Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 113270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“What’s it to you, Farmer fucking Ted?” Bennett’s voice cracks like a whip, and more tears flood behind my lids.
I don’t know why I’m so emotional. It’s never really been in my DNA—something about being a Bishop and dealing with all the family-induced trauma hardens your soul or something.
But I don’t open my eyes because I can’t. I don’t say anything else because the world is spinning, my pulse is hammering somewhere between my ears and my ribs, and the tears start up again before I can swallow them back.
What on earth is going on with me?
31
Tad
I didn’t exactly plan on getting in the crosshairs of a shitstorm in Bennett Bishop’s house.
But my sheep had other plans.
Crosby figured out a way to unlatch the new gate Randy and I installed on the side of the fence that butts up toward the Bishops’ house a week ago. We thought it was bulletproof. Evidently, it wasn’t Crosby-proof.
Half my flock was in Bennett’s yard before I knew it, some in his driveway, some in the pasture near his studio, and I headed over that way to get their asses back over to the farm.
But then I heard screaming and hollering.
The yelling wasn’t of the toddler variety or a happy family house boisterous with noise. It was sharp. It was angry. It was strong enough to shake the fucking walls and urge a gallon of adrenaline to pour into my veins.
And I swore I could hear Breezy’s soft voice somewhere in the violent mix.
I didn’t think. I acted, and I ran as fast as I could across the yard and straight to the house.
My boots hit the porch hard enough to rattle the boards, and I didn’t even bother knocking. I turned the knob and yanked the door open as my pulse climbed straight into fight mode. And I busted into the house, eyes searching frantically for Breezy.
Any manner of burglary or attempted kidnapping or Breezy being held at gunpoint was running through my head, but what I found was entirely confusing and infuriating, considering she looked more upset than I’ve ever seen her.
And that’s how I ended up here with a livid Bennett and a dude I’ve never met staring me down while a now-sobbing Breezy hops up from the kitchen table and runs over to the trash can to puke her guts out.
“Earth to Farmer Ted, what are you doing here, in my fucking house?” Bennett asks for the second time, but I’m too focused on Breezy to listen or care or respond. I’m also feeling really pissed that she’s in this state, and I have to assume someone in this room is the cause.
“Breezy?” I question, walking over toward her and gently putting my hand on her back. “Are you okay?”
When she doesn’t answer, probably because she’s too busy hurling and dry heaving between sobs, I turn toward Bennett and the other dude I don’t know. Both still look angry as fuck, but guess what? I’m fucking angry too. “What happened?”
“Why the fuck should we tell you?” the man next to Bennett asks. “I don’t even know who the hell you are.”
“He’s the fucking sheep farmer from next door,” Bennett interjects, just as I crack back.
“Yeah, well, I can say the same about you. Who the fuck are you, and why’ve you got her crying?”
“Why don’t you leave our sister to us, Farmer Ted?” Bennett intervenes, but his words are all the clue I need to put the rest of it together. Our sister. Our.
“Wait…Logan?” With angry eyes, I turn back to the other brother. “You’re Logan?”
He lets out an exasperated sigh. “Listen, I know it’s rare for celebrities to land in this town, but I’m not here to entertain small-town folk with autographs and fucking selfies.”
Breezy is crying, and he thinks I came in here to get his fucking autograph? I’m two seconds away from throttling this guy.
“How about you go back to whatever farm you came from and give us some privacy,” Logan adds, his voice an egotistical snarl, and the cries of Bennett and Norah’s little girl start to ring out again from somewhere down the hallway.
But I hardly hear anything besides the piercing buzzing in my ears. Can hardly see anything besides red.
Everything I know about Breezy and Logan and how fucked up he’s handled everything since their dad’s passing overwhelms my already adrenaline-stocked veins with a surge of rage.
And before I know it, I step forward, cock my fist, and let it fly, landing a ringer of a punch directly to his right eye.
“Fuck!” He stumbles back through a shout, and the whole room erupts into chaos.
“What the fuck are you doing, Farmer Ted?” Bennett yells just as Norah comes through the front door behind me, her voice rising to a screech as she surveys what’s going on.