Broken Trouble (Broken Storm #1) (25 page)

              "Have fun!" Polly called from behind us.

              Great, I was being forced to dance with a guy who hated me. He was no doubt going to leave a mark on my arm from his grip, his body language angry and broody.

              When he finally came to a stop and let go of my arm, he turned around, his eyes scanning the crowd behind me, no doubt watching to see if Polly was still watching. If she wasn't, he would probably just walk off without doing what she said. He gritted his teeth and grabbed my hands, putting as much distance between us as possible as we started to dance. So Polly was still watching then.

              He didn't look down at me or my face, just kept his eyes on anyone but me.

              Well, this was enjoyable.

              I could feel Gavin's tense muscles through his shirt, his movements mechanical and stiff.

              Trying to relax into his different dancing style, I breathed in shallow breaths, not able to stop myself from breathing in the manly musk that was Gavin. I wondered if he ever fully loosened up and just enjoyed himself like the other guys did. I guess I couldn't expect him to do that right now; not when he was forced to dance with me. I guess I should be happy that he was having a rare moment of politeness, not cursing me out like he could be doing. Polly may be close enough to see us, but that didn't mean she could hear what he said.

              He stayed silent and continued dancing, and as we slowly turned in circles, I kept an eye out for her. I couldn't find Polly in the crowd anywhere, which made me wonder if she was somewhere that I couldn't see her. Gavin would have stopped dancing if she wasn't watching anymore, right?

              "Fuck off," he growled suddenly.

              I froze. I’d wondered how long he would last before saying something like that to me. I didn't even know why he had bothered to dance with me in the first place, unless it was just an attempt to ruin my night without getting in trouble with Polly.

              I stepped back and tried to pull from his hold. I cast my gaze downward in attempts to avoid his glare that I was sure was burning into me. His fingers tighten on my waist, keeping me close and preventing my escape. I hesitantly peeked up into his eyes, only to find that he wasn't looking at me at all. His glare was directed over my shoulder at someone else.

              That meant he hadn't been telling me to fuck off, but whoever it was behind me. A thought flashed in my head of Sike, and I worried he had come back to rile the guys up again.

              I twisted my head around, but instead of seeing Sike, I saw a man I’ve never seen before scampering away. His shoulders and head were lowered in fear, as if he was afraid of being beaten by Gavin for approaching us, or wanting to cut in on our dance. Did that mean Gavin wanted to dance with me? Or was he just chasing away anyone else because he knew Wyatt cared for me, and was protecting what he saw as his brother’s?

              It was most likely the latter. Just because Wyatt had revealed Gavin's feelings for me were changing, didn't mean he actually liked me. Still, I couldn't help the smile that played at my lips as I ducked my head down so he couldn't see.

              "What?" Gavin grunted out in annoyance, narrowing his eyes on me.

              "Nothing," I shook my head, trying to keep the smile hidden.

              He seemed even more angry at my response, "Forget it, I don't give a shit anyway."

              "Uh huh," I hummed, grinning crazily.

              His jaw clenched and he glowered down at me, his eyes watching my face for a moment, reading me like Wyatt was always doing. "I don't even like you, so why would I give a shit?"

              I ignored the twinge of pain I felt from his words, he was just using them to cover up his feelings. Maybe that was a question he was actually asking himself. "Mhmm, ah I believe you," I said, smiling fully now, calling his bluff.

              I had pushed too far.

              His eyes flamed with anger and he instantly dropped my hands, pushing his way away from me through the crowd.

              I stood alone for a moment, thinking over what had just happened as people around me danced unaware. He had just revealed his inner emotions to me. Instead of fighting with me and telling me off like he always did before, he had walked away. Wyatt was right, he really didn't hate me anymore.

              I saw Landon jogging through the other dancers towards me, and I took a deep breath, trying to empty my mind of Gavin. As Landon came within reach, he reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me into his arms as the next fast paced song played. He made me glad for Starre's dance lessons, throwing out a mix of every kind of dancing that he had in his arsenal.

              I found myself laughing as I danced with him, letting loose a bit, which felt nice after the stiff, awkward dance with Gavin. Landon twirling me around with him, then released me so he could start some kind of pop locking robot.

              It had been forever since I’d been around someone who danced like him, not since back when I lived in L.A. I started pulling out moves that I'm sure would have the country people around here looking at me strangely, but I didn't care. In this moment, it was about having fun. Most of the moves were hard to do in heels, but I kept going. Most people didn't wear heels when dancing like this, so I guess that made me a bit crazy.

              I did a few break dance moves, one's that I knew I could do without flashing everyone.

