Chapter 11 ~ Rhett

As Rhett walked across the lot to the barn, he thought about what had happened that morning. It had felt natural to be with Tae. Waking up to pester her was a dream. When she'd finally pushed him off to get in the shower, instead of sleeping, he sat there to think.

He'd tried to make himself abide by the rules that he'd set, but it was turning out to be a pain. Taylor was meant for him, and he knew it. He'd finally decided to give up on his plan and just live.

He hadn't known what was going to happen after he kissed her, but he'd known that it would change their relationship. He didn't expect Taylor to react the way she had though. He had been ready to argue with her into a relationship, but she had happily agreed without any pushing.

What was to come, he didn't know, but he was ready to find out. They hadn't agreed on anything more this morning other than the fact that it was starting to feel real. Not defining their relationship was bugging Rhett, but he would wait until Taylor was comfortable.

As he stepped into the barn, he saw a couple of guys standing to the side talking. They'd all taken to Tae like bees to honey. He was glad he didn't have to deal with the men hating on Tae, but he did have one thing to take care of.

He'd watched at breakfast as Creek had glared at Tae the entire meal. He wasn't taking to the idea that she was taken very well. Rhett decided he'd have to make sure he got the point across.

He'd kissed the bejeezus out of her this morning to make sure that he'd staked his claim, but he felt that Creek needed to be told verbally to stay away.

He grabbed the vet bag out of the refrigerator and headed toward his truck. He was meeting Max in the North Pasture to vaccinate the first round of mares.

While Max was home, he was going to be putting him and his veterinarian degree to good use. He walked back out to his truck and jumped in. Pulling out, he turned north and headed towards the pasture.

He drove over the entry cattle guard twenty minutes later. He chuckled when he didn't see Max's truck. Max was normally the one brother that was on time for everything. Rhett had expected a call ten minutes ago from Max informing him that he was late. He'd taken up a little extra time with Taylor, and now he really was fifteen minutes late.

He hopped out of the cab and went to the bed of the truck where he'd put all of the supplies they would need for the day. He started organizing what they needed while he waited for Max.

Finally, ten minutes later, Max pulled into the pasture, and Rhett shook his head as his brother crawled out of his truck. He looked like he'd just crawled out of bed.

"You're late, little brother," he called to him. Rhett looked him over and noticed the lipstick on Max's collar. "Rough night?" he asked.

Max blushed, and Rhett's suspicions were confirmed. He chuckled to himself. Max was the only brother that it surprised him to see with a woman. He was the one, out of the four of them, who couldn't care less about the girls of their town.

"Who was the lucky lady?" he asked his brother.

Max looked at him shocked and embarrassed.

"What are you talking about," he croaked.

Rhett let out a laugh and shook his head.

"I'm talking about the bright pink lipstick on your neck there, dude," he said reaching out and smearing it.

Max smacked his hand away and blushed deeper.

"There was no woman," he said simply. The deflated look he wore as he said it encouraged Rhett to drop the subject.

"Okay, well, for now, I'll let you go because we have work to be done," he said, "but I will get it out of you later," he added.

Max shook his head vigorously and went to work on the vaccinations.

After three hours at the north pasture, they headed to the south pasture. The mares in this pasture were less jumpy, and it only took an hour. The west pasture had been simple, with only five mares to take care of.

They were now putting up supplies, almost done.

"So, the girlfriend," Max started. "She seems to have you wrapped around her finger," he said while smiling devilishly at Rhett.

Rhett smirked and shook his head. "Nope, it's the other way around. I've got her all caught up in me."

"Oh sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself," Max said, rolling his eyes.

Then, "She's good for you Rhett. She doesn't let you get away with your brooding moody male act. She makes you a better man. You're happier than I think I've ever seen you," he said seriously.

Rhett was speechless for a moment. His mother had said the same thing yesterday to him. He hadn't realized just how unhappy he had been until now. Tae had truly become the sunshine in his life.

As he drove back to the main barn with Max following him, he decided it was time to make them official. There would be no more pretending, and he needed Taylor to know that he was done acting.

He had secrets all around him, but he didn't want Taylor to be one anymore.

Pulling up to the barn, he hopped out. He turned just as Max jumped out of his truck.

