Chapter Forty-Four
Royce
I don’t like this.
Not one damn bit.
Blaze is sitting out in Marina’s living room like he has any right to be here, and every instinct I have is screaming at me not to leave her alone with him.
I pull my shirt over my head and reach for my boots.
“I don’t have to go anywhere,” I tell her.
Marina looks at me from where she’s pulling on her jeans. “Royce, it’s fine.”
“It’s not.”
“He’s Ryder’s father. I can’t refuse to let him see him.”
“Sure you can. His ass doesn’t deserve to see him.”
She sighs. “I know. But that’s not how it works.
If I don’t let him, he could really cause a problem for us,” she says.
“I left the state without notifying him, and even though we never had any kind of legal custody agreement, he could technically fight me. And maybe force me back to Texas. So, for now, until I know what he wants, I need to play nice.”
She walks over and smooths the front of my shirt. “I’m going to get Ryder up and let him see his dad. I already called Shelby. She’s taking my classes today.”
I frown. “You sure?”
“Yes.” She nods. “I’m going to let Blaze and Ryder spend some time together. Then I’ll send him on his way.”
I don’t like that plan either.
“You shouldn’t have to be the one handling him.”
“I’m not handling him alone. Mom’s going to be there the entire time.”
That eases something in my chest. A little.
“Blaze isn’t going to do anything stupid in front of Ginger,” she adds. “He’s always been kind of scared of her. Accuses her of being a witch. Of course, she’s always pretended to put hexes on him.”
I snort. “I do like that woman.”
Apparently, Blaze was in Cheyenne for some event and thought it was a good idea to drive six damn hours in the middle of the night when he couldn’t reach Marina.
Her phone had no signal on the mountain.
So, instead of waiting until morning and trying again like a normal person, he got angry and drove straight here.
Then, when he finally made it to the academy sometime around four in the morning, he found one of the ranch hands working outside and told him he was Ryder’s father and he was looking for Marina, and that genius pointed him straight to this cabin.
I shake my head. “I’m finding out which ranch hand told him what cabin was yours.”
“You are not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Royce, don’t go causing anyone to lose their jobs.”
“Who the hell sends a stranger to a woman’s cabin at four in the morning?”
“He told them he was Ryder’s father.”
I pull my boots on. “Anybody could say that.”
“Maybe, but not everyone can say they’re Blaze Cassel unless they’re wearing his face.”
Once I’m dressed, I stand and turn toward her.
She steps into me without a word.
Her arms wrap around my waist, and she tips her face up to mine.
“I’m sorry,” she says softly. “We can’t seem to get this morning thing right.”
My chest tightens.
I smile down at her. “That’s okay. Practice makes perfect.”
She rises onto her toes and brushes a kiss against my jaw.
I slide my hand into hers. “Come on.”
We walk toward the front door together.
Blaze’s voice carries from the living room, but I don’t look at him.
I stop Marina just before we reach the door. I pull her into my chest. I lower my mouth to hers and kiss the hell out of her. Her fingers curl into my shirt, and her body softens against mine.
When I finally lift my head, she’s breathless. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes wide and dazed.
I grin.
Then I look over her shoulder.
Blaze is staring at us. Seething.
Good.
I take Marina’s hand again and open the door. “Have a good day, baby.”
Her fingers tighten around mine, and she shakes her head. “You too.”
I’m restless all damn day.
And it has nothing to do with Blaze.
Fuck that guy.
If he tries to drag Marina back to Texas, he’s going to have the entire damn rodeo community breathing down his neck before he gets halfway there.
No.
Blaze isn’t what’s eating at me.
It’s something Ginger said.
Something she said yesterday that lodged itself in my head and refused to leave.
I’ve been turning it over all night. Her words. The way she looked at me when she said them.
And by the time Blaze came pounding on the cabin door before dawn, my decision had already started taking shape.
Now it’s solid.
I know what I want to do.
The problem is, wanting something and making it happen are two very different things.
I need to talk to Bryce.
And Axle.
I pull my phone from my pocket and call my brother.
He answers on the second ring. “What’s up?”
“Can you meet me in Bryce’s office?”
A pause.
“That sounds ominous.”
“It’s not.”
Another pause.
“Want to tell me what it’s about?”
I glance toward the arena, where the afternoon sun is dropping lower over the ranch.
“I just need to talk to you and Bryce about something.”
“What kind of something?”
“The kind I’d rather explain in person.”
He exhales. “All right. Give me ten.”
“See you there.”
I end the call and stare at the phone for a second.
This is happening.
Whatever comes out of that office today, there’s no taking it back.
I shove the phone into my pocket and head for the academy.
Because if I’m going to do this, I’m damn sure going to do it right.