Page 67 of Caught By A Cowboy

“I can rest while your cockrestsinside me.” I kiss him softly and continue to stroke him with my palm.

“I’m sorry, Baby Momma, I gotta head back out to the yard.” He drives me crazy when he stands back up and starts heading for the door.

“Jace!” I call after him. “If there was something really wrong would you tell me?” I ask, really starting to worry.

“Sure.” He smiles as he straightens his hat and walks out the door.

JACE

“Jace, I’m sorry I didn’t get home sooner. Is Maddison and the baby okay?” The bastard gets out of his car and heads across the yard like the concerned fuckin’ uncle and I march straight up to him and punch him in his face.

“You know, you almost had me fooled with that act you been puttin’ on these past few weeks. I shoulda known better.” I give him a chance to recover while trying to calm my emotions. Maddison is right inside the house and the last thing I want is for this shit to trouble her.

“What the hell are you talking about?” He stares at me like he’s perplexed.

“The coming over for dinner, asking after Maddison and the baby, it’s all a crock of shit.” I shake my head and laugh at him.

“Jace, you're my nephew, of course, I’m goin?—.”

“Except, Iain’tyour nephew, am I?” I check there ain’t no one around.

It’s late, most of the boys are at Sawyer’s bar, or in the bunkhouse and I’m still out here, prepared to do just about anything I can to avoid having to lie to my girl. “When were you gonna tell me that this place isn’t mine? When I planned on leaving it to my sons or once my fingers were run to the fuckin’bone from trying to make this place earn?” I watch his face drop when he realizes that the secret’s out.

“Who told you?’ he questions, wiping the blood from his lip.

“It doesn’t matter who told me, what matters is that now I know it was you. You wanted Momma gone, you were with her that night her car went off the road, and you…” I’m too angry to get my fuckin’ words out.

“Jace, you got it all wrong.”

“No, Jamie. I’ve just been lied to my whole life, by her, by him, and by you. And now, I have to lie to my girl because how am I supposed to tell her that the roof over her head don’t belong to me and that I got nothing to offer her?” I stumble back when I allow myself to say the words out loud.

“That's not true, this place is your home and as far as I’m concerned it’s always been yours.”

“I don’t want your fuckin’ pity.” I shake my head.

“Jace, it’s not pity, it’s the right thing to do. Your father…he knew you weren’t his but he loved you just as hard. He wanted you to have the world, he was just trying to do what was right by everyone like he always did.”

“How much do you want for the cabin, the one that my great-grand—the oneyourgrandfather built?” I correct myself when I remember that none of this family’s history is mine.

“What are you talking about?” Jamie looks confused.

“I want to buy it. I need a home for me and Maddison. I can knock it down or extend it, make myself a smallholding, and take on some wrangling jobs. Hell, I’ll even work the ranch for you, if you pay well enough. But what I won’t do is take your charity.”

“Now you're just being stupid, you can’t raise a family in a cabin where you’ve slaughtered men.”

“Fine. I’ll move on, find somewhere else.” I click my knuckles, feeling out of control and hating it.

“You're going nowhere, this is your home, you belong here.” He laughs at me as if all this is some kinda joke.

“None of this belongs to me, anymore. It never fuckin’ did. And I’m just gonna have to hope that when I tell Maddison that, she’s still gonna trust that I can take care of her.” I hate myself for sounding so weak in front of him.

“What kinda shit are you talking about, Jace? That girl in there, who’s havingyourbaby, worships the ground you walk on. It took you all of five goddamn minutes to convince her to give you the greatest gift a woman can give. You should have a little more faith in her.”

“Since when did you know fuck all about love, Jamie? You’ve never cared for anyone other than yourself.” I point my finger right in his face but he doesn’t react.

“You're staying in the house. You run the ranch, nothing changes,” he tells me firmly.

“Everything’s changing. I’m not Sullivan, I’m just somebody's bastard and I may not have many morals left but I got my pride.” I go to barge past him and he shocks the fuck out of me when he grabs hold of my shirt and uses all his force to slam me into the stable door.

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