City Boy: Red Sky, Texas, #3

By Beau Brown

Omega Sawyer Thornburn is having the worst day of his life. His beloved Granddad just died, and the same day he discovers his alpha, Jeremy, is a sneaky, lying cheat.

Alpha Tex Bronston grew up on The Tumbleweed Dude Ranch owned by Sawyer's Granddad. He remembers butting heads constantly with Sawyer when the younger omega spent his summers on the ranch.

When Sawyer inherits The Tumbleweed Dude Ranch from his Granddad, he flees his cheating ex and high stress job in Los Angeles to start a new life in Red Sky, Texas.

Unfortunately, no one on the ranch wants him there.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beau Brown
• Release date: May 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9798201841133

Book preview

Chapter One

Sawyer

The heat and smog were oppressive today. My shirt stuck to my skin as I hurried toward the air conditioning I knew awaited me at Harrison and Harrington Stock Brokerage. I’d worked on the tenth floor of this same building, buying and selling shares, for four years, straight out of college. I’d been lucky to get the job, since I’d been so young. Positions like mine were all about connections, and I’d had an ace in my pocket with my Granddad Joe. He’d roomed with Mr. Harrington himself at college, and bonded over Top Ramen and girls. When I’d graduated, Granddad Joe had put in a good word for me with his old friend, and I’d gotten the job.

I squeezed into the crowded elevator, tugging at my tie. Mr. Harrington preferred his male omega associates wore jackets and ties, and his female omegas to wear skirts. He was a rather old fashioned alpha, but since I needed my job, I had a closet full of silk ties and fitted shirts. He was a nice man, but a bit dated in his thinking. He’d even once lectured me about living with my boyfriend Jeremy. Jeremy worked at Harrison and Harrington too. Living and working with your significant other was indeed a challenge. But mostly we made it work. Although Jeremy had been extremely moody lately.

Hey, Sawyer. Trudy, the receptionist greeted me brightly. Mr. Harrington was asking for you.

Really? My stomach clenched. I hoped I wasn’t in trouble. Things had been a little slow lately, but that was just how this job was. Sometimes you couldn’t keep up, and other times you twiddled your thumbs. Does he want to talk to me about my numbers? I know they need to come up, and I’m working on it.

I don’t think it’s anything to do with your work.

No? Do you have any idea what he wants? I ran a hand over my blond hair, still feeling bedraggled from the heat outside.

I think someone from your grandfather’s ranch called, but since you weren’t here, Mr. Harrington took the call.

It wasn’t Granddad who called?

No… it wasn’t him. I didn’t recognize the voice. The phone rang next to Trudy, and she turned away to answer.

I frowned. Why would someone else have called from Granddad’s ranch? Usually he called himself. My pulse sped up and I hurried toward Mr. Harrington’s large office. I knocked when I reached the door, and a muffled voice invited me in. When I entered his roomy office, Mr. Harrington stood at the enormous picture windows. His office smelled of leather and Old Spice. I still remembered how intimidated I’d felt when I first walked into this office four years ago. Sometimes, even though I was now twenty-four, I still felt like that inexperienced college kid.

You were looking for me, sir? I smiled as I approached. Sam Harrington had always been very kind to me, and while he made me nervous simply because he was my boss, he was a very congenial man.

Ah, Sawyer, there you are. His expression softened, but something in his eyes made me uneasy.

Is everything alright? I know my numbers have sagged a bit lately, but they’ll rebound soon. I’m sure of it.

He smiled. Oh, I’ve no doubt of that. I didn’t call you in here to rail on you, son.

Oh, good. I laughed nervously. While I was relieved he wasn’t dragging me in to yell at me, his expression bothered me. Knowing someone from Granddad’s ranch had called set me on edge.

Uh… He hesitated. I’m afraid I have some very bad news. He grimaced.

Oh, God. I widened my eyes.

Someone from the ranch called. He winced.

Yeah, Trudy mentioned that, I said softly, a feeling of dread seeping into me.

This really should come from family, but of course, you have no living relatives. He winced. I’m sorry… I’m not really good at things like this.

Is it Granddad? Has something happened to the ranch?

Uhhh. He hesitated. Is Jeremy here? Perhaps he should be here too.

