Page 97 of Untamed

“You know about the accident? How I was trampled, and broke half a dozen bones?” She nods in confirmation. I sigh. If only this was the easy part. “After the fall, I was in a bad place. I’d lost the thing I loved the most, had no purpose. I was drinking a lot. Would go days with nothing but liquor inmy body. I was a mess. Fuck.” I curse as the past spills from my mouth like word vomit. My stomach twists with anxiety and I exhale, gently placing Mila on the bed and climbing off, putting space between us. I pace the room, my heart beating out of control. Just thinking about all this again sets me on edge, makes my skin crawl.

“You can tell me. It won’t change anything,” she repeats, her voice soft, sweet as she encourages me.

“We found out Annabeth was pregnant.” Her eyes widen, and she sucks in a sharp breath, her mind no doubt racing with questions.Where’s the baby?Is Colter a deadbeat dad?I can practically hear the thoughts spinning in her head. I don’t let her wonder long. “We lost the baby.” I murmur, shame coating my skin. “Not only was I drinking, but so was Annabeth. She didn’t know she was pregnant at first, but even when she found out she didn’t stop, no matter how many times I told her to. I’m not blaming her, entirely,” I add quickly. Because I’m not. What happened was as much my fault as it was hers. “We were fighting constantly but one day in particular, it was worse. I was a mess. Drunk, bitter, incoherent, and just angry at the world and everyone in it. I found Annabeth…snorting cocaine.” Mila’s face screws up in disgust, her eyes wide with shock. She has every right to be horrified. Even in my drunken state, what I saw made me sick. “The sight of it, knowing she was willing to put drugs in her body while pregnant, it set me off. I wasn’t violent—I would never put hands on a woman.” I add to reassure her, because I would never want Mila to think I’d physically hurt a woman. “But I was cruel with my words. I threatened to leave. She begged, she cried, and I just walked away. She ran after me, down the drive, pleading for me to come back. I ignored her. Kept walking, not knowing where I was headed. I just needed space. Time to clear my head.” I pause, rubbing a hand across my jaw, trying to ease the tension. “I know I wasn’t any better.I was abusing alcohol, just like she was, but…to do drugs while pregnant. That felt like rock bottom to me.”

My chest tightens with every word out of my mouth. I wasn’t in a place to be a father; but the loss of a child still hurts. “I heard her scream from behind me. At first, I thought she was messing around, trying to get my attention, but when I turned around, she was doubled over, clutching her stomach.” Sweat coats my skin as the memories flood me. “Annabeth miscarried. She blamed me. AndIblamed myself.” A breath shudders out of me. “A couple days later, I went to a bar. I wanted to numb the pain, forget my failures. I ended up wasted and planned to sleep it off in my truck. But as I crossed the parking lot, some asshole drifter followed me. Like a coward, he hit me from behind, knocked me to the ground, then pulled a gun on me and demanded the keys to my truck. Instead of handing them over like any sane person would have, in my drunken haze, I fought back. I beat him to within an inch of his life.”

Mila gasps, clambering off the bed and standing in front of me. “You were defending yourself.”

I nod, the guilt still gnawing at me. “Yeah, but it still doesn’t make it right. He was an asshole, but he could’ve died because of me.”

Mila reaches up, cupping my cheeks as her eyes implore me. “Have you made mistakes? Yes. But so have we all, Colter. Stop blaming yourself. You’re a good man and I refuse to see you as anything else.”

Emotion tightens my throat. I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her, and press a kiss to her hair before continuing in a soft murmur. “Annabeth left me after that. She got the hell out of the mess that was my life. She thought I was too far gone, that there was no coming back for me on the rodeo circuit. Honestly, her whole life revolved around getting herself a top bronc rider. I’m not using that to excuse my actions. I takeaccountability for everything I did. I see now, her leaving was the right thing to do. Our relationship...” I trail off, searching Mila’s face, wondering if she needs to know all this. But her small nod pushes me to keep going. “It wasn’t anything like what we have. You’ve seen the buckle bunnies. Annabeth was the Queen bunny of them all.” A smile twitches my lips at Mila’s eye roll. “Anyway, I was sentenced to a correction facility for two years. As much as I hated it, it turned out to be the best thing that could’ve happened to me. It forced me to clean up my act. But when I got out, no one wanted to hire me. Gossip is ruthless, and people spun their own versions of my story, even though the facts were out there for everyone to see. I was a pariah. It was only Lincoln that gave me a chance. And I’ll be forever grateful for that. If nothing else, it brought me to you.” I meet her gaze, speaking from my heart.

She squeezes me tighter, her voice barely above a whisper. “I love you, Colter Grady. Thank you for telling me your story.”

I sigh, letting my head drop to the crook of her neck. As much as I am too selfish to ever let her go, a part of me can’t help thinking I don’t deserve this incredible woman.

It takes us three days to get back to Montana. We made a couple stops along the way, enjoying each other now that everything is out in the open, and without the fear of getting caught. When I receive a message from Lincoln that Mila’s mom will be at Oakridge the following day by 7p.m, I book us a motel in town to get settled in until we have to be there.

Mila’s a mess, her anxiety plain to see, and I make every effort to put her mind at ease.

At exactly 7p.m. the next day, we pull up to the ranch.

I’m not even out of the truck when a petite blonde woman comes barreling down the porch steps. Mila’s mom, I’m guessing.

Mila opens her door, climbing out just as the woman reaches her, pulling her into a tight hug. I hop out of my vehicle, rounding the front and walking toward them.

“I’ve missed you, Sweetheart.” The woman’s breath hitches, her voice thick with emotion as she pulls back to look at Mila. Her gaze then shifts to me, her eyes widening as she takes me in. She clears her throat. “And you must be Colter,” she says, extending her hand. “Ashley Lyle.”

Taking her hand, I shake it gently. “Yeah. Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” she replies, a teasing edge to her voice. “Even if I had to cut my vacation short because of all the trouble you’ve caused. My ex-husband’s about to have a heart attack, I swear.” She narrows her eyes playfully at me.

“I didn’t mean to cause any problems, ma’am,” I rasp, honestly.

She rolls her eyes. “Less of the ma’am, makes me feel old. And a little birdie told me we’re about as close in age as you are to my daughter, so just call me Ashley.”

“Mom,” Mila groans, her cheeks turning bright red.

I chuckle, feeling a little lighter at how warm and welcoming Ashley is being. “Ashley it is, then.”

Ashley looks between us, sighing. “Come on, then. Let’s get this over with before your dad completely loses his shit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this on edge. He’s usually so laid back.”

She takes Mila’s hand leading her toward the house. I follow them, my body filled with tension. Part of me wants to kidnap Mila, hide us both away from the world, but I know that won’t solve anything.

We need to face Lincoln head on.

And there’s no time like the present.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

MILA

The tension in the lounge is so thick it feels suffocating.

My father and mother sit on one couch while Colter and I are opposite them on another.

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