Chapter 7 #2
“My son,” she corrected. “Camden is my son. And I am a damn good mother. A mother who is not going to let you suddenly barge into Cam’s life. Do you have any idea how hard it would be on him to have some stranger show up and claim to be his daddy?”
His gaze was unwavering. In it, she read accusation, even though he didn’t put it into words. “Which is why I think we should wait to tell him until he gets to know me, and we form a relationship.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
He hesitated before he spoke. Or more like dropped a huge bomb. “We become friends again.” When she just stood there staring, he continued. “What, Cadee? You don’t think we can be friends?”
“No.”
He physically cringed like she’d just slapped him again, but he quickly recovered. “Well, I disagree. I think all we need is a little time together to get back what we had.”
The last thing she wanted was to spend time with Huck and get back the feelings she had for him. Feelings she still struggled with.
“Sorry, but I don’t have time to rekindle our friendship. Being a mother and helping run the ranch takes up every second of my time.”
“Then I’ll come out to the ranch.”
She snorted. “Oh, that’s a great idea. Especially when my brothers hate your guts for impregnating their sister. They won’t let you step foot on the ranch without bloodshed.”
“I think they will when they find out the money you’re getting is contingent on me getting to spend time with Camden.
” He must have read the defeat in her eyes.
“So it’s true. The ranch is in trouble. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out why you would contest Mama’s will.
Especially when you never were money hungry.
You only went along with my moneymaking schemes because you were my friend.
But now I get it. You’re saving the ranch for your family . . . and Camden.”
It seemed pointless to deny it. And as much as she wanted to keep on fighting, she knew the battle was lost. The determined look on Huck’s face said he wasn’t going to change his mind.
As much as she was scared about Huck eventually leaving and hurting her son, she was even more scared about Camden losing the only home he’d ever known.
The only home she and her brothers had ever known.
And then there was her mama. After losing her beloved husband, she couldn’t also lose the ranch they’d worked so hard to build together.
“Fine. I’ll sign the contract tomorrow.” She grabbed his shirt in her fist and rose up on her toes, so she was at least a little closer to staring into his pretty hazel eyes. “But know this, Huck Hennessy, if you hurt my son there will be nowhere you can hide.”
His gaze lowered to her mouth, and for a second, she forgot to breathe. “Understood.”
She released his shirt and turned to leave, but he stopped her.
“Can I come tomorrow?”
Tomorrow? That was much too soon. She needed time to prepare her family. And herself.
“Sorry, but it’s a busy day. Camden and I are helping Callum and Cooper move the herd.”
“I’ll help too. It will be a good excuse for me showing up.” He hesitated. “I’ll just be an old friend helping out.”
She wanted to refuse him but then realized he was right. It would be a good excuse for him showing up at the ranch. Besides, with as much as he hated riding, he wouldn’t last long in the saddle, and his visit would be short and sweet.
“Then I guess I’ll see you at six o’clock on Saturday.”
He blinked. “Six o’clock? In the morning?”
“That’s when we usually start trailering the horses.” She wanted to laugh at the look of horror he tried to cover with a weak smile.
“Great. Six it is.”
The back door opened and Poppy stuck her head out. “Huckleberry! You better get your ass in here! Jaxon took over for you at the door and is about to get into it with some arrogant cowboys who look like they’re jonesing for a fight.”
A loud crash coming from inside had Huck cussing and racing for the back door.
Cadee should have headed to her car and left. Whatever was happening inside wasn’t her business. But for some reason, it felt like it was.
When she got inside, she saw what had caused the crash.
Someone, more than likely Jaxon, had tossed a cowboy onto a table and broken it.
It looked like the cowboy’s friends hadn’t taken kindly to that and were now holding Jaxon’s arms, waiting for their friend, who had just staggered to his feet, to dish out his retribution.
But before he could, Poppy came rushing out from behind the bar with a baseball bat and headed for the two cowboys holding Jaxon—which had them releasing him and racing out the door—while Huck rushed toward their friend and grabbed him.
The guy swung around and delivered a punishing punch to Huck’s jaw that had him stumbling back.
Cadee wasn’t sure what happened. One second, she was standing there watching the bar brawl go down, and the next second, she was jumping on the cowboy’s back, choking him with one arm while she yanked on his hair with the other.
“You asshole! Don’t you ever hit Huck. Ever!”
The cowboy spun in circles, trying to reach behind him and get her off his back, but she hooked her boots around his waist and kept on yanking until he stopped and covered his head with his arms.
“Okay, okay, bitch. I give up.”
“Bitch? I’ll show you bitch.” She continued to yank on his hair until Huck’s humor-filled voice pulled her out of her red haze.
“That will do, Catydid.” His muscled arm encircled her waist and pulled her off the cowboy, setting her on her boots just as Jaxon came up and twisted the guy’s arm behind his back and shoved him toward the door.
Cadee turned to Huck. “Are you okay?” She reached up and touched his eye that was already starting to swell. “You need to get some ice on that right—” She cut off when she finally noticed the huge smile lighting up his face.
And she suddenly realized what she’d done.
She’d shown Huck Hennessy she still cared.
She quickly dropped her hand and smoothed back the hair that had come loose from her ponytail. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the ranch.”
But of course, he didn’t let her walk away with any dignity.
Instead, he followed her outside. If he had said something, even one word, she might have punched him in the other eye.
But he remained quiet all the way to her truck.
He opened her door, then waited for her to climb in and buckle her seatbelt.
Before he slammed the door, he finally spoke with a smile that lit up his entire face.
“See you tomorrow . . . bestie.”