Page 60 of Come Back for Me
He shakes his head. “Don’t apologize, you don’t owe me any explanations.”
No, maybe I don’t owe it to him, but I guess I could’ve mentioned it. But then I think about the last few times we’ve talked and how those conversations have been about what he’s working on here or my job. We’ve been almost avoiding talking about things that are personal.
I don’t know why that is, but there’s something that’s been bothering me for a few days now.
“Connor, can I ask you something?” I say before I have time to stop myself.
“Of course.”
I swallow the nerves since it’s too late to go back now. “Do you want to find out if Hadley is yours?”
His eyes meet mine, and my heart races as I wait for him to say something—anything.
“More than anything.”
“Then why haven’t you said anything?”
He moves closer, pulling the papers from my hands and placing them down on the table. “Because you’ve been through hell and so has she. While I want to know if she is my daughter more than I’ve wanted anything in my entire life, I also won’t be selfish and demand it happen now. I can wait, Ellie. I can wait until you’re ready.”
“Ready for what?”
He lifts his hand, pushing the hair off my face. His voice is soft, careful, and yet, there’s a confidence underlying it all. “Me.”
Chapter Nineteen
Connor
“How are things going?” Sean asks after avoiding my phone calls the last two weeks.
“Like you give a fuck.”
I get that my brother is some big-time baseball player, but he’s fucking annoying when he thinks no one else’s time is as valuable as his. Declan is helping figure out the land values thanks to one of his clients who deals in real estate, Jacob is doing . . . God knows what, but Sean was going to reach out to some guy named Zach Hennington who he played baseball with to figure out the damn cows since he has a cattle ranch.
I’m failing at this part. I have no clue what to do with the animals other than what a very adorable seven-year-old who instructs me to do. Which I have no clue if that’s even right, but it’s better than what I’ve been doing so far. Ellie’s farmhands have been helping me a bit when I have questions, but they’re busy running her farm.
Even though I grew up around the animals, I never really cared much about learning how to run it. I did my chores, which were usually mending fences or the carpentry type things, and my brothers dealt with the animals.
“Look, I’m busy,” he explains. “I did my best, but I have shit going on.”
“And I don’t?” I throw back at him. “I know absolutely nothing about cows, Sean. You’re supposed to handle that part.”
“I gave Dec his number.”
I huff and curse under my breath. Declan is just as bad lately at calling me back. In fact, the three of them can kiss my fucking ass. I’ve been here a month, busting my ass, with absolutely no help other than Declan getting funds to me, which was something I had to call ten times about, while they live their lives, oblivious to the shit I’m dealing with.
“A lot of good that does me, asshole. I need some help. All of you guys were supposed to do something, and instead, I’m doing it all on my own—like always.”
“What crawled up your ass? You’re even more of an asshole than usual.”
I sit on the bale of hay, rubbing my fingers across my forehead. I could tell him everything. A part of me wants to, and Sean is the only brother who knows about my angel, but even telling him a sliver of what’s going on will force me to answer too many questions.
Still, my brothers are all I’ve ever had.
They’re family.
They have never turned their backs on me and to be honest, I feel like I’m drowning right now.
“Connor?”
