Chapter 31
“ I got a surprise for you.” I gently shake Everleigh awake. When her eyes blink open and she smiles at me, I kiss her.
“Isn’t it a little early in the day for surprises?” She yawns.
“Never too early, Come on.” I rip the covers off her and lift her robe off the chair beside the bed.
“You really are in a hurry.” She giggles as I drag her through the house and when I open the door and she sees the horse I bought her, tethered to the porch, she stands and stares at it.
“Well, say somethin’.” Hunter stands up from where he’s been waiting on the bench. He’s put just as much work into this mare as I have over the past few weeks, it’s only right that he should be here to see her surprise.
“She’s yours,” I explain to Everleigh, taking her hand and moving her closer. “She’s rideable, and I think the two of you are gonna get on real well.”
“She’s mine?” Everleigh looks at me as if she doesn’t quite believe it.
“I noticed the two of you had a bond when I first brought her here. She made your eyes do that pretty, sparkly thing they do whenever you're fascinated by somethin’, and well, I'd do just about anythin’ to keep that sparkle in your eyes.” I move in close enough to kiss her.
“Yuck.” Hunter kills the moment. “You're showing your age with those lines, old man.” He shakes his head at me.
“Oh yeah, and just how many females have you got atcha heels? Because I don’t see none,” I ask sarcastically.
“That's because I’m focused on work right now. We have the cattle drive tomorrow and I want to be ready for it.”
I gotta admit I’m impressed with his answer, though I can tell something’s been troubling him recently. Hunter’s been spending much more time around here, and I’ve enjoyed being able to get to know him. Everleigh seems to feel comfortable around him too, which makes everything a damn sight easier. Though in the past few days, I’ve noticed Hunter withdrawing a little, it’s something I intend to talk to him about later.
“Can I ride her now?” Everleigh asks, practically hopping with excitement.
“You're gonna need a few lessons, first, but soon,” I promise.
“No one’s ever gotten me anything like this before.” Her eyes fill up with tears before she launches herself at me and flings her arms around my neck. “She’s beautiful.” She moves across to her so she can stroke her and just like I predicted, the mare takes her affection willingly.
“She needs a name. I’ve left that up to you,” I tell her.
“A name…” Everleigh thinks to herself. “I think we’ll call you Aurora.” She speaks to her horse, then looking over her shoulder at me she smiles. It means ‘new beginning’. I was helping Savannah pick names from the book yesterday,” she explains, turning her focus back to the horse. The smile on her face makes all the early mornings and hard work seem worth it, and when I look across at Hunter and he’s smiling too, I nod my appreciation to him.
Everleigh insists that Hunter stay for breakfast and when it’s time for us both to leave and get some work done, I decide to talk to Hunter on the way to the ranch.
“You okay, son?” I ask once the cabin is in the distance.
“Yeah, fine.” He tries far too hard to sound it.
“I was just wonderin’ if maybe you're nervous about tomorrow with the cattle drive?”
“A little, maybe, but I’m excited too.” He shrugs.
“And you still got no word on those results? They say you shoulda had ‘em back a few weeks ago?” Hunter pulls his horse to a standstill and keeps his head low, proving that I ain’t crazy. There is something wrong.
“I got ‘em through last week.” He breathes through his nose.
“Ahhhh.” I get a sinking feeling in my stomach that I wasn’t expecting when I realize what it is that's been troubling him.
“I was so sure, it was there in black and white, and then we met and?—”
“I know, son.” I try hard to keep my own disappointment at bay. I was really starting to get used to the idea of being this kid’s dad.
“I didn’t know how to tell ya, and I was scared that things would change. You’ve made me feel so welcome here and I?—”
“Hey, nothin’s gonna change.” I slap him on his back. “You're a hard worker and a good kid.”
“But I ain’t your kid. Being him felt real special, like I had something to live up to. Now I don’t have a clue who I am.”
“Listen to me, just because we don’t share the same blood don’t mean that you don’t belong here.” I’m shocked at how disappointed I am, and having to show face right now ain’t fuckin’ easy.
