Page 113 of Fight for Me
I give her a playful glare.
“Yes! I need my horse, Uncle Declan.”
The women in my life are trying to kill me. But, I did promise her one, and I know it’ll piss my brother off, which is always an added benefit.
“How about we go visit Devney’s parents this weekend and see what they have?” I offer.
Devney’s parents run a farm that has horses and other animals in need of new homes, and they always have options for newer riders since the horse I was looking at from the Hennington farm still isn’t ready for her. Maybe she is going to end up with two freaking horses.
“You mean it?” Hadley asks, her green eyes bright and hopeful.
“I mean it.”
“What do you mean?” Connor asks as he enters the room.
“You’re getting a horse!” Sydney tells him, ruining my moment of joy.
“I’m going to have a brother or sister and a horse! It’s the best day ever!” Hadley yells and then launches herself at me.
I catch her, pulling her into my arms and laughing.
Yes, it really is the best day ever. I have everything going my way.
* * *
“Declan?” Sydney’s voice is quiet in the dark as she pokes me in the chest.
I sit up, alarmed that she’s waking me. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Are you sleeping?”
I look over at the clock sitting on the side next to the recliner I’m in. It’s two in the morning. “Not anymore.”
“Good. I wanted to talk.”
I rub my hand over my face and try to shake off the drowsiness. “Now?”
“Well, I figured now was as good a time as any.” Sydney stands in front of me, hands on her hips.
Yeah, that makes total sense. “Okay.”
“Why do you want a relationship now? What’s changed? Why didn’t you realize how much you wanted this before the possible death thing? Also, why the fuck did you buy my farm?”
That’s a lot of questions, and my brain isn’t really working, but even in my half-asleep haze, I know I have to answer this without pause.
“Because I realize that my life is complete shit without you. What has changed is me? I’ve stopped trying to think I know better than you. You said you love me and want me in your life, and I’m really too exhausted to pretend that isn’t what I want too.” She doesn’t say anything, so I continue, hoping I don’t fuck this up. “As for why it took me so long? Well, it really didn’t. It just took me a while to be able to accept it. I knew the minute I saw you again at the pond that I had never gotten over you and that I was still hopelessly in love with you, but didn’t want to hurt you. As for your farm, I bought it because you wanted it.”
She’s still quiet, and the fear I had about fucking it up is growing. “It’s millions of dollars.”
“It’s a good thing I have a really good job then.”
“Declan.”
“Sydney.”
She huffs. “I don’t know how you did it.”
“I got the cash from my company line of credit and sold my apartment. Well, I’m selling it this week. I should accept the offer I got yesterday.”
