SWNOVELS Downpour: Chapter 24
Three pairs of eyes stared at me from across the table. Their gazes made me hesitant to reach for the shared basket of chips and bowl of salsa.
Becks had a mostly pleasant smile on her face, but it could have been fake. She was accustomed to faking it on TV. Cassandra didn’t bother putting on a polite smile. She seemed to be contemplating whether I was small enough for her to dig a hole by hand to bury me in, or if she’d have to borrow a backhoe from the ranch.
Charlotte—or Charlie as most people called her—was unusually quiet for a toddler.
Becks nudged Cassandra. “Well?”
“Well, what? What do I do with her? Can she even drink?”
Becks laughed. “You hang out with Bree and Gracie all the time.”
“I’m used to them!” Cassandra said.
“And of course she can drink,” Becks said, then paused. “Wait. You can drink, right? We usually have margaritas and talk shit.”
“I can drink,” I squeaked.
“See?” Becks said. “Ray wouldn’t… whatever you guys are doing with someone that young.”
Cassandra let out a relieved sigh and gestured to the waiter. “I’m going to need tequila to get through this lunch.”
We filled the uncomfortable silence by munching on warm tortilla chips while the waiter took our orders. Charlotte had found the perfect triangle chip, then proceeded to smash it to smithereens as she let out a mischievous giggle.
Finally, margaritas were doled out to each of us. Cassandra grabbed hers and sucked down half of it.
“Dramatic much?” Becks said, licking the salt rim and taking a sip.
“You know I don’t like people,” Cassandra said.
I wished I could disappear into the vinyl booth. The music playing overhead felt far too cheerful for the level of awkwardness I felt with the two Griffith sisters.
It felt like a job interview that I was woefully unprepared for.
Becks and Cassandra were stunning and sophisticated and mature and everything that I wasn’t.
Hell, Becks was probably old enough to be my mom. Or at least close to it.
“Just ask her a question to get to know her,” Becks said as if I wasn’t sitting across from them. “Start with something easy. That’s what I do when I’m interviewing people.”
Cassandra took another sip. “So, are you fucking Ray?”
Becks choked on her chip. “Not that!”
“Well! You said to ask a question.”
Becks rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but we already know they’re sleeping together.”
I had just taken a long drink of my margarita and choked. I sputtered into my napkin as the tequila and salt burned my throat.
“Great,” Cassandra deadpanned. “We took her out once and killed her. Ray’s gonna be pissed.”
Charlie crawled out of her mom’s lap and ran around to my side of the booth. I was grateful when she climbed into my lap and giggled. I loved spending time with kids. They weren’t judgmental.
Cassandra leaned back in the booth. “Alright, little miss fairytale princess who loves children and talks to animals, what’s your deal?”
Becks giggled. “I think that’s just called being a normal person.”
“My deal?” I squeaked.
“Yeah,” Cass said. “How’d you turn Ray from the beast in the castle to a normal person who voluntarily socializes?”
While I went out to lunch with Becks and Cassandra, Ray was spending his Saturday with CJ and Nate, overseeing a delivery of horses for the equine program that was coming to the ranch.
I had heard bits and pieces about it from CJ and Ray, and it sounded amazing. They would be hosting kids camps, running therapy programs, training, and boarding.
The ranch was a paradise. I loved being secluded from the world—blissfully unaware of the chaos and hustle and bustle. But I also loved watching the ranch grow and come to life with each new project development.
“I dunno,” I said as I grabbed a chip and dipped it into the salsa. “We get along, I guess.”
Cassandra’s hand floated up and down in my direction. “I mean, you’re hot. So you’ve got that going for you.”
I choked again. “Um. I’m going to be honest, I don’t know how much I’m supposed to say. You know … client confidentiality and all that.”
Becks snickered. “Trust us. We know how to keep our mouths shut.”
They exchanged a look that said as much.
Becks turned back to me. “Besides. I have a feeling you’ll be sticking around. Us ranch ladies have to stick together, otherwise the testosterone will run rampant. How are things going with him?”
“Good,” I evaded.
“You two went away for the weekend,” Cassandra said.
“We did…” I looked around. “Am I in trouble? I’ve never been interrogated with margaritas before.”
Becks snickered. “We’re just trying to get to know you, that’s all. I know I’m not around much these days since I’m traveling a lot. But it’s obvious that everyone loves you. Momma Griff hasn’t stopped talking about you.”
Cassandra snorted, and Becks elbowed her.
“She’s just jealous because everyone loves you,” Becks said.
I smiled nervously at Cassandra. She was the woman around the ranch the most, so it just made sense to try and get on her good side. “Ray speaks highly of you. He told me you were the one who got him into that clinical trial.”
Her eyes softened just a tad. “I know people. Sometimes it’s nice to remind my contacts that I’m still waiting in the shadows and will use them when it suits me. Especially since I’m dealing with fucking horse auctions these days. I miss Manhattan.”
Becks laughed.
I handed Charlie a chip and watched her munch on it with her brand new teeth. “I can’t wait to see the new horses. I love going on rides with Indy and Anny.”
Cassandra laughed. “You mean CJ’s horse lets you get near her? That thing tried to bite me. I stay at least ten feet away from her at all times.”