“I just don’t understand why she would have lied on that certificate. Why put your name?” He shakes his head, looking defeated.
“I don’t know, kid.” The mystery of it all gets to me too, but not nearly as much as knowing this boy ain’t mine. “We’ll figure it out, we’ll find her and get to the bottom of it,” I promise him.
“You're still gonna help me?” He looks up at me surprised.
“Hell yeah, I’m gonna help ya. Hunter, around here we take care of our own, and you’re one of us now. Like it or not.”
“Does that mean I get the brand?” His lips raise into a clever smirk.
“No, it does not mean you get the brand.” I shake my head at him.
“So, what do I have to do?” Now I realize he’s being serious I got a nasty taste in my mouth.
“You gotta make sacrifices and earn it, and you sure can’t be screamin’ like a pussy over severed heads.” I play it down because this boy may not be my son, but I still care a whole lot about him. Dalton wanted to wear the brand his whole life, and getting it, ended him up dead. I won’t make that same mistake twice.
“Come on, we don’t wanna be late.” I kick JD into a trot so the subject can close.
“How was your day?” I kiss Everleigh when I walk back through the door.
“It was good, me and Savannah went to Leia’s cabin and we just hung out.” She has a huge beam on her face as she plates up our dinner. “Her little boy is so cute, all the kids are. I can’t believe I was here for so long before meeting them.” She sits down at the table and clasps her hands to say her prayers. I watch her, wondering if there's a cruel bone in her body.
Me, on the other hand, I’ve spent my entire day feeling resentful. Resentful of Bill fuckin’ Carson for having four boys and not appreciating them. That man never spent any time doing what a father should do, it was me and their grandfather, Hank, who taught ‘em all they know. Back when I thought Hunter was mine I felt the weight of that guilt. I hated all the years we’d missed out on and I had a whole lotta plans for making up that time. I was gonna be a good father, or at least I was gonna try my damn best.
“You okay?” Everleigh looks at me concerned.
“Hunter ain’t mine.” I rip the Band-Aid straight off and when I see the shock on her face, I have to look away.
“How? The two of you are so… Are you sure?” She shakes her head in disbelief.
“He got the results last week and didn’t wanna tell me.” I smile sadly, placing down my fork because suddenly, I ain’t hungry.
“And you're disappointed?” She reads my fuckin’ mind.
“Yeah, I’m disappointed. I ain’t ever thought about being a father before, hell, the idea petrified me. My life has always been this ranch, but I looked at that kid and felt real proud to call him mine.” I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes so I shake my head and get back to eating.
“And did you tell him that?” Everleigh reaches across the table and holds my hand. “I’ll bet Hunter is every bit as disappointed as you are.” She smiles.
“He was, and I told him I’ll still help him find his mom. I just don’t understand why that girl would lie, and why the hell she’d pick me to put on that certificate. I can’t make sense of it.”
“You knew this girl, right?” Everleigh abandons her food and walks around the table to rest herself on my knee.
“I think she was young and scared and she knew that you were a good person, maybe that's what she wanted for her little boy,” she tells me softly as she snuggles her body into mine and makes everything feel right with the world again. “Hunter may not be your son, but you haven’t lost the chance to be someone special to him,” she reminds me.
“I think I’d have been a good father,” I admit, wrapping my arms around her waist to keep her close.
“You would have been a great father, and you're gonna be an incredible person for him to look up to.” She sounds so dreamy and enthusiastic that I almost believe her.
“I don’t know about that.” I shake my head and laugh.
“I do. You're an incredible man, you only have to see the way those Carson brothers look at you. You need to remember I talk to the girls, now. You are loved by so many people, and whether Hunter is blood or not, he’s become one of them.”
I grab my girl's face and kiss her. Her attempts to find the good in every situation are endearing and damn adorable.
“And do ya know how loved you are?” I stand up, taking her with me as I head toward the bedroom because suddenly, I got a real urge to show her.