Sweet Renegade (3 page)

*
Beau*

“There you are, my sweet boy,” my mother, Regina, says as she kisses my cheek then wraps me up in a big hug.

“Hey, Ma,” I smile and hug her back.

“Beau!” I hear my little sister’s squeal from behind my mother.

I look up to see her jump off the porch and come running down the dirt driveway toward me. I let go of my mother and brace myself for the blonde haired, blue eyed, eighteen-year-old girl flying at me. My little sister’s giant smile is all for me, and that makes my heart melt. She jumps into my arms when she gets to me, wrapping her arms and legs around me. The impact makes my cowboy hat fly off, but I don’t care because I haven’t seen my family in months.

“I’ve missed you, Beau,” my sister, Leila, whispers in my ear.

“I’ve missed you, too, Leila,” I reply, hugging her for a moment longer. With Leila’s feet back on the ground, I scoop up my hat then look around for my newly turned twenty-one year old brother. “Where’s Kaden?” I ask.

“He went into town for some groceries, he should be back any minute,” Regina says, a gentle smile on her pretty face, her southern drawl making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I nod as I turn to look at my sister again. I actually have to do a double take when I see that she now has boobs that were not there the last time I saw her.
The fuck?
I point to them, my eyes snapping up to look at her face.

“What in the hell are those?” I choke. She better not have used the money I gave her to buy a car with to buy tits.

Leila blushes bright red and crosses her arms over her chest. “They’re called boobs, Beau, gosh,” she says, completely embarrassed.

“I know what they are, Leila, what I want to know is where they came from?” I bite out. I’m gonna kick her ass if those are implants.

“Beau, honey, Leila had a bit of a growth spurt while you were away,” Regina says soothingly and pats my arm.

“So they’re real?” I ask, eyes narrowing on Leila in suspicion.

“Of course they are, you big jerk!” Leila gasps in outrage and shoves at my chest with both hands.

Her shove barely moves me. I can’t help but give her a smug smirk. Leila makes an aggravated noise and punches me in the arm before stomping off. I chuckle quietly.

“Beau,” my mother chides, frowning at me.

“What?” I shrug. “I had the right to know.”

Before my mom can answer, a beat up blue pickup truck comes barreling up the driveway followed by a cloud of dust. I grin, my little brother drives like a maniac. He is an adrenaline junkie and is always doing off the wall things to get that high. He’s gone skydiving multiple times, bungee jumping, base jumping, and rock climbing, been on every rollercoaster on the East Coast, and the list just goes on. The truck comes to a stop next to my mother and me. My brother, who looks like a slightly shorter, thinner, and leaner version of me, hops out of the truck. Kaden’s bright blue eyes are alight with amusement, as he looks me over.

“Well, well, well, look at what the cat dragged in, Mr. Rich and Famous himself,” Kaden drawls, his naturally cocky smirk firmly in place.

“Shut up, butt-munch,” I mutter as I pull him into a hug. We both slap each other on the back a few times before separating.

“You look good, Beau,” Kaden says, propping his hands on his hips. The baseball cap he’s wearing is beat to hell and falling apart, but he doesn’t care, that’s his favorite hat, won’t go anywhere without it.

“So do you.” And he does. He looks like he put on a bit of muscle in his upper body since I’ve last seen him.

“Beau, help your brother with the groceries, I have food cooking on the stove that I need to check on,” Regina says as she turns and starts for the house.

“Sure, Ma,” I call after her then turn back to Kaden. “It’s good to be home.”

Kaden smiles and winks. “It’s good to have you here, brother.”

“Are you sure you’re only 21? You could pass for 30 with the way you talk,” I snort.

“I’m the man of the house now, Beau, I’ve got responsibilities and whatnot,” Kaden mutters as he turns and reaches into the back of the pickup to grab some bags.

I move to help him, eyeing him incredulously. “Responsibilities, huh?” I smirk.

Kaden rolls his eyes at me. “You’re not around often enough to really understand everything that needs to be done around here. Leila is a girly-girl and refuses to help with the horses and most of the other dirty work. Ma is getting older and she definitely can’t do the things that I can do, like lift and stack the bales of hay and all the other physically demanding chores that need to be done. My day starts at sun-up and doesn’t end until well after dark.”

“Why don’t you hire help?” I ask as we start for the house with the bags.

“I have in the past, but it’s never worked out,” he replies. “One guy only took the job to try and get closer to Leila, so he was off sweet-talkin’ her when he was supposed to be workin’. Another guy I hired, I had to practically supervise the entire time because he was dumb as a rock and couldn’t do nothin’ right, fuckin’ idiot almost killed one of the horses once.”

Grunting, I shift the bags in my hands to fit through the doorway to the kitchen. I place the bags on the counter then follow Kaden’s example and start unloading them. Leila comes in and starts grabbing stuff and putting things away. The three of us work in comfortable silence to unload the bags. I think about everything my brother just said and it makes me wonder when the last time he had the chance to go out and do what he loves to do best. It’s not fair that I’m out living my dream while my brother is stuck at home taking care of our mother’s ranch.

