Chapter 9: Say Goodnight

*Trigger warning. Mentions of child abuse.*

Jase

"Hey, Cactus! The guys say sorry they missed you and they'll see you next time. They didn't want to bother you since you had company. You good?" Storm's booming voice shouts up to Carley.

"Yes Storm, I'm good. Thank you for letting me know," Carley shouts back down to him from our sacred space.

I don't want him or any other up here in our sacred space surrounded by nothing but memories worth keeping.

"I've got know what with the whole cactus thing! You keep avoiding the question, so I need the story behind Cactus Carley," Lachlan asks. His curiosity will get him killed one of these days, but I also know he'll use this story as artistic inspiration.

Carley blushes but finally gives Lachlan the story he has been craving to hear. "I fell into cactus when a snake spooked Loki. He went one way, and I went the other into the cactus. It was my fault for not paying attention to my surroundings while riding.

Being the only girl, it was embarrassing to have three guys pick cactus needles out of my jean-clad rear end. It was a rite of passage to fall off your horse and to get cactus needles stuck in somewhere. I did both at once."

I feel a bit murderous when she finishes the story because other men have touched our girl's voluptuous rear.

She must have picked up my thoughts because she comes to their defense quickly. "The guys were complete gentlemen about it. No one starred or tried to cop a feel. I wouldn't have been able to get those needles out on myself to get back on my horse. We still had a tone of work to do," Carley rushes out those words that cool my anger.

I control my anger well, releasing it when I need to in a calculating manner, however, when it comes to Carley, my control is threadbare.

"Sounds like you enjoyed working on that ranch. Are you planning to go back this summer?" I ask genuinely curious as to her answer.

We have been contacted about a job in that state, so perhaps we would be able to travel with her.

"Yep. All four of us are planning to return. I enjoy the hard labor and this time I'll be training as a medic," she chirps excitedly.

'What type of ranch trains a medic? I'm to need more information to have Lachlan look into it closer.'

"I hate to say this, but I've got to go. The babysitter's curfew is in thirty minutes so I've got to get home so she can leave," Weston says looking at his watch. He and Lachlan both stand and so does Carley to say their goodbyes.

Lachlan's babysitter is a seventeen-year-old girl who wishes she could get into Weston's pants. Too bad for Mindy, Wes isn't interested in jail bait.

"Why do you need a babysitter for Preston and Stetson? Aren't your parents home?" Carley asks about Weston's now thirteen and ten-year-old little brothers.

"I'm raising my brothers on my own. My parents abandoned them four years ago," he says and I kinda want to dick punch him for the lie he is so used to telling. They didn't just leave the boys, we made sure they no longer existed in this world to continue to abuse their sons.

"Preston asks about you all the time. He missed having you around," Weston says with an odd shyness to his voice.

I don't know what's up with that tone, but Preston has a crush on Carley. 'Little dude doesn't stand a chance.'

"Can I come over this weekend?" Carley asks.

Weston looks at me. 'Sounds like a great idea to me.' I jerk a nod letting him know it's fine.

Weston smiles at Carley with a huge goofy grin. "Of course, baby girl. You know you are always welcome at the house. No need to even ask."

Carley's face lights up with happiness at his words.

"I hate that I can't stay longer," he says with a pained look then gives her a hug and a peck on the cheek. He walks to the stairs.

"I've got to go too since I rode with Wes," Lachlan says and I arch a questioning brow at him as if to say, 'no secrets, bro.' He notices me and then continues, "I'm living with him now too. I have been since junior year. It was safer for my stepdad if I moved out at the time."

Lachlan looks at me jerking a nod to him. 'Good boy, Lock.'

"She did not marry that man!?" Carley asks him incredulously.

"Of course she did, Moon-Bear. She wants his money. The gold-digger deserves that cheater," Lachlan scoffs scornfully.

There is no love lost between Lachlan and his mother. She married his father for money. He was killed by a drunk driver about fifteen years ago now. Lachlan's mother blew through the fortune the man had set aside for her, so had to find someone else to support her lavish lifestyle habits. It doesn't matter to her that her husband cheats on her with women he buys and sells in skin markets.

Fortunately for Lachlan, his father had the foresight to make sure the majority of his fortune was set aside for Lachlan to access on his twenty-first birthday. Lachlan is a billionaire.

Lachlan was kicked out of his stepfather's mansion because Lachlan told his mother that when he turned eighteen she wasn't going to see a dime of that money. I don't blame him there, because all she ever did was use him as an ashtray when she got mad.

Of course, lately, she has been playing nice with Lachlan, attempting to set him up with all these high-society women to use her to sink her claw back into her son to manipulate him. That's not going to happen now that Carley is back. She is a game changer for him not to be forced into a loveless business-based marriage.

"That sucks, Lock-bear," Carley says hugging him with sadness in her voice. She looks up at him. "Will I see you guys in the morning?"

"Yeah, you will, princess," he says softly caressing her face. He gives her a chaste peck on the lips then steps away from her walking to the stairs.

It was painfully obvious to me that Carley wanted more from them than brief kisses. 'I wish those two wouldn't hold back and start giving real smiles again.'

They wave at her and exchange their goodnight, leaving.

This just leaves Arson and me with our girl.

"Do you need any help with one of the assignments?" I ask her knowing I can help. I do maintain an above 4.0 GPA.

"Please! Genetics is stealing my soul," she says with an exaggerated groan.

I chuckle at her dramatics. The class isn't that bad, I enjoy it. "Give it here sweetheart, and I'll help you."

Carley thanked me first grabbing us each another alcoholic beverage before grabbing her backpack.

"While you nerds are studying, I'm going to go downstairs to look at that old 1964 GTO downstairs. I need to see what all parts I'm going to need to make her drivable again," he says.

"I know it would mean a lot to you to be able to drive your dad's old car," Arson tells Carley accepting his drink from her hand and kissing her on the temple before climbing downstairs.

"You know, Air has been wanting to get under the hood of that old car since we found it after you left. He already has the perfect paint picked out for it," I tell her which puts a smile on her face as she pulls out the genetics assignments.

"I adore that grumpy grease monkey," she says with a huff sitting in one of the bean bag chairs.

I move to sit beside her in the other bean bag chair.

I'm unsure of how long we work, but it's long enough for Air to bring us coffee from my favorite 24-hour coffee shop.

"Thought I'd bring you guys these before I head home to get some sleep. You two don't stay up all night," Arson says placing the takeaway cups right on top of all our arduous work.

Carley thanked him sweetly while I curse him under my breath for being considerate and inconsiderate at the same time.

Arson kisses her temple again before leaving.

Thirty minutes later we are stretched out on the couch underneath a blanket.

"I'm glad you're finally home, sweetheart," I say sleepily before kissing her forehead. It feels so right to have her body tucked against mine.

"As great as the ranch and college were, nothing beats this place. I'm home, back with my boys," she says with her voice beginning to break. All can do is hum under my breath dreamily.

"Jase?" She questions with alarm in her voice.

"Yes, Carley?" I murmur drowsily.

"Why are you bleeding?"