Colorado Skies

Chapter 24 {My House}

4 Months Later

Everyday without Riley here sucked, but for some reason when I got up this morning, I missed him more than usual. Like every morning at 6:00 I went downstairs to make coffee, with my dog Boone. I got Boone two weeks after Riley left. He's a German Short Haired pointer, but he's only 3 months old so he's not fully trained just yet. I opened the back door, and let Boone run out while I got my coffee and ran upstairs to get changed. I came back downstairs and sat at the table to put my boots on. I heard a knock on the door and yelled a quick come in, before pulling my boots onto my feet. "Brynlee?" I couldn't believe the voice I heard, but when I looked up my cousin Dixie was standing in front of me. "Dixie? What the hell are you doing here?" I got up to give her a hug. "I quit my job." "Why?" "Why not?" She smiled at me. "Where's the kids, and Zach?" "They're at the hotel. Why are you living here? I went to your old house first, and the new owners told me you moved into the Henderson ranch and then when I went there Krew opened the door and I caught up with him, and he told me you lived here." "Yeah this is my boyfriends house, he's overseas but we moved in together before he left." She nodded. "So what were your plans for today?" "Honestly nothing, I was just gonna cut the grass, and then run some errands." "Well you can cut your grass tomorrow, I want you to come see the kids." "Alright, sounds like a plan. But I do need run my errands." "Alright." After I called Boone into the house, we walked out to her Chevy Silverado. "Nice truck." "Yeah until you see the mess of car seats in the back seat."

During the car ride to the hotel, we caught up on a lot of things. Dixie was a horse trainer and a veterinarian, and she quit after her boss was an asshole and tried to pay her less than everyone else because she "Wasn't good enough" The last time I saw her was at her and Zach's wedding, which was a couple months after their twins were born so a little less than five years ago. I knew she had two more kids after the twins, we were just both to busy to meet up and be able for me to meet them. "Do you wanna stop and get something to eat? My treat." I offered. "No thank you, I'm not hungry." I nodded before continuing "So how are things with you and Zach?" I asked since Max told me they weren't doing to well. "Uhh, not great. My mental health kind of went down the drain after I graduated, you know that, and I've gotten better since then but after everything that happened with my boss its just the same again." "I'm sorry Dix." "I do love him though and he loves me, and we're trying to stay together for at least the kids sake." "If anyone can make it work its you guys, you've been together since you were 15." "I know." She said with a laugh, as we pulled into the parking lot of the motel. I followed her to her room and as soon as we walked in the first thing you heard was screaming. Three out of four of the kids were running around the room while Zach was sitting on the couch with the youngest child who I didn't know the name of. "Mommy!" Gunner ran over and gave Dixie a hug, Annie and a boy I didn't know followed suit. I glanced over at Zach who was watching the scene unfold with a loving look on his face. He let the younger one walk over to Dixie. I replaced her spot on the couch next to Zach.

"Hey, long time no see." "I know I'm sorry about that." He said looking over at me. "When you moved away, you promised me you guys would come visit." "Hey, we've been down to the cabin a couple times." "Yeah when I wasn't there." I joked. Me and Dixie were always close growing up and when her and Zach got together I became close with him. "Its been hard with the kids and your busy." "Its okay.Why are you guys staying in a motel? You could've stayed with me." "No its okay! Before we left Ridgeway we sold the house and then bought one out here in Garrison, we just have to drive back up to the old house this weekend to drive the U-Haul with all our furniture in it down here." Dixie explained. I nodded. After catching up more with them, it was starting to get late so I ran the errands I needed to run then decided to go home.

Immediately after playing with Boone I went upstairs to watch Netflix and just go to bed. That plan was working until I heard glass breaking and the dog barking. I got out of bed and went over to the gun cabinet Riley kept in our bedroom, and got my shotgun and two shells out of the ammo box. I walked downstairs loading the shotgun looking where the sound came from. I followed the sound of Boone barking, walking right past broken glass from the kitchen window. Once I walked into the living room I was met with a man in all black, his back turned me grabbing stuff out of the drawers of the end table. "You really wanna be shot don't you?" I asked and he almost jumped at the sight of me holding a fully loaded shot gun in front of his face. "Listen I'm really not in the mood to deal with this right now." I said pulling my phone out of my pocket. "Please don't shoot me." "Shut up and sit down." I said calling the police.

The whole time I waited for the police I had a gun pointed at this assholes head. "Police!" "In the living room!" I yelled. The first cop to come in was Colton and the first thing he did was grab the gun out of my hands. "Are you out of your mind Brynlee? You can't hold a gun to someone's head." "I can do whatever the hell I want on my property. I handled the situation didn't I? Now arrest him before I actually shoot him." I said grabbing my gun back and taking the shells out. Colton put him into handcuffs and his partner took him out to the car. "You think your safe? I could stay the night if you want." "Nah I'm good. Thank you though." "Yeah, anytime. Text me if you need anything alright?" I nodded. "Alright, goodnight." "Night."