“Ma, you’re still teaching riding lessons, right?” I ask.

“Yes, I’ve got the perfect amount of students right now, a couple who even have their own horses that we board here,” she replies happily.

I nod. “That’s good.”

At least my mother is still happy. I watch Kaden out of the corner of my eye. I can see the bitterness lurking deep in his eyes. Shit. I don’t want my brother to resent me. I doubt he even realizes that he is a little bitter about it. And I’m sure if I ask him, he will deny it. I’m going to have to make some phone calls to see if I can hire some real help around here. That will free up Kaden to go out and be twenty-one.

Chapter Two

*
Lizette*

“What do you mean no one can get a hold of Beau?” I ask my secretary, Danielle, dryly, giving her a bored look along with it.

“I have called all of the guys, they all say that his phone is off or doesn’t have a signal and the ranch’s land line is down,” Danielle says with a wince.

Everyone and their mother has been trying to get in touch with Beau for the past day and a half. The schedule for the promotional tour has been bumped up, cutting the guys’ two-week vacation down to one. Everyone knows except for Beau. He needs to know that he only has four more days before he needs to be back in New York. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Okay, I can handle this, no problem
.

“I guess I’m going to have to go there and tell him myself…damn it.” I sigh.

I really don’t want to go to West Virginia. I am a city girl through and through, and I hate the wilderness. The blackness at night freaks me out and oh god, the bugs! I’m not good with big giant country bugs. I groan. I am going to have to be alone with Beau, too.
Crapolla!

“Get me on the first flight to West Virginia,” I say to Danielle, who nods quickly and races out of my office.

Three hours later, I’m on an airplane and on my way to Beau. It’s a short flight, but then it is an hour drive from the airport to the Kennedy Ranch, but I will rent a car and make the drive myself. I finally pull up to the gate that closes off the road leading to the ranch. I know that Beau is the reason for the gate. The whole property is enclosed with wrought iron fencing and barbed wire so that if the paparazzi ever found out about this place, they would have a hell of a time sneaking onto the property. So far, though, they don’t know about it. I hit the buzzer on the intercom and wait for an answer. A minute later, a male voice answered.

“Can I help you?” he asks. It kind of sounds like Beau, but not really.

“This is Lizette Parrish, Beau’s manager, I came to see him,” I reply.

“Sure, come on in,” he answers.

The gates swing open and I drive through, glancing in the rearview mirror to see them shut smoothly behind me. I slowly make my way up the mile of dirt and gravel before parking off to the side of a gorgeous ranch house that is backed up to soft rolling hills of green. Everything is so green here, it is absolutely beautiful. This is the first time that I’ve ever come to Beau’s mother’s home. I’ve met his mother in the past, but have never been here. I can see why Beau loves to come home whenever he can. I get out of the car and make my way toward the house. I just reach the top step when a young man steps out the front door. I have to do a double take when I first see him. He is a smaller, younger version of Beau. Beau looked exactly like this guy a couple of years ago, which could only mean that this is his brother, Kaden.

I smile. “Kaden?” I ask, extending my hand.

Kaden blatantly looks me over before reaching out and shaking my hand with a firm grasp. “Yes, Ma’am, nice to meet you,” he says, his bright blue eyes studying my face.

“You, too, and please call me Lizette.” What is it with these guys and the ‘Ma’am’?”

“Alright. You say you’re here to see Beau?” he asks, his eyes narrowing slightly, making me wonder what he’s thinking.

“Yes, I’ve been trying to contact him, but his phone isn’t working and neither is your house line,” I reply.

“Yeah, we have a bit of a problem with some critters gnawing away on our phone line. It’s been down for a month. I haven’t been able to fix it yet,” Kaden says.

“Oh, what kind of critters?” I grimace, shivers running down my spine.

Kaden grins at my obvious aversion. “Mice, mostly.”

I shudder at the thought of there being mice running around in the grass no more than a few feet away. Kaden chuckles. He seems much older than he looks. I know he is a couple of years younger than Beau, but he speaks like a man who is older than Beau’s twenty-three.

“So, is Beau around? I need to speak with him,” I ask, getting away from the critter subject.

“He’s out with Rebel,” Kaden responds.

“Who’s Rebel?” I ask with a frown. Who the fuck is Rebel? Some redneck hippy chick? An unexpected flash a jealousy catches me off guard.
What the hell?

“Beau’s stallion,” Kaden says as if that explains everything.

“His what?” I reply dryly, blinking at him.

“His horse.” Kaden laughs. “Come on, let’s see if he’s back.” Gesturing for me to follow.

Ah! Rebel is a horse! Well, that makes me feel better.

I follow Kaden as he walks along the porch toward the side of the house. The beautiful porch wraps around the entire house, so Kaden leads me to the back end of it where it overlooks the pastures. In the distance, I can see a horse and rider but they are too far away for me to make out the rider’s features.

“You might want to cover your ears,” Kaden says with what seems like a naturally cocky smirk.

I do as I’m told and cover my ears. Kaden then sticks two fingers in his mouth and lets out a high-pitched whistle. I see the rider and horse turn to face them. As Kaden waves his arm, the rider kicks the horse forward and starts back toward the house.

