Shine Not Burn Read Online Free

reaching up to rub his sweaty head by wiggling his cream-colored cowboy hat around, his longish dark brown hair curling up at the nape of his neck.   The strong muscles of his arm flexed and moved, calling attention to the deep tan he’d acquired from working without his flannel shirt on.   “Why would anyone ever want to live anywhere else?”   He abandoned the head scratching and rested his hand on his thigh.   Turning to his younger brother, he gave him the look that used to make Ian beg for forgiveness when they were younger.
    Ian breathed out a sigh of annoyance.   “Some people find other things to live for besides ranching and carrying on old and tired traditions.”
    Mack turned more fully to face his brother, his glowing, light blue eyes shining out from under his hat.   This was the classic-old-West-cowboy-meets-GQ-model look that always got the girls in town all hot and bothered.   Ian had spent a lifetime watching his brother duck and run from almost all of them.   It was a damn shame, as far as he was concerned, that his brother was not only damn ornery but way too picky to boot.   None of the girls in Baker City had measured up so far, and he’d pretty much run out of candidates.   Even Hannah Pierce who’d been circling his brother’s ankles and making herself a complete nuisance since junior high wasn’t really in the running, much as she might like to think she was.
    “Old and tired traditions?”   Mack scowled.   “Come on, Ian, that’s not fair.   Those traditions put you through school, not to mention set you up to get married to Ginny in style, just like she always wanted.”   He faced the beautiful view again and adjusted his seat in the saddle, the leather creaking as it moved.   Reaching down to gather up his reins in his gloved hand, he began whistling again, doing a unique rendition of the song I’m Movin’ On by Rascal Flatts.
    Ian knew the tune well.   Their mother had been playing it everyday at home, wallowing in the sadness of losing her younger boy to the big city.   Ian shook his head.   Portland, Oregon was as small-town as a big city could possibly be, but his whole family was acting like he was going to the Big Apple never to be seen again.   He and his soon-to-be wife Ginny had already promised to visit on every major holiday and two weeks during Christmas, but it hadn’t done anything to ease his mother’s suffering.   All she could talk about was the grandchild who didn’t exist yet that she’d almost never see.
    “I bought you a ticket today,” said Ian.   “I came to tell you so you can pack and get in the shower before we leave for Boise.   Plane takes off at four so we have to be there by three, no later.”
    “I told you, I’m not goin’.   Gotta get the herd moved before next week.”
    “Boog already said he’d do it, and he owes you anyway, so just let him.   And I need you, besides.   You can take a break for once.   You haven’t had a vacation in ten years.”
    Mack urged his horse forward with a squeeze of his legs and a clicking sound inside his cheek.   “You need me?   In Vegas?   Vacation?   Yeah right, that’ll be the day.”   The horse moved past the tree and along a grassy area below a tall hill - a mere bump compared to the mountains in the distance.
    Ian gave his horse a light spurring, causing it to leap forward and cut his brother’s mount off.
    Mack scowled.   “Cut it out, Ee.   You know I don’t have time to play with you right now.   Stop acting like a fool.”
    Ian smiled, whirling his horse around so he could crowd his brother and get him to react.   This cold indifference wasn’t getting him anywhere.   A challenge was the only way to get his brother to wake up and get involved in his life while he was still living it in Baker City.   Ian saw this bachelor party in Vegas as Mack’s last chance to leave this town and see a little bit of the world before he turned into a hermit, just like