Wrangled (Spruce Texas, #4)

by Daryl Banner

He brings his lips to my ear, his words choked and anguished. “Not that I’m gay, you stubborn, infuriatingly adorable punk.”

“You don’t have to. I hardly can, either. Other than to say …” I spread my hands innocently. “… some people change.” Billy smirks appreciatively, catching both of my meanings in those words. Then he extends a hand toward me. “Redo?” “Redo.” I shake his hand, grateful. “Good. Now I hope you’re sober enough to help me carry this horrible, precariously-balanced thing to the game room before I accidentally witness Nadia putting her tongue down

Vanessa’s younger brother’s throat.” I don’t dare peer back over my shoulder at them to confirm or deny the fear. “You got it.” With me on one side of the huge platter and Billy on the other, the pair of us carry it through the house and into the loud and crowded game room towards a spot on a long back table. I shout out at people to move out of the way, and I guess my obnoxious choice in words (or tone of voice) causes Billy to laugh, and we nearly lose the platter halfway there. Once it’s set down, Billy stands back and admires his

work. “It is a good arrangement, right? We’ve got to get all this eaten up. Cassie moved everyone out here, so less food is gettin’ eaten up, and I’m left having to … juggle her own hired staff. I didn’t ask to work this party! Did I cater all the food? No. Just the sweets. But here I am, arranging some other person’s food onto platters, and—” He stops himself. “Sorry, if you let me carry on whining, we’ll be here until three in the morning. Or is it already three? ...

did Nadine Strong look particularly furious at th...

After reeling for a second from Billy’s tirade, I consider his question—and why my answer might matter to him. “She seemed a tad … irritable toward the end, I might say.” “Hmm. Yeah, I’m sure she … uh, isn’t bitter about not getting to host the after-party. Especially after everyone left the reunion so fast to … get here.” Billy lets out a nervous titter, then quickly...

“I can imagine she’s a handful.” “More than a handful. An armful.” He chuckles, then plucks a small finger sandwich off the platter and starts chomping on it. “Hmm. This is okay, I guess.” He takes another bite. “Okay, it’s good. It’s real good.” He tosses the rest of it into his mouth. “Fuck, I’m starving.” I smile and drum my fingers on the edge of the table, forming a restless rhythm that las...

Distracted for a moment with his own thoughts, he belatedly lifts his eyes to mine. “Sorry, what?” “Chad. Do you think I … I should …” I rephrase the question. “Would you forgive him? If he did to you what he did to me?” Billy averts his gaze, then takes in a slow and pensive lungful of air before answering. “I think it would be difficult to do. I mean, it isn’t like what you hold against him is a grudge. It’s mo...

that. Personally, I think it’d take a very, very big thing for me to forgive someone like that.” “What kind of very, very big thing?” I ask. I don’t even hear the shouts behind me. I don’t hear the loud whistling, the one or two screams, and the riotous laughter. I’m so used to it at this point that it’s as easy to bat away as a pesky fly after your finger food. Billy shrugs at me. “I’m not sure. Something very big. Maybe somethi...

or finally face his reflection in the mirror with honesty after all these years, or maybe he could …” Billy’s eyes drift. The screams and laughter continue. I’m so focused on Billy’s answer, I tune out all else. “Or maybe he could … what? What were you about to say?” Billy’s eyes go wide. “Uh …” I frown at the look he’s throwing over my shoulder, annoyed at losing his attention when I thought we were finally getting s...

doing, I spin myself around and take a look. My jaw drops. A nearly-naked Chad Landry is heading my way. All of his big, muscular glory is on full display as the proud, lean former wrestler struts slowly through the crowded game room towards me...