My breath catches when I realize that the rider is Beau. The closer he gets, the better I can see him. He has his cowboy hat on, no shirt, and beat up looking jeans over his brown cowboy boots. His jaw is scruffy and he looks ruggedly handsome. My stomach does a flip while my traitorous heart starts to flutter madly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Beau look so fucking good. I pretend to have an itch on my face so that I can check to make sure I’m not drooling.

The horse that he is riding is incredible. He is the biggest horse I’ve ever seen in person and is a beautiful chestnut color with a black flowing mane and tail. His coat is shiny and smooth looking, and his beauty mesmerizes me. My hands are itching to touch him.

When I glance back at Beau, I can tell that he is surprised to see me. His surprise turns quickly to concern, though. He stops the horse in front of the railing in front of me, and his head now level with mine. He lets out a little whinny as his almost black eyes meet mine.

“Lizette? What are you doing here?” I hear Beau ask, but the stunning horse in front of me distracts me.

I reach out, but stop, unsure if I’m allowed to touch the beautiful creature in front of me. My eyes lift to meet Beau’s. “Can I touch him?”

Beau blinks at me for a second before nodding. I slide my hand up the horse’s nose then move around to his neck. He is silky smooth and warm, and I am in awe of him. I look back up at Beau to find him watching me, his jaw is tight and his light blue eyes are smoldering with desire. For the second time in mere minutes, my breath catches. Why does he have to look at me like that?

“Kaden, can you bring Rebel back to the stable?” Beau asks as he dismounts from the giant horse and tosses his brother the reins.

“Sure,” Kaden says and climbs over the railing to hop on the horse. He gives the horse a small kick to get him moving, steering him with the reins toward the stables.

Beau makes his way to the couple of steps that lead up to the porch. I can’t help but watch his muscled back and tight ass move as he walks up the steps. I continue to watch him as he walks over to me. A swirl of some serious lust makes my lower belly tighten and things down low clench with want. I immediately shove that away as I’ve always done.

There is something about just the way he walks that is so utterly sexy, a laid back, I-don’t-give-a-fuck kind of gait. My eyes drift over his broad naked shoulders and arms that are corded with ropey muscle, to his wide and chiseled chest. My eyes move down to his abs that look like they are carved out of marble, which flex and move as he walks. Finally, my gaze is drawn down to the front of his jeans, which are just tight enough and worn enough to cup his junk perfectly.
Fuck me!
In this moment, I hate every single girl who has ever had her hands all over this man.

“What’s going on? Did something happen?” he asks me, completely oblivious to my appraisal, thank god.

“No one could get a hold of you. Your phone’s not working and the land line is out,” I say, surprised that I can even talk with the excessive amount of saliva in my mouth.

“Okay? What did you need to get a hold of me for?” he replies, his blue eyes worried.

“It’s nothing bad, so stop worrying. The tour has been bumped up a week, so your vacation has to be cut short. You need to be back in New York by Sunday.”

“You came all the way out here to tell me that?” he asks dryly.

“I had to!” I huff. “I had no other way to get in touch with you, and usually when you come here, you don’t call anyone until you are leaving.”

“Beau? I thought I heard you talking to a woman…Oh my word! Lizette?” came Regina Kennedy’s voice from the back door.

I turn to face her, unable to help the smile that spreads across my face. There is just something about Beau’s mother that I am absolutely in love with. I see her maybe once a year, but I enjoy every minute of the time we share. Regina is the mother I’ve always wished I’d had. I get a twinge of jealousy toward Beau that he has such a wonderful mother while mine is dog shit.

“Hi, Regina, how are you?” I ask as I move toward the older woman.

We give each other a kiss on the cheek before hugging.

“It’s so good to see you, sweetie. I’m good, are you well?” Regina asks with a warm, loving smile on her pretty face. Beau and Kaden look nothing like her, so I’m guessing they look like their father.

“Yes, I am. Thank you.”

“What on earth brings you out here?”

“I had to tell Beau something important but couldn’t get in touch with him, so here I am,” I say with a shrug.

“How long are you staying?” Regina asks, somewhat hopefully.

“Oh, I have a return flight in a couple of hours,” I say regretfully.

“Nonsense! You must stay for dinner! I won’t take no for an answer, young lady,” Regina says sternly.

I glance at Beau for help, but the bastard shoves his hands in his pockets, rocks back on his heels, and turns his face away while he whistles a tune. Oh, he’s gonna be like that? Well, I will get him back later.

“I’d love to, I’ll just catch the flight in the morning,” I say, unable to say no to Regina.

“Great! Beau, go wash up so you can peel the potatoes,” Regina commands before taking my arm in hers. “Come in, sweetheart, we have so much to catch up on.”

I flash her a smile before glancing at Beau again over my shoulder. I am momentarily stunned when he gives me a grateful smile. It hits me that Regina is probably so lonely out here with no other adults around, other than her children to talk to. It wouldn’t kill me to spend the rest of the day with her. I know I will enjoy it and it would be good for Regina, too.