My blood boiled, and I clenched my fists. I was going to lay this ass**le out for calling me boy.
River's eyes widened and she looked at me. "I'd hardly call him a boy," she said, smirking. "Hung like a f**king horse. I'd say he probably has several inches on you." She leaned closer to Jed and raised her eyebrows. "Knows how to use them real good, too."
I had to keep my jaw from dropping, listening to River talk. No girl had ever taken up for me.
Hell, no one in my life had ever taken up for me. If there's anything I was used to doing, it was fighting my own battles.
I didn't know what the f**k to think about this girl.
Jed's face was red as he turned away from her and faced me. "You watch yourself," he said. "This town doesn't need your kind here causing trouble - not you or your brothers."
"Fuck you, Jed," I spat.
He smiled and nodded, then turned to leave. I watched him through narrowed eyes as he paused, then turned back toward us. "Oh - one more thing. Give your mother my father's regards," he said.
My heart racing, blood pumping loudly in my ears, I barely registered River's hand on my arm. "Fuck!" I said loudly, enough that a couple passing on the sidewalk stopped and stared.
Fucking Jed.
"River, I - " I started, but she interrupted me, holding her hand up.
"Whatever it is," she said. "I don't want to know. It's none of my f**king business."
"River, I didn't mean to - "
She shook her head. "Just because I defended you, doesn't mean I'm okay with you being a dickhead," she said. "I just don't like bullies, and that guy strikes me as a bully."
"One of the worst kinds," I agreed.
"Thanks for the ride, Elias," she said, the car keys dangling from her fingers. She turned to leave.
I stood there and watched her walk away. Jesus Christ. I wasn't used to having to watch my attitude, make sure I didn't snap at people.
I was used to dealing with subordinates, people I was in charge of in the Navy. Most of them f**king got out of my way.
I felt a pang of regret. Shit.
This is not how I'd planned on spending the rest of the day, dealing with family bullshit. I'd planned on spending it screwing the absolute hell out of River, but I'd f**ked that part up.
I needed to fix it, I thought. Later. I would fix it with her.
Everything else was eclipsed by the thought of what Jed had said. And what the rental manager had mentioned. My mother had some questions she needed to answer.
Between whatever bullshit was with her, and Silas' cryptic crap, there were too many f**king secrets.
It's none of your business.
Elias' words echoed in my head as I closed the car door and walked back up to the bed and breakfast. After I'd left him in town, I'd waited and watched him stride off back to his car like a man on a mission.
Angry at the world, I told myself. And he didn't even f**king realize it.
What the hell did I care, anyway? He was right; it wasn't any of my f**king business. Just because I was sleeping with him - no, scratch that since we hadn't even screwed yet- didn't mean I needed to know who he was. I was taking some time here in West Bend, just a few days, and that was that.
This was just a break from my normal life.
I needed to remember that.
A couple of days off the grid and I would get back to it. I needed to get back to it. Monday, when I didn't show up for filming, the studio would be f**king pissed. We were near the end of this film, and they'd probably figure I went off the deep end or something, lost my damn mind, with everything that had just happened with Viper. They'd film without me in the meantime, but someone would be looking for me. Soon.
I walked through town, browsing in a few of the store windows, the spaces decorated with country knick-knacks, cowboy clothing and boots. Being here was like stepping back in time.
It was almost enough to forget everything that had happened, back in the real world. Back in Hollywood. Not that Hollywood was anything like the real world; I wasn't delusional enough to think that. But it was my reality.
I just didn't know if I wanted it to be my future.
When I returned to the bed and breakfast, Cade and June were on the front porch, and June had a picnic basket in her hand. She held it up when I got out of the car.
"We were just making some lunch," she said. "So I figured I'd bring you some stuff over, drop if off in case you were hungry and didn't feel like cooking. Cade makes a mean chicken salad."
Cade was standing beside her, a half-eaten sandwich in his hand. "Secret ingredient is curry," he said. "June's been eating it by the truckload since she got pregnant."
"The kid is going to hate chicken salad," June said.
"Well, with an endorsement like that, how could I not try it?" I opened the front door. "Is there enough in there for all of us? Would you stay and have lunch with me?"
"Sure," June said. Then, to Stan, "Baby, come this way." He was picking the petals off flowers in a pot near the door. "Don't eat those."
Inside, June set out plates and Cade sat with Stan on his lap.