It’s not just pink. It’s hot pink. Scalding hot, bright, look-at-me, proud hot pink. And Chad hides nothing from the crowd. He doesn’t even look embarrassed in the least. The man is proud in every sense of the word as he slowly struts through the room toward me to the tune of whistling and hooting. He takes his time to let each and every set of eyes fall on his body as he makes his

way. Phones are out. Hands are slapped to mouths. People are rushing in from the pool outside in search of the scandal. I wouldn’t doubt if every single eye in Spruce, Texas is going to have paid witness to the sight of Chad Landry cockily strutting through the room at his high school reunion after-party wearing nothing but a skimpy hot pink jockstrap. Chad’s eyes found me long ago. And he’s watching me every step of the way. I swallow hard. I didn’t actually ever consider he would go through with it, even earlier today when I was

mad at him. In fact, I counted on him scoffing and tossing aside that jockstrap, deciding it wouldn’t be worth it to earn my forgiveness. It’s even a wonder I found such a thing at some odds-and-ends gag-gift shop off Peach Street when I realized the athletic and sporting goods store wouldn’t have what I needed. I most certainly did not count on him to wear it, let alone make a runway show of it. No...

When Chad comes to a stop in front of me, he crosses his arms, tilts his head, and lifts his eyebrows at me in a challenging, defiant way. “So?” he says, sounding smart. “Is this enough?” I realize all the laughter and shouting have quieted down to a general murmur of whispers, hushes, and silence. Everyone is very much attending this moment right now. Chad looks all around him, taking in the faces of everyone else fo...

Goodwin. Y’all know him. Y’all love him. And I wasted my teen years humiliating him. So it’s only fair that I humble myself to him and bare it all. So what do you guys think? You be the jury.” He spreads his hands, as if dramatically presenting his body—and the hot pink banana hammock of his junk in that jockstrap, and his exposed buns—to our whole class. “Did I go far enough? Am I forgiven for being an asshole? Do y’all forgive me?” The...

It’s my face that’s going red now. Didn’t I already forgive you? I might ask. Is this really necessary? Someone in the crowd shouts, “Forgive him!” Someone else demands Chad give them all a dance, which inspires an eruption of laughter. I hear Mindy shout something from behind us. I hear Tanner or Kirk exclaim, “Don’t forgive him! Let him stand there for a while ‘ti...

I don’t know what’s going on here between us. Except that I think it has less to do with me forgiving him. And a lot more with him forgiving himself. So I give him the lamest shrug in the world followed by a, “Sure, I forgive you, why not.” That’s all Chad needs to hear. His face brightens up. “Good. ‘Cause you ...

The next thing I know, Chad scoops me up into his arms, and through a crowd of cheering and shouting, he charges through the game room, plunges out the back door, and beelines for the pool. “No!” I shout out, squirming in his arms. “No! No, no, no!” “YES!” Chad shouts back. Then he leaps into the air, cannonballs, and the pair of us go crashing into the water, casting a splattering tida...

the surface of the water, all the noise of the party whirling in my ears and far away. It’s just him holding me and me holding him, as we live in a submerged, secret world. Then we break the surface together as one, and the world crashes back into my ears. He holds me against his body with the biggest, toothiest grin stretched over his face. My outfit is drenched from neck to shoes. Liquid diamonds drip from his hair and cau...

and noise of everyone gathering around us at the pool. I’m not sure whether I want to yell or laugh or cry. He grins. “I just wanna give you a fuckin’ weekend you’ll take back with you and remember the rest of your life, Goodwin.” I get so lost in his eyes every time I look at them. It’s hypnotic, how he stares back at me, so fully, so intensely. “You just ruined my shoe...

earlier because those are dry-clean only.” “Your purse is in my truck now,” he grunts. “I stole it off of you while you were busy watchin’ Cody and Trey tinkle at the piano. It’s how I got the jock.” I glare at him. “It isn’t a purse.” “Fits like a glove, by the way. This pink lil’ jock.” “Lovely. You look like a Jock Princess in it.” I splash water at his face with f...

hit you for doin’ this to me or forgive you like you want!” “Maybe both,” he suggests. I stare him down. People are still drunkenly shouting at us and laughing, maybe some of them video recording this still, but none of it distracts me from Chad’s eyes. I’m inexplicably arrested by them. Held prisoner in his arms, floating in the center of a big pool, as wet a...

