31. Brady
CHAPTER 31
Brady
I sit on my horse facing her, making sure she can’t go anywhere and making sure she looks at me. “There is no need for that, Brady.” Her voice is strong yet sounds broken; her face ashen from the minute I told her I spent ten years hating her. The need to tell her how fucking wrong I’ve been sits like a burden on my shoulder. I don’t want to keep anything from her. I want her to know everything about me. I want to know everything about her. “You’ve done more than anyone I’ve ever known has done.” Her words are like a kick in the gut. “So between us, we’re even.”
Fuck this, I think to myself as I get off my horse and walk over to hers. I can see her body going tense as she flexes her hand on the reins. I should take a second to think, but the feelings of guilt and hurt run through me. Guilt that I felt that way, and I hurt for hurting her. “Get off your horse.” I stand beside the horse, wondering if she says no, how the fuck I’m going to yank her off the horse without scaring the animal. The last thing I want is to freak everyone out. “Please?”
“Brady,” she says, and it feels like I’m in an electric chair that sent a million watts through my body.
“Please,” I plead, and she moves her body and slides off the horse. My hands go to her hips to help her down halfway. I turn her to face me and put my hands to her cheeks to hold her there and make sure she looks me in the eyes. “I’m sorry I said what I said.” I have no idea what else is going to come out of my mouth. “I mean, I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry.”
Her eyebrows pinch together. “Okay.”
“I mean, I’m sorry that it hurt you, but I’m not sorry I said it because it made me see how wrong I was. How wrong I fucking was, and there is no fucking way I could hate you. There is no way anyone could hate you if they were honored enough to get to know you. You are kind, funny, loyal, and the best mother I’ve ever met.” The bottom of her eyes fills with tears, and she quickly looks down, and I see her blinking furiously to probably stop the tears that are about to escape, hoping they don’t, but one lone tear escapes. “That is the last fucking tear you will ever have because of me.”
“It’s not you.” She of course tries to make me feel better. “It’s just been a crazy couple of days.” She looks up at me and tries to smile, but her smile is as fake as can be.
“Last fucking tear that rolls down your cheek because of me.” I bend my head to touch her mouth with mine. “I promise you.”
“I’ve learned it’s not good to make promises,” she says softly. “They are easily broken. Even by me. I promised Wyatt it would all be okay, and look at the mess we are in.”
“Well then, it’s time to show you how promises work,” I vow to her. “And by the way, you are way too hard on yourself. Wyatt is thriving, and he’s thriving because of you.” I kiss her one more time before I let my hand fall from her face. “Remember that.” She just nods at me. “Now, let’s get back on the horses and get back to the barn, yeah?”
“Okay.” She turns and puts her foot in the stirrup, and I take a second to check out her ass, wanting to lean in and bite it. My cock stirs in my pants as she sits said ass back down on the saddle.
I walk over to my horse, getting back on him before turning and making our way to the barn. She doesn’t say anything as we walk back, her head forward as she takes in the forest. “Are you tired, baby?” I break the silence.
“A little,” she replies softly, “but it’s worth it.” She smiles, and this time, it shines in her eyes. “It’s the calmest I’ve been in the past six months.”
“Then we’ll make sure that we do it more often,” I assure her as we return to the barn. Emmett is there by the fence with Wyatt behind him as he tells him something. He looks over at us and motions with his chin toward us. I can see Wyatt wants to start to run, but Emmett tells him something, and he nods.
“Welcome back,” Emmett greets when we get close enough, moving toward us, but Wyatt stands by the fence, probably like he was instructed to do. “How was it?”
“Amazing,” Harmony states to Emmett, who stops by her side and holds out his hand to help her off the horse.
“Charlie just went to the house and said he’s waiting for you guys to join him.” He walks over to me now. “Even you.” He grabs the reins of the horse, and I get down.
“Thank you, I guess,” I mumble, and he laughs as I put my hand on Harmony’s lower back, moving her toward Wyatt.
“How was that?” she asks Wyatt, her voice as animated as he looks.
“Amazing!” he exclaims and then looks at me. “Sorry, Brady, but that was better than fishing.”
I laugh and nod at him. “No worries, buddy.” I ruffle his hair. “Let’s go get something to eat, yeah? You hungry?”
“Starving,” Wyatt blurts, as if he didn’t wolf down two sandwiches before we got here. “Charlie says I was born to ride.” He skips sideways beside us as we walk to the house. “And that I’m a natural.”
“He would know,” I tell him. “He’s been riding horses since he was two, I think.”
We walk up the steps, the front door is open and the storm door lets you see all the way down the hallway. I open the door and step in, kicking off my boots to the side and watching Wyatt do the same when Autumn comes out of the kitchen. “Hey, you guys.” Her voice is cheerful. “I just took the quiche out of the oven.”
“Smells delicious,” Harmony notes. “Is there somewhere we can wash our hands?”
“I’ll take them,” I tell Autumn as I turn down the hall to the bathroom. We wash our hands, and then I slip my hand in Harmony’s as I pull her down the hall toward the kitchen. The whole table looks like it’s overflowing.
