A Good Start To A Bad Day

★。＼｜／。★

VANESSA DAVIS

★。／｜＼。★

I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a bed more comfortable than this. I wore Colton’s shirt to sleep, his bar soap smelt like actual daises, and the house reeked of hand made, I built it myself nonsense. God, I feel like throwing a tantrum. This stranger gave me a ride when I was stranded, and a place in his home, I could have been a serial killer. I sat up straight and exhaled.

I could try to be less of a bitch. Hopefully, I’m not here for long, and I can meet with my mother and then head home. To where life truly is. Not on a farm, in a place that shouldn’t be on the map.

Getting out of bed, I walked towards the window in time to see the sunrise. My god.... it’s beautiful. Wow. I can get the same view, from my penthouse. Only with less grass. Still pretty though.

I’m just not a connect-with-nature kind of girl. Which reminds me, my charger is also in one of those bags that I left. God, my brothers must be losing their minds. I have to hurry. Get a bath, get dressed, and then fill out that form.

I reached for the hem of the shirt, stepping away from the window. I tugged it over my head seconds before I heard the rattle of the doorknob. My head tilts back slightly, and I drop the shirt to my feet.

The door opens to reveal a tall man, with a similar look to Colton. Only I can tell he’s a bit older, and Colton has a black beard.

The man is good-looking though, I guess it runs in the family. He is the embodiment of the rugged cowboy, a man who commands attention without saying a word. His broad shoulders and muscular frame hint at a life of hard work under the sun, while his stance exudes quiet confidence. His face is striking, with a chiseled jawline and just a touch of scruff that adds to his rugged charm. Piercing eyes, intense and calculating, seem to hold a thousand untold stories. His expression is serious, almost brooding as if he carries the weight of his world on his shoulders.

His attire completes the look—a classic plaid button-up shirt that fits snugly against his broad chest, tucked into a pair of well-worn jeans and finished with a belt sporting an ornate buckle. The wide-brimmed cowboy hat perched on his head casts a shadow over his face, enhancing his mysterious aura.

Quite like his brother. His eyes find mine first, then they drop to my exposed breasts and suddenly his stoic expression is different.

“Sorry ma’am, Colton didn’t tell me this room was in use.”

“It’s okay. I’m not ashamed.”

He blinked, as though realizing I could talk. “Right. Uh, may I ask who you are?”

“I’m Vanessa. You might not know me. I have a question for you though.” I took confident strides toward the door. “Is it true what they say? Wear the hat, ride the cowboy? Or is it save a horse, ride a cowboy? I've always been curious.”

His jaw loosens, and he gives me a smirk the moment he regains his composure. “You plan on riding my brother?”

“Or you, it depends on who’s interested.”

“Over his dead body.” Colton’s voice comes out of nowhere. He wraps a hand around his brother’s - I am assuming- neck. “Get dressed, we have to head into town in two hours.”

I shut the door behind them, rolling my eyes. I wasn’t being serious. After arguing with Colton all day yesterday, and being called mannerless, I am not getting into any cowboy’s pants. I mean, if it happens, I won’t say no to good sex.

I showered with that thought at the back of my mind. The soap is the best part of this, and the bed. God, I hate it here. It’s all comfort. And natural smells. Even the toothpaste is nice, and probably handmade too.

I toweled off and dressed in the same outfit I’d worn yesterday. It’s all I have. I shoved my phone into my handbag, pulled on my boots, and headed downstairs where I was shocked to see eight different people sitting in the dining room staring at me. Colton was shaking his head.

“Uh, are you people going to kill me?”

An older but sexy-looking man stepped forward. “Sorry, miss. We’re just a little surprised Colton brought a girl to the farm.”

Ah, so this is his family. This is the first time I’m meeting a guy’s family.... fully dressed.... who I’m not sleeping with. This is weird.

“Nice to meet you all. I am Vanessa Davis. I’ll be gone in a day or two. At most a week.”

“I’m Abel. This is my son Samson-” he’s the guy I met earlier. “This is Colton’s twin, Ross. My youngest child Catia. That is Curtis my right hand, Ashley and Laia. Laia is Samson’s wife. We hope to make your stay here comfortable.”

I’m a journalist, I have good instincts, and I recall something Colton said. So Samson is married, I guess he’s off the table. But Abel is hot. I wouldn’t mind- Colton, as if sensing my line of thought, sent me a hard glare. What a baby.

I know why they’re here. And it isn’t to see the girl Colton brought.

“You guys don’t get many hybrids here, do you?” I said, calling them out on it. Like Colton, they just smiled. Carefully covering up their emotions from their faces. All except Ross.

“Yeah,” he answered. “A half mermaid. You are so cool.”

“I like him. He has manners. You wouldn’t know what manners are, would you Colton?”

Ross gasped. “Ooohhh she’s calling him out.”

“Okay everyone, leave. I have to take her-”

“Would you care to join us for breakfast?” Ross asked me in a hopeful voice.

“Sure. I forgot something, just let me get it.”

