Chapter 8
Knox
“Goddamn, son of a bitch, motherfucker,” I curse, shaking out my hand as it throbs in pain.
It’s taking all of my control not to chuck this stupid gate across the barn.
Images of my dad doing the exact same thing are the only reason I’m able to curb the impulse.
I’ll never be able to clean up my language, but I can breathe through the angry, impulsive actions that won’t do a damn thing to fix the situation.
“Are you okay, Daddy?” Finn looks like he’s on the verge of crying.
I slowly let out my breath as the ache in my chest slowly recedes. “Yeah, buddy. I’ll be all right. I’m sorry I cursed.”
Finn also takes a deep breath. “It’s okay. It’s a non-harmful way to get your feelings out.”
“Unless the fence has feelings. Cursing at it wouldn’t be very nice then.”
Finn giggles. “It’s not alive.”
“Oh, good. I was about tell it sorry too.”
“You’re so silly, Daddy.”
I wink at Finn before turning back to my task.
One of the horses bent the hinge on the stall gate with a well-placed kick.
It’s been a pain in the ass trying to replace it this afternoon.
Finn has spent the time coloring in his coloring book on the floor of the barn, while I’ve done everything I can to keep my mind off a certain woman from the bonfire last night.
I haven’t done the best job of it, given the blister forming on my thumb.
I’ll just add it to the list of things I’m pissed at Farrah for. The woman sure knows how to get under my skin.
Last night, she danced with just about every one of Holt’s brothers.
Xander’s the only one who didn’t ask, but he spent the whole night sitting in a camping chair, not talking to anyone.
I should’ve done the same thing, but both of Holt’s girls asked me to dance multiple times, and London was not about to be left out, either.
There’s no denying them anything, especially when they turn their puppy dog eyes on me.
The other thing Farrah did that pissed me off was leaving without saying goodbye to anyone.
It was like she was there one minute and then gone the next.
I finally had to ask Holt where she went, only to find out she’d asked Nix for a ride home.
You don’t just leave a party without telling anyone.
It’s just fucking rude. I thought she might’ve gotten lost or something.
Plus, how well does she even know Nix to get a ride from him?
Sure, they teach at the same school, but he works at the high school.
It’s not even close to the kindergarten.
I guess I should give Holt’s brother some credit. He’s a good guy, and I know he’d make sure she got home safely, but I doubt she knows that about him. He could’ve taken advantage of her.
Fucking irresponsible is what it is.
“What are you muttering to yourself about?” Grayson’s question makes me jolt.
“What?”
“You just said something about being irresponsible.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Gray frowns at me, tilting his head to the side as if he can’t quite figure me out. To be fair, I’m talking out of my ass right now. I’d never admit to Gray that I’m muttering about a woman I shouldn’t even be thinking about right now.
“Right… Well, I’m here to check on Dancer’s hoof.”
I nod and put my tools away. Grayson is an incredible farrier.
There’s something in his demeanor that calms every horse down enough for him to do his job with an impressive amount of efficiency.
He started a social media page that features videos of him working with the horses.
It’s blown up beyond what I could have imagined possible.
It helps that the asshole has tattoos lining both arms and wears a cowboy hat and chaps in most of his videos.
It’s also educational, so it’s not just a thirst trap for horny women on the internet.
Once I get Dancer out of the stall, I lead her out to the hitching post to give Gray some space to work.
Finn asks Grayson a long string of questions as he lifts Dancer’s hoof to get a look at how it’s healing.
Gray patiently answers Finn’s questions, explaining what he’s doing.
It’s not the first time Finn’s watched Gray do his job, but he’s never seen him work on a damaged sole before.
I head back into the barn, knowing Gray will send Finn to me if he gets annoyed with my son’s questions.
All three of my best friends have the patience of saints when it comes to Finn and his curiosity.
They’re also very good at gently sending him on his way when he’s asked one too many questions for their sanity.
I’m putting my tools away when Gray and Finn lead Dancer back into her stall.
“She’s looking good. I trimmed her just a bit, but I don’t think she’ll need another one anytime soon. I’ll check on it in a couple of weeks or so to be sure.”
“That’s good to hear. You’ll bill me for the time?”
Grayson nods. He fiddles with the gate latch for a second. I wait him out, knowing he’s got something on his mind. When he makes eye contact with me, he looks ravaged. “Kylie told me she’s pregnant again.”
My eyes widen. Gray’s best friend, Kylie, and her husband have had infertility issues basically since they got married. “I thought they’d stopped trying?”
Gray shrugs. “They did. Apparently, that was all they needed to do.”
“Are you okay?” We all know Grayson’s been in love with Kylie since we were in high school. Why they didn’t end up together remains a mystery, but he’s never once stopped supporting her in every aspect of her life, even if it kills him on the inside.
“What if she loses this one too, Knox?” The whispered words are filled with pain. I glance at Finn, who’s across the barn, making sure he’s unable to hear our conversation.
“Then you’ll be there for her, the way you’ve been there for every other loss she’s had. And we’ll be behind you, keeping you upright so you can do whatever you need to do.”
Grayson drops his head to his chest. “I don’t know how much longer I can watch her go through this. It’s starting to wear me down.”
Reaching out, I grip his shoulder. “No one would blame you for taking a step back if you need to. Your mental health matters just as much as hers does.”
“Who will be there for her if I’m not?”
Kylie’s husband isn’t the most attentive man. According to her, he travels a lot for work but always makes time for her when he’s home. We’ve never seen the proof of that, but no one can see what a relationship looks like behind closed doors. I know that better than anyone.
“She has her parents, her friends. There are plenty of people on her side.”
Grayson nods, but I know he doesn’t believe me. He straightens, visibly shoving his emotions back into the box he keeps them in. “I gotta head out. Thanks for listening.”
“Anytime.”
I watch him get into his truck with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I wish there were more we could do for him.
The thing I love about Gray is that he’ll ask for help when he needs it, but none of us can do much about this situation.
In the meantime, we’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he stays in the right headspace.
Before I can go back to work, my cell rings in my pocket. My realtor’s name scrolls across the screen, and I answer it before it can go to voicemail.
“Yeah.”
“Hey, Knox! I’ve got great news,” Isla says with her usual cheery attitude. “Someone is interested in buying the property on the edge of your land.”
“Who the fuck wants that shithole?”
“Someone local, it seems. They said they grew up in the house.”
Her statement surprises me. Who owned that land before I bought it? It’s been so long, I can’t remember.
“I know you don’t want to sell any part of your land to a corporation, so I thought this might be the best option.
I can’t believe someone in Pine Creek Falls wants to buy that house.
” Isla’s astonishment matches my own. It’s a run-down shack on a decent plot of land.
I considered tearing it down on multiple occasions, but I never wanted to put that much effort into it.
“Yeah, I’d entertain an offer. You know what we’ve discussed on price, so I’ll let you handle the details. Just bring me the final numbers.”
“Perfect. I’ll keep you updated.”
I hang up the phone, still a little mystified.
I bought that land years ago because I didn’t want some random Joe to snatch it up and ruin the views the tourists pay big money for.
The land isn’t worth much. You can’t get anything but a few flowers to grow in the soil now.
Add in that the house should probably be condemned, and it seems like a stupid investment.
But who am I to tell that person they’re an idiot?