"I've got this," he called to Max. "You go get that woman that has your panties in a twist," he added, smiling.

Max turned a deep red but climbed back into his truck. Rhett shook his head as he drove off. He didn't know who the woman was, but to get Max that worked up, she must be something.

Returning the medicine back to the coolers, he started out of the barn. He was on a mission, and that mission's name was Taylor Houston.

When he turned to see Creek standing outside of the barn, he groaned and decided he better take care of that first.

He walked over to Creek, who was shooting daggers at him.

"Creek, we need to talk."

Creek rose an eyebrow at him.

"About what?" he asked.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," he said to him. "You've glared at Taylor all day. I'm sorry that she didn't fall for your act, but she's mine," he gritted out.

Creek scowled at him.

"You can have the little winch," he said to him.

Rhett took a step forward.

"You will not talk about her like that just because she bypassed you," he sneered.

"Oh I think I dodged a bullet," Creek said, smiling coyly. "She's obviously the user type because she is clearly using you. I would never take the chance," he said smirking.

"What do you mean using me?" Rhett asked, growing madder by the second.

"Well don't you find it funny that she needed a place to stay, a job, and money for clothes and food, then magically she falls in love with you? The girl is using you, buddy."

Rhett didn't let him get another word out. His fist connected with Creek's nose making a satisfying crunch.

"You'll shut the hell up!" he bellowed at Creek.

He punched him again, this time in the jaw.

"Look, I'm just trying to help you before you're completely blinded by love that you can't see what a bitch she is," Creek said still smiling.

Rhett punched him again, this time not giving him time to think. He pummeled him to the ground, and finally, Creek started punching back.

They were in a full-out brawl when something heavy smacked Rhett in the back of the head. He rolled off Creek to see Jack standing with a two-by-four above him.

"Get off of him before you kill him," Jack sneered down at him.

Rhett threw one more punch, then climbed to his feet.

"He was disrespecting my woman, and it might be the only good lesson you ever taught me, but you did teach me that no man should ever sit by, while someone disrespects his woman," he said to Jack.

Jack shook his head.

"He was probably right about it," he said to Rhett. Rhett was taken aback. "You're acting like a damn fool about this woman," he added.

Rhett shook his head trying to clear the red from his vision.

"You're no man, Jack Montgomery. You hate me so much that you can't even agree with me when it's something you taught me? Well, guess what, if you're always so right, then tell me how I'm wrong about my woman?" he asked Jack. He was trying to control his anger, but it was becoming a struggle.

Jack's nostrils flared as he looked at Rhett.

"She's obviously using you just like Creek, here, said. She's using you for a place to stay and money," he added.

"I'm going to stop you right there," he said holding up his hand. "I had to practically chain Taylor to my house to keep her there. She wouldn't take anything from me. Not a dime. I tried to help her out, and she blew up and yelled at me for an hour," he said.

Jack shook his head again.

"She has you fooled. She's an imposter, and deep down you know it. Why would she want you? You're nothing special," his father sneered.

Rhett blew up then. He didn't care if Jack was his father or not, he was tired of people talking about Taylor like they were. He clocked Jack across the jaw, and then he punched him in the face. Jack stumbled to the ground, and just when Rhett went to continue, the door to the bunkhouse opened, and Taylor and his mama walked out. They saw what was happening and ran

across to them.

Rhett glared down at Jack.

"You better be happy I won't fight in front of a woman, or I'd knock all your teeth out," he gritted through his teeth.

The woman reached them, and Rhett grabbed Tae by the waist and walked to his truck. When they were out of earshot and eyesight, he stopped. Tae was looking up with fearful eyes.

"Rhett what happened?" she asked him, cupping his stinging face.

He could feel the blood running down from the cut near his eyebrow. He didn't say anything, but opened the door to his truck and sat down. He pulled Taylor between his legs and burrowed his face in her chest.

She didn't seem to mind that he was getting blood all over her.

She massaged his scalp with her fingers, and he gradually relaxed. She was patiently waiting for him to open up, and Rhett appreciated her silence.

"I'm sorry, Tae," he murmured in her chest.

She stiffened but continued to comfort him.

