Page 44 of Hell or High Water

“We have trouble keeping someone back here, so it’s a bit of a mess,” he explained.

“Yeah, because you keep fucking them and they turn psycho,” a deep voice said.

I spun around to see a guy walking from the back toward us. The resemblance was unmistakable. He looked exactly like Than, except he was older and he didn’t have blue eyes. They were…hazel, it looked like from here. His hair looked brown from what I could tell, but he was wearing a cowboy hat that was so dark from being weathered that it almost appeared black.

“That’s not true,” Than replied. “You’re just pissy because it happened with Kinsey.”

Ransom knitted his brows. “Her name was Kelsey.”

Than turned around from getting something off the desk to face his brother. “Are you sure?” he asked, scrunching his nose.

“I signed her paycheck.”

“Okay, fine,” Than replied. “Kelsey then.”

“And Mitsi, Hazel, and Lela Ann,” Ransom said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Than shook his head. “How do you remember their names? Lela Ann was, like, over a year ago.”

Ransom raised an eyebrow. “Lela Ann was the one before Kelsey, six months ago.”

Than looked confused, then shrugged. “Whatever.” He turned back to me. “Anyway, this is the password for the Wi-Fi.” He pointed at a small sign taped to the desk. “Go ahead and put your things down, and then I’ll show you where the kitchen is if you get thirsty or need a snack.”

I did as told, but I was distracted with thoughts of Than having sex with women and them turning psycho. What did that mean? Not that I was going to have sex with him, but I was curious.

The front door opened, and we both turned to see who had walked inside. Dread pooled in my stomach, and I didn’t want to acknowledge why. A stunning pair of ocean-blue eyes were the first thing I noticed, then the rest of her. Dark brown hair; a mouth that wasn’t too big for her face, like mine was; and a smile that I couldn’t look away from. She was beautiful without any makeup, and that smile was directed at Than.

“Little momma,” he drawled, clearly happy to see her.

The affection in his tone only made the dread in my stomach feel like acid as it churned. I didn’t want to have a face to go with the girl he’d talked to on the phone.

“Good morning, Than,” she said with a thick Southern lilt to her voice.

“Tan!” a small voice shouted.

Than beamed, then bent down behind my view because of the counter. When he stood, there was a little wiggly boy in his arms with a head full of blond hair. Who was that?

“How’s my best buddy this morning?” Than asked him.

The little boy pointed at the door. “Hoeses!” he shouted excitedly.

The gorgeous girl laughed softly. “We’re heading to the stables after this.”

Than mussed the blond mop of hair. “You are here to see me first! The horses can wait.”

“Daddy too!”

That little boy wasn’t calling Than Daddy, was he? Ohmigod. That girl couldn’t be that much older than me. Maybe my age even. Did she have a kid with Than? Why hadn’t he mentioned it?

My entire mood had plummeted in mere seconds.

“Eh, he can wait,” Than said with a scrunched nose.

Wait that sounded as if he was referring to someone else.

Please don’t let Than be the father.

Not that he was ever going to see me as anything but a problem, but just…I couldn’t fantasize about him if he had a kid and baby momma.

---