              "You are freaking awesome!" Landon yelled over the music, then commenced to try to do the wave with me, but he kept jerking around from laughter and couldn't get his arms to flow right, which just made him laugh harder. Which in turn, made me laugh even more.

              It was a chain reaction, just like the wave.

              When the song came to an end, he grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up, holding me up over his head like someone would do in 50's dance. Where had this boy learnt how to dance anyway?

              I felt my breath catch, but I didn't have a panic attack like I had when he had thrown me over his shoulder before. I only felt the high and freedom of trusting someone in a move like this.

              Landon set me back on the ground, then grabbed my hand and pulled me to the edge of the dance floor. I was so out of breath from all the dancing tonight that I barely even noticed that everyone else was also moving off of the dance floor. Had we attracted that much attention? Was it over for the night? Was there some kind of hidden signal that I’d missed causing everyone to start clearing out?

              But they weren't clearing out, they were stopping at the edge of the dance floor, as if they were making room for something. Landon pulled me against him, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and resting his chin on my shoulder.

              The white drapes dropped from around the edges of the gazebo, revealing blue ones underneath, while the lights that were strung across the ceiling suddenly seemed to cave in on itself, folding and shifting as a rope in the center was pulled, creating a makeshift chandelier. Wyatt and Gavin made their way quickly through the crowd with a large rug, rolling it out in one smooth movement, before coming to stand beside Landon and I. Landon pulled out a video camera and started it up, balancing his arm on my shoulder.

              Everyone stood in hushed silence, waiting for whatever it was to happen. After a few minutes, I realized what it was.

              Trevor led Starre out onto the dance floor, wearing a fancy blue jacket with gold trim that he had slipped on over his white dress shirt since the last time I’d seen him.

              The band started up, playing a version of a song that had Starre gasping and blushing, her eyes widening with realization. I could practically see as everything clicked into place in her mind. Awe and love filled her gaze.

              Even I couldn't miss what this was. Trevor had recreated one of, if not the most, magical moments of Starre’s favorite movie, Beauty and the Beast. The song played and Trevor bowed, holding out his hand to Starre, who in her yellow dress and hair in the up-do, looked remarkably like Belle. Trevor, in his jacket and black pants, played the beast, though even I had to admit that he looked much better than the beast in the film, or even the prince for that matter.

              Starre grasped his hand and Trevor pulled her close into his embrace, dancing smoothly around the dance floor. Their movements were sure and smooth, as if they had already danced this moment before a hundred times, only their expressions and the bright cheerfulness and endearment said it was their first.

              Before I knew it, my cheeks were hurting from smiling so much. It was incredible to watch them together, bound together by love and their obsession for Disney movies. They were soulmates and nothing could separate them.

              As the song came to an end, Trevor stepped back from Starre, whose fan girl was starting to seep through her calm collected demeanor that she had held in during the dance. He bowed to her, then dropped to one knee.

              I was frozen as I watched this special moment for them unfold before me; one that they would remember for a lifetime.

              "Starre Ochoa, when I first saw you standing alone in that theater, practically bursting with excitement over Tangled, I knew I had to get to know that beautiful girl who was just as crazy about it as I was. I have been mesmerized by you ever since, by your beauty and by your heart. I know I'm not a real prince, but you make me feel like one every single day with your open heart and beautiful soul. A prince always needs his princess and that's what you are to me. Will you be my princess for all of eternity by marrying me?"

              "No," Starre replied firmly.

              What! Why didn't she say yes? Didn't she love him? Didn't all of this make up for him being so distant lately? I thought this would be something she would want. I tried to understand why she had shot him down, but I just couldn't.

              The entire crowd had gone deathly quiet, though it looked like several women were about ready to start a riot.

              Trevor blinked back at her, his face paling with realization that she had rejected him. His mouth gaped open and closed like a fish out of water as he tried to find something to say. His shoulders slumped and his other knee hit the ground, like he was so dejected that he could no longer hold himself in his previous position. "You don't want to marry me?" he asked, his voice sounding gravely and low in disappointment. You could see that his heart was breaking and he was devastated by her unexpected answer.

              Starre reached down and cupped his face in her hands. "I was just joking! Yes, I'll marry you. I've wanted too since I met you."

              Trevor gazed up in her eyes, taking in her cheesy smile along with her words. "That was pure evil," he said seriously "but I don't care because you said yes!" He smiled, springing to his feet and wrapping his arms around her waist. He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her over and over again as he spun her around.