"For what? For getting in a fight?" she questioned him.

He didn't want to put his burdens on her, so he decided to keep it simple.

"I'm sorry people are jerks," he said.

She continued playing with his hair, and finally, Rhett looked up at her. She was staring down at him, waiting patiently.

"People are going to judge you no matter what you do, Tae. You just need to know that the people who care for you know the truth," he explained to her.

She gave him a questioning look but didn't ask for him to elaborate.

"Let's get you home, cowboy," she said into his hair.

She shut his door and walked around to the driver's door. He watched her as she climbed in, then hit the steering wheel.

"Curse your long legs," she mumbled.

She looked over at him and shook her head. He chuckled, but it didn't feel right.

Once she got the seat pushed forward, she held out her hand for the keys. He dug through his pocket to find them. She started the truck and headed home.

Rhett settled back into his seat and let her drive him home. It felt good to let her take care of him. He closed his eyes and relished in the fact that, for once, someone cared.

..........

Taylor looked over at Rhett. He had been quiet the entire time they'd sat in the truck. She turned into their driveway and headed towards the house.

She thought about how normal it felt to think this. Their home.

She had become used to this being her home. She parked the truck and walked around to Rhett.

He was still sitting with his eyes closed, but she knew he wasn't asleep. She opened the doors and wrapped her arms around him.

It had scared her to death when she'd looked out the windows to see him and Creek fighting.

Caroline had told her to wait because the boys needed to work it out once and for all. But, when Jack had stepped out of the shadows and hit Rhett with the piece of wood, she had freaked out.

Caroline had freaked out as well. She said that he was just breaking them up, but Taylor had seen the fear in her eyes. She didn't know the story behind Rhett and his father, but she could tell it wasn't good.

Now, she could see the pain in Rhett's eyes as he opened them to look at her. His usual crystal blue eyes were filled with a dull misery.

Taylor'd watched earlier as Rhett had said something to his father, hope filling his eyes. His father had sneered something back at him that caused Rhett to look crushed, then his hurt had turned to anger.

She wanted to walk over to Jack Montgomery with a sledgehammer and knock his teeth out. He had treated Rhett like trash every time she had been around him. She didn't know how Caroline was married to him.

Rhett climbed out of the truck and followed her into the house. She led him into the kitchen and pointed at the counter by the sink.

"Sit," she commanded.

He chuckled and hopped onto the counter. His laugh sounded strained, and Taylor nearly broke into tears.

She grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the water. She turned back to him and began to gently wash the blood off of his face.

He grimaced as she cleaned the cut above his eyebrow. This was the worst of the damage, but he still looked terrible. There was blood all over his shirt, and his lip was busted.

Most of the blood was from the cut above his eyelid, and as she washed away the blood, his features were uncovered. He looked good without the blood covering him up.

"It's not as bad as it looked to be," she assured him. "All of the blood came from one cut," she said rubbing his temples.

He sighed and leaned into her touch.

"Thank you Tae," he sighed.

She chuckled.

"Don't thank me yet. Do you have any peroxide?" she asked.

His eyes widened and he gulped.

"Yeah, yeah, it's in the medicine cabinet above the washing machine," he stammered.

She shook her head as she walked off to grab the bottle. Coming back, she asked, "Is it just your face?"

"No, that little prick used whatever was in his hand too," he snarled. "He got my sides and back pretty good too."

She reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. He winced as he tried to help.

She turned him around so that she could see his back and gasped as she saw it. His back was covered in gashes and scratches.

"What was Creek doing when you found him?" she asked him.

His eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"He was walking to his truck," he said.

She looked at his back again, and a picture began to paint in her head.

"He used his keys, Rhett," she said softly.

He shook his head, "I thought that's what he did. Couldn't even fight on his own, he had to cheat," he spat.

She walked over to the cabinet where she knew he kept the liquor. She poured a glass of whiskey and handed it to Rhett.

"Drink this. It's probably going to hurt like hell," she said sympathetically.

He took the glass from her and downed it, then began chomping on the ice from the bottom of the glass.

She started cleaning the cuts on his back, and he hissed at the sting of the peroxide. She was surprised at how well he handled the pain. Some of the gashes were deep, and she knew it probably hurt like blue blazes.

