Page 29 of My Cowboy Kiss
“Bullshit. Tell me.”
“I thought the ranch manager was my uncle,” I say. “I’ve known for a while and purposefully kept it from you.” Nausea rolls my stomach at the admission.
He blinks. “What?”
I was right. River looks shocked.
“Once I found that out, I started depositing money into your family’s bank account trying to atone for his actions. But it turns out, he’s not my uncle at all. He’s my father. My mother told me that tonight.”
River’s expression tightens and he rubs the corner of one brow. “You think I want to break up because of who your family is?”
“Yes. Because I know how much it hurt all of you when he betrayed you.”
“So?”
I swallow. “You’re angry.”
“No, Courtney, I’m not angry. I’m bewildered. You thought you had to hide this because you didn’t trust me enough to tell me.”
“I didn’t want to lose you…our friendship at the time.”
“You do realize that I don’t even know who the hell my biological parents are, right? I was left at the Home. But who they were or are has no bearing on who I am. On who I get to choose to be. I would never blame you for what your uncle or father or whoever the hell he is says or does.”
He takes a breath and puts his hands on his hips, his jaw tense. “You didn’t trust me.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “This is all on me. I have a hard time trusting and?—”
He sighs and pulls me into a hug, cupping his hand on the back of my head. “It also bothers me that you had this burden on you. I’m upset with myself too for not paying closer attention. For not seeing that you were hurting.” He kisses the top of my head.
I cry against his chest for my fucked up family lineage and how it impacted River. I cry for how it impacted me. And I cry for the fucked up way I handled everything.
“I don’t want you to break up with me,” I say between sobs.
“That thought never crossed my mind,” he says, hugging me tighter. “You and I are going to get married and have lots of sex, lots of kids and lots of laughter.”
“You can see the future now?”
“Didn’t I tell you I’m a fucking wizard?”
I laugh and then he wipes my tears with his thumbs before kissing me. The tension drains from me. River loves me. He’s not leaving. My world is okay.
River
Courtney fit into our lives at the ranch like she’d always lived there. The month since we’d moved her out here flew by and now we’re standing in our favorite spot by the river with our family around us. We kept our wedding small with just family because that’s how we both wanted it.
The scent of wildflowers hangs in the air. The river gurgles below us. It’s our little slice of heaven in the country and we wanted our married life to begin here where we first started falling in love.
I’m standing under an arch my mother had made of twisted tree branches threaded with flowers. I’m a nervous wreck waiting for Courtney to exit the tent we set up for her to get ready in.
My father comes over and hugs me with his jaw set tight. He does that when he’s feeling emotional. I think about how this man rescued me to give me a great life and my heart fills.
I learned how to be a good man from his example. I learned that a father protects his child just like he did when he put himself between me and a rabid fox and took the bite instead of me getting hurt.
I learned from him that love isn’t always perfect but it’s steady. It’s a foundation that will never rock beneath your feet.
“I love you, son and I’m so proud of you,” he says.
My eyes fill and I nod at him.
