Page 37 of Bray
“What if Beau’s idea was right about the window and they’re mad at Lainey?”
His face went grim and his knuckles went white on the steering wheel. “No one fucks with a woman who’s got eight brothers and gets away with it.”
“Plus Beau,” I added. “I saw the way he was looking at Lainey.”
“How’s that?” he asked. By the way he was gritting his teeth, he’d seen it, too, but didn’t want to admit it.
“Like you look at me,” I admitted.
“Exactly. Which is why I’m helping you out.”
“Bray,” I sighed. The idea of him and his family taking these problems from me, like dealing with Conrad Trout, sounded like heaven. My load was so heavy, the idea of him carrying it with me made me blink back tears.
But it was too good to be true. Why would he want to do all of this? Just because we had sex?
He slowed the car and pulled it over to the side of the road. He turned, took my hand in his. “You love me, Katie?”
His blue eyes were earnest. Intense. I couldn’t look away.
“Yes.” I’d already admitted it to him. Any other answer and we’d both know it was a lie.
“Then you need to be thinking about how we can add a farrier shop onto the stable for me.”
My mouth fell open. His gaze dropped to it. “Don’t give me ideas for that mouth.”
I snapped it closed. “What are you talking about? Add a shop? Why?”
“Everyone in the county knows the quality of your stables,” he began. “You want to grow it?”
I shrugged. “I’m stretched thin enough as it is. I can’t personally handle the workload of more horses.”
“You need a helper? You got me. With Ellie’s, I mean Trout’s, money, your legal bills will be wiped away. The back fence will be fixed and your second mortgage paid off. Hell, maybe even the first. I’ll set up an area to do my work. Clients can bring their horses to me.”
“Not all can do that,” I said, my mind spinning at what he was proposing. It would be amazing to not have all those bills weighing me down. I’d be able to make a profit again and pay for things again.
He shrugged. “Then I’ll still make house calls. I’ve been wanting an assistant for a while now and there isn’t one better than you. We’re the perfect team. Youdid a great job earlier on those hooves and I’m pretty good at shoveling shit.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“We’ll make Camden Stables the best in the area.”
My eyes widened. “But… you want it in my name?”
He leaned in, kissed me. His lips were soft, but the kiss was firm. “Camden Stables is the perfect name for what we’re going to build together as long as you become Katie Wilder sooner than later.”
Katie Wilder.
He wanted to grow the stables. He wanted to get us a bigger bed. He wanted me to take his name. He wanted it all with me.
I wanted that, too. So, so much.
“Yes, Bray. Yes, to everything.”
21
BRAY
Two days later,we were at the grocery store with Ma and Zeb. We’d lived off Ma’s casserole for two days, taking care of the horses and, going on one of my jobs I couldn’t put off… and spending the rest of the time fucking, but even Kitten agreed we needed food.
