loomed large in his mind was did he still care for her?

He pulled out and immediately slammed on the brakes.

A stray black cat ran out into the gravel lane and stopped, staring at him with bright green eyes.

“Don’t even try it, cat. I’m not superstitious,” he muttered. Honking the horn, the cat took off. Keller picked up the phone and texted Keifer…

Put out a bowl of water for the stray cat.