I stepped away from the dining area and ran up to the room. I did forget something, that form. I grabbed it off the bedside table before returning to find that no one had moved. God, these are hot and weird.

Why couldn’t they just be hot? And interested, in an orgy. Damn it! no.

“Uh, do you guys have a pen? And where are we having breakfast?”

A girl, I’m assuming is the one Abel called Laia? stepped out of the group. “we’re cooking.”

Huh? Oh god, no motels, they probably don’t have a delivery service either.

“Ah, I just remembered, I need to charge my phone and change my clothes. So I really can’t stay for breakfast-” Laia grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me towards the kitchen.

“Just sit, it’ll only be a minute.”

It took forty-five minutes. Because in between she kept kissing her husband. Their marriage is doomed. I can feel it.

They made eggs, bacon, pancakes, and waffles, and showed me their honey syrup which they made themselves. Who are these freaks?

I’m sorry freaks is a rude word. But god. My brothers can cook, and to a degree, I can too. But we choose not to. I mean me, I’m only one person. My kitchen is for vibes, not cooking. Possibly unwrapping my ordered food, but definitely not a place to cook. But this whole family cooked-- together, then sat around to eat.

Without arguing. About anything. They talked about the farm, the animals, the crops, the pack. Right, this place is also a pack. Of like, from what I gathered, two hundred people. Who all work and live here. Can you imagine the acres of land this family owns?

We set off into the city after eating and doing the dishes. Thankfully, as a guest, I wasn’t asked to.

I filled out the form on the drive into town. Which Colton used to scold me.

“Showing your naked body to my older brother, is unacceptable, darlin’. What happened to the mystery? Shame?”

“I am sexy, and I am not afraid to show it. I’m a journalist, I once went undercover to a strip club. I got on that stage. No problems, no fear. And I didn’t know he was married, he could have looked away. I also had panties on.”

He growled at me. “That’s your defense. We do things differently around here. You don’t go around showing folks your bare body.”

“Would you have complained if I had shown it to you?”

“Yes.”

I groaned, what is this guy’s problem?

“And staying for breakfast.... that’s worse than havin’ to hear you say you’d ride my brother. I hope whatever you came here for doesn’t take long. I cannot stand you.”

“Because I got naked? What are you? A fucking virgin? Or do you not know what confidence looks like?”

He pulled the car into an abrupt stop. “I just think you shouldn’t be flaunting your body around at the break of dawn.”

“Oh god you are one of those guys who believes a woman should save herself, or that true love can save the world. Mating this, and mating that. Ugh, that is so backward. It’s not like I twerked on your brother’s face. I could have gone into details. I said ‘Is it, wear the hat, ride the cowboy?’ but I could have skipped the question and said ‘I’d ride your face so hard you’d sing praises of my pussy.’”

Colton reached his hand out, cupping it over my mouth. He was visibly shaking.

“What in god’s name is wrong with you? I am a stranger. My family are strangers to you too. Do you treat every guy you meet like this?”

I stuck my tongue out and licked his palm, as expected, he yanked it back.

“I do not treat every guy like that. Geez, you are such a prude. A goddamn prude. Just take me to the fucking mechanic so I can figure out how long I have to stay with you. You fucking prude.”

“Watch your language, darlin’.” his tone was threatening, but he was barking at the wrong bitch.

“Prude, fuck, pussy, ass, asshole, fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck, fuck.”

He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. While I watched and smiled. The car started again, and he drove in silence. I continued to fill out my form.

The mechanic... a total bust. Because my day can only get worse. His name is Steve, he’s older than Colton, polite, and sweet. And telling me to my face that the engine problem was bigger than he expected, and that he would need to order parts for it. Which would take two months.

This fucking town! Ahhhhhhhh! Colton chose to speak to Steve while I had a mental breakdown. My god, I hate this place. I HATE IT SO MUCH! Why do people still live in towns this small and useless? I should call the airport, this is their fault. They need to send me a replacement. Oh god, what if they say no?

I could be here for two months. I think I’m gonna throw up.

Why? Goddess, this is a sign from you, isn’t it? I shouldn’t give my mother a second chance. Oh right. Shit, I need to see her today. Maybe something good will come from this. I just need to get it over with.

AHHHHHHH!

With that disaster, Colton got my bags out of the rental and drove me to my mother’s house. I didn’t tell him who she was. I only asked him where this address led, and he took me there. Offering to wait. Which I guess was nice.

Dusty Creek holds one thousand, eighty-six people. It is truly a small town. And most of those people don’t drive, so the mechanic is useless. There were like six guys there and they were all working on a tractor. Not the point.

I don’t get why my mother would leave us to come all the way here. Walking up the stairs to her porch, because every house on this street has one, and knocking on her front door, I felt nervous. Angry, and excited to get to know her. To hear her out.

When the door opened and I saw her face, I felt the urge to hug her. I didn’t though. Because behind her was a man, and two other people who had my mother’s eyes.

She has another family. Right, how could I forget that she had an affair?

What the hell was I thinking?