Page 17 of Rodeo Cowboy
Something’s off with her. She distanced herself from me after the countdown, and I’m sure it has everything to do with Elsie’s comments.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve lied to your family, is it?”
My muscles tense, and my heartbeat speeds up. My breathing grows shallow, and I fight the surge of anger. All the shit I’ve buried for the last two months begin to surface, scratching and clawing inside me.
“No.” It’s the only word I can get out. It’s gritted, cold, and devoid of any emotion.
“What was the lie?” She hugs herself as if to protect herself from me.
I don’t blame her. She damn well should protect herself from me. My decisions are selfish. I hurt those I love most.
“Did you pretend to be married to her, too?”
“No.”
“Then what? From what I see, that room was a nursery, and your brother’s wife is pregnant. Considering he punched you in front of the entire town, and his wife can barely look at you—not to mention I think she dislikes me more—I assume it has to do with them.”
What the fuck does she want me to say? I’m not about to dive into the clusterfuck I caused before leaving town. What does it solve? Nothing. And the way she’s looking at me now wouldn’t compare to how she’d look at me if she knew the truth.
“Is she the reason you ended up on my ranch?”
“One of the reasons.”
“Is your brother the other reason?”
I scrub my hands over my face. “It doesn’t matter what happened. It’s done. We’re not staying here long; chances are we won’t see my family again. I don’t want to hash it all back up. I’ve spent the last two months trying to forget about it.”
“You dragged me into this—”
“If you got a better place to stay, then go.” I ignore the shadow of hurt in her eyes. “My business ain’t your goddamn business, and I’m not keeping you here.”
I storm out of my bedroom, resisting the urge to slam the door. I even manage to keep from hitting the back door.
I stomp across the yard and shove open the barn sliding door with such force it rattles and shakes. Inside, the horses I bought a couple of months ago are settled in their stalls for the night. The sight of them instantly calms my nerves.
LED lights run along the newly widened aisle. My boots scuff the new interlocking pavers stretching over the floor. My brother must’ve worked on fixing up the interior.
I take a deep breath, savoring the smell of sawdust and fresh paint mingled with horses’ sweet, earthy scent.
As I walk down the central aisle, his eyes roam over the neat rows of stalls, each freshly bedded with clean straw. The stalls are roomy and well-ventilated, with wide, sturdy doors.
One horse nickers softly and turns his head to me.
I lean my arms on the top door. “Hey there, big guy,” I say softly. “How are you doing today?”
The horse nuzzles my hand. “I guess better than me, huh?”
I yawn as the day catches up to me. I lean against the stall door, closing my eyes momentarily. The next thing I know, I wake up to the sound of the horse’s gentle breathing and someone kicking my leg.
“Did you sleep here last night?” Silver kicks me again.
I open my eyes, blinking in confusion. “What time is it?”
“Time for you to get the fuck up and get in that house before the whole damn family arrives.”
“What?”
“Ma’s moved breakfast to your house, and everyone’s excited to have a meal with your bride.”