              The crowd erupted in cheers and whistles, with people shouting and celebrating. How Trevor had managed to put this all together without anyone spilling the beans was beyond me, though it seemed like the guys had helped him. I was proud of them all for pulling this off.

              When Trevor finally set her down, Starre was blushing wildly, her smile lighting up her face and her eyes. She suddenly pulled away from him to run towards me, screaming with excitement as she hugged me. She grabbed my arms and started hopping up and down
.
, "He proposed! I'm getting married!"

              I laughed and danced around with her, joining her in her celebratory high.

              I'm so glad Trevor got his act together, and that all this time he had been planning his proposal and not just ignoring Starre. She deserved to be happy and I think that Trevor was just the man for the job.

              Everyone departed to their own homes while Starre and Trevor went to her house to watch Disney movies late into the night and celebrate their engagement. I went back to the ranch with the guys.

              When we pulled up to the ranch, there was a bunch of people already there, waiting by the barn.

              For a moment my breath caught, wondering if the barn we had been building had caught fire. There was no fire or smoke coming from the barn though. In fact, it looked better than when we had left.

              I followed the guys out of the truck and we walked with Polly and Chili, who had just arrived in the car. We checked out the barn, and I was surprised to find that it was completely built. The walls were up, the roof lined with tin, and double doors hung. The people who crowded around it looked tired but satisfied with their hard work.

              "What do y'all think? She's a looker, isn't she?" one of the men asked, gesturing back at the barn. It took me a minute to recognize him as the man from the hardware store.

              "You finished the barn," Chili acknowledged in shock.

              "We sure did, we couldn't just stand by and not help out. Not after all y'all have done for all of us in the past."

              Polly covered her mouth with her hands. She was obviously overwhelmed by it all. It took her a minute to find her voice, "Y'all didn't have to do that, but we thank ya just the same. First chance we get, we'll have a cookout and a barn dance and y'all will be invited."

              Everyone was clearly happy with the idea of coming out to eat some of Polly's food, nodding and cheering in agreement. Hugs and handshakes started circling around, and they included me in them like I was one of their own.

              It showed just how big a part they had in this town and with these people. They were there for each other when they needed them, sticking together through thick and thin. It made it obvious just how different this place was from anywhere I’d been before.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

              Friday came around quicker than I thought possible. We spent Thursday working on the ranch, getting some of the hay moved into the barn, along with putting everything we'd need for the animals inside of it. Now that the guys had caught up on their ranch chores, which, according to Chili, they had been lax on since I had arrived, we could finally start on painting.

              We set out all of the buckets of paint and I quickly told them how I imagined it painted, with the exception of the spray painting I would do on the back. There was no need for them to know about it just yet, was there? Plus, Landon hadn't mentioned anything about it, so maybe he would keep it our little secret for now.

              "I think those are perfect colors, don't you, Gavin?" Landon asked, challenging him to say otherwise.

              "It's fine," Gavin grumbled under his breath, tousling Mutt’s fur before he set the puppy down on the ground. Mutt barked, then darted around our legs, pretending to attack us.

              "Hot damn, the man agreed!" Landon called out, throwing his arms up in the air, before pointing at me, "Mark this day on your calendar Nova! We'll be celebrating this day for years to come."

              I nodded my head studiously, "I will, though this will be an unforgettable day for me either way." I moved towards Gavin. "Give me a hug, you big hunk of love!" As I got closer to him, he took a step back, looking appalled at my approach, then irritated.

              "Ah fuck off, all of you," Gavin snapped.

              "Well, I can tell you're going to be a joy to work with today," Landon deadpanned.

              "Then I'm glad I'll be working with Nova. You can have him all to yourself,” Jayden winked at me, looping an arm around my shoulders.

              "Like we would leave you alone with her. I heard what you did last night," Landon accused.

              Here we go again.

              "I'm just doing what we all want to do to her. Even you, Dylan," Jayden poked him, bringing Dylan into the conversation.

              Dylan blushed, glancing at me, then at the ground. "Some of us like to take things slow."

              "What he's really saying, is that some of us aren't manwhores," Landon stated.

              "At this rate, she'll be an old granny by the time you get any of that," Jayden shot back at them.

              I gaped at him, my eyes narrowing. I'd heard enough of them talking like I wasn't even here, so I did what I thought was necessary; I smacked Jayden upside the head, "And at this rate, you won't be getting any at all."

              Feel that burn, Jayden? It's a third degree in awesome.

              Jayden's eyes flamed with mischief, "Ah sweetheart, you're not supposed to lie."

              "I'm not. I'm just letting you know that you're a sleazeball who won't be getting any of this," I said, gesturing to myself.

