Hope Against Hope: The Hope Brothers Series (15 page)

“That sounds like a good plan, then,” he said, winking as we began putting away our gear. When we were all done, we turned off the lights and locked up. Dustin lived on the same property as his practice arena, and I said goodnight to him as he wandered up the drive that led to his house.

I was just getting in my truck when Finn drove up.

“Hey there, brother,” I called.

He rolled down his window as he came to a stop beside me.

“There’s been another fire at the Hope’s property,” he said. “The big barn this time, the old one.”

“What the fuck?” I exclaimed, jumping in my truck and starting it up quickly. “I’m on my way,” I said to Finn, as I threw the truck into gear.

Finn followed me, and we raced back to the farm. I regretted that I didn’t ask him if everyone was okay…if Georgia was okay. Her face blurred my vision as I drove down the familiar streets twice as fast as I usually did. Let Sheriff Montgomery try to stop me, I thought, I don’t give a shit.

When I finally got there, I drove up the Hope’s driveway and around to the back of their house. The firetruck and ambulance were parked behind it. My truck came to a screeching halt, and I jumped out, running to the crowd of people that were now watching the Hope’s old barn burn to the ground.

I spotted Georgia right away and ran up to her, throwing my arms around her and pulling her to me.

“Are you okay?” I asked, peering down at her. She nodded and held on to me silently, her body shaking with convulsions.

“Are you sure? Are you hurt, Georgie?” I asked, pulling her away to look into her eyes. Tears stained her cheeks, her green eyes looking even greener through her tears as she peered up at me.

“I’m not hurt, but Daddy built that barn,” she whispered through her tears.

“I know, Georgie, I know, I’m so sorry,” I leaned down and brushed my lips against hers, wishing that there was something I could do to make her pain go away.

The barn blazed behind us, the flames licking the sides of the barn with their fiery caress.

That’s three fires
, I thought to myself, as Lee’s words echoed once more through my mind.

I pulled Georgia closer to me, my heart filling with fear and trepidation. If Lee was the one who was setting this fire, it was all my fault. If I had just confronted him a little more calmly, he wouldn’t have gone off the deep end like that.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Crit’s voice sounded behind me, full of anger. I let go of Georgia and turned around to face him.

“Crit, I came over as soon as I heard,” I said. He was standing with the fire chief at his side, his arms crossed across his chest, his face clenched in fury.

“Why?” he asked.

“Why? Because I was worried about Georgia - and all of you,” I stammered.

“Did I really just see you kiss my sister?” he asked, his eyes flashed with accusations.

“Look, Crit —,” I began.

“— no you look, Beau,” he interrupted, closing the short distance between us and pointing a finger in my face. “Like I said before, you Haggards have done enough damage and if you don’t stay away from my sister, I’ll have you and your sorry ass brother locked up, you hear me?”

“Locked up? Beau, she’s twenty-one…” I replied.

“I don’t care if she’s forty-one! You stay the fuck away from her, you hear?” Crit exploded, rage filling his eyes. I couldn’t believe how angry he was.

“Crit, maybe we should talk about this another time,” I said, feeling Georgia’s eyes on me as she watched this exchange.

“There’s nothing left to talk about, Beau,” he said, turning on his heel and walking away.

“Jesus fucking christ,” I murmured, shaking my head.

“Beau,” Randy, the fire chief said, “I’d like to talk to you a few moments.”

“Why?” I barked, my blood beginning to boil.

“Well, do you know where Lee is? I’d like to talk to him,” he replied.

“No, I haven’t seen him for quite some time.”

“Well from what I hear, there’s a lot of folks that Lee ain’t too happy with. You reckon he’s the one that’s starting these fires?”

“Hell, no, Randy. Lee’s a hell-raiser but he wouldn’t do something like that. Besides, as far as I know, he left town days ago.”

“Uh-huh. You see Lee, you tell him I need to talk to him, alright?”

“You got it, Randy,” I replied, as he walked away.

I turned away, my head spinning.

Fuck you, Lee
, I thought to myself.
If you’re starting all this shit, I’m going to tan your hide.

Georgia stood next to Jesse, and I began to walk over to her. Jesse spotted me and moved to stand in front of her.

“Thinks it’s better you just go on and high-tail it on outta here, don’t you, Beau?”

I opened my mouth to argue and my eye caught Georgia’s behind him. Her eyes pleaded with me while she mouthed the words ‘I’m sorry’ to me.

I took a deep breath, and tipped my hat.

“Georgia, you know how to find me if you need me.”