Now he really was worrying me. What could possibly be so awful he needed backup? He’s sick today. He… he didn't come in. I swallowed hard. Please just tell me what’s wrong.

I knew instinctively what was coming before he even opened his mouth to respond, and I braced for the dreaded news.

I’m so sorry, Sawyer. He moved toward me. Your grandfather had a heart attack last night. I’m afraid he’s gone.

I stared at him in shocked silence for a moment. Then I shook my head, feeling nauseated. No. I’d expected him to say he was in the hospital, or something like that. Not that he was actually already… gone.

I’m so, so sorry.

That can’t be true. It was difficult to talk as I felt my throat closing. I… I don’t understand. I bit out the words. He… he seemed fine when I talked to him a few days ago.

Mr. Harrington sighed. It’s hard to predict something like this. I’m truly so sorry, Sawyer. I don’t know what else to say. He moved closer and patted my back awkwardly. From what I understand he didn’t suffer.

How anyone would know that I had no idea, but I appreciated him trying to comfort me. He seemed so healthy. I gritted my teeth, holding back my tears. I was heartbroken, but I didn’t want to cry in front of my boss. I can’t believe it.

I know. He sighed. He was a good friend to me. I’ll miss our political debates over the phone. He gave a sad smile.

I’m in shock, I whispered. Who called to tell us the news?

Tex. He went to sit behind his desk, looking tired. He sounded devastated.

Tex was Granddad’s foreman. I guess he would be pretty upset. He grew up with Granddad on that old ranch.

I don’t think Joe could have run it without him, especially the last few years. Mr. Harrington rubbed his face, his shoulders slumped. What do you suppose will happen to the ranch now?

I frowned. I have no idea.

Well, you’re Joe’s only living heir. I assume you’ll inherit the place. Although, I know he thought of Tex like a son.

I blew out a shaky breath. I can’t even think about any of that right now.

His expression gentled. No. Of course not. You should go home. This has been a horrible shock.

All I wanted was to go home and see Jeremy. I needed comfort, and I couldn’t show my heartbreak here on the job. But I didn’t want to look weak either. I can still work. I don’t want to burden the team.

His lips curved in a melancholy smile. Sawyer, don’t be silly. You just got terrible news. You need to take a few days to grieve. Things are slow right now, go home. Rest and take care of what needs to be taken care of. If you feel up to it, we’ll see you next Monday. No rush.

You sure? I grimaced.

Of course. You need to absorb the news, and feel all the emotions. It’s best you do that in private.

Okay. I moved to the door, feeling lightheaded with grief. Thank you for being so understanding.

You don’t need to thank me. Take care of yourself, and maybe just let me know what’s going on throughout the week. I assume the service will be in Texas?

The service? God. I really have to figure all this out. I… I have no idea what to do. When my parents had died, Granddad had handled everything for the funeral. Now I was the last of our line, and everything was up to me.

Well, today you should simply rest and cry. Tomorrow you can worry about handling the details.

I met his kind gaze across the room. Okay. Thank you again, Mr. Harrington.

My boy, this was the least I could do. I’m sorry I had to tell you something so devastating.

I sighed. I’m glad it was you. You knew and loved Granddad. It might have been even more shocking coming from Tex over the phone.

I suppose.

I opened the door. I’ll call you later in the week, to keep you up to date.

Thank you, Sawyer.

I left his office, still in shock. Some of my co-workers cast me curious glances, no doubt wondering why my eyes were puffy and red. I wasn’t that close with most of them, and I didn’t have it in me to tell them what had happened. It was too painful. It was too unthinkable that Granddad was gone. Just… gone. The only person I really wanted to talk to about what had happened was Jeremy, and he was home sick.

I moved to the elevators, yearning to get to Jeremy, so I could let my emotions out. I didn’t make eye contact with anyone I passed because I didn’t want to have to talk. Once inside the elevator, I dialed Jeremy, but he didn’t pick up. I didn’t bother leaving a voice message. I couldn’t find the strength to say out loud that Granddad was dead. I’d be home soon enough. Once I was in my alpha’s strong arms, he’d comfort me, and tell me what to do next.

