Page 78 of Just Say When

“I remember, girlie. I remember that Brax and me are co-owners. I have just as much a right to that horse and his winnings as Brax does.”

I froze. “What?”

Alan’s fingers dug into my tendons, but I didn’t wince. “He owes me my share. And if he doesn’t pay it in a timely manner, maybe I’ll take my horse back home where he belongs.”

My gaze shot to where Brax was sitting in a booth with Adam and Zack. He wouldn’t let that happen, would he? But then again, he had allowed Alan, the very man who had left Pirate to wilt in his own filth, to still own him, if what Alan said was true.

I couldn’t make sense of it. How could Brax have done this?

And how could he have kept it from me?

“Excuse me,I need to borrow my husband for a minute.” I rested my palm on his shoulder and smiled wide at Adam and Zack.

“What’s—” Brax’s voice cut off as he got a good look at my face. My smile might have fooled the others, but it didn’t fool him. His eyebrows pushed together in a dark frown and he got to his feet. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

I took his elbow and maneuvered him to an unoccupied corner of the bar.

“Hey.” Brax tilted my chin, eyes scanning my face. “What’s going on?”

“I just had an interesting conversation with Alan Gaffney.” My grip tightened on his elbow. “Please tell me it’s not true.”

The ensuing pause sent my heart right into my stomach. “Brax,” I said.

“I can’t tell you it’s not true when I don’t know what he said.” He stepped closer. “Tell me.”

“He said I owe him money.” My gaze dropped to his chest. I had an awful feeling that Brax wasn’t going to be able to refute Alan’s claim. “He said he was a part-owner of Pirate and is entitled to his share of his winnings. Is that true?”

His frown deepened. “He had no business talking about that with you. His contract is with me. Whatever he earns, it doesn’t come out of your share, so don’t worry about that. Where is he? I’m going to?—”

I pushed away from him. “So itistrue?” My voice was shrill. “How could you keep this from me? Why didn’t you tell me?”

I didn’t wait for an answer. I whirled away, but only made it half a step before Brax caught me by the belt loop of my jeans and hauled me back.

“Oh, no, you don’t, hellion,” he said as I fell backward against his torso. With one hand on my hip, he wrapped his other arm across my chest, keeping me in place. “You’re not running away from me all mad like that without giving me a chance to explain. Okay?”

I nodded stiffly.

“The day you stole Pirate, I realized the only way to make everything turn out okay was to buy the horse. But you know Alan. He didn’t want to sell. He wasn’t making a dime off that horse, but he sure did like to brag about the millions he would earn from Pirate’s sperm someday.”

I wrinkled my nose. I remembered. That was exactly why Alan had refused to sell Pirate to me in the first place.

“So I made him a more palatable offer. He would be a part-owner and get a percentage of Pirate’s earnings inthe ring and at stud. That way, Alan could keep right on doing what he loved best. Bragging.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. Fuck. Alan was a part owner? I hated that. He had nearly killed Pirate from neglect. He didn’t deserve that horse. But even more importantly, what did that mean for Pirate? “He said if he doesn’t get his money, he’s taking Pirate back to his place. I can’t let him, Brax. I?—”

“What?” Brax let out a startled laugh. He turned me around in his arms to face him. “Essie,no. In the first place, I’ll pay him. Alan will get his precious money. In the second place, do you really believe I’d let an asshole like Alan have any say whatsoever in the care of an animal I own? We have a contract. He’s a one-percent owner. He gets absolutely no say in Pirate’s life, and he sure as hell can’t take him away.”

“Really?” I let his words sink in. Alan had made it sound so much worse. “Why didn’t you tell me, then?”

“Because I—” He looked away and blew out a breath. “Because I knew you’d hate it.Ihate it. Just on principle. That trash doesn’t deserve Pirate, not even one percent of him. I knew you’d feel that ten times more than I did. I figured it didn’t matter in the long run, since I’d pay Alan from my share of Pirate’s earnings. You never had to know. I wanted…I wanted you to be happy, Essie.”

“That is a terrible reason, Brax,” I said sternly, eventhough my heart was melting my anger into nothing. “You should have told me. I would have understood.”

“I know,” he said softly, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. Like maybe hedidn’tknow.

It hurt my feelings, this constant belief that I must be protected at all costs. That people had to do things for me or keep things from me because I was too wild and impulsive to act in my own best interest.

Which was absolute bullshit.

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