Chapter Thirteen
MATO
I WATCH her walk away, each step like a kick in the gut. Her shirt is tucked into her jeans and her little heart-shaped ass is displayed perfectly in her Wranglers, I remember what it felt like to hold that ass in my hands.
She can be mad at me all she wants, but she can’t stop me from helping her. Even if it feels like she’s squeezing all the air from my lungs every time she reminds me she hates me, I will take care of her.
Like I should have ten years ago.
Almost every night, I stare at the ceiling fan slowly spinning over me while sleep evades me, wishing I could change things.
I’ll never be able to justify my decision to let her go, not to her, she sure as hell will never see it as me trying to help.
I couldn’t take the chance of being a distraction that would pull her from school; she was doing so well.
I also couldn’t live with the shame I was feeling for having no direction and feeling like a burden to Mr. Harlow.
I’m pretty sure everyone expected me to take over my father’s role, but my father was hiding at the ranch, he was there out of necessity.
He had a son to raise, and he needed a place to hide from false charges that were made by an angry cousin.
The choice I made was for both of us.
I had no idea at the time that, even though it was brief, she was the mother of my child. Just for a fleeting spark of an ember, we shared an unbreakable bond, and I didn’t know.
A part of me always said that maybe after she’s finished school I can call her.
When I was at her graduation, I almost approached her to tell her congratulations, but I chickened out.
My fear that she would tell me to go fuck myself won out over my hope that she might leave the past in the past and we could start over.
It wasn’t fair to do that to her on her night of celebration.
It killed me inside to let her go. She was a part of me, just like one of my arms or legs. Losing her was like stepping into an unwelcome and unfamiliar life, and I fucking hated it.
It wasn’t until those blue eyes locked on me that day in the kitchen at the ranch that I felt complete for the first time in ten years.
The world righted itself, and everything snapped into place.
Without her, I’ve been walking through life incomplete.
A shell of myself. Even if she never forgives me.
Even if I have to walk at arm’s length beside her for the rest of my life, I’ll do it.
My heart has always and will always belong to Breanna. Whether she’ll have me or not.
Watching her until she safely reaches the stables of her hospital, I turn and walk to my truck. As I pull out of the driveway, I call the contractor. It rings a few times before he picks up.
“This is Connor.” His voice booms through the truck speakers.
“Hey, it’s Mato.”
His chuckle travels over the line. “She’s a little spitfire.”
Even though he can’t see me, I give my head a half-shake. “That she is. I’m calling because when she calls you with payment details, let her believe she’s paying, but I’ll settle the invoice.”
“Sure, but she won’t take it well when she finds out.”
“Let me worry about that.”
Another chuckle fills the cab. “It’s your funeral. Will do.”
“Thanks, Connor.”
Disconnecting the call, I rest my elbow on the door and cup my jaw.
It pisses me off that Jacob Neil thought he could get away with trying to fuck her over.
He has to know that even if she is a little woman doing things on her own, she has backup and support.
It was never a secret growing up that the Harlow girls had big brothers who weren’t afraid to stomp some ass if anyone messed with their sisters.
And I know for a fact that Clive Harlow will go a lot farther than stomping ass when it comes to his daughters.
I never told her, but I made sure that little fuck, Jacob, knew I was watching him when we were kids. But now, I need to let him know that I’m her fucking shadow and any slight he sends her direction I will send back tenfold.
Pulling into the parking lot of my gym, I walk over to the fence and grab the food bowl Koda has been leaving out for our mama dog every night before I drop him off at the park. He won’t let me take him to his house yet, but I’m going to keep pushing.
Koda has been calling her Mama, so that’s what I’ve started calling her, too. She heard me pull up and is standing next to the train car waiting to see if I will put food out for her. Koda likes to feed her, so I take the bowl inside for when he gets out of school.
Later that afternoon, I’m inside threading the cords to the home gym I ordered. I’ve turned a corner at the back of the warehouse into my personal gym station to use until the construction is finished.
Koda walks in the side door and sets down his bag, and the small box he carries every day rattles against the floor.
The food bowl is in his hand, and he doesn’t even look my way before he walks to the airtight plastic container I bought to keep the food in and scoops food into it.
He’s become attached to the dog since he’s been here every day this week.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like that he has become comfortable around me and I smile to myself as he disappears out the door again, both of his hands wrapped around the full bowl.
Not even a minute later, I hear tires squeal outside, just as I hear Koda scream, “Noooo!”
Dropping my socket wrench, I run outside, and the bowl of food is scattered across the parking lot, and Koda is on the other side of a parked car running in the road.
A woman is standing behind his small, crouched body crying, “I didn’t even see her.
” She has her hands on her cheeks. “She came out of nowhere.”
Tears are streaming down Koda’s face as he hovers over the dog lying still in the road, and I crouch down beside him.
She’s alive, but she’s not trying to get up.
He’s sliding his hand down her side and softly telling her she’ll be okay.
She must have come running when she saw Koda walk outside with the food.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I call the only person I know who can help.
The line trills several times before someone picks up. “Harlow Haven, this is Ricky, how can I help you?”
Jealousy floods my veins for the man who gets to see Breanna every day, all day, and I bark, “Can I speak to Breanna, please?”
The woman driving the car is walking in circles behind me and mumbling to herself. “Can this day get any worse?”
“Dr. Harlow is with a patient right now. Can I take a message?”
“No, it’s an emergency. My dog got hit by a car, and I don’t know if I should move her.” Her eyes are huge, the whites are showing as she looks around.
His friendly voice turns serious. “Is she conscious?”
“Yes, but she’s not moving. Is it okay to move her to bring her in?”
“Sir, we are a large animal hospital, might I suggest taking her to the small animal vet closer to you in town?”
Anger is moving up my back. “No, I don’t trust them like I do Breanna. Tell her Mato is coming in.”
This guy is wasting my time, and I’m about to hang up when I hear a woman’s voice in the background and then a murmured conversation.
“Mato? What’s wrong?” The safe anchor of Breanna’s voice travels over the phone, and I feel like I can focus.
“My dog got hit by a car, she’s not moving, and I don’t know if I should move her.”
“Does she have visible injuries? Bleeding, wounds, broken bones?”
It takes seconds for my eyes to travel over her body. “No, but she’s scared.”
Her voice softens. “Poor baby. Carefully pick her up, try not to jostle her too much, and I’ll be ready for you when you get here.”
Nodding even though she can’t see me, I disconnect the call and slide my phone in my pocket. “Koda, go lock the gym door, do it quick, I’m going to put her in the back seat of my truck, and I want you to sit with her.”
He nods and takes off like a flash to the building. Carefully sliding my hands under her neck and hindquarters, she growls and shows her teeth as I pick her up. “It’s okay, Mama, we’re gonna get you fixed up.”