Broken Trouble (Broken Storm Book 1) Read online

  Dylan nodded, his brows furrowing. "It's okay, it's okay," he murmured under his breath, trying to reassure himself.

  He was adorable.

  "Just relax," I said, glancing up from our feet and to his eyes, where they stayed.

  He smiled softly before a comfortable silence fell over us, our dancing changing to a slow shuffle, eliminating the possibility of stepping on each others’ feet as we let the music flow over us.

  It was weird that I didn't mind the country music when I was this close to Dylan, but maybe that was because I wasn’t paying attention to it. I focused on Dylan and how intimate dancing with him felt, how comfortable it was swaying in his arms while looking up into his warm eyes in the darkness of the night.

  In that moment, everything else seemed to slip away and there was nowhere else I'd rather be.

  Chapter 8

  An alarm clock buzzed beside my bed, the ringing piercing my skull and making me groan.

  I smacked the top of the clock to shut it up, the numbers 4:06 barely visible in my blurry vision. I was insane for even thinking about getting up early, let alone actually attempting it. Why did I even want to get up this early?

  For Storm.

  Why Wyatt couldn't have chosen a reasonable time to do the lesson, I had no clue. Why not during the day, or even after breakfast? I'd be perfectly happy with a night time lesson. Didn't cowboys know that a girl needs her sleep?

  I lay there, enjoying the warmth of my bed for a couple more minutes, letting my mind wander as I tried to get my body to move. Last night had been really nice. Way more than nice actually, it had been incredible. Dancing with Dylan had brought me into a different level of thinking. One that had my cheeks warming with a blush and my thoughts lingering on the warmth of his arms and gaze.

  These thoughts were dangerous. Before last night, I had thought I would just have some fun with the guys, but after last night, I realized just how easily I could fall. I didn't want to get hurt, and I didn’t want to hurt them either. I sighed and sat up, rubbing my eyes and fisting my hands in my hair. It was way too early to think about these kinds of things. It was too early to really think of anything.

  I stumbled out of bed and across the room, digging through my drawers, searching for a change of clothes. They were all gone.

  Had I really worn all of them already? I knelt on the floor, searching for the clothes I had left in the floor, wondering if I could find something that wasn't too dirty to wear. I didn't want to turn on the light and blind myself, so I crawled across the floor, feeling around to try and find the clothing that way. After a few minutes, I still hadn't found anything, only managing to smack my head on the dresser.

  I got up and turned on the light, groaning as my eyes blurred even more. I forced my eyes open against the blinding light to take a quick look.

  There was nothing there.

  Where the heck did all my clothes go? Had I moved them and forgotten?

  I sighed, but resigned to the fact that I would just have to wear the same clothes and look for the others later. I took a quick shower and brushed my hair, tying it back to keep it out of the way, then headed outside. The house was quiet but some lights were on, so I assumed that there were other people up already, which was crazy. I felt like this whole place was just a crazy dream I was walking through, awaiting the moment I would wake up and realize that the few weeks were just a long, crazy, magical dream.

  I headed to Storm’s corral, yawning and wishing I was still in bed. Even the bugs were still making their noise like they always did at night. Storm better appreciate this.

  When I stepped into his corral, he was standing on the far side, facing away from me. His ears flicked back at me, but that was his only response. I saw Wyatt sitting in the corral, leaning his back against the fence with his hat low over his face, his breathing deep and even.

  I stood over him for a minute, wondering if I should play a prank on him to get him back for offering this lesson so freakishly early. What would freak out a hot cowboy? I could howl like a wolf, though I'd probably end up looking completely stupid. Maybe something small like knocking the hat off his head. Weren't cowboys particular about their hats?

  My train of thought was cut short by Wyatt's voice. "You came," he spoke, not moving from his completely relaxed position.

  "I said I would. What's your lesson, oh wise one?" I asked, a bit crabby from sleepiness. I knew I should be nice, but I really couldn't help it. I wasn't a morning person. When I got hungry or had to get up way too early, then I was unreasonably grouchy.

