1
Bella
“Get the hell off me.”
My dad’s drunken voice echoed off the corners of my mind as I helped Mom get him off the couch. I blocked out Mom’s soft tears as she sniffled. My heart broke for her, but I honestly didn’t understand why she stayed with my foolish father. For as long as I could remember, he was nothing but a pathetic drunkard who kept getting worse and worse as the years went by.
And as I helped lug him up the steps, I felt exhaustion settle into the marrow of my bones.
“Come on, sweetheart. Just a little more,” Mom said softly.
Dad threw his head back. “You should’ve just left me on the couch!”
I rolled my eyes. “Get upstairs, or I’m letting you tumble down these steps.”
Mom gasped. “Bella!”
Dad hiccupped. “Told you. Don’t none of you love me.”
Not this version of you, no. “Just get your feet underneath you, yeah? Your words aren’t slurred, so I know you can at least walk.”
Mom cried the entire time we helped Dad up the steps. She sobbed in the corner while I undressed him before rushing to get a trash can when he started gagging. And after he puked all over himself, I was the one to clean him up while she had her existential crisis in the corner. For once in my life, I wanted not to have to be the strong one in my family. The more it happened, the more draining it became, and I felt my own life slipping through my fingers. College had been brutal enough, traveling back and forth from Dallas to clean up Dad’s messes every single weekend.
Then again, it wasn’t as if he had planned his rodeo accident.
“Come on, Mom. I have to get ready for work. Can you come stroke his hair until he falls asleep?” I asked.
She wiped at her tears. “Can’t you keep doing it? He loves it when you do it.”
I ground my teeth together. “Well, if you want to eat in a couple of weeks, someone in this house has to work. So, I’m going to need some help.”
She slowly stood from her chair and tiptoed over, acting as if my father were some sort of entity that frightened her. And I got it. I understood where that fear came from. But, it sure as hell didn’t help me out. I needed to be out the door five minutes ago, and I still hadn’t finished getting dressed. I’d have to forgo jewelry and makeup if I had a hope or a prayer of getting to my new job on time.
And after tucking my father in, Mom and I exchanged places.
“Wait, sweetheart,” she said as she grabbed my wrist.
I peered over my shoulder. “What is it?”
Her watery gaze met mine. “Thank you for all you’ve done for our family. I know I haven’t stepped up like I needed to, but it’s just hard sometimes.”
I nodded. “I know it is.”
“It’s just—when you see the love of your life trampled like that, it does something to you.”
I pulled away from her grip. “And as the love of his life, it’s your wedding vows that tell you to step up for better and for worse, not mine.”
I was harsh on her, but I’d dealt with this bullshit for the better part of fifteen years. At twenty-five years old, I could still remember watching my father take that spill in the rodeo arena when I was only ten years old. I could still remember the first time Dad had mixed his pain pills with his beer before projectile vomiting all over the dinner Mom had made for us that night. And I can still remember the fight it led to before Dad cracked his hand against Mom’s jaw.
Of course, if anyone asked her about it, she’d just say he was drunk. Maybe a bit too high. But that he was getting better. And if by “better,” she meant Dad was too drunk to swing his fists around, then she’d be right.
I didn’t know how much longer my father’s liver had, though.
Still, I pushed those thoughts from my mind as I finished getting ready for work. I heard Mom calling for me, but I acted as if I didn’t. I couldn’t lose this job. It had been hard enough to move back home to help out my family after getting my degree. It hurt enough to be taking some ignorant secretarial position instead of pursuing my passion like any other person my age.
And I sure as hell wasn’t about to lose my new job because my mother didn’t know how to run her own life.
I rushed out to my car and sped across town, parking with only one minute to spare. I gathered my things and took one peek at myself in the fold-up visor mirror, then decided I looked presentable enough. I locked the doors and rushed inside, looking around for the man who had hired me for the position in the first place.
Ryan Remington, I thought that was his name.
“Bella Lancaster?”
I turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and found a cold, towering man standing behind me. He had a briefcase clenched in his hand, and his free hand slid into the pocket of his stark navy suit. Everything matched, all one solid navy color from his tie to his cufflinks to his shoes. It all worked to accent the stoic stare on his face and the man’s brooding brown eyes. And while he bore a striking resemblance to the guy who had interviewed and hired me, the darkness that fell over his features because of his brow line gave me pause.
My God, he’s handsome.
“And you are?” I asked.
The man didn’t bother sticking out his hand. “Wyatt Remington. I’ll be the one onboarding you since my brother is currently taking paternity leave.”
I nodded. “Well, congratulations to him.”
He turned to face down the hallway. “Follow me and keep up. Take notes if you wish. This won’t take long, though. Just a small tour around the facility before we get you set up at your desk.”
As he walked me around the newly renovated former bank, I couldn’t stop staring at his back. He seemed to tower over everyone and everything else in this place, and the shadow he cast was long and arduous. His shoulders rolled themselves back with a cool sort of confidence, and the way his tailored suit clung to his body made me want to lick my lips. Were all of the Remington brothers this fine? Because I swore, every time I laid my eyes on one of them, my mouth started to water.
Like it was in the presence of Wyatt.
I let my gaze linger down his back and marveled at the tight, perky globes of his ass. His long legs seemed strong beneath the silken, expensive fabric of his suit. And the cologne that trailed behind him made my heart flutter in my chest. I closed my eyes when we came to a stop at the restrooms and shook my head a bit, hoping to pull myself out of my trance.
But, when I opened my eyes, I found him staring at me. “Ready to continue, Bella?”
The sound of my name on the tip of his tongue sent a shiver down my spine. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry.”
His stare fell down my body. “I hope you pay attention better than this when you’re behind your desk.”
I blushed with embarrassment. “You have my word that I will.”
His eyes lingered on me a bit longer than usual. “I don’t think I have to reiterate how important it is that you always be on top of your game. You’re going to be the first face people see when they walk into Remington Petrol Headquarters, so you’re going to be making the first impression on behalf of our entire company.”
I swallowed hard. “Yes, sir. I fully understand.”