She finished and pushed him to the couch. Plopping down, she pulled Rhett down with her on his stomach. She placed his head in her lap and began rubbing his scalp as she waited for him to talk.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked quietly.

"Well, I guess you deserve to know the truth," he said as he took a deep breath.

She continued to calm him, even when her own heart was beating out of her chest.

"You only have to tell me what you feel comfortable telling me, Rhett."

"No, I want to tell you everything." He took another deep breath then began. "I guess I'll start at the beginning. Caroline Montgomery is not my real mother."

Taylor gasped, but she stayed quiet. She let him continue.

"Jack fell in love with Caroline very young. He was in love with her, but it scared him. When he realized he was in love with her, he went on a rampage and had a wild night. He met a woman at a bar and spent the night with her. She got pregnant and had me. Jack didn't know. My real mother wasn't the motherly type, and soon she left me with my father. I was two months old when she left," he said.

Taylor hurt for what Rhett had gone through.

"Oh Rhett," she said softly.

"I was too young to understand, obviously, so it didn't bother me," he said.

She believed him, but she also felt that deep down, her leaving had affected Rhett.

"Caroline fell in love with me, but Jack wanted nothing to do with me. All he saw when he looked at me was a reminder of his weakness to stand by his woman," he sneered. "Caroline said that they had to keep me though. She became my mother and raised me as her own. My brothers don't even know that she isn't my real mother," he said shaking his head.

"She is a hell of a woman that is for sure," Taylor thought out loud.

Rhett looked up at her.

"I don't know where I'd be without her. Jack would have beaten me to death," he said simply.

Taylor choked. This is what she had been afraid of. She'd had a bad feeling about Jack when she'd met him, and then she'd gone home and dreamed that Jack had beaten Rhett as a child.

"As I got older, he became more and more physical with me. He couldn't stand me. Mom would get so mad at him every time she saw me with a bruise. She couldn't understand why he couldn't love his own flesh. He never hurt me enough physically to scar me, but he left his scars mentally. He was brutal with his words."

Taylor wrapped her arms around his shoulders to give him support.

"I'm so sorry, Rhett. No one deserves that. Why'd Caroline stay with him?" she asked as tears welled in her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of Rhett for fear of setting him off.

"Mom stayed with him because he was only like that with me. He was a great father to their three boys. He just couldn't stand me because I proved that he wasn't perfect," he spat. "And besides, he avoided me mostly. He pretended I didn't exist, and I learned what to do not to set him off. He only got aggressive a few times a year," he said simply.

"Oh god, Rhett," she sighed.

She couldn't hold her tears back anymore and let them run down her cheeks. He looked up at her and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Hey, don't cry for me, pretty girl," he said softly.

She wrapped her arms around him and burrowed him into her chest.

"I'm so sorry, Rhett," she said again.

She didn't know what else to say, so she just held him.

She rested her lips on his forehead and peppered kisses all around his face.

"You are one of the kindest men I've ever met, and to survive what you went through, and still turn out like you are? Rhett, you're the strongest person I've ever met," she said

He pulled her to him and kissed her. She snuggled into him, and let him hold her. She didn't understand how someone could not love Rhett. He was the best person she'd ever met.

"What happened today, Rhett?" she asked him.

He stiffened and cleared his throat.

"Creek said some pretty nasty things about you," he said simply. "I beat the crap out of him for it," he added. "And then my lousy father..." he veered off track.

Taylor let him find his words without interrupting him.

"When I told him that I had learned the most important lesson in my life, he told me I was an idiot. Stand by your woman no matter what he'd always yell at me as he took his anger out on me. I tried to show him that I understood and that I didn't hate him, and all he did was tell me I was stupid," he croaked.

She pulled her to him as he started crying. She hadn't seen Rhett cry before, and the sight shook her. Rhett burrowed his head into her stomach like a child and cried his eyes out.

Tears silently rolled down her cheeks. She could feel his pain. It shot through her like a knife. She held him and let him cry until he finally stopped shuddering.

She rubbed his back until his breathing evened out. Finally, he slipped into sleep. Taylor continued to hold him for a long time afterward just to hold him.