Page 10 of Rugged Guardian

This is more painful than when my parents sent me away. My heart aches so badly that I wonder if it’s going to explode.

I can’t take losing Waylon a second time.

But I think I just have.

CHAPTER 6

WAYLON

Idrive another nail into the wood. The rhythmic pounding of the hammer would be soothing if it weren’t for the storm brewing in my chest. As it is, I struggle not to level the cabin with just this hammer. Anger and hurt exploded inside me after discovering that ledger and the truth about what happened all those generations ago.

I force myself to focus on the task at hand, but my thoughts keep drifting back to Angelica.

Daryl grunts as he holds the railing steady. “You sure you want to wail on this porch like that with your hammer? You’re going to destroy what we’ve spent the day working on if you don’t let up.”

I glance at him, wiping the sweat off my brow with the back of my hand. “Ah, fuck.”

Daryl’s chuckle is dry, more of an acknowledgment than amusement. He shifts his grip on the plank he’s holding. “You’re worked up. What’s going on with you?”

I pause, the hammer hanging loosely in my hand. What isn’t going on with me? My mind is a mess, tangled up with memories of Angelica and the damned ledger that confirmed everything I never wanted to believe about our families.

I don’t answer Daryl right away, focusing on the task instead. I need to get this railing done, to fix something that can actually be fixed. We can’t have a drunken guest falling off the porch and cracking their head open—and a lot of our guests get drunk up here. We’ve had more than our share, something Daryl knows all too well.

Daryl watches me, not letting it go. “Come on, Waylon. We’ve known each other since we were kids. I can tell when something’s eating at you.”

I sigh, setting the hammer down and rubbing my jaw through the roughness of my beard. I’ve been trying to push it all down, trying to act like everything’s fine, but it’s not.

“It’s Angelica,” I finally say, my voice rougher than I intended.

Daryl’s eyebrows shoot up. “Uh oh. What happened?”

“She called and asked for help with repairs to her family’s old place, up by Silver Pine Ridge.”

“Really now?” Daryl laughs and lets out a low whistle. “Bet that was a surprise. How’d it go?”

“It started okay. I ended up staying the night,” I admit, giving Daryl a warning look not to tease me about it. Then I tell him about finding the ledger.

Daryl curses under his breath. “Damn. That’s rough. But come on, Waylon. That’s old news, right? Something that happened ages ago. Why let it mess with you now?”

“Because it’s proof, Daryl,” I snap harshly. He flinches, and I regret it immediately. “It’s proof that everything my family’s been saying is true. And now...now it’s just one more reason things between Angelica and me can’t work. Her family stole from mine. How am I supposed to forget that? I was a fool to think we could get it right this time.”

Daryl stares at me for a moment, then shakes his head. “Man, you’re letting the past mess with your future. So what if her great-grandfather was a cheat? That’s got nothing to do with who Angelica is or who you are now.”

I want to believe him. God, I want to. But the weight of the past is like a chain around my neck, dragging me down. Without replying, I pick up the hammer and drive another nail into the railing.

The cabin is quiet except for the bangs and thuds of our work. Daryl doesn’t press me further, but I know he’s not done with this conversation. Neither am I. Yet no matter how many nails I drive into this wood, it won’t fix what’s broken inside me.

After a while, Daryl speaks up again, his tone lighter but with an edge of frustration. “If I knew you were going to be a grumpy jackass, I’d have sent Moses up here. You two could be grumps together.”

I grunt in response, not looking up from the railing. “You don’t have to stick around. You could head out. I can finish up here.”

“True. But I’m here, so I’ll finish this with you. If you want to talk about what’s going on, I’m going to need more than grunts and grumbles out of you.”

I can’t help the small smile that tugs at the corner of my mouth. Daryl’s always been good at getting me out of my head, even if he has to annoy me to do it. “Sorry. Got a lot on my mind.”

“No kidding.” He steps back, wiping his hands on his jeans. “You know, Waylon, I always thought you and Angelica were good together. Even back when we were kids. Maybe this whole feud thing is a bunch of bullshit you should let go.”

I stiffen at his words. The thought of letting go of the anger and hurt is almost unthinkable. But a small part of me wonders if he’s right. If maybe I could let go of the past and build something new with Angelica.

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