Page 26 of Broken Player

“Last night, Maddox came by,” I began.

Quinn inhaled sharply. “What could that asshole possibly have to say to you?”

“He was drunk, and he wanted to apologize.” I gnawed on my lower lip because I knew Quinn wouldn’t react well to the next part.

“For which part? The part where he broke your heart at fourteen? Or the part where he acted like you never existed for the past twelve years? Or maybe the part where he was a complete tool to you the other day?” he seethed.

I shrugged. “For all of it.”

That seemed to shut Quinn up, and I watched as he visibly deflated. “Did he at least give you an explanation?”

I nodded. “He said he did it to protect me, but that he shouldn’t have. He was afraid he’d turn out like his dad, and he didn’t want that for me. He said I was too good for him, that he didn’t deserve me.”

“He’s right about that. He doesn’t deserve you.” Quinn’s hazel eyes locked with mine, filled with a mixture of anger and concern. “Are you okay?”

Blowing out a breath, I bit my lip again while I considered his question. “At first, I was so angry about everything. But then, after he explained, he broke down on the floor and my heart hurt for him. His whole life has been tragic, and I doubt he’s ever felt really, truly loved in his entire life.” My eyes burned as tears threatened to spill down my cheeks. “When he confessed and apologized, and then I looked into his eyes, I could see every broken and damaged part of his soul. It calls to me. It always has.”

Quinn’s brows furrowed. “If you’re so connected to Maddox, what the fuck are you doing marrying this Yates douche?”

“Quinn!” I scolded, smacking him on the arm. “You don’t even know Yates. He seems like a good guy.”

He rolled his eyes. “What kind of a good guy has to trap some desperate woman into marrying him to access his money? This whole thing is not right, Ry.”

I let go of his hand, sliding back a few inches from him to put distance between us. He didn’t understand what an impossible situation I felt like I was in. “I don’t know what to tell you, Quinn. He seemed to genuinely need help and wanted to help me in return.”

He moved closer to me and pulled my hand into his again. “You know I’ve always got your back. I’ll always support you in whatever you do, and you’ll never get rid of me. But I think you’re making a colossal mistake marrying this guy. You don’t even want to live on the ranch. Why are you trying so hard to save it?”

Squeezing my eyes closed, I rolled my head on my neck a few times, trying to stretch out the tense muscles in my upper back. How could I make Quinn understand why I needed to do this? “This is my family home. This is where I grew up, where my sisters grew up, where my parents met and got married. Maybe this place isn’t my future, but to me, the past is just as important. My roots are here. My dad has never known another home, and I refuse to let him lose this one when there’s something I can do to fix it.”

Quinn’s eyes softened, and he rubbed his thumb soothingly on the back of my hand. “That’s a high price to pay to fix something that isn’t even your problem.”

“I know, okay? But it wasn’t my dad’s fault that the horse threw him off. He didn’t ask to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. I have to do this for them. My parents have given me so much, it’s my turn to give back to them.”

“And giving up on your goals to move home four years ago and take on running this place wasn’t enough giving back?” he countered.

Sighing, I laid flat on my back, staring up at the ceiling. “They gave me life, Quinn. Is there such a thing as enough when it comes to giving back to my parents?”

“Your sisters seem to think so. Your dad didn’t have to let shit get this bad, you know. He could’ve asked for help sooner. Hell, he could have listened to the ideas you’ve been trying to talk to him about foryears, Ryan. Marrying someone isn’t just no big deal. It’s a goddamn life-altering choice you’re making. You don’t have to be a martyr or play hero here, sweetheart. This isn’t your mess to clean up.”

I knew Quinn would always support me no matter what I chose. Still, I doubted he’d ever understand why I felt like I needed to do this no matter how many times I tried to explain it to him. “Agree to disagree, Quinny.”

The restof the week passed slowly. Whenever I was outside the house, I found my gaze drawn to the little house over the hill. I was distracted in my work, watching the guys next door come and go. I only knew Maddox and could always pick him out when he was outside, which wasn’t much, but I assumed the others were his friends or maybe the guys in the band. I wasn’t a part of his life anymore, so I wasn’t that familiar with anyone he spent time with.

But I hadn’t seen him up close again since the night he came to my room. I didn’t know if I’d get the chance to talk to him again or if he’d leave without saying a word to me like he had last time. Maybe he regretted our conversation. The more timethat passed without talking to him again, the more I convinced myself it’d all been one big mistake.

I reached up and wiped a drop of sweat from my forehead before it could roll down my face. It was Saturday morning, and Quinn and I were out finishing up our morning chores before I had to go inside and get showered and dressed. I was a ball of nerves. My stomach churned, and my heart beat faster than normal all morning. I barely slept last night either, despite Quinn climbing into my bed and trying to comfort me.

Today was the day Yates would meet my family. Today was also the day I would go to Dallas with him, meet up with my sisters, and start the wedding planning.

Today was the day shit got real with this wedding.

I wanted to throw up. Yates was supposed to be here after breakfast, but there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d be able to eat anything with my stomach in knots like it was.

Quinn rode up on Daisy, pulling her reins to stop next to me. He flashed me a crooked grin. “You ready to do this, bridezilla?”

I shot him a withering glare. “Bridezilla? Really?”

He shrugged and laughed. “If the name fits.”

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