  Wyatt lifted his hand to his hat and tilted it up, his eyes scanning my face in an appraising look. "Sit."

  I sat down beside him, leaving plenty of space between us as I tried to rub the sleep from my eyes.

  Wyatt reached beside him and pulled and a canister and two mugs, pouring hot steamy liquid in both. The smell of coffee hit my nose and I scrunched my nose. I didn't like coffee at all and I had heard about a cowboys coffee and how strong and gritty it was supposed to be. I really hoped one of those mugs was for Storm or that Wyatt liked to drink two cups of coffee at once.

  He moved one cup over and sat it beside me before shifting to set the canister aside and grab something else. He pulled out a candy cane and stirred his coffee with it, leaning back and glancing at me.

  Crap, he expected me to drink the coffee. I tensed, trying to figure out how to tell him I didn't like coffee without being rude. A cold chill was in the morning air and the cup of coffee was steaming hot. So, I grabbed the mug and wrapped my hands around it. If anything I could use it as a hand warmer until he wasn't looking, then pour the stuff out.

  This seemed to satisfy Wyatt and he relaxed, gazing out across the corral at Storm. I sat there in the silence of the early morning, wondering if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open. Only the occasional blinking and sipping of coffee told me he was still awake. Finally, he shifted slightly and started to speak. "When I first came here, I hated it. Gavin especially hated it. We were always waiting to be sent away or hurt, always expecting bad things to happen. Months went by and we still hadn't settled, just waiting for the right moment to leave. We had made it on our own before and we didn't need to be here," Wyatt paused and I stiffened. The similarities in their past position and mine wasn't lost to me. I waited for him to continue, wondering where this was going.

  "Christmas came around and we planned to escape then while the others were spending time together. That never happened. A pack of coyote attacked the cattle and we all rode out to scare them off and gather up the cattle. My horse spooked and dumped me in front of the pack and they saved my life. Later on, we all sat around the fire, drinking coffee to warm us up, with peppermint in it to calm our nerves. That was the night I decided to stay, it was the first time I had ever felt like I belonged anywhere but my brother’s side." Wyatt dipped his head down, his eyes distant as if he was still there, sitting by the fire.

  I sat in shocked silence. I couldn't believe Wyatt could actually talk so much, his responses were usually limited to one word at a time. Yet here he was, talking away and telling me an intimate part of his past. He cleared his throat and sat up, looking at me.

  "If you want Storm to settle in and relax, then you have to do so yourself. A horse can sense how you're feeling, if you're unsure or scared, that's how he'll feel. It goes both ways."

  I bit the inside of my lip, staring into his eyes as he watched me. This wasn't just a lesson on horses, he was trying to tell me he had been where I was, He was letting me know that things could work out. Who knew cowboys could be so intuitive?

  "What if I can't settle in? I don't have much time left here before I go back. Where would that leave Storm?"

  "This place has a way of making you lose track of time," Wyatt stood up and placed a candy cane in my coffee mug, "It's all up to you. You don't have to make a decision now, but you should give it your best shot. Storm's ready to find his home whenever you are and this place isn't so bad."
Wyatt walked off into the darkness. A few minutes later I heard the squeak of the screen door of the ranch house as he went inside, leaving me alone to mull over what he had said.

  I leaned back against the fence, sighing heavily. Wyatt knew nothing, and yet everything about me. We barely knew each other, yet there he was, suggesting I stay. I looked down into the mug of coffee, trying to place myself in the memory he had shared as I took a sip off the coffee. The sweet taste of peppermint slid over my tongue, only a small aftertaste of coffee lingering on my tongue. It was actually really good coffee, not gritty or strong like I thought it would be, only sweet and calming. As I took another sip, I wondered if this place would be as surprising as the coffee.

  Maybe it would be worth a shot.