              "It's disappointing to see you in such a state a denial,” again, Jayden grinned, playing with me. The man was infuriating.

              "And you're delusional."

              "That's just what you do to me, Sweetheart. Would you like to see what I can do to you?" He moved closer, almost pressing against me. I shoved him backward.

              "No." There. A simple, straight-forward response he couldn't possibly twist around.

              Instead, he winked, like he thought we were playing, and he knew I really wanted him. Which I did, but he didn't have to be so annoying about it.

              I let out a heavy sigh and reached down to pick up one of the buckets of red paint, shoving it at him. "Get to work."

              "Mmm, bossy. I like it. I’d love to get to work as soon as you're willing and ready." Could he go five minutes without insinuating something sexual? I didn't think so.

              Now that the rodeo was done and over with and his punishment complete, he seemed to be changing back to his old self.

              "Ah, I'm ready..." I purred, lifting my face to his so our mouths were only inches apart. While he was focused on my face, I pressed my palms to the top of the red paint. Lifting my hands up, I cupped his face in my hands, leaving bright red hand prints on both sides of his face, then pushed him away while wiping my hands on his shirt. "...to get painting."

              His eyes darkened and he looked like he was ready to either kiss me or pour paint all over me.

              Moving quickly, I darted behind Gavin, knowing he was probably the one they physically wouldn't be able to get past. Unfortunately, in my split second decision, I forgot that Gavin still had the cement fight to pay me back for.

              He grabbed me and pinned my arms down, my back pressed into his chest. I never thought that Gavin would ever be willing to get close to me, but I guess if it was for the satisfaction of revenge, then he would. I tried not to let flashes of when I'd seen him without boxers infiltrate my mind, but it was difficult with him so close.

              Jayden ran his fingers through the paint, then set the bucket down, approaching me.

              I fought, managing to force Gavin to back up against the barn, but his arms were still tight and immobile around me, his muscles barely twitching with my efforts. Why did he have to be so strong?

              I felt Jayden's fingers on my face and I let out a screech, kicking my legs at him. It didn't help when he grabbed my hip with his clean hand and stood between my legs, sandwiching me between himself and Gavin.

              He started running his paint covered fingers across my face and I wondered why the other guys weren't stepping in to stop them. "Such a pretty kitty," Jayden murmured.

              "Draw devil horns on her," Gavin suggested, his voice rumbling behind me.

              "No, she's definitely a sexy kitty," Jayden shook his head, then smirked and leaned forward to kiss the corner of my mouth, "Now that you're in costume, we can do some role play. What do you think about that Sweetheart?" He shifted his hips, pressing against me, but also pushing me back flush against the front of Gavin's pants.

              Gavin released me instantaneously, shoving me away from him so he could escape. I guess I wasn't the only one that was uncomfortable with Jayden's antics.

              I only had enough time to stumble into Jayden and keep myself from falling over, before water came pouring over us. Jayden cursed, his back bowing from the cold that was hitting him. When the water stopped, Jayden pulled away, turning to give the evil eye to whoever it had been. Landon stood with a large, now empty bucket, while Dylan stood by with a hose.

              "What was that for?" Jayden asked, shaking his head and throwing water droplets everywhere. I was mostly dry, having been shielded from the water by his body.

              "If you act like an animal, you get treated like one," Chili said, causing everyone to turn and look. Ninja Chili had struck again, appearing out of nowhere. Wyatt stood next to him, his hands stuffed in his pockets, just watching us. "Get to work, boys."

              All the guys shifted uncomfortably, before grabbing their paint supplies and spreading out around the barn. I glanced at Gavin once as he passed, but he avoided my eyes and moved past, looking aggravated and deep in thought.

              Men...

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

              I wiped the sweat off my brow sometime later, swiping another long stroke of red paint across the barn. We had been at this for most of the day, managing a surprising amount of progress with all of us working on it. Even Polly had come out to do some of the white trim before returning to the house to cook lunch.

              Everyone seemed to be keeping to themselves since this morning, especially Gavin, who seemed to always be working on the opposite side of the barn from where I was.

              I felt a cool nose brush against my leg. I looked down and saw Mutt standing directly behind me, wiggling his butt in greeting. I rubbed the top of his head with my wrist, which seemed to be the least paint splattered part of me. I didn't need a mirror to know I had paint in my hair too.

              Mutt enjoyed my pettings for a few more seconds, then walked off the lay down beside the barn, swiping his side against the wet paint. Setting down the paintbrush, I went over to him, trying to scoot him away from the freshly painted barn without getting any more red paint on the puppy. "You're in wet paint, move your wiggly tush."