I drove to our apartment on S. Olive street and W. Olympic Blvd. Fighting the morning traffic was twice as frustrating this morning. I just wanted to get home so I could fall apart. I’d have preferred to live in a quieter neighborhood, but Jeremy had convinced me being in the prime area of downtown would be best. There certainly was tons of shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Unfortunately, there was also lots of traffic and noise.

My eyes stung when I remembered the quiet and tranquility of my Granddad’s ranch. I’d spent all my summers as a kid on his ranch. Those were my happiest memories, playing all day long in the warm summer evenings, catching grasshoppers and little frogs, as dusk set on the ranch. I still couldn’t believe Granddad Joe was gone. I’d never get to hug him, or hear his voice again. That just seemed too cruel. To not even have the chance to say goodbye? That wasn’t fair. How could he just be gone?

I parked my car in the underground parking, and walked distractedly to the elevators. I’d hoped the elevator would be empty, so I could let go of some of the bottled up grief inside me. But There was a couple in the elevator, and so I kept my emotions under control.

The alpha was very attentive to his female omega. It was obvious they were very into each other. They weren’t kissing or doing anything in particular, but they held hands and the glances they shared were adoring. I studied them, thinking how different they were from Jeremy and me.

Jeremy and I didn’t tend to show affection in public. Our relationship was more based on mutual respect and friendship. We had a more mature love that wasn’t dependent on sex or passion. We did share those things, but it wasn’t very often. We admired each other’s brains, and we liked the same movies and music. We were compatible. We’d probably out last all these other couples that couldn’t keep their hands off each other. I flicked my glance to the couple again. They’d probably break up within the month, whereas Jeremy and I had been dating for two years, and we never even fought.

I got off the elevator, happy I didn’t have to stare at the lovebirds any longer. I slid the key into the lock of our apartment, and entered, feeling relieved to be home. I tried not to make too much noise in case Jeremy was still sleeping. I moved toward the bedroom, and heard muffled groans. Frowning, I pushed open the door, concerned that maybe Jeremy had gotten worse and was in pain. My heart almost stopped when I found Jeremy in bed with a red-haired omega.

At first, I was sure my eyes were tricking me. There was no way my Jeremy would be in bed with some strange guy. But then Jeremy’s eyes locked with mine, and the look on his face told me everything I needed to know. The red-head was on top, riding Jeremy like he was a bucking bronco. I had a clear view of Jeremy’s unsheathed cock thrusting into the strange guy’s ass. Jeremy’s eyes bugged, and he shoved the guy off of him.

The omega fell backwards with a yelp. Hey! What the fuck? He scowled at Jeremy, but then his gaze followed Jeremy’s. Who the hell are you?

Who the hell am I?

I found it difficult to breathe as I stared at them, shock radiating through every inch of me. My brain scrambled for any rational explanation for why they’d be in bed together, but there was nothing other than the obvious reason: Jeremy was cheating on me.

What the hell, Jeremy? My voice wobbled and I continued to stare in disbelief.

I had to give Jeremy credit, he recovered from his shock quickly. He jumped out of bed, his erection still obvious, and he moved toward me. This isn’t what it looks like.

Right.

I backed out of the room, feeling lightheaded. I don’t understand. I headed into the living room, wanting to bolt out of the apartment. This couldn’t be happening. Jeremy was logical. Careful. Jeremy wasn’t the kind of alpha who jumped into bed with strange omegas.

Jeremy came out of the bedroom, now wearing his underwear, and raking a hand through his hair. Sawyer, now don’t over react.

Don’t over react? My voice was borderline shrill. I was still hoping I’d wake up, and this would all be a horrible dream. I just wanted Granddad to be alive, and Jeremy to be the alpha I’d thought he was.

He doesn’t mean anything. He’s… not important.

I swallowed against the bile rising in my throat. I took in his half naked state, and flushed cheeks. He looked every bit as guilty as he no doubt was. Who is that guy?

Does it matter?

Yeah it fucking matters, I growled.

He’s nobody. He exhaled. All this is, is a lapse in judgement.

Gaping at him, I said, How long has this been going on?

He grimaced. This was just a one-time thing.

Behind him, the redhead came out of the room with his shirt inside out, and his hair a mess. The omega shot Jeremy a confused look, and then met my gaze. "Are you his boyfriend?"

