Cowboy Love

Chapter 7

The next morning, I wake to Carson shaking my shoulders while saying; "Dude, it's time to get up."

"Ugh, what time is it?" I grumble, blinking my eyes open with a wide yawn that cracks my jaw. 

"4 a.m.," he murmurs as I sit up, and swing my legs off the side of the bed. 

"I need coffee, lots and lots of coffee," I mumble, standing up to stretch. 

"Get dressed, and I'll make sure the coffee is going," he chuckles while leaving the room. 

"Bless you!" I call after his retreating back, not worried about waking Emery since he sleeps hard; dressing myself in a pair of dark blue jeans, a white tank top, a red and black flannel shirt, and my tan work books. I then do my morning routine before heading downstairs to have coffee.

"Mornin' everyone," I yawn, entering the kitchen, and make a bee-line to the coffee pot. 

Everyone returns the greeting as I pour myself a tall mug of the hot, wonderful liquid. Turning to lean back against the counter, I take a tentative sip, and sigh in happiness. Lifting my eyes from the mug, I find Aspen and Rowan, who are sitting next to each other at the table, starring at me intently as they talk with my granpa's about today. 

Weird. 

"Echo?" Emery's sweet, tired voice snaps my attention to the entrance of the kitchen. "Did you bring home the food?"

"Sure did, Em," I grin, placing my mug on the counter behind me to grab the bread sticks and sauce from the fridge. "Cold?" 

"Yup! Thanks Echo!" he tiredly exclaims with a grin as he takes the food to sit at the table between Tenysi and Rebel. 

"Do you want milk, Em?" I ask, already knowing the answer as I grab the jug from the fridge to pour him a glass.

"Yes, please," he says after swallowing a bite. 

"Only have four, otherwise you'll get sick," I mumble, placing the cup in front of him before kissing the top of his head. 

Emery hums in acknowledgement as I walk away to pick up my mug, and lean against the counter. I then realize everyone but Emery is starring at Emery and I, and I flush bright red with embarrassment. 

"You need to eat, too, Echo," paw-paw says from the head of the table. 

"Sure," I answer, grabbing a piece of bacon out of the pan, and take a bite. 

"More than that, kid," Rebel says with a shake of his head. 

"Kyle only let him have scraps, if he let him eat at all," Emery says absent-mindlessly while chewing on a piece of bread stick. 

Swallowing thickly against the sudden lump in my throat at the memories that flood my mind. I know Emery didn't mean anything bad by his comment, but I have to blink the tears from my eyes, as I take a drink, and avoid everyone's eyes. 

"Why did Kyle do that, Emery?" papa gently asks him. 

Snapping my head up, I quickly say; "Don't answer that Emery, since it was Kyle just being Kyle."

"Echo, why did Kyle do that?" paw-paw demands sternly.

"Because he enjoyed tormenting me," I reply, starring him in the eye, hoping he doesn't push the subject. 

"Echo would let Kyle have sex with me, so Kyle would starve him, or have sex with him, so I didn't have, too," Emery answers before looking at me curiously. "Echo, what's sex?" 

"Something that adults do with other adults, and never with kids," I tell him honestly, breathing deeply as I try not to vomit from the memories. 

Their mouths drop open in shock as Carson whispers to me brokenly; "You always said you were walking funny because he hit you."

Silently walking over to Emery, I kiss the top of his head; "I love you."

Walking outside to the horse stalls, I lead the horses out to the coral one-by-one, so I can muck the stalls out. Grabbing my ear buds from my pocket, I plug it into my phone, so I can blast music and try to loose myself and forget. I'm left alone for about two hours until Aspen and Rowan join me, and Aspen stops in front of me with Rowan to our side. 

 Pulling my ear buds out after sticking the pitchfork into the ground, I ask them; "Yeah?" 

"We need to talk about earlier," Aspen replies, causing the blood to drain from my face. 

"Nothin' to talk about," I say with a shrug. "Shit happens in life we can't control, so move on in live."

"Kid, it isn't healthy to keep this shit inside," Rowan softly says with a frown. 

"What should I do, huh? Scream and yell about how unfair Kyle treated me? That isn't goin' to do me, or anyone else. It happened, and that's my lot in life," I growl through clenched teeth. "Talkin' about it doesn't change what happened."

"Letting it fester inside without letting it out in a healthy way isn't good for you," Aspen softly says, wrapping his muscular arms around my waist, and brings me into his rock hard chest. 

For about thirty seconds, I fight myself before giving in, and settle myself comfortably against him. I'm almost fully relaxed when Rowan's large frame engulfs me from behind, and his hands settle on Aspen's hips.

"We want you to let out your frustrations, Echo," Rowan murmurs into my right ear, and I'll admit having these two men close, I'm turned on. 

"I can't do this, it's not fair to you guys," I murmur, ducking under their arms to grab the pitchfork, and finish my task; I need to get my chores done, spend some time with Emery, and maybe catch a nap before work tonight.

"You can't do what, Echo?" Aspen gently asks, and I can tell by his voice he's frowning at me. 

"Talk about what Kyle did to me, and I can't let myself become close to any more people," I reply, keeping my back to them as I work. 

"You've let Emery in your walls," Rowan states with a sad voice. 

"He's there because he's my brother, and I need to protect him until he can protect himself," I say, looking over my shoulder briefly at them. 

"Let us in, so we can protect you," Aspen begs. 

"Everyone is better off if they're not too invested in my life," I reply walking into the last stall. "All I do is bring bad events to people."

"That's not true and you know it, Echo," papa says entering the barn. 

Standing upright, I turn to face them; "Mum had me when she was 13-years-old, and dad left her a few years later. Emery's dad, who treated me like his own son, died. Kyle came into our lives and did things to me that no one should have done, and mum sent us away. I've caused nothing but problems since we've gotten here between you and paw-paw. No matter how hard I try, I fuck things up."

Raising an eyebrow at him as a gesture for him to prove me wrong. 

"Your mama having you at a young age, has nothing to do with you, but her own decisions, as well as your dad's leaving. Emery's dad's loving you, didn't cause his death, Echo. People sometimes have issues in a relationship. Kyle is a manipulative person, who takes joy in his abusive, and controlling behaviors."