Page 7 of Claim Me

With me often here, I sometimes consider selling my house and moving back to the farm. The girls love the relaxed atmosphere and enjoy playing with their cousins. My parents bought me the ranch when Sync moved off the farm. They figured it would be easier for us to handle visitation if we lived in the same neighborhood.

Now, my best friends live nearby, too. Their homes are grand and wrapped in security fencing. My place is a sprawling ranch on a decent-sized lot. The girls have a swing set in the backyard. They attend a nice school with a great teacher. Life is good in the Willow Brook neighborhood. I like knowing my friends are close.

Yet, as I arrive at the farm, I find myself wondering if I need to shake up things in my life. I could quit my job at the clubhouse and move back to the farm.

Parking my truck near my parents’ house, I rest my forehead against the steering wheel. Why am I ready to scrap everything? The girls would need to change schools. They like knowing their dad is less than five minutes away. I also enjoy working at the clubhouse.Why should I give up everything just because I feel bad about what happened with Indigo?

My gaze flashes to the second farmhouse. Is Indigo still sleeping? I spot his dogs—Grumpy and Sleepy—playing near the woods. They wouldn’t be running loose this early if Indigo was around. Where is he, then?

“Whatcha doing, kiddo?” Dad asks as he presses his nose against the passenger window. “Your mom’s worried you forgot how to work a door handle.”

Elvis O’Malley is a great man. All my earliest memories are filled with happiness. My dad played with Carys and me all the time. He loved to get in the mud or fingerpaint. When I got in trouble, Dad never lost his temper, but he didn’t let me be a wiseass, either. His “World’s Best Dad” coffee cup isn’t overselling the man’s skills.

Right now, he tugs me out of my truck. His thick brown hair hangs in his dark brown eyes, and he’s wearing his Sunday clothes of sweats and an extra baggy T-shirt. “What’s wrong?”

“I messed up something that could have turned into a beautiful adventure.”

“Don’t tease me, baby,” he says and follows me into the house. “I need details.”

I find Mom in the kitchen. Her curly brown-and-gray hair is loose and wild around her shoulders. She’s wearing her own Sunday outfit of pale blue overalls and a tank top. My parents prefer to go sloppy chic on the weekends.

“Your daughter lost out on a beautiful adventure,” Dad announces as I dive for Mom and soak in her affection.

“Does it have anything to do with Indigo?” she asks.

I stare startled into her curious eyes. “Why would you ask me that?”

“He’s hiding out in the hills with your uncle. Caveman claims Indigo has no plans to return to the farm. He wants someone to pack up his stuff and bring his dogs to the hills.”

Pouting feels wrong for a woman nearing her thirtieth birthday. My tears also seem excessive.

However, my guilt and shame drag me down. I was hungry for a man’s touch, but Indigo needed tenderness. He had gone so long without sex. Hell, I’m unsure if he’s ever had sex before.

I didn’t consider any of that when he kissed me. Overwhelmed by desire, I chased the feeling until we were both out of breath. Once we were thinking straight, though, Indigo realized I wasn’t who he wanted. Or I’d been a bad lay. I don’t know the answer because he doesn’t talk.

“I messed up with Indigo,” I admit, fighting tears.

“How?”

“I don’t want to tell you.”

“Did you make fun of his mom getting hit by a bus?” Golden asks as he enters the kitchen.

My parents shoot disapproving frowns at the pretty blond biker. He freezes under their annoyed gazes while I sniffle and wish he would shut up.

“He really hates when I mention it,” Golden adds.

“Why would you say such things to him?” Aunt Fred asks in a voice capable of turning Golden into a scolded boy.

“I don’t know.”

“I think you do.”

“I’m jealous he had a mom who loved him.”

“Bullshit,” Elvis says and points at the door. “Get outside and come up with a better lie.”

Golden is a big guy. Women at the clubhouse think he’s dreamy with his blond hair and bright blue eyes. I’ve always found him annoying because he has no filter. Right now, the muscled, big-mouthed himbo shuffles his obnoxious ass out of the house.

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