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  I spent the morning with Storm, thinking things over. By the time the sun was starting to rise up over the horizon, casting a variety of colors across the sky, I had long since finished the peppermint coffee. Though the sun was rising and it was starting to warm up, goosebumps were still scattered across my arms. I headed inside to warm up and find the rest of my clothes.

  When I reached the doorway to my room, I paused, eyeing a basket in front of it. Inside lay all my clothes, clean and folded neatly.

  There could only be one reason that my clothes had disappeared dirty and reappearing clean. Polly had washed them. I mentally wrote on a sticky note and placed it in the back of my mind so I would remember to thank her and help her with laundry sometime in return. I wasn't used to people doing things for me, but it was a nice change of pace.

  I headed into my room and nudged the door closed with my boot, setting the basket on the bed as I worked on picking out my clothes for the day. I had never gone shopping with another girl before with the intent of actually buying things and having fun. Usually we would shoplift a couple things we needed before making our way out the door, so it was important to wear a large, baggy sweater that would hide the stolen goods well enough to get away.

  This time though, I wouldn't be stealing anything and Starre didn't seem like the type of girl to steal, meaning I didn't need to wear a sweater. Not that I could wear the sweater even if I had wanted to, I had lost it in one of the previous moves, which left me indecisive about what to wear. I sighed and grabbed my black skull lace shirt along with my corset top and a pair of shorts, knowing even though it was cool now, later on today it would be hot.

  I quickly changed from my skinny jeans to the shorts and then pulled my shirt off to change my shirt. I felt a breeze of air hit my back and I glanced behind me to find that Gavin had swung my door open.

  Of course, the one time I forget to brace the door with the chair just happens to be when I'm changing and also the first time someone walks in on me. Thank God my back was to him.

  Gavin stood there, his eyes scanned down my half naked body before snapping to the floor, irritation smothered his surprised expression. Whatever he had been about to say before his eyes landed on me was lost. He finally settled on a disgruntled, "Breakfast is done." He was gone as quick as he'd appeared, the door closing behind him. At least he hadn't decided to insult my back after walking in on me.

  Thank God it wasn't one of the other guys, I think Dylan would've had a heart attack, Landon would've flirted and teased and Jayden would've clung to me like a monkey in heat.

  I stood frozen for a minute before throwing on the black lace shirt with my corset top over it. It was the best thing I could come up with that wasn't exactly the same thing I'd wore before. I did my makeup and brushed my hair, not knowing if I'd have a chance to come back upstairs before Starre arrived.

  When I headed downstairs, I could already hear a commotion in the dining room, so I headed there, hoping they weren't waiting on me again.

  "I'm just saying, I'm not doing it again. This is why I didn't want her here, I don't want to open a door and walk in on some bitch with hardly any clothes on. Girls don't belong here, especially not her," Gavin's angry voice reached my ears, causing me to stop abruptly and hide behind the wall at the doorway to the dining room.

  Here we go again.

  "Do you realize how stupid you sound right now?" Landon chuckled, finding his rant funny instead of serious.

  "Who wouldn't want to see that hot piece of-" Jayden's voice paused before continuing, obviously exchanging a word for another. "-pie?"

  "Gavin, she's not the only woman living in this house and you've never complained before," Polly's calm voice rang out clearly.

  "You're like a mother to me, she's different," Gavin growled, trying to argue his point.

  "Yes, she is. Nova is a young lady who needs her privacy for as long as she's staying here. I expect all of ya to be courteous and respectful of her. Gavin, all ya had to do to avoid that situation was to have knocked," Polly's tone changed at the end, chastising Gavin for not knocking without actually saying the words.

  Gavin grunted and the sound of chairs moving as everyone sat down filled the air. I waited a couple minutes, then took a deep breath and walked into the dining room.

  "Morning Sweetheart," Jayden greeted, his eyes smoldering as they swept over me as I took a seat beside him. He may not have been the one to walk in on me this morning, but that didn't seem to keep him from imagining it as he practically stripped me with his eyes. I blushed and shifted my gaze around the table to find Landon smirking and Dylan eyeing my chest. How could I forget, the corset top was his favorite, though I was thankful that I had put a shirt under it this time.