Chad smirks, satisfied. Then, his voice low and buried in the noise all around us, he murmurs, “You know, if I was just a bit braver, I might kiss you right now.” Those words do a lot of things to my heart, which is already racing from the excitement of being dunked in the pool. “Yeah?” “Oh, yeah. I mean, look at us. You’ve got me almost naked. I’ve got you soaking wet and in my arms.” “Sounds like a p...

thinking so many things right now. You’re raising a whole lot of questions, the longer you float here holding me in this pool.” “I’m also getting hard.” I stare at him. “That’s … unfortunate.” “And you’re my only shield against anyone seeing.” He shrugs and smirks at me. “I guess I can’t help it, when I got such a cute guy like you pressed up against my naked body.” “You’re not naked.” “Migh...

then.” I incline my head toward him and add, “Unless you’re ready for everyone in Spruce to know something about you.” “You look hot all soaking wet.” I laugh. This whole situation could have me in hysterics if I let myself continue to think about it. “I don’t kn...

He snorts. “Alright, let’s sweeten the deal. How ‘bout this. You go and try to get away from me. And if you make it to the house, then I’m all yours for the rest of the day. Your total slave. Do every and all things you damn well request of me.” I lift an eyebrow. Already, the sweet and deliciously evil

ideas are running through my head as my hungry eyes graze up and down his body. “Okay, I’m listening.” “But!” He’s still swinging that lasso in the air this whole time, his biceps bulging in the effort as he keeps it swinging around in an impressively perfect circle, never once breaking or lowering or becoming unstable. “If I do lasso you, then you become my toy for the rest of the day to do whatever I want with.” My heart races at his words. Why does losing also sound like winning?

“Do we got ourselves a deal, Goodwin? Or you gonna be a big ol’ chicken?” I cross my arms. “I’m not a chicken.” “Should I name one of ‘em after you?” “No.” “Lance-Bock!-Bock!-win? C’mon. That’s a good one.” Oh, fuck it. “Alright, Chad. You got a deal.” He grins. “Attaboy.” “But you might want to deal...

Chad stops lassoing at once, his eyes wide, and quickly spins around. “Where??” I take off running. It isn’t long before I hear Chad shout: “Hey!” I’m running fast with a big smile over my face, and the hot, summer air beating past my cheeks and throwing my hair in all directions. Funny thing is, he doesn’t realize that I go running often enough to have an incredible amount of stamina. I’m likely a far...

A circle of rope drops around my body from the heavens. It tightens at once. I fling my hands out with a gasp, then crash to the hard, dusty ground as the rope tightens around my feet, just above the ankles. It all happens so fast, the air is knocked right out of me. Chad is upon me in seconds. “You alright?? Shit, you went down hard!” I roll onto my back and sta...

lips. “Some fragile, porcelain doll?” Then I proceed to kick the rope off my ankles. I’m unsuccessful. Chad, with a belt of laughter, pounces on me and proceeds to wrap the rope around my legs. As I feebly (and laughingly) try to fight him off, the rope monster Chad’s weaving around my body soon takes claim of my arms too, binding them against my sides. Then, faster than I’d ever expected, he’s got me ...

tight crotch of his jeans nearly in my face. He puts his gloved hands on his hips, then laughs as he stares down at me with a victorious, cocky, lopsided grin. “Looks like you’re all mine, Goodwin.” I squint up at his pretty face, my eyes fighting the bright, hot sunlight over our heads. “I guess I underestimated you.” “You’ll learn pretty quick not to underestimate me.” “So what now?” I...

Chad lets out a deep bellyful of laughter, then shakes his head. “Nah. I’m gonna collect my rewards.” I quirk an eyebrow. “You’re going to what?” He hops to his feet, grabs ahold of my body, and in one strong and very impressive maneuver, slings my roped-up, bound-up self over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I shout out in protest, playing my role as the unwilling victim, while he carries me back to the...

It’s half an hour into the party when I notice the commotion at the front. It’s difficult to see from here in the thick of the

crowd that surrounds me, but someone seems to be having trouble with the host. At once, I realize it might be my surprise plus-one. “Excuse me for a second. I need to tend to my … uh … guest.” I cut my way through the crowd, taking care not to spill my wine, apologizing here and there, smiling at anyone who smiles my way, almost crashing into Emile Von Clare herself, then at last break through, my vantage restored. My walking slows, then I come to a dead stop. He stands there in a crisp blue button-down shirt, black

fitted slacks, shiny shoes, a belt, and his light brown hair styled with perfectly deliberate messy flair. His blue eyes shine from his handsome face, piercing me in place. There is strength in his stance as he awaits whatever it is I might say, like he prepared himself for a thousand different reactions, for the best and the worst, and is willing to brave any of it—for me. The host sighs, then addresses me. “He claims to be your plus-one, and I told him he’s not...