“Oh my goodness,” Harmony states, “this is so much.”
“I wish I could say I did it all,” Autumn replies, “but I only did the quiche and the salad. Charlie’s great-grandmother sent over the rolls, and the chicken potpie is also not mine.”
“Where do I sit?” Wyatt asks, wanting to get the eating started.
“Wherever you want to, buddy,” Charlie urges, pulling out his own chair. Wyatt walks over and sits next to him and then looks at me. “You can sit here, Brady.” He pats the chair beside him. I walk over, pulling the chair beside me out so Harmony can sit down next to me.
“What do you want first?” I ask Wyatt as he looks around the table.
“Some potpie.” His eyes say that it’s his favorite, and then I pick up the salad. “Do I have to?” he whines, and I look over at Harmony to see what she is going to say, but I find her talking to Autumn about something.
“Nah,” I say, “there are veggies in the potpie.” I put the salad back down and turn to him.
“So how did you enjoy the horses today, Wyatt?” Autumn asks as she takes a bite of her quiche.
“It was the best,” he declares, shoveling in the potpie, even though steam is coming out of it. “I want to do it again.”
“We shall see,” Harmony says, picking up a roll for herself. “I have to call Mr. Mendelson later to make sure he’s okay.”
Autumn looks at me and we share a look. “He’s the caretaker for Wyatt when she works at night.” She nods at me. “He’s been sick for the past couple of days.”
“If you want,” Autumn offers, “we can watch him for you.”
Harmony’s eyes go big. “What?” she whispers, but Wyatt turns to her quickly.
“Mom, can I, can I? Please?” he pleads.
“Wyatt, I can’t just leave you here,” she explains to him. “Charlie works, and Autumn is carrying a baby.”
“It’s no trouble to us,” Charlie assures her, also shoveling food like he hasn’t eaten for five days. “He can help me out in the barn, and then, trust me, he’s going to crash by eight.”
“But—” Harmony starts.
Autumn looks at her. “Take the help when you can get it.” She takes a bite of her roll. “When I give birth to this child, I’m going to hand it off to anyone who wants to take it.”
I shake my head. “You are such a liar.”
“No, I’m not,” Autumn bites back. “Just to show you, you get first drop-off.”
“Deal,” I agree. “Harmony and I will babysit.”
“Um,” Harmony says, “sure but?—”
“So can I stay here today?” Wyatt is done with the adult conversation on who is going to watch this child who isn’t even here yet. “I have no school today and tomorrow.”
“Good,” Charlie states, “I can teach you how to muck out the stalls, and then you can help me take a few for a walk.”
“I can do that.” He nods, and I laugh at him.
“Buddy,” I ask, and Wyatt looks at me, “do you even know what muck out the stalls means?”
“No,” he says, grabbing a piece of chicken, “but it’s okay.”
“I’ll video it and send it to you.” Charlie chuckles. “The first time is always fun.”
“I don’t want to—” Harmony tries, and Autumn shakes her head.
“If you feel bad, you can make me a pie. I’m loving strawberry these days.”
“I have a great recipe for pumpkin pie and key lime pie,” Harmony suggests, “and, of course, peach pie, but that’s boring.”
“I will take one of each,” Autumn teases, making Harmony laugh.
We finish lunch, and I push away from the table. “We have to head back home. I have to go to work, and Harmony needs to nap.”
“Okay,” Autumn says as Harmony shakes her head.
“I’m not leaving until we help clean up.” She gets up and starts taking the plates into the kitchen.
“You don’t have to do that,” Autumn declares. “I got this. You go home and relax.”
“I couldn’t,” Harmony says.
“Please,” Autumn shares, “it’ll make me feel better for eating all the muffins if I move around.”
She looks over at me, and I just look at her. “Go say goodbye to Wyatt.” I motion with my head to the table, where he’s talking to Charlie about how kids get into rodeos.
She walks over and squats down beside Wyatt, who gives her a hug. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay, Mom,” he says as he turns to Charlie. “Now can we go?”
“Yeah, kid.” Charlie grins at him, then looks at a hesitant Harmony. “He’s safe here, and if he doesn’t settle, I’ll call you.”
“Okay,” Harmony agrees. She nods and then looks at me as I lead her out of the house. She doesn’t say anything in the truck on the way home, and when I pull up to the house, she grabs the handle of the truck, and I follow her up the steps to the front door. I wait until she’s in the middle of the entryway before I speak.
“I want to take you out on a date,” I suggest, and her head whips around to look at me. The shock of the idea is all over her face, which makes me angry since we’ve been sleeping together for the past couple of weeks. “But I know you won’t want to go out with me in public, so tomorrow we’ll have a date at home."
“Brady—” she says, but I stop her when I close the distance to her and take her mouth in a kiss. My tongue slides into her mouth, wanting to take the kiss even deeper than it is, but knowing that she has to get some rest.
“Get some rest. I’ll come and pick you up at around four thirty so we can have something to eat together before your shift.” I kiss her again before turning and walking out of the house instead of pulling her back up the steps and fucking her senseless.