Chapter 20
Dean
This cannot be happening. I’d heard the angry tone in Addison’s voice from the aisle of the barn and immediately went to her office to check on her before starting the procedure I was there to do for her lesson horses.
And who did I find? None other than my dipshit cousin sitting in the chair across from her.
I stalked after Noah as he made his way toward his rental car.
I was going to make some things clear before he took off.
Noah knew I was following him, but took his sweet-ass time to turn around and face me.
He was always such a little shit who loved to play games.
“Oh, hey, buddy. Did you want to say bye?” I wanted to punch the smug look off his pretty-boy face.
“What are you doing here, Noah?” I stood in front of him, arms crossed. He was tall, but I had a couple of inches on him and used them to my advantage, looking down on him.
“Just came to see my girl.” He matched my stance, crossing his arms over his chest.
“She’s not your fucking girl. My mother clearly told you where I was and must have mentioned Addison. You are so full of shit, acting like you didn’t know. That’s really the only reason you’re here, isn’t it? You want what I have?”
He chuckled. “She may have mentioned your location, and that you had this new girlfriend who had her own hunter/jumper facility. Seemed too coincidental, so I had to come and see for myself. Plus, does it even matter? After I talk to Addi, she’ll know exactly who you really are and your involvement in everything.
You think she’s still going to want you then? ”
I clenched my jaw, hard. I could feel my back molars grinding.
“Get the fuck over it, Noah. She doesn’t want you anymore.
You fucking cheated on her and lied to her.
She’s moved on. Leave her alone. You want her because I have her now.
Just like when we were kids, you always wanted whatever Arch and I had. ”
That pissed Noah off. “I was with her for eight years, asshole. You’ve been with her for, what, two months? She can forgive my indiscretions because we had eight years together, a history. You already lied to her after only two months,” he growled back.
“I didn’t tell her, because it doesn’t matter. You have nothing to fucking do with our relationship, and I suggest that you keep it that way,” I said, warning lacing my tone. “As hard as it is for you to wrap your head around, she’s happy, and getting into the details of the past is irrelevant.”
“I think that’s up to her.” Noah opened his car door, about to get in when I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him right in front of my face.
“Stay the fuck out of it, Noah. This is your warning,” I spat. He looked me directly in the eye and swallowed hard before I shoved him against his car. He fell back, bracing himself.
“Chill out, Dean. I hear you. I won’t say anything to her.
Doesn’t mean I won’t still talk to her though.
” He stood back up, fixed his shirt, and then slid into the driver’s seat of his car.
I watched him back up and drive off, never taking my eyes off of him until he was off the property.
I saw the fear in his eyes once I got in his face, but I also knew better than to trust that fucker.
Regardless of the surprise visit from Noah, I still had a job to do at Addison’s barn.
After finishing injecting both horses’ hocks, I went searching for Addison.
I felt bad that I left her in her office with zero explanation of what had just happened.
I first went back to her office to check if she was still there, but no luck.
I looked out her office window and found her sitting by the pasture, perched on the top rail of the fence, watching Dahlia eat grass in the field.
I made my way outside, and once I reached her, I climbed up onto the top rail and sat beside her. She said nothing, didn’t even look at me, just stared out into the pasture like I didn’t exist. That familiar, sickening feeling churned in my gut yet again.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Noah.” Not necessarily the best way to start this conversation, but hey, I had to start somewhere.
She was quiet for a moment, still not looking at me. “I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me,” she said in almost a whisper.
“I don’t know, I guess because I didn’t think it was relevant. He and I are not close. My mom and his mom are sisters. I rarely see him—the last time I saw him was ten years ago. I didn’t want you to associate me with him. We are not the same,” I admitted.
She turned her head and looked at me, her brows pinched together. “Dean, of course it’s relevant. Your cousin is my ex-fiancé. I was with him for eight years.”
I sighed heavily. “When you put it like that, you’re right.
I’m sorry. I should have told you when I made the connection.
” I looked out over the rolling hills because I couldn’t look her directly in the eye right now.
I knew I should probably tell her about my involvement in unknowingly helping Noah cover up his cheating, but a little voice in my head told me not to, that now was not the time.
She needed to digest the fact that he was my cousin first.
She surprised me and reached out, slipping her hand into mine, intertwining our fingers. “Dean, I would never put you and Noah in the same category. But please, no more lies.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. Why am I such a goddamn coward? I didn’t know for sure that she could forgive me for my part in Noah’s bullshit, and I didn’t want to find out.
I didn’t know if I was just being paranoid, but after I left Addison’s farm, I still felt like everything was unresolved between us, like something was off, and I felt in my gut that this whole Noah thing wasn’t over.
Addison had dinner plans tonight with her sister, and then Ava was staying over at her place, leaving me solo for the evening. After the events that had transpired today, I had a feeling that she was also avoiding me and needed some space.
I made myself some pasta and decided to call Archer to catch him up on today’s drama. I clicked on FaceTime, then his name, and waited for him to pick up.
Once he answered, his face came onto the screen. “What’s up, brother?” I could tell from the background that he was at home on his couch.
“Noah showed up at Addison’s farm today,” I deadpanned.
Archer’s eyes widened. “What the fuck? How did that happen?”
“Well, evidently, the information was leaked by Mom over the holidays when they were all in town. I didn’t realize that Mom and Dad were getting together with the Clarks this year.
Anyway, she briefly mentioned what town I was working in and that I was dating someone new who had just opened up her own hunter/jumper training facility.
Noah put two and two together. Luckily, he didn’t tell them anything, but in true Noah fashion, he wants what I have.
” I let out an exhausted sigh. “My dumb ass has made a giant mess of things.”
