Page 69 of The Finding Series: Vol. 2

“Quinn, this is Beck Barretti. He’s visiting with us for the summer from Seattle. Beck, this is Quinn Donavan. He’s Callan’s assistant horse trainer.”

Beck didn’t say anything, but he managed to extend his hand. It was cold and clammy to the touch and he released my hand a split second after he took it.

“It’s nice to meet you, Beck,” I said as casually as I could. I wasn’t one for lying, but even if Beck hadn’t cared about Jax finding out we already knew each other, I sure as hell did. I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure the kid was legal and now that I knew he was a friend of the hulking deputy, I had no interest in finding out what non-legal steps the man would take if he found out what I’d done to Beck in that bathroom.

Jesus, what a clusterfuck.

“So, Jerry was going to show Beck around…he’s going to be working here for the summer.”

I nodded because I knew that already. Not that it was Beck who’d been hired on as the newest employee of the CB Bar, of course. I’d only been told that the son of Jax and Dane’s friends from Seattle would be spending the summer helping out at the ranch.

More specifically, he’d be helpingmeout.

“Yeah, Jerry told me. He asked me to get him started since he’ll be primarily working with me.”

At that, Beck stiffened and I saw a brief flash of despair in his pretty eyes – the same look he’d shot me and our blond companion in the bathroom before he’d taken off.

“Oh, great,” Jax said and then he turned to give Beck a smile. Beck managed to school his features so well that if I hadn’t already known how upset he was, I wouldn’t have had a clue that he was even remotely bothered. “I’ll see you at home tonight?” Jax said and I didn’t miss the hint of concern in his voice.

“Definitely,” Beck said as he sent Jax a smile.

A smile that looked so unnatural and wrong on the young man that I wanted to order him not to ever do it again.

Jax reached out to shake my hand again and then he was heading out of the barn. Beck and I stood there in complete and utter silence as we heard Jax’s cruiser start up and head down the driveway. It wasn’t until the sound of the engine faded away that Beck’s stance changed and he took several steps away from me. My horse bumped Beck’s arm, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” he whispered as he shook his head.

He wasn’t the only one. But while I was more shocked than upset, he was clearly on the verge of a complete breakdown because he began muttering to himself as he turned away from me and just started walking. He ended up exiting through the back door of the barn which led towards the pastures, so I suspected he was less interested in his destination and more interested in getting away from me.

“Beck,” I called as I hurried after him. I grabbed his arm to stop his forward movement, but predictably, he tore free of my hold.

“Don’t!” he bit out.

I put my hands up and said, “I just want to talk. That’s it.”

Beck looked frantically around us and seemed to finally realize he’d gone the wrong direction. “It…it was a mistake,” he whispered.

Even though I wholeheartedly agreed with the young man in front of me, the comment still hurt.

Though I had no idea why.

Beck quieted and while he was still restless, he didn’t appear to be on the verge of running for the moment.

“Beck, I have to know,” I began as even thinking about what I was going to say caused bile to creep up the back of my throat. “Did…did I do something that night that…that you didn’t want?” The idea that I’d somehow forced Beck had been haunting me every second of every day for the last two days. I’d run through the details of that night over and over in my head trying to find an explanation for Beck’s reaction just before he’d run out of the bathroom, but I hadn’t been able to make sense of any of it.

“What?” he asked in surprise and then shook his head. “No…no, of course not.”

A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, but it didn’t go very far. The fact that it had been consensual didn’t change the outcome. “You…you were so upset afterwards. You said it wasn’t supposed to be like that.”

“No, I…”

His voice dropped off and then he shook his head frantically.

“If it was your first time-” I began.

“It wasn’t!” he nearly shouted and then seemed to remember himself. “I can’t do this,” he bit out with another shake of his head. He tried to step past me, but I grabbed his arm. He immediately fought my hold so I grabbed his other arm as well.

“Let me go!” he demanded, though he sounded more scared than angry.

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