Yes, I responded, feeling sick. We live together. Here.

His eyes widened, and his cheeks turned pink. He said he was single. I’m sorry… I… I didn’t know he had an omega. He slipped on his jeans, and hurried toward me, pushing past to the door. This is humiliating. I’m so sorry. The door slammed behind him.

Jeremy watched me warily. Now, baby, you know I love you.

What? I rasped incredulously.

I love you. You know that, right?

"You love me? My voice broke. How can you even say that?"

He licked his lips. I’m telling you that guy means nothing.

How can you say that? I whispered. "You were fucking him. You weren’t even wearing a condom."

That wasn’t my idea.

I shook my head. I… I can’t believe this is happening. How was it possible dependable Jeremy was a cheat? That simply didn’t compute. He was the one who took care of things. He listened when I needed to talk, and always had a solution to the problem. He wasn’t a lowlife cheat. He wasn’t the sort of guy who fucked strangers. Not my Jeremy.

Sawyer, I know you’re upset, but we can talk this through. His voice was coaxing. Familiar.

I had to work hard not to vomit.

When I didn’t respond, he continued, I know this is confusing, but talk to me. Tell me how you feel.

"How I feel? How I feel? I feel pissed, Jeremy, how do you think I feel?" I yelled, my face twitching with rage.

His cheeks flushed red. Sawyer, please, honey, it’s nothing.

Nothing? I whispered, feeling nauseated. Why do you keep saying that?

Come on…Baby. He winced. Couples have problems sometimes. We can figure this out.

No. I can’t talk to you right now. I moved toward the door, feeling like if I didn’t get out of the apartment, I’d suffocate. Or maybe suffocate him.

Sawyer, you can’t just leave. We need to talk. Jeremy approached, looking uneasy.

Jesus, Jeremy. What is there to say? How could everything in my life be unraveling all at once?

If we’re unemotional, we can fix this.

No. I shook my head, and then frowned. Have there been others?

He swallowed hard, but didn’t speak.

Oh my God. Is that a yes? How many? How many other men have you fucked in our bed? I was shaking with hurt and anger as I held his guilty stare.

It doesn’t matter. Physical needs aren’t important in the scheme of things. What matters is us.

There is no us. I put my hand on the doorknob.

No. Sawyer, don’t you dare leave. Running isn’t how we handle things. You and me, we don’t hide from the hard conversations. We never have and we can’t now. His voice was low, and he approached slowly.

How can you say any of that with a straight face?

He grimaced. I screwed up. I know that. I can see how upset you are, but we can fix this.

But… you’re not the man I thought you were. What is there to fix? I felt sick as I stared at him. He was so familiar, and yet a stranger. How could this man shivering in his underwear be the confident, sophisticated alpha I’d thought I loved? It made no sense. Jeremy was cool, thoughtful. He didn’t just jump into bed with other men. He barely jumped into bed with me.

Baby, please. I can’t lose you.

A harsh laugh escaped my lips. "You cheated on me. I can’t forgive you. I’ll never forgive you."

Baby—

I shook my head. No. No way. The very idea of you touching me repulses me now. You fucked him bare. If you’ve done that before, and I suspect you have, you’ve endangered my health. Every time you slept with me, you risked my life.

That guy wanted that, not me. He shook his head. Look, stay and talk to me. Running won’t help. You’re hurt, and you’re not thinking straight.

Yeah, I am. You’re the one who’s confused if you think there is any chance we’re not breaking up.

He widened his eyes. Breaking up? No. I don’t want that.

I clenched my teeth, holding my temper in check. You need to pack your things and go. I don’t want you here anymore.

He pulled his dark brows together. Now, Sawyer, this is my home too.

It’s my name on the lease, I said coldly. You need to go.

No way.

I’ll evict you if I have to.

His mouth hardened. You’d be that spiteful?

My stomach clenched with stress. It’s not spite. I can’t look at you. I will never forget or forgive this. I felt lost. Usually Jeremy would be the one to comfort me, but shockingly, he was now the source of my pain."

You need to understand why this happened. You hold responsibility too.

Anger sparked through me. I’m responsible for you cheating on me?

