Page 45 of One Summer Day (Prosperity Ranch 1)

“To Bonney’s favorite stream,” he said. “It’s not too far, and it will be her reward for carrying an extra load.”

“Oh, are we too heavy for her?” Macie asked.

“Not necessarily,” Holt said. “She just needs to get used to the weight distribution. You weigh next to nothing.”

Macie scoffed. “I’m not the woman I used to be. Having Ruby did all kinds of crazy things to my body. None of which Knox cared for.”

Holt tightened his hands on the reins. He wasn’t sure what to make of Macie’s comment, but if it was what he thought she meant, it was another thing to add to his long list of grievances against his brother.

“I think every man at Racoons had his eyes on you last night,” he said at last.

Macie shrugged. “I was the new girl, that’s all.”

With her back pressed to his chest, and his resolve not to rest his hands on the curve of her hips, Holt felt he had to say at least one thing. “You’re a beautiful and remarkable woman, Macie,” he said quietly against her ear. “Any man would be a fool to make you feel less than what you are.”

She released a slow sigh. “Sometimes, I wish you’d been the brother to ask me to the dirt dance, Holt Prosper.”

Her words were like a dagger of fire to his gut.

Holt should turn the horse around. Right now. Things just went beyond complicated. He said nothing—he didn’t trust his reply. The tension between them was charged, and it probably wasn’t a good idea that he was practically holding her in his arms, his mouth only inches away from her neck.

Macie could have no idea how much he wished that he had been the brother to ask her to the dance.

The one thing Holt knew was that he needed some physical separation from Macie. He slowed Bonney back into a walk as they neared the stream, his thoughts all over the place.

He halted Bonney next to the stream, then climbed off. After helping Macie down, he stepped away, breathed. The vulnerability in her eyes hurt his heart, and he didn’t want to wait another moment before telling her a few things. Even if it hurt both of them to do it.

“If I could go back to that night,” he said, folding his arms to keep himself from touching her, “and change one thing, it would be to tell Knox to mind his own business. I should have warned you about my scoundrel of a brother. If I would have known what he’d planned—”

“I don’t think he planned things specifically,” Macie cut in, stepping toward him. “And I don’t blame you for anything, Holt. I didn’t know either of you. With all my regrets that night, my biggest one was being impulsive. When all was said and done, I think Knox tried to do the right thing. Deep inside, he wanted to be noble.”

Holt swallowed back his protest. Being noble was likely the furthest thing from his brother’s mind. “You’re a generous woman, Macie.” How far would her generosity go, though, when Knox returned? Holt stepped back again because she was still too close.

“Yet . . .” Her smile was sad. “He wasn’t strong enough to truly change. Being on the road so much, surrounded by his vices, made it nearly impossible for him to act the part of a husband and father.” She shrugged. “We were both young.”

Holt released a slow breath and eyed her. “I get it. But I have a question to ask . . . what if he did change? And what if he wanted to reconcile?”

She looked away, and the breeze tugged on her braid. “I can’t even go there in my mind.”

It hadn’t really been fair to ask her the question. She had no idea Knox was returning to Prosper, and it wasn’t Holt’s business to tell her. For all he knew, his brother might change his mind.

But Holt knew he’d never change his mind about Macie.

“I want to make him pay for what he did to you,” Holt ground out. “I want to break his nose and—”

Macie stepped closer and rested her hand on his bicep. “Holt.”

That one word stopped him, that and how her touch sent heat searing through him. Could she not hear the thumping of his heart?

When she lifted her hand and placed a finger on his lips, he went up in flames and could barely think straight. “We can’t change the past.” She lowered her hand, but her fingers strayed to his shoulder.

“I know.” His throat felt raw; his chest burned. “But that’s not the only terrible thing I want to do.” No, punching out Knox was only the beginning.

Her lips parted. “Maybe it would help if you tell me all the terrible things you want to do. You know, get them off your chest.”

Holt doubted that, but he couldn’t take his gaze from her mouth. “I want to . . .” He moved back, away from her touch. He couldn’t do this. Not because of Knox, but because it wouldn’t be fair to Macie.

She dropped her hand, and her eyes flew to meet his. Had she read his mind?

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