Home is where the heart is [Rip Wheeler]

1

Briar had been working as a waitress and dancer in a bar in Cheyenne, Wyoming for nearly eight months. She had been nearly two years maintaining low contact with her family and nearly the same since she'd been home. It was super busy tonight. Which is why when Briar's manager Fiona pulled her aside and told her there was a call for her in the office she looked at her like she was crazy.

"Okay well I was just going to run these drinks to my tables."

"I'll take them."

"Uh okay? You sure?"

"It's fine just get to the phone."

"Okay I'll be right back."
Briar wearily picked up the phone in the strangely silent office.

"Howdy, whatch y'all wantin?" Briar's accent had became considerably thicker since she'd been home last.

"For fucks sake." A grumpy gravely accented voice spoke threw the phone. Not just any voice though. An accented voice she had missed dearly, one that made her palms sweat and her heart race. "Can you please just put Briar on the fucking phone?"

Her familiar giggle made Rip's heart ache. He had missed her more than she could ever know.

"What can I do for ya, Rip?" Her voice took on a solemn tone as she thought about how far she was from the man she loved but could never have.

"Your Daddy wants you home. Beth got here yesterday and she was pissed that nobody had called you yet."

"Is she how you got this number?" Briar made a mental note to call her older sister, Beth, later to voice her complaints on sharing privileged information.

"No Darlin, Jamie and Lee have been looking for ya for almost a year now." A half truth Briar mentally noted as she played with the phone cord.

"Jamie would never care enough to look for me on his own and Lee knows exactly where I am, right down to my apartment number. Which means Daddy most likely has Jamie and Lee looking for me, which also means Lee has been deliberately withholding the information. Goddamn, Lee, this is the why your my favorite." Briar's inner monologue quickly deduced making Briar outwardly smile. Lee was still looking out for her and that alone made her heart swell with happiness.

"Briar you need to wrap that shit up and get back on the floor." Fiona's whiny Wisconsin accent grated Briar's ears but she couldn't complain. Fiona ran the cleanest club in the area. A club for dancers ran by dancers.

"I'll be out in a second Fiona."
Briar looked down at her outfit and wondered what her father would think if he could see her now. She put the phone down after setting it on speaker and shut the door to the office. It was almost time for her to be on stage and she needed to get changed.

All Rip heard was clothes rustling, a zipper, then another, then a bit of heavy breathing.
"Fuck, I forget to bring pasties." Briar cursed herself as she opened a draw to find exactly what she needed.
"Yes!!! I fucking love you Fiona. Got to love a club ran by dancers for dancers."

She exclaimed as she put them on and then the rest of her outfit.
"If you were gonna tell me somethin Rip, you need to hurry the fuck up. I'm at work."

"Nothing much more that needs said Darlin. Have a good rest of your shift." And then he hung up. Rip knew exactly where she worked as he was sat outside of it with Ryan right beside him.

"Come on Ryan."

"What? You can't be serious? I thought we were working?"

"This is work Ryan. Now come the fuck on."

Rip walked in with Ryan at his side. Neon light made almost everything have a soft edge. Rip guided Ryan over to an empty table and sat down. All they had to do was wait it out. She was here although he didn't really know what roll she played.

"Please welcome to the stage Montana Jackson."

Briar heard claps and whistles from the crowd as she walked out on stage in next to nothing. At first Rip hadn't seem to notice it was her but she new it was him. Her eyes were on him nearly her entire dance but it was time for her to start the grand finale. Her bra came off slowly as men threw fifties and hundreds at her feet. Her movements were fluid and graceful. Thanks to Lee and Beth for helping her convince their dad to keep up with dance lessons after their mom passed. She had studied all types of dance but ballet had been her favorite.

Finally Rip realized it was her on stage. His girl, was on stage with not much more than a thong on. Oh he was pissed and she could see it. She picked up her money and walked to the back. She wasn't going to stick around and be yelled at by the only man she had ever loved.

Briar got into her street clothes quickly and sighed out of the club check in list after she pack her stuff. She walked over a bouncer, one who was her boyfriend. He smiled at her as she made her way out.

"You done already? Thought you were trying to save for a house or some shit like that."

"Yeah, Reese, that was the plan but I just don't have the energy for it tonight."

"I'm sorry babes, I didn't mean to push."

"You don't have to apologize. I honestly didn't mean to snap at ya.
I'm just so Fucking tired."
She leaned against his car after putting her bag on the hood. Reese twirled a small ribbon of her dark blonde hair around his finger. She smoothed out the wrinkles in his black shirt as she stared up at him. She knew Rip was near by, no way was he going to let her run from the ranch again.

She and Reese had been dating and living with each other since her third month in Wyoming. She knew he loved her. He'd told her as much but she could never bring herself to say it back. She felt bad that this was how she was going to say good bye to him but she also knew it was for the best.

Briar ran her hands up and down his chest and watched his eyes expand and darken as lust filled them. It was just after midnight but his face looked golden under the glow of the street light.

His hands were in the back pockets of her jeans. He kneaded the ample skin there and leaned in to kiss her. They had managed almost six months without sex. Just hanging out with each other and learning the likes and dislikes they had. So this was an interesting change but not entirely unexpected. She finally got tired of their staring contest and pulled him in for a heated kiss. He picked her up and she locked her legs around his waist as he sat her on the hood of the car. She could feel his dick through her denim jeans, now knowing damn well that he didn't have any boxers underneath his pants. When he pressed himself more tightly to her, she moaned against his lips. Briar pulled away from the searing kiss and put her forehead against his chest.
"As much as I'd love to keep going we're in the middle of the parking lot and technically you're still on the clock."

"I know, babygirl, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose control."

"I'm the one that lost control not you." She kissed his throat and then his lips before pulling away again. "You know how things with my family are complicated?"

"Mhm." He hummed as he checked their surroundings.

"My Daddy finally reached out and he wants me home."

"Are you gonna go?"

"If don't he will just send somebody to come and bring me home anyhow."

"Why are you telling me this?" He looked at her endearingly as he tried to figure out if this was her telling him good bye.

"I'm telling you this because I don't know when or if I'll be back. So I want you to know that you're one of the most beautiful souls I've ever met. I hope you have a happy life and a loving wife." She tenderly pecked his lips again. "I'm gonna be gone by the time you get home from work but I'll leave my half of the rent in the freezer as well as a bit extra so you can get my name taken off as a tenant." She had switched from loving girlfriend to heartless business women in a blink of an eye. Reese stepped back confused as hell by her change in demeanor.
"Who the hell are you?" He asked shocked by her coldness.

"Miss Dutton we got to get a move on if we're gonna make it to the ranch by sundown tomorrow."

"Thank you, I'll be done here in just a second." She got her bag off the hood and dropped the car keys into Reese's hand. "I wish you nothing but endless happiness and long term success." And with that she walked up to the truck that would take her back to a life she had all but ran from.