When the Sun Comes Out

Chapter 7 ~ Rhett

    Getting out of bed, or well off of the couch, had been hard for Rhett. He'd stumbled around the house gathering things he needed and making sure everything was accessible for Taylor. He checked on her multiple times through the crack of the door just to make sure she was still asleep.

She was looking much better now that she had relaxed for two days, and he was sure she would go snooping around the house today while he was gone. The weekend had been the most relaxing time he'd had in a long time. Tae brought an aura of happiness with her wherever she went.

Checking on her once more, he slid out the door ten minutes late. He didn't have time for breakfast, but he planned on coming home early anyway, so he would sacrifice.

He slipped into the back of the morning meeting that had already started and listened for his assignment. Once it was over, he quickly tried to escape so he could start early. Start early: finish early. As he went to slip out of the room, he heard a catcall.

"Man, Rhett, you're smiling like a fool. Did you finally find a girl to put up with your moodiness?" Lake asked.

"Shut it, Lake," he laughed.

"Ooh, he did," Lake hollered.

"Oh shut up, I did not. I just slept good, okay," he said shaking his head with a laugh.

"Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself, buddy. Whoever she is, keep her. I've never seen you smile like this before," Lake said in awe.

Rhett shook his head and slipped out of the barn before anyone else could catch him.

He thought about what Lake had said. If only he was right. Tae was just a friend. Neither one of them wanted a relationship.

Thanks to the rain stopping, Rhett didn't have a very busy day. He had just jumped in his truck from checking a herd in the south pasture when his phone rang.

He answered the phone as he pulled up to the gate, Axel was on the other end of the line. The youngest of the Montgomery brothers, Axel was by far the craziest. He had just turned eighteen and was using his newfound freedom to run wild.

"Hey, big brother. Just wanted to let you know that your secret is out," Axel said to him.

"What are you talking about," Rhett asked slowly.

Rhett's thoughts instantly went to the pretty girl he had left in his bed this morning. He'd argued with her for thirty minutes the night before to get her to sleep in it. He was trying to be a gentleman and sleep on the couch, but she wouldn't have it. She thought that it was only fair for her to sleep on the couch since it was his house. He thought that idea was stupid and didn't mind telling her so either.

His brother yelling at him on the other side of the phone brought him back to reality. He'd found himself spaced out all day thinking about Taylor's situation.

"Hello, are you listening to me dude?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm here. What are you talking about?"

"I was just down by your house. I had to borrow something from your barn-," he was broke off by Rhett.

"What did you take from my barn, Axel?" he said in his 'stern older brother' voice.

"That's not the point at the moment. The point is, inside the barn, I saw the pretty little thing that you've got shacked up at your house. She didn't see me, but I sure saw her. Man, she's a beauty," he said letting out a whistle.

"Shut up," Rhett growled through his teeth at his brother. "What was she doing in the barn?"

"She was petting Moody," he said simply.