Page 17 of Rancher's Pride

“A year in. We’d been at an event and someone asked where I’d grown up, and was interested in hearing about this place. When we got home, he was pissed that I’d monopolized everyone, so it was a slap across my face. Oh, he was sorry, and I chalked it up to his drinking, but then it happened when he was sober.” I looked down at my hands, embarrassed, and kicked myself for staying. “I should have been stronger. You didn’t raise me to tolerate that behavior.” Tears threatened to fall, but I’d cried all the tears I had for him. He didn’t get anymore.

“Oh, baby, you’ve always been one of the strongest people I know. This man might have tried to make you believe differently, but you overcame him.” She wrapped me in a hug and I wished I could believe her.

“The girls look nothing alike. I’m so amazed there’s no resemblance.” I watched my mother’s face as she studied Lottie, and the crease between her eyes deepened.

“Not all siblings looks alike as a newborns, mother.” I shook my head as I thought back to Josie’s birth and what she’d looked like. She was perfect, just like Lottie. Even when she was just born, she was serious, and her face was expressive.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say Josie looked a little like Nash.” She turned to look at me and I could feel the world spin slightly. “But he wouldn’t have seen you and not told me, right? You wouldn’t have made him swear not to tell me and let me sit here for five years worried sick about where you were, right? You wouldn’t keep him in the dark about having a child for two years, would you?” She looked back down at the baby in her arms and gently brushed her cheek.

“I couldn’t tell him.” I whispered.

“What?” His rough voice could have cut glass. My heart pounded and my stomach churned as I twisted to face him.

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

We were supposed to be alone.

But it was too late for that now.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

NASH

“I’m going to leave you two.” Julie stood and stopped beside me. Lottie tucked into her bent arms. She gently put her hand on my shoulder, looking up at me. She didn’t have to say anything, because what do you say to a man that didn’t know he was a father? This differed from Kipp. He didn’t want or know Nora when she realized she was pregnant. I’ve always wanted Fallon. I wanted her to be my world, the one I shared life with. Julie walked to Fallon’s room with Lottie, and I waited for the door to close.

“Fallon?” I hadn’t moved, I couldn’t. In a few hushed words I wasn’t supposed to overhear made my world crumble around me.

“Nash, I’m sorry.” She stood and moved toward me. Holding up my hand, she stopped. I couldn’t have her close to me. Rage was flowing throughmy veins, and while I wouldn’t ever raise my hand to her, I wasn’t sure I could control my temper.

“Why?” I growled, grinding my teeth together, fighting to keep my composure.

“I was afraid.”

“Afraid of who?” My rage suddenly quelled. I took a step back as a pang hit my heart, thinking she might have been afraid of me.

“Afraid of leaving. Of him coming after me.” She looked down. “You.”

Her words hit me harder than any punch ever could. My body tensed, the air stilled in my lungs.

Afraid of me?

She’d known me her entire life. I’d never given her any reason to fear me. Sure, I’d done some things, and those things had made people scared to be around me, but she knew nothing of those days or that they were long over. “Me.” I let out a humorless laugh. “You were afraid of me? Why would you be afraid of me, Fallon?”

“I was afraid of what you would say, afraid you’d turn me away.” She picked at her fingernail and avoided looking at me.

“Oh my god Fallon, she’s my child. I’d never turn you away. We would have figured it out,” I said, on the verge of a yell.

“But you said it yourself. The weekend we spent together it was meant to be the last time.” When she finally looked at me, her eyes were wide and she was shivering. Fallon looked so young, so vulnerable, and,above all, scared. Memories of the two of us together came flooding back to me. She wasn’t the same confident woman I’d once known. She frowned, squared her shoulders, and looked me dead in my eyes.

“You said we weren’t worth fighting for, that I was immature, and you couldn’t risk losing my brother’s friendship. So excuse me if I didn’t jump for joy at the thought of telling you I was pregnant.” She crossed her arms and clenched her jaw.

“I know what I said. So let me get this straight. You told me you’d broken up with what’s his name and you wanted me. Then you found out you’re pregnant and what? Passed Josie off as his?”

“Yes.”

“How did that work?”

“He came to my apartment, and I’d just taken pregnancy tests and he saw them. He assumed, and I didn’t clarify.” Her voice wavered and tears rolled down her cheeks.

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