Chapter 10 - Delilah #2
I chuckled and laced my arms around his neck. “You, Emmett Hayes, said something just to be nice? What is happening to you?”
He tucked my hair behind my ear. His eyes stayed locked with mine. “Don’t know,” he answered softly. His gentle touch, his voice, the look in his eyes, I didn’t know what it all meant, just that it made me feel like I was falling for him all over again.
I swallowed roughly as his hand traced along my jaw and down my neck before splaying across my chest. “I trust you,” he said, and it took everything in me not to burst into tears again.
“My sisters trust you. Things happen. Plans fall apart. That doesn’t make you a fuck up.
We’ll just change direction and come up with a new plan.
You are capable, more capable than any of us, to run Freedom Reins.
It wouldn’t exist without you, and I have full confidence in you that your next plan will be just as good as this one. If not better.”
I was breathless, stunned into silence by his words. Even if I could speak, I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t say “I’m in love with you,” so I kept my mouth shut and kissed him instead.
The kiss wasn’t laced with lust, but fully driven by the love and gratitude I felt for him. His hand slid from my chest to my hair, holding me to him. I felt light and airy, happy in a way I hadn’t felt before. I pulled away first, breathing hard, my forehead resting on his. “Thank you.”
Emmett smirked, his gaze lingering on my mouth. “I should be the one thanking you for a kiss like that.”
I giggled, sitting up straight to look at him. I cradled his face, stroking his cheeks. “Then you’re welcome.” I gave him one last kiss.
He let out a contented hum against my lips, his hands bracketing my ribs while his thumbs did that dizzying back and forth. “We’ve gotta go to Beau’s for dinner. You gonna tell them then?”
I sighed, slumping on top of him. It felt like my limbs were weighed down with dread. “Yeah.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll come up with something.”
I nodded and climbed off his lap, and when he stood, he took my hand while we walked along the trail back to the pasture.
We’d never held hands before like this. Or kissed just to kiss.
He’d never seen me cry or comforted me through it.
And a part of me wondered how much longer I could hold out before confessing how I really felt.
Just like every gathering our family had, it was chaotic. With twelve adults, two kids, and a baby, I wouldn’t expect anything less. But I could hardly eat and just stared at my plate, my stomach in knots.
Periodically, I’d glance at Emmett, who was sitting on the other end of the table between Colt and Levi.
The three of them were all gung-ho about cranking up the security around the ranch.
State-of-the-art cameras, detailed security systems for all the buildings with individual codes—the works.
After the cattle incident a few months ago and now the tack room, we couldn’t be too careful.
Especially with all the valuable construction equipment that was getting left behind every night.
But we couldn’t have all that fancy shit if we didn’t have Ethan’s sponsorship.
“I was doing some research, and with the size of Golden Circle, I think we’d need about forty cameras minimum, and depending on how crazy we want to get, that’d be like sixty kay on the high end,” Levi said.
I choked on my wine. There was no way we could afford that right now, especially without Ethan’s money to offset the cost of running Freedom Reins. I sat forward, coughing, while Claire rubbed my back. “You okay?”
I cleared my throat, nodding. “Yeah.” I caught Emmett’s stare and knew this couldn’t wait any longer. “Actually, no. I have to tell y’all something.”
“Is this like that time you told us you convinced a guy to get a tramp stamp of your name?” Savannah asked from the other end of the table, grinning.
Emmett’s eyes went wide before scowling. “What?”
A weak laugh left me. “I wish.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “So, I got a phone call this morning.” I swallowed down the knot forming in my throat. “It wasn’t one I was expecting, so I’m just going to say it.”
“Is there an end to this story?” Weston chuckled.
“Shut up, Weston,” Emmett grumbled from beside him.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I blurted in one quick breath, “Ethan Carmichael pulled his sponsorship for Freedom Reins.”
The sound of a fork hitting a plate next to me made me peek over to see Claire with her jaw hanging open. “You can’t be fucking serious.”
“Anna, get the kids out of here,” Beau ordered to his sister quietly. She and Joseph escorted Luke, Henry, and baby Hattie outside, which was probably for the best, because I had a feeling things were about to get ugly.
“Holy shit,” Weston rasped, looking over at Savannah, who had paused with her wine glass halfway to her mouth.
“What do you mean he pulled his sponsorship?” Colt asked, elbows propped up on the table with a stern look on his face.
