Page 85 of Saddled in Secrets
Meanwhile, I’m at a loss for words. My mouth moves soundlessly as I struggle. Brody takes pity on me and changes the subject.
“Your father is still in the hospital.”
I exhale the pressure in my lungs. “Any word on when he’ll be released?”
“Rumor has it that his cancer has progressed to the point that he’ll spend the rest of his days right where he is. We don’t have proof that it’s true yet,” Dennis utters.
“Damn.” I scrub a palm over my mouth, digesting that dark news. “I wonder how the crew is handling it.”
My cousins are still involved in his shitty organization. Several others that I used to consider friends are too. Without my father around, they’re left to fend for themselves. But it’s not my problem.
Brody is studying me too closely. “Do you want to see him?”
“No,” I say without hesitation.
“Are you sure? It might haunt you.” His gaze loses focus for a moment. “That’s the type of regret you can’t escape.”
Which undoubtedly has him thinking about his mom. Our situations couldn’t be more different, though. Marion Benson was a saint. Her life ended abruptly, stolen out from under her without warning. My father deserves what’s coming for him.
Not a drop of guilt sinks into my gut over that fact. Maybe I’m a horrible person. Or maybe that goes to show just how detached my father left me.
“I’ve said my goodbyes to him. More than once. That’s all the closure I need.”
Brody adjusts the brim of his hat, tugging it low to shadow his eyes. “Why is he so hell-bent on you replacing him once he’s gone?”
“Not a damn clue. Maybe some strange sense of sentiment. He wants to keep his legacy alive.” The disgust in my voice is evident.
But Dennis nods. “I know a thing or two about that.”
“Don’t compare yourself to him,” I grunt.
His chuckle is dry. “We both take pride in our work and want to pass it down. That’s about all we have in common. I don’t blame you for putting the past to rest before truly burying it. The future you’re building is where your life’s purpose will be born.”
“If she’ll have me,” I mumble.
“You’re a good man, Colton. Bianca is lucky your sights are set so firmly on her. To be loved that loudly is a rare gift.” Dennis ambles toward the stairs. “Enough chit-chat. I want a tour of your land.”
I’m too stunned to move. Brody nudges me along. My boots scuff across the porch as I drift in a daze of unexpected relief.
“You know I was just giving you shit.”
I scoff at the humor in his tone. “Could’ve fooled me.”
Brody hitches his shoulders, not bothered by my mood. “How long are you planning to stay here?”
“Until the threat is eliminated. My father might be on his last leg, but he’s still capable of delivering trouble to our doorstep as a parting gift.” More than that, I want to tell him that this is our home. There’s no reason to leave unless Bianca says so.
He nods as if agreeing to those terms. “I suppose it’s only been a few days.”
My lips twitch. “Miss me, boss?”
“No,” he’s quick to grumble. “But Paisley is pissed that her friend is gone again.”
“Sounds like a you problem.” I have plenty of my own.
Which allows a smirk to crack through my mask of indifference. That’s what Bianca does to me. And thinking about what I’ll do to tame my bratty princess next is too tempting to resist.
Prickles skip along my crooked spine. It’s not the colorful leaves rustling in the trees that’s awakening this sensation. The noticeable drop in temperature now that we’re exposed to the autumn elements isn’t responsible either. If anything, the windy chill that chases us on our ride across the open field keeps me from burning up.