  "Good morning," I spoke, hoping to break the guys out of their trance.

  "I wouldn't exactly call it good," Gavin grumbled, his voice was low, but loud enough for everyone to hear him. Just because they heard him though, didn't mean they would pay him any mind.

  "Good morning Honey," Polly said, smiling warmly as she passed the biscuits. "I heard that Wyatt was helping ya with Storm this morning. How did it go?"

  I pondered my response before speaking, unsure of what to say. Wyatt's lesson had held so many double meanings that I needed to think about. I glanced over at Wyatt, who had his hat off and his blonde hair messy on his head. His eyes focused on me, waiting for my response to Polly's question. "It was very helpful and it gave me a lot to think about," I admitted, tearing my eyes from Wyatt's and back to my plate.

  "Of course it was helpful, Wyatt's the best horse trainer around. You're lucky he took the time out of his busy day to try and help an ignorant city slicker," Gavin snapped. Polly sighed and exchanged a glance with Chili, obviously tired of Gavin's moods.

  Wyatt studied his twin before speaking, "I don't mind. She seems to know her way around horses pretty well, even if she is from the city," he said, nodding my way as he lifted his coffee mug to his lips.

  The glare Gavin sent back at Wyatt could have burned a hole through a tank, but Wyatt didn't flinch and Gavin stayed silent for the rest of breakfast.

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  I was helping Polly in the kitchen by drying the dishes and putting them away, when she pulled the towel from my hands and dropped a wad of cash in them. I stared down into my hands for a moment before the shock wore off and I immediately started objecting, "I can't take this. You've already done so much for me, including washing my clothes this morning. Thanks for that, but this is too much."

  Polly put a hand on her hip and shook her head, wrapping her free hand around my hands, closing the money up in them. "Honey, while you're here, you're working and I take care of everyone here. I never get to have fun buying the boys their clothes, they're not girls so they don't understand. You'll be making me so happy by spending this money on the things you need." In that moment, Starre pulled up outside in an old, gold colored pickup truck and Polly guided me to the door. "Starre's here, go have fun now. You deserve a shopping trip."

  I paused, turning around to object, but the look in her eyes told me it wouldn't make a difference. "I'll pay you back," I promised, even though I had no idea how I would accomplish
that even as I spoke, "Thank you."

  Polly shook her head, not having any of it. "Don't ya worry your pretty little head about the money, Honey. Go have fun!"

  I put the money in my pocket and headed to the truck, opening the door and climbing inside to see Starre already hopping up and down in her seat. "This is going to be so much fun!" she squealed, stepping on the gas and speeding down the road, leaving a dust cloud in the truck’s wake. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again, "So you and Dylan huh?" Starre said, smiling knowingly.

  "I don't know, things are complicated," I admitted, not really sure what else to say.

  "How's that?" Starre asked as she turned out into the main road towards town.

  I contemplated telling her everything, even though she was a girl with a guy of her own and obviously knew her way around a relationship, I still didn't know her very well. We’d just met last night and though this place and these people were making me more comfortable and open, I wasn’t ready to open up about something so personal just yet. "I just met him a couple days ago, I don't know if it would work out or if he's the one I want."

  Starre’s eyes lit up in understanding, "You like them all, don't you?"

  I blushed and sank further down in my seat. This was what normal girls talked about right? Guys? So why wasn't I more comfortable talking about them? "Well just Dylan, Jayden and Landon."

  "And Wyatt and Gavin too, I'm guessing?" Starre's smile broadened as she nodded knowingly.

  I scrunched my nose and frowned, "Not Gavin, he's a jerk. Wyatt's nice, though I haven't really spent much time with him."

  "Gavin will warm up to you, don't worry. It's just the type of guy he is. Wyatt's sweet though. You're so lucky to be living there with all those hot guys. If I wasn't in love with Trevor, I'd be giving you a run for your money on those hunks."