“I think it’s pretty self-explanatory, babe,” Brittany answered for me.
“What she said.” My voice came out weak in a way I’d never heard before. I didn’t even sound like this earlier by the creek with Emmett. I hated it. This wasn’t me. Meek and scared to speak up.
“What did he say?” Savannah asked.
Tess looked over at me, worry etched in her blue eyes. “Yeah, did he say why?”
I licked my lips, staring down at the table. “He just said he’d heard some things about me.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Beau groaned, bracing his elbows on his table, burying his head in his hands. I was right, he had gotten a few grays here and there in this whole process.
“What kind of things?” Levi asked. “Depending on what they are, we could sue whoever said it for defamation.”
“Yeah,” Savannah agreed. Leave it to the lawyers to be sue-happy.
I shrugged a shoulder, unable to look at any of them. “He wouldn’t tell me what or who. Just that he heard something and was pulling the funding.”
“I could take a wild guess,” Claire snapped next to me.
My head whipped in her direction. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She was furious, glaring at me with contempt in her eyes. “Come on, Delilah, don’t make me spell it out.”
My heart pounded against my ribcage. “No, I think you need to.”
“He clearly heard about your extracurricular activities.” And there it was.
The words—her judgment—hit me right in the gut.
So painfully hard that I couldn’t breathe while we just stared at one another, a chasm forming between us.
Silence settled heavily over the table. The kind that made me want to sink through the floor.
“That’s not fair, Claire,” Weston of all people finally said. But out of all of us, he and I were the most alike, so maybe it wasn’t that surprising that he’d have my back.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen. You have to believe me.”
She scoffed bitterly. “What did you expect? You go out drinking multiple nights a week, hooking up with whoever, and show up at places hungover or in the same clothes as the night before. People talk. Did you really think it wouldn’t come back to bite you?
You represent Golden Circle whether you like it or not.
And now we’re all paying for it because you can’t grow up. ”
“That’s not true,” I said through gritted teeth, trying not to cry. “I’ve worked my ass off for this. You know I have.”
“Was that between shots at the Bull Pen? Or when you’re hopping from one bed to the next?
” A choked sound left me, her words landing with the slap she intended.
My throat ached from holding back tears, my heart breaking.
But I reminded myself of all the hours I’d spent in my office and at home, making sure every patient’s care plan was flawless.
I wasn’t useless like she was insinuating. Not entirely.
“Claire!” Savannah gasped from the other end of the table at the same time a chair smacked against the floor, making me flinch.
“That’s enough!” Emmett snapped, shooting daggers in Claire’s direction.
My eyes popped wide enough at his outburst to let the tears spill free.
“You know just as well as we all do that Freedom Reins wouldn’t even exist without Delilah.
You wouldn’t have even been considered for the partnership with Cavendish without her.
” He was breathing hard. His hand shook in front of him while he pointed at me.
“So don’t you fucking dare sit there and pretend that she hasn’t done shit for this ranch.
That she didn’t save your ass when you were competing for Cavendish. ”
Claire’s hands landed on the table with a thud, rattling the plates and glasses. “She cost us millions, Emmett! Our ranch. Our legacy. Everything our parents worked for is at risk because of her choices.”
He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Oh, fuck that, Claire. Maybe that’s how it was six months ago, but not anymore, and you know it.
We’re about to have the biggest ranch in northern Texas, so get off your fucking high horse.
She has been here every. Single. Fucking.
Day. Busting her ass, pulling all-nighters, agonizing over care plans for weeks.
She’s done more for Freedom Reins than any of us, and you know it. ”
She didn’t respond, only glared at her brother. Her brother, who just stood up for me, the person he’s supposed to loathe, in front of everyone. Openly. Without hesitation. Did he even know how that looked? Did he care?
I stood on wobbly legs, barely able to breathe under the crushing weight of the shame I felt from Claire’s words and the love I felt from Emmett’s actions. “I’m gonna go,” I whispered, my voice shaking.
Tess snatched my wrist. “Don’t go,” she pleaded with teary eyes. “Not like this.”
“It’s okay, bug.” My voice cracked because it wasn’t okay. None of this was okay, and I wasn’t sure it ever would be again. And I left before anyone else could stop me.
I sped down the porch steps, needing to get away. Part of me wanted to disappear forever, but another part knew I couldn’t let this end here. I had to figure out a way forward, even if I had no idea how.