He blinked at me. You wouldn’t let me claim you. Hell, I’ve proposed to you three times, and you’ve turned me down three times.

Yeah. Good thing too.

He scowled. Maybe if you’d been more willing to commit to me, I wouldn’t have felt the need to seek things elsewhere.

I was committed to you. I didn’t need to be claimed to be faithful. I curled my lip. Being married to you wouldn’t have helped the situation either. You fucked a stranger in our bed. You’re the one with commitment issues, not me.

Admit it, you’re afraid to truly give yourself to an alpha.

I clenched my hands. You’re a real piece of work, Jeremy. I may not be the most experienced guy in the world, but I know when I’m being manipulated. I’m not to blame for you cheating on me. You’re weak, and you’re a liar. That’s why you cheated.

I’m weak?

Obviously.

He scowled. I’m not weak. I have needs and you’re frigid.

I stiffened. I am not.

You never want me to touch you.

My face was hot. That’s just not true. It was kind of true. We hadn’t slept together in a while, but that wasn’t just because of me. We both worked long hours, and we’d fallen into a rut of working and sleeping.

When is the last time we fucked?

I lifted my chin. You seemed fine with not being intimate that often. Is that because you were getting your needs met by other people? My stomach rolled at that idea. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen any signs of him cheating. Had they been there, but I’d been too distracted to notice?

He shrugged. You didn’t seem attracted to me anymore.

I wrinkled my brow, my heart aching because everything was ruined now. If he’d talked to me before he cheated, maybe we could have worked things out. But now, it was too late. If you had a problem, you should have said something. Sleeping with other people isn’t how you fix things.

He winced. Okay, yes. I should have talked to you.

Well, it’s too late now.

He made an impatient sound. God, you’re so cut and dried. We can still work on this together, Sawyer. There’s no need to end things.

You’re wrong, I said quietly. I can’t see you the same way. You’re not who I thought you were. I’ve lost respect for you, and I don’t want to be with you anymore.

Just like that? He looked shocked.

I didn’t enjoy hurting him, but the sad truth was, even if I wanted to forgive him, I’d never be able to. I wasn’t seeking perfection in a partner, but I was seeking honor and stability. Obviously, he offered neither of those. I can’t get past this kind of betrayal. I can’t, and I won’t.

Baby—

I’ll stay in a hotel tonight, but I want you out by tomorrow morning. My heart was broken, I felt scared and alone. It was hard to be a single omega in a big city. But being frightened of the future didn’t mean I should stay with an alpha who’d betrayed my trust. I had enough pride to know fear wasn’t a healthy reason to stay with someone.

Please, Sawyer. Don’t be so hard-hearted. He held out his hands in a pleading gesture. We all make mistakes.

My mouth trembled with emotion. "Yes, I know. Wasting two years on you was my biggest mistake."

Don’t say that. I love you, Sawyer.

I opened the door, and didn’t look at him. If you truly do love me, then please go. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be. I stepped out of the apartment, feeling like my world was ending.

This was the worst day of my life. I could barely breathe I was so sad. But I forced myself to walk to the elevators. I hated change, but my life was about to change, whether I liked it or not. I needed to face the challenges that were coming at me head on. Running and pretending nothing was wrong wasn’t an option. Granddad had never liked Jeremy. Maybe this was all meant to be. As painful as this was, perhaps it was time to leap into a new life with both feet.

Chapter Two

Tex

I leaned on the rough wooden fence, looking out at the rugged countryside before me. I was all cried out. It had been two days since Joe had died, and I didn’t seem to have any tears left to shed. I’d loved Joe like he was my dad. He’d basically raised me my whole life. My parents had brought me to The Tumbleweed Dude Ranch in Red Sky, Texas as a child. I’d fallen in love with the ranch and the lifestyle.

I’d spent summers and Christmas vacations working the ranch with Joe, and we’d become close as family. When I’d turned thirteen, my parents had died in a plane crash. There had been no blood relatives to take me in, and Joe had fostered me here

Reviews for City Boy

[Nanhyune · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Look, I really like the author's writing, but this pregnancy plot was the WORST of all that she has ever written. I was disgusted and I'm seriously thinking about not even finishing reading.