Backwoods Brotherhood

The Last two weeks had been rough. My parents had announced they were going to Oklahoma next month. They wanted to scope out retirement property and were leaving me in charge of the ranch. That part had been awesome. Id been preparing for this for years and couldn't wait to carry on the Hampton ranch legacy. It was when my dad hired a new ranch hand that things got rough.
He hired Kane Monroe. Back in high-school id been tormented for four years by his girlfriend, Beccalynn and her tribe of bitches. I hated them. Four years of nonstop humiliation. Of course with every beauty queen there is a king, Kane. Him and Beccalynn had been on and off through high school. Kane was quarterback, member of four H, and prom king. He was voted most handsome in the yearbook. All the girls crushed on Kane. Even me. He was a real big buff country boy, the kind you see in the movies. The ones that make you bite your lip and die alittle inside. Deliciously attractive.
I tried to hate him and avoid him. If Beccalynn found out I was crushing on him she'd never let me live it down. Even now that years had passed and they were long over each other I felt the need to hate him. Kane monroe had some wild rumors surfing around him. I didn't know how true they were but they were steamy rumors.
In small towns like Long branch information spread like wildfires. Somebody always knew something, and nobody didn't have dirt on someone else. I had a few rumors going around about me but I choose to ignore them.
Despite all that my father still hired him on. All week id been shadowed by Kane. Everytime I turned around he was there tall dark an handsomely watching me. At first I was angry id have to work with him, id tried to convince my father to let me hire someone else. Itd gone terribly, he lectured me on how hard it was to find honest employees and that personal feelings should never be involved in business. Id spent most of the night listening to him.
The following day i had been irritable and took most of it out on Kane. He took it, he let me be angry with him without even knowing why. Yesterday id been less of a bitch but still id snapped at him a number of times. Last night I tried to rationalize my anger but I couldn't. Kane had never been the problem, granted he never stopped the problem either. There was no logical reason for me to be so angry at him. I had managed to be at the very least professional today. Id kept my anger shoved so far down that even when Kane showed up I was pleasant. It was a decent Friday, decent enough that I'd rewarded myself with a trip to the bar.
Here I was hiding in a corner booth, idly stirring the last of my drink with a straw. Music playing quietly in the background while drunk people sat around talking loudly, new couples huddled together in first date bliss. It was pretty empty for a friday night, but the high school football season just started too. Most people were at the game.
Id been tossing around the idea of calling on a gentleman for a bit of stress relief. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take James up on his offer for no strings attached. I sipped on my drink no longer tasting the vodka. I texted James to see if he'd met me here and waited. Watching the patrons of the bar as they laughed and danced.

"Hey man I'm sorry I got caught up with work." A loud booming voice came from behind me. I looked around but saw noone. On the other side of the partition I could hear bodies moving.

"Its fine. How's work anyway?" The voice I heard respond was familiar. Id heard it for two weeks. Kanes deep southern voice was impossible not to recognize. I froze in my booth. How long had he been sitting there and did he know I was here?

"Its good, the old man's really busting my ass but its worth it. What about you didnt you start a new job?" Who ever was with him was not someone I spoke to regularly. I didnt recognize his voice.

"Yeah. Out at the Hampton ranch." Kanes voice had a rough tone to it. I found me self leaning closer to the partition to hear them. I wanted to hear what he had to say about his job.

"Yeah? Frank's a good guy." Kanes friend knew my dad?

"Oh yeah. Frank's great. Though I'm not really working for Frank." Kanes voice was full of tension.

"Who then?" I eyed the waitress as she went by. I tried not to seem like I was eavesdropping even though I was. She motioned towards my cup and I nodded. She giggled softly as she walked away, she knew I was snooping.

"His daughter Laura." The way he said my name made it clear he disliked me. Could I blame him? The last two weeks id all but hit him.

"Ooo nice ass, that one." I was a little taken back by his friends comment Kane scoffed in response.

"It's perfect, I've kissed enough of it to know." A cup hit the table, kanes voice strained. He wasn't being sarcastic like id expected.

"If she were my boss id kiss her ass too." I grimaced as the waitress returned my drink. I followed her with my eyes as she stepped to the next booth.

"Let me get a beer." Kanes voice was louder now.

"Make it two." I sipped at my drink as the waitress passed by again.

"I heard Frank was handing down the ranch to Laura. Didn't believe it though." I looked at my phone to seem occupied.

"He is." Kane confirmed.

"Personally I don't think a women like her should be left in a man's job like that, more secretary or librarian maybe." Kanes friend made me want to kick his teeth in. How dare he, a women like me?

"She's a damn good Rancher. Tough as hell. She's just a bitch." Kanes words bothered me. I should have found a better way to cope with his presence at the ranch.

"I'm sure that's because she's not getting laid." Kanes friend make a bad joke. My body tensed immediately. I had plenty of sex. I was a fully satisfied woman. Besides that had no affect on my mood.

"What?" Kane laughed but it wasn't out of humor. He was tense too.

"You don't know cause you weren't here but Ms.Hampton was dating the district judges son, uh..." He snapped his fingers over and over.

"Jerad?" Kane finished for him.

"They were pretty serious up until she found him with Goldman's daughter." I cringed at the memory. That wasn't the truth but it was close enough. Id known for a while Jared had been sleeping with Stacy. The shock was in how he announced it to the whole town.

"I remember Laura from high school. There's no way she would have dated Jared." I sank down in my booth feeling different. A reminiscent feeling of high school. Hiding while people gossip about me.

"Isn't she the girl Becca hated?" Kanes friend was one from school. I could go through a list of his friends and still not place the voice.

"Yep which is exactly why I'm not quitting." Kanes voice lingered between frustration and resignation.

"You could always fuck her into forgiveness." Kanes friend laughed loudly.

"I don't need her forgiveness." Kane scoffed again this time his voice was dark. Something sinister lingereed there.

"Are you going to tame the beast?" His friend sounded surprised.. i wasnt sure if i was the beast or not here. I wasnt even really sure what he meant by tame either. My phone vibrated in my hand. James' text saying he was outside waiting. I stared at it. I had to get up and walk right past them to the door. I texted James that I was paying my tab and going to use the restroom. That'd buy me some time to find my strength. It would be hard to face Kane Monday. I waved the waitress over with my card. She looked amused as she approached me.

"Id like to pay my tab please." I held my card out to her.

"Okay ill be right back." She took the card and left. I gathered up my purse and sweater before she came back. When she returned with my card I signed off a ten dollar tip for her.

"Have a goodnight." She smiled as I stood up.

"You too." I turned to see Kane and Jake Harring, his best friend in high school, starring up at me from their booth. For a moment I locked eyes with Kane. Green eyes like solid emeralds held my gaze. He opened his mouth to say something and I headed for the door as calmly and collected as I could. His gaze now burned into my brain. I rushed across the parking lot to James' truck. Behind the windshield I could see him watching me.