Love Under Construction (The Love Under Series Book 1) (16 page)

I hadn’t spoken to Max since I yelled at him at work. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with him right then, but couldn’t help but feel awkward to him bearing witness to my injury. He didn’t say anything, and why would he? I was sure Jenny was happy she had her man back. I remembered his kiss and the scratch of his stubble on my cheek and my hand drifted to my lips. 

I might as well get that thought out of my head.
That was a dead end street. Kelli placed a plate with a sandwich and some coleslaw before me and I dug in. In all the excitement of the day, I realized I hadn’t eaten anything all day, and Kelli’s lunch fixings were all I needed to focus on right then. 

It had been more than three weeks since the last time I spoke to Suzie. I saw her at a distance at Aunt Kelli’s, and I found myself making excuses to go out there. My property was on the outskirts of theirs, and I really didn’t have to enter from their ranch. I had my own private drive but I was drawn to Suzie and I could see her silhouette in the windows as I passed the guest house. 

I couldn’t un-see her injuries. I didn’t know who caused them, and all I wanted to do was protect her, but she wouldn’t talk to me. A man should never lay hands on a woman, and just the idea that Suzie was in pain made my blood boil. Things started to make sense. When we first met, she kept her distance from me, but it just wasn’t me, it was everyone. She rarely touched anyone. At first, I was self-conscious and my own insecurity masked her lack of body contact. The first time I reached out to her, I thought she just didn’t like me. Memories of our night together at the barn raced across my brain, and I couldn’t stop the erection brewing in my jeans. 

I couldn’t blame her for not talking to me. Jenny was a cunt, and I could only imagine exactly what she might have said to her. I didn’t know why she even cared what happened between Suzie and me anyway; Jenny got what she wanted. Ever since Suzie arrived into town, I hadn’t even looked in her direction. Besides, I was sure Jenny was well into the double digit, if not three digit counts of soldiers that had warmed her bed and filled her pussy since the night I tied her up. 

Pounding away at the framework for my new house, I worked through my frustrations. With each board, it seemed like a plan was laid out as my base floor came together. I would have to get some help to raise the roof, but for now I was happy to work alone and build my dream house. It didn’t look like much except an expanse of two by fours and sheet rock, but in my mind’s eye, it was paradise. The sheet rock and insulation was an easy task, and I had my guys rock it out as soon as I made the call. First, I wanted to make sure I laid the means for a well-wired house so I wouldn’t ever have to worry about finding an outlet or a switch. I was pouring into my house every frustration I had ever found in the builds of others’ homes. I could see exactly where everything would go and every possible scenario that I might need electricity somewhere. 

I shored up the next plank and pressed the lever on the nail gun, and it clicked in protest. Out of nails. Leaning back against what would be my bedroom wall’s corner, I tried to think of my options. I would have to grab more nails. No two ways about it because hammering nails one by one just sucked. I closed my eyes, rested my head back against the wall in progress as Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” screamed through the speakers of my truck
more, more, more
. 

I need more nails.

Having my car back was a godsend. I loved being able to come and go freely. The weekend meant another auction, and Kristi called me late the night before when the cattle were delivered. The day would be a busy getting all the paperwork processed, cattle branded and accounted for, and ready for auction. Some of the calves were already sold, and those were the ones we needed to get out the door first, once the paperwork was sorted. 

Twisting in front of the mirror one last time, I checked my appearance in the full-length mirror of my bedroom. I smiled as the Wranglers hugged my butt and thighs before flaring slightly at the bottom over my boots. My two braids fell just past my shoulders keeping my hair out of the way during the day. I grabbed my hat and headed out the door. 

I missed my Beetle. People must not have seen too many around there because driving down the town streets, kid after kid would punch their friend. I couldn’t help but chuckle. Maybe they had their own form of Slug Bug out there, something different, but each punch I witnessed reminded me some things were just immortal. 

It was still pretty quiet in town that morning at nine o’ clock. I pulled into my parking spot at Stocks and Plots and crossed the street to grab some coffee. There were just a couple diners eating their meals at the coffee shop when I stopped off for my morning brew. 

“Soy milk, Suzie, right?” the waitress asked.

“That’s right. Thank you.” I peeked through the rodeo flyers on the counter as she prepared my cup. 

“Hey, one of the guys was in here looking for you.”

“Oh, I’m sure, cattle came in overnight.”

“Is that right? I better make some more settings and another pot of coffee then.”

“I’m headed over there now. You know how these guys get. I’m sure he is wanting to be first in line to pick up his beef.”

“He didn’t look like a hand. Anyway, I told him he could find you at the office or out on the ranch,” she said as she pressed firmly down upon the coffee cup lid and slid it across the counter to me. 

“I’m sure I will see him sometime today then. Thanks!”

“See ya later. Just call if you need me to send one of the guys across the street with lunch if you can’t get outta there.”