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

“Why the hell were you kissing Beau Haggard?” Crit roared.

After the cops and firefighters left, after the barn that our father had built with his bare hands had fallen to the ground in a charred pile of burnt wood, ashes and smoke, we were standing in our mother’s kitchen.

I felt like I was facing an interrogation squad.

Seth, Crit and Jesse all stood in front of me, their eyes accusing and angry.

“Yeah, sis, what the hell is going on? First Lee, now Beau?” Seth asked.

My face flushed with embarrassment. This was not how I intended for them to find out about me and Beau. If there even was a ‘me and Beau’. Hell, we had only gone on one date. And despite my best efforts of ripping off his clothes, he had insisted on being a perfect gentleman and had done no more than kiss me. Although, it seems that was enough to make me want nothing more than to rip his clothes off even more.

“I didn’t do anything with Lee! Lee forced himself on me, dammit, it’s not the same!” I exclaimed.

“Well, then what’s going on with Beau? You know one Haggard boy is as bad as the next, why are you getting all tangled up with those losers?” Jesse said.

“He’s not a loser!” I protested.

“He’s not? Have you forgotten what happened with Marisa?” Seth asked.

“No, I haven’t! And neither has he!”

“Oh, yeah? He talk about her a lot?” Crit asked.

“No! He hasn’t mentioned her! That’s not what I meant, I meant that he —,”

“— exactly my point!” Seth interrupted.

“Listen! I’m an adult now. I can do whatever I want, and see whomever I please!” Tears began streaming down my face. They were taking this all out on me.

“Oh, you’re seeing him now? Is that what’s going on?”

“I don’t know. We just went on one date, and it doesn’t matter because it’s not your business, and once again - I can see whomever I want!”

“No, you can’t! You can’t go whoring around with the very family that is responsible for setting all these fires. Did you hear about the Baker’s? They cut Lee off from drinking, and then their bar caught fire the next day. What a coincidence, huh?”

“Beau isn’t responsible for those fires, and you don’t know that Lee is, either!”

“Are you defending him?” Crit asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“She is!” Seth cried. “She’s fucking defending that bastard! Unbelievable!”

“I am not!” I sobbed. “Stop it!”

“I can’t believe you, Georgia. Mom and Dad would be so disappointed in you,” Crit said, walking out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with Seth and Jesse.

Seth looked at me quietly, shaking his head, his eyes looking at me with disgust.

“What kind of sister are you? Don’t you know that Crit already has the weight of the world on his shoulders? He’s trying to keep this farm afloat, get ready for this competition, and now we have to figure out how to replace all those expensive tools that are now ruined. Do you really need to add to his grief? Don’t you think he has enough to deal with?”

“I didn’t fucking do anything!” I screamed through my tears. “And if I did, it wouldn’t be any of your business!”

I looked over at Jesse for help, but he just shrugged and looked away.

“You’re impossible!” I yelled, turning on my heel and running up the stairs to my bedroom. When I got to my room, I slammed the door as loud as I could.

I threw myself on the bed, staring up at my ceiling, and kicking off my boots.

My head was filled with confusion.

Who the hell was setting these fires? Was it really Lee? And if so, why would he do that?

I couldn’t believe my brothers had turned on me like that. I couldn’t believe they thought they could control me and tell me who to see, or who to kiss.

I had never felt more caged in my life as I did right now, in this house.

I have to get out of here
, I thought.

I pulled my boots back on, ran out of the house, saddled up Cherokee as fast I could, and hopped on. With a click of my tongue and a firm squeeze of my thighs, he obeyed me perfectly, breaking out into a full run under the night sky and not stopping until I slowed him down when we reached old man Olly’s house.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

I fucked up.

I barreled in and caused even more grief for Georgia by kissing her in front of God and everyone.

What the fuck was I thinking? That’s just it, I wasn’t.

I was feeling.

Feeling whatever all this shit was that was stirred up inside me. It had gotten a grip on me and wouldn’t let go. I had heard she might be in danger, and I’d gone running like a cow running for his dinner. I couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to Georgia.

And yet, I had happened to her. I had barged into her life, meaning to apologize for my brother’s mistakes and ended up feeling like I had been struck by lightening, then asking her out and kissing her instead of comforting her, which is what I had set out to do. My intentions had been good, but I went about everything all wrong, listening to my heart, and whatever these goddamned feelings were inside me that kept me second guessing everything I did.

I was not a man that second guessed himself. But Georgia had a hold on me that was making me act more and more like someone else.