“He’s my plus-one,” I affirm. “Chad Landry. He...

I kiss Chad right then. He doesn’t move, but I feel the electric current surging through us just by our lips at last meeting for the first time since he arrived. We were both waiting for it. We were both wanting it. We were both scared of it. He brings a hand to my face and caresses my cheek. Our lips separate. Our faces stay together, foreheads touching, breath gently sweeping over our cheeks. “I can’t help it, Lance,” he breathes. “No matter how hard I try to deny it, my thoughts always come back to you. I was able to handle bein’ alone all

these years, workin’ the ranch … keepin’ myself busy … but now that I’ve had a taste of what life could be like with you at my side, it’s agony.” “Chad …” I almost don’t want him to say any more. “I don’t even care what you do with it, but you have my heart, Lance. You can kick it straight across this pond, let the ducks play with it, quackin’ away. You can toss it in your sock drawer. You can stitch the dang thing on your next garment, I don’t care. No matter what you do with it, it belongs to you. And it ain’t gonna—” “Chad, please.”

“It ain’t gonna belong to no one else for all of fuckin’ time. That much I can guarantee you. Even if you decide not to pursue this, if you decide to let me go home and not come back—” My eyes close. “Please stop.” “Even if we part ways, and I meet some other nice guy, and we hit it off and become boyfriends … my heart is always gonna be yours, Lance. I’ll be the worst boyfriend to that per...

I kiss him to shut him up. I don’t want to hear anything else he wants to say. It hurts too much. And it feels too fucking perfect to ignore. The kiss ends with us holding each other, and mercifully, we are both out of words. The sun slowly begins to fall, and after a look into each other’s eyes, we wordle...

And I doubt any of them suspected I’d bring my dream right back home with me. Cassie Evans has been an absolute beauty to work with. She gives me sound advice, yet lets me have all the creative freedom in the world to build my brand, brainstorm ideas, and design. There are countless balls in motion, thanks to her (and her generous funding, which I will pay back someday), including plans for a high-dollar boutique in Fairview, an everyday fashion store here in Spruce, and even a big online store that can sell internationally. She’s so fired up, she’s

even got an idea or two about making my boutique the go-to place for prom dresses. How ironic, that my story is to come around full-circle. From prom night, to nightmares, to the stuff of dreams. And all of this, I can do from the comfort of my brand-new design workroom, which Chad himself made me by renovating a large spare room in the main house. You know, with all the expensive equipment that my child of a boyfriend can’t stop playing with. Speaking of: Chad’s eyes drop down to my shirt again, and he stifles a laugh. “I still

can’t believe you’re wearin’ that thing.” I shrug and run a hand over the mismatched letters. “So?? I happen to like it. Told you it has a certain charm to it, didn’t I?” He lifts his eyes to mine and quirks an eyebrow. “Yeah, yeah, or maybe you’re just tryin’ to prove something to me.” “That I’m a better tailor than you?” He rolls his eyes. “Obviously.” “That ...

He was prepared with another reaction, but my words make his face straighten right up. Then, slowly, Chad smiles, apparently finding my words amusing. “Yeah, sure. That you love me enough to humiliate yourself in public. I mean, who is Lance without his stylish clothes? I’ve gone and ruined you for good, haven’t I?” I grin and tease his foot under the table. “Oh, of that fact, you can be absolutel...

Chad grins. His grin soon collapses into a soft, longing smile, his blue eyes sparkling with emotion. He doesn’t even have to say the words; they are written all over his face. Anyone in this crowded, full-of-love restaurant would have to be completely unable to read basic human emotion to not see the loud-and-proud message screaming from his enamored expression on that beautiful face of his. I really...

I lean forward across the table, my elbows propped up on the edge. “I love you, too,” I tell him, responding to the words only his whole being is saying. The grin is revived on his face. No one and nothing can touch our happy world here in Spruce. All I need to be fulfilled in life is ...