Archer chuckled. “Ain’t that the fucking truth. He never could handle it when one of us had something he didn’t. So, what happened once Addison found out?”
Over the next several minutes, I caught Archer up to speed on the entire timeline of events that had transpired.
Archer just shook his head in disbelief and released a heavy sigh.
“Fuck, man. I’m sorry. That’s wild. So where do you and Addison stand now?
Did you tell her everything once the little fucker left? ”
“I apologized for not telling her that Noah was our cousin when I made the connection, but no, I couldn’t find the nuts to admit my involvement with his bullshit. I’m fucking terrified that if she knew that piece of information, she would be done with me.”
Archer was silent for a moment. “I know I told you originally that there was no point in telling her any of this, but now that she knows about Noah, maybe you should come all the way clean. Plus, you didn’t find out what he was up to until after you helped him out.
That’s got to count for something, right?
I just don’t trust that fucker, and it’s better that you tell her before he does. ”
Archer said out loud exactly what I feared. “I know, I’ve had the same thought. Maybe I will tell her. I need to find the right time and think of the right way to talk through it with her, ya know?”
Archer nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but don’t wait too long, brother. You’ve already gotten bitten in the ass once, don’t let it happen again.”
I ran my hand through my hair and pulled in frustration. Archer and I chatted a bit more about how he and Harper were doing as well as the family business before turning the conversation where it always goes—to sports. After we ended the call, I noticed I had a text message.
Walker:
Hey bro, want to meet at Hops & Hills for a beer?
I wondered how much Walker knew about what just happened between me and his sister. Guess I was going to find out.
Sure, can be there in 10.
Walker:
See you soon.
I grabbed my keys off the counter and headed out the door.
When I arrived at Hops & Hills, I saw that Walker had already gotten us a table and had a beer waiting for me. We fist-bumped, and I sat down as he pushed the beer in my direction.
“Figured you could use a beer. Addison told me about today.” Walker chuckled. “Noah is such a cocksucker.”
I laughed for the first time today and brought the beer to my lips, taking a long pull. “Tell me about it. I’m related to the cocksucker.”
“Well, if you ever need backup with that fucker, you just say the word.” Surprisingly, Walker dropped the subject there. Once he said that Addison had told him about what happened, I figured I would get interrogated or my ass handed to me, but nope. Walker said his piece, and that was that.
“So, you ready to get back to work? Spring training is coming up.”
Walker nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready. I’ve been working out all offseason and feel really strong.
I think this is our year. We’ve got the talent to go all the way.
” A pretty brunette walked past our table, her eyes lingering a moment too long on Walker, a smile spreading across her face as she looked him up and down.
Walker looked over at her, returning the smile, but then brought his attention right back to me.
“You should come to a game this season.”
Distracted by the exchange, I watched the woman make her way to her table of friends, still glancing over at Walker.
I turned my focus back to Walker and nodded. “For sure, man, I’d love to. After what you accomplished last season, I think you’re right about this being the year that you guys make a run.” Now the brunette was walking back to our table with a piece of paper in her hand.
Walker followed my line of sight and saw the woman approaching our table. She stood in front of us, handing the piece of paper to Walker. “Hey, here’s my number in case you want it.” She winked and walked off.
I chuckled, putting the beer to my lips. “That girl was eye-fucking the shit out of you earlier. You going to call her?”
He laughed and crumpled up the paper, leaving it on the table. “Nah, man. I don’t have time for that shit right now. Plus, I try to stay away from anyone in this town.”
“Why’s that?”
“Everyone knows everyone’s shit in this town, so I don’t need it getting around. Especially when my ex lives here, it just makes everything complicated.”
“You mean Farrah?” Addison had mentioned Walker and Farrah’s past to me briefly.
Walker nodded and sighed heavily. “Yeah. Farrah.” By the tortured look on his face, I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it, so I decided not to press any further.
“Do you think you’ll retire as an Austin Aviator or eventually play for another team?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Nah, I’ll retire an Aviator. Honestly, I hope for this to be my last year. I don’t know that my arm has much left. I’m getting old.” He chuckled.
I couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Only a professional athlete can call themselves old at thirty.” I took another pull from my beer. “Sure looked like you had a hell of a lot left this past season.”
The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile as he clinked his beer against mine in a cheers. “Thanks, man.”
We had another round of beers and decided to shoot a couple of rounds of pool before calling it a night.
The conversation was easy, as we both intentionally centered it around baseball.
I didn’t want to talk about everything going on with Addison, and he clearly didn’t want to talk about his past with Farrah.
I got home around midnight, and there was still radio silence on Addison’s end.
I hadn’t heard from her after leaving her farm, but to be fair, I hadn’t reached out to her either.
She clearly needed space to process what she had found out today, and I wanted to give her that.
After showering, I slipped into bed with Coal at my feet.
I reached over to my nightstand for my phone to check one last time to see if she’d texted—still nothing.
I sighed heavily as I plopped my head back down on my pillow, fighting the urge to text her.
After only a few minutes, I sat back up and grabbed my phone again.
Unfortunately, when it came to Addison, I was a weak man. I pulled up our text thread.
Hey, you’re probably already asleep, but I just wanted to say that I missed you tonight.
I scrubbed a hand down my face and groaned.
That was a lame-ass text, but I didn’t know what else to say.
I wanted to tread lightly. I waited for what felt like hours for a response, but it was probably only ten minutes.
Nothing. No response, no little dots across the screen.
I would know because I stared at the screen the entire time like the desperate bastard I was.
Convincing myself that she must already be asleep and wasn’t just ignoring me, I put my phone back on my nightstand and decided to try to get some sleep, the pit in my stomach still very much there.
I decided right then that I would tell her everything tomorrow.