Becks grimaced. “Yeah. Anny hates me too.”
“Really? She’s a sweetie. You just have to get to know her,” I said as I relaxed a little.
Cassandra snorted. “See? She’s an animal-whispering fairy tale princess.”
The waiter returned with our food and filled the table with plates. Charlie scurried back to her mom’s lap and munched on an avocado wedge.
“And that’s what happened with Ray, too?” Becks asked. “You just got to know him as well?”
I started feeling the subtle buzz of the margarita. “We have an agreement. I don’t get fired, and I only help him when he asks for it. And I’m supposed to ignore him. But that didn’t last long. I also kind of got lost on a walk, and CJ had to come find me, and Ray went ballistic.”
Cassandra smirked. “Yeah, I heard about that. CJ told Christian. I stopped him from going to Ray’s house to check on you.” She pointed her fork at me. “I figured I’d let Ray have you all to himself. You’re welcome.”
My cheeks flushed at the memory of him telling me to take my shirt off so he could apply salve to my back and shoulders.
“Look,” Becks said with a mouthful of food. “No judgment. Especially not from us. Nate and I had a fling when I was assigned to his unit in Afghanistan. Literally hooked up in his bunk. Sand everywhere.”
I giggled.
Becks nodded toward Cassandra. “She started working at the ranch and hooked up with Christian. Apparently, it’s a very relationship-friendly workplace. You know, the fence behind my house is still wobbly.”
Cassandra didn’t look up from her plate. “Huh. No idea how that happened.”
Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have downed an entire margarita on an empty stomach.
I shoveled a forkful of rice and beans into my mouth, attempting to soak up the alcohol. My head was spinning, but it felt nice. I loved girl talk. Being with them was fun.
“So, are you and Ray official or is it just a casual thing?” Cassandra asked. “The girls want to know if they’re getting another aunt.”
My stomach churned, and the margarita threatened to resurface. “I don’t think it’s serious.”
My inebriated head swam with memories of all the “ours” that Ray had mentioned in the heat of an argument. Our dates. Our wedding. Our babies. Our life. Us.
“He’s said … things. But he’s also said that he doesn’t want anything serious. So, we don’t really see eye-to-eye there. I guess it’s just temporary.”
Temporary like most things in my life.
But honestly, I was starting to tire of all the fleeting things. I had been holding on to the dream of making it to twenty-five. But what if I wanted to live in twenty-two, twenty-three, and twenty-four and truly enjoy them?
I felt like a potted plant sitting on a windowsill, waiting for brief moments of sunshine to keep me going, when all I wanted was to put down roots.
“Give it time,” Cassandra said. “Ray and I usually see eye-to-eye, which means he’s a stubborn asshole and takes a lot of convincing to change his mind.”
“And that’s what happened with you and Christian? He convinced you to stay?”
Something softened in Cassandra at the mention of his name. “Yeah, Christian and the girls did. I was ready to leave because I was scared to stay.” She huffed and put on her armor of sass and sarcasm. “If it’s meant to be, he’ll come around. Because the alternative is him getting his way, but not having you. Sometimes being wrong feels really good.”
After lunch, Becks and Cass updated me on some town gossip, shared stories about the ranch, and gave me a few tips on how to handle the Griffith brothers. Apparently Ray wasn’t the only Griffith brother to have a reputation for being ornery and mule-headed.
When the drinks were empty and the chips were reduced to crumbs, we got into Becks’s SUV and drove back to the ranch.
“Are you and Ray coming over to Claire’s house for family dinner?” Cassandra asked from the front seat.
“Oh, I’m not sure. I’ll have to see what Ray wants. He might go, but I’ll probably stay back. It’s my day off, and I don’t want to intrude on family stuff. I’m supposed to be back at the house I rent a room in, but it’s not the best place to be.”
Especially since the cops couldn’t pin down my roommates to question them about the break-in at Ray’s house.
“Ray wasn’t too thrilled about me leaving the ranch this weekend,” I mentioned.
Becks grinned. “Because he’s protective of you.”
“I think you’ll be sticking around for a lot more weekends,” Cassandra said.
“I’d like to stay,” I admitted as Becks maneuvered the winding dirt road. “But eventually he won’t need me. Ray doesn’t really rely on me anyway.”
Cassandra hummed something vague under her breath and began typing a note on her phone.
“Do you want me to drop you off at Ray’s house, or do you want to walk?” Becks asked.
I chose to walk. I wanted to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. It would feel good to stretch my legs. I liked snooping around all the barns to see what the ranch hands had been working on. Lately, they had been renovating and expanding the stables to accommodate the new horses.
I waved at Gracie and Christian as they relaxed on their porch while Gracie painted her nails. I passed by the main office of the ranch and paused to hug Mickey the cow. I slipped into the stables and gave treats to Libby, Indy, and Anny.
Anarchy nuzzled her long black nose against my hand. She was a gentle giant. Fierce, sassy, and scary as hell, but soft with those she trusted.
I offered her an extra treat to stay in her good graces, then quietly left the stables to make my way back to Ray’s house.
I waved at a group of ranch hands I recognized but didn’t know by name.
This place felt like family.
It felt safe.
It felt like home.