“Will do.”

I crossed the street to the auction house, and Kristi was yelling at some guy at the door. 

“Get out! You’re not gonna tell me how to run my shop! I will tell you when I am good and ready!”

“Thank God you’re here, Suzie. Can you get me my paperwork? I just want to head back to Sterling,” he pleaded with me.

I took one look at Kristi, and the vein on her temple was bulged and pulsating as the fury was written across her brow.

“I’m sorry. It’s going to be at least a few hours before things are ready. I just got here. I haven’t even had my coffee.” I tried to placate him.

“Are you kidding me?”

“Why don’t you go have something to eat and come back at lunchtime?” I suggested.

“This is what happens when you put women in charge,” he mumbled, turning his back to us. 

“Now you can come back tomorrow, jackass! If you don’t like women, you can take your business elsewhere. I got plenty who want beef!” Kristi screamed over my shoulder. 

He simply waved his hand in the air and walked away. 

“That guy has some nerve.” I was appalled at his behavior.

“He comes from a long line of assholes,” Kristi said. 

“Good to know,” I said, shaking my head, following Kristi back in to the office. 

“Like my whole life revolves around his
one
calf. One. I got 124 others out there to take care of too. He can fucking wait.”

“He probably would have been knocking on my door waking me up this morning if Nancy wouldn’t have sent him over here.”

“What do you mean?” Kristi asked curiously.

“Nancy over at the diner said one of the guys was looking for me early this morning across the street asking for directions.”

“Are you kidding? Well, now he can wait. Come on, girl, I have the invoices and shipping papers over here.”

We began to work of creating files for each calf and matching them to their new owners. 

“Speaking of guys … What ever happened with Max?”

“Nothing. Haven’t spoken to him.”

“Not at all?”

“Nope, not since the whole Jenny incident.”

“You know he banned her from the Taps,” she said flippantly. I looked up, not quite sure what she meant.

“What do you mean?”

“He banned her from the bar. She is going to have to find a new fishing pond.”

“You can’t ban someone from going somewhere,” I said, blowing off her statement.  

“Sure you can, especially when your Dad owns the place.”

“That’s true. I guess he can then.”

“Yeah, his dad owns Brewer’s Taps, the building it sits in and a few other properties around town like the coffee shop. Max has a few properties too.”

"He mentioned it, but I thought he was just messing with me. I never really gave it much thought until now. He owns the coffee shop too?”

“No, just the building. The owners were having a hard time few years back, so he helped them out.”

“By buying the building?”

“Yup, now they don’t have to worry about their rent being late because they are dealing with people not banks.”

“Well, that was nice of them.”

“Suzie, this is a small town. People don’t have much, but they have each other. You should talk to Max.”

“He has Jenny. They can have each other.”

“No one wants Jenny,” Kristi said with a huff before answering her buzzing cell phone. “Stock and Plots, this is Kristi.”

It was a small town, and I didn’t want any part of Jenny or her sloppy seconds as she so eloquently called it, but I couldn’t get Max out of my mind. I tried to focus on the task at hand, but my thoughts kept drifting back to his soft kisses.

“That was the other driver. He won’t be here with the rest of the beef until tomorrow. So we can finish up here and head out. There are a couple orders that need calves off that other truck so I’m not calling anyone until tomorrow.”

“What about that guy you told to come back after lunch?”

“He can wait. This load wasn’t supposed to be here until tomorrow to match the other one. Let him put that in his pipe and smoke it.” I laughed at Kristi. She had some of the weirdest expressions. She never failed to crack me up. 

We finished up right around lunchtime and headed out. 

“I have to go check with the guys in the pasture. I will see you in the morning. I have a feeling this truck is gonna come bright and early.”

As we were locking up, I saw the ranch hand crossing the street. I quickly got in my car, throwing my purse on the passenger seat, and hurried to start her up. I prayed she started right away. As the engine turned over, I wasted no time pulling out of my parking spot and zooming down the street. I watched in my rearview mirror as he held his hat in his hands and rubbed his head, kicking at the dirt in the street. 

I pulled up the driveway and there were trucks parked out by the barn but no one to be seen. Everyone must have gone out to the pastures to move cattle. Kelli’s pick up was gone too. I climbed the porch steps, kicking off the dust against the boards on the way up so I wouldn’t drag it into the house. I dumped my purse on the counter picking up the pile of mail. Kelli must have dropped it off on her way out to town. 

I had started to get my forwarded mail from Dallas, but the letter on top made my blood run cold. The Post Office notice was addressed:

Suzanne Pierce

347 Mockingjay Court Unit #202

Dallas, TX 75231

That wasn’t right. I already got the change of address notice a few days after I got back from Dallas. That was Bill’s address. My lunch bubbled up in my throat, and I ran to the bathroom to spill my turkey club sandwich into the toilet. Shaking from the heaving, I reached for a towel to clean myself off.