Page 42 of Wrangling a Wild Texan

Sophie picked up a potato chip and munched it. “My mama told me she got in a lot of fights with my daddy before he ran off, but that didn’t make her get rid of me.” Before Reid could get after Sophie for giving out too much information, Corbin cut him off.

“And that’s how it should be. Parents shouldn’t get rid of their kids just because they can’t live with their significant other. Although I think my and Sunny’s parents just used their fights as an excuse to pawn us off on relatives.”

“But that’s just plain child abuse,” Sophie said. “Especially when Mimi told me your Uncle Dan was a good-for-nothin’ drunk.”

Reid choked. “Soph!”

Corbin laughed. “She’s just stating the truth. Uncle Dan was a good-for-nothing drunk and pawning your kids off on any relative that would take them is child abuse. But Sunny and I survived.”

“Thanks to you,” Sophie said. “Sunny told me about how you took care of her and worked to make sure she could have brand-name athletic shoes like the other kids at school.”

Reid felt more than a little stunned. While he was digesting everything he’d just learned, the screen door opened and Mimi came out carrying a pitcher of iced tea. She set it on the tablebefore she glanced at Sophie. “Darla and I are getting ready to make some blueberry pies. You want to help?”

Sophie jumped up. “Of course I do!”

Once the screen door slammed behind her and Mimi, Corbin smiled at Reid. “She’s really come out of her shell.”

“I’m sorry if she got too personal.”

“She didn’t. Everyone in town knows about my and Sunny’s upbringing. Although by the stunned look on your face, I’d say that you didn’t.”

Reid shook his head. “No, sir.” He’d assumed the Whitlocks had grown up with silver spoons in their mouths. Finding out that they hadn’t left him feeling more than a little broadsided and speechless.

“I guess that’s where the old adage ‘never judge a book by its cover’ comes from,” Corbin said. “Although I can see where you’d get the idea. Sunny plays a spoiled little rich girl well.”

She had played it well. She had certainly fooled Reid. Just like she had fooled everyone into believing she was just a happy-go-lucky woman without a care in the world. Her angry art said differently. Reid couldn’t help wondering if Corbin knew about the art. He doubted it. It seemed Sunny Whitlock had become extremely good at hiding her true feelings. He had to wonder if that’s how she’d dealt with her parents’ abuse.

“Are you interested in my sister?”

Corbin’s question brought Reid out of his thoughts. He stared at his boss, thinking he’d misunderstood. “Excuse me, sir?”

“Sunny. Are you interested in her?”

He scrambled for a reply that wouldn’t be a boldfaced lie, and also wouldn’t get him fired, and came up empty. After the kiss in Sunny’s attic room, there was little doubt that he was interested in her. More than interested. She had a hold on him that went way beyond mere interest. It was bordering on completeinfatuation. He spent his nights dreaming about her and his days trying to push thoughts of her out of his head—unsuccessfully. Now he was going to get fired because he couldn’t control his obsession with her. But he wouldn’t go down without a fight. He owed Sophie that much.

“I guess Mrs. Stokes told you about what happened in town. And I want to apologize, sir. I totally overstep my bounds. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Corbin’s eyebrows lifted. “Exactly what happened in town?”

Reid cringed. Shit. He walked right into that one. With no way out, he told the truth. “I kissed your sister. But it just . . . sorta happened.”

“Ahh.” Corbin didn’t look surprised at all. “So that explains why Mrs. Stokes thinks you’re interested in Sunny. And I must admit, I was kind of hoping you were. Sunny could use a stable man like you in her life.” Reid felt like his jaw hit the table as Corbin continued. “And just so you know, I would never fire you over a kiss . . . unless it was forced.”

“No, sir. It wasn’t forced. She . . . it wasn’t forced.”

Corbin smiled. “I understand. Sunny can be hard to say no to. I’m certainly not good at doing it. I’ve spoiled her rotten, which probably explains why she’s so flighty.”

“I wouldn’t say she’s flighty.”

Corbin tipped his head. “You wouldn’t? How would you describe my sister?”

Reid thought for only a moment before he answered. “Sunny’s like a beam of sunlight. You can’t keep a beam of sunlight in one place and you shouldn’t expect to. It has to constantly move with the positioning of the sun. But while it’s shining on you, you feel warm and grateful.” Once the words were out, he didn’t know who was more surprised by them—he or Corbin.

A beam of sunlight? Where had that come from?

But it was the truth. Sunny had certainly been a beam of sunlight for Reid. She’d shed light on the mistakes he was making with Sophie and helped him to become a better guardian. A better person. Now, he realized it was because she had walked in Sophie’s shoes and knew what it was like to be dumped off on an inept relative. While most people became angry and jaded after enduring such a horrible childhood, Sunny kept smiling and spreading her light—only showing her pain and anger through her art.

That bothered Reid more than he cared to admit. He might have showed his anger too much, but hiding it wasn’t good either. He was on the verge of mentioning the angry art to Corbin when the screen door flew open and Hallie strode out to the porch.

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