Page 23 of The First Day of Breeding Season
She hesitates, but then nods and takes a deep breath, her breasts lifting and brushing against my chest.
“I think my dad did it?” Her voice lifts in a question, a note of uncertainty that makes everything worse, because I’m pinning her down and her bare legs are spread for me.
Blade’s last name wasn’t Hughes. But he did have a little girl, a year after he put that tattoo on my wrist. I’d moved on to another ranch by that point, and I never met her. Didn’t know her name. But the timing is about right.
And so very wrong.
Suddenly, I know what she’s going to say next. “I…I never knew him.”
Fuck.
Fuck me.
I scramble off her body, off her bed, and shove my hands into my hair.
“Drew, it’s okay,” she says, climbing onto her knees.
Her skirt tumbling down, covering her panties.
It’s not.
Blade’s little girl is all grown up?
“Why is your name Hughes?” I manage to ask.
“My mom re-married after he died. It was easier, I guess.”
I feel like I’ve been kicked in the chest by an angry stallion.
“I’m so sorry.” I shake my head. “For everything.”
For her dad’s early passing.
For lusting after her.
Forkissingher.
“No, don’t?—”
I search for my hat, which tumbled to the floor at some point. I lean over to pick it up from where it landed next to her open backpack.
My eyes catch on a binder in the bag.
The Five Year Brynn Plan.
There are a lot of tabbed sections, and I can’t read all of them, but it’s enough of a reminder that this girl has her whole life ahead of her, and she wants a lot out of it.
As she should.
Standing, I point the hat in Brynn’s general direction, although I can’t look at her. Not directly. Not right now. I’ll work on that for tomorrow. I ignore the way my hand shakes. “He was my mentor. You should know he was the best of men.”
“Drew…”
“I can’t.” My voice cracks then. “We’ll load the trailers first thing. Yeah?”
I don’t wait for her to answer.
CHAPTER 11
