Page 74 of Captured By the Billionaire Cowboy
That was enough for Rowan. “We don’t have to hire her.” He moved quickly towards his brother, touching his arm. “We’ll tell her no.”
“Wait.” Davey placed a hand over his. “What did she say?”
Rowan hesitated. “She said she was sorry,” he responded honestly. “That she regretted what she did and learned from her mistakes. She wants to volunteer with the horses.”
Davey stood silently, his expression pensive, as Rowan shifted his weight. He was unaccustomed to being helpless, especially when it came to his family. “We don’t have to accept her. You’re our priority. If you feel uncomfortable, we can just forget it.”
“I don’t want to forget it.” Davey’s expression hardened, reflecting determination, resolve and the Byrne stubbornness all the brothers shared. He lifted his chin. “You should hire her.”
“We should?” Ciara and Rowan responded in unison, with matching surprise. “Are you certain?” Rowan asked.
This time Davey didn’t hesitate. “I’m positive. It’s hard to say you’re sorry, and I’m glad she did. It would bother me more to send her away.” He shrugged. “Even people who make mistakes deserve a second chance.”
Rowan patted Davey on the back. He’d never been prouder of his little brother. “You have a big heart, buddy.”
Davey looked straight at him, and for a moment all their differences disappeared. They were just two brothers who loved each other. “You have a big heart, too,” he said softly.
Emotion threaded through Rowan. With all the obstacles his youngest brother faced, he had every right to feel angry. Instead, Davey was the happiest person he knew.
Indeed, everyone forges their own happiness.
“Remember when you got those horses from Dalton?”
Rowan stiffened at the unexpected question. It seemed so long ago he’d purchased Sweetheart and the other horses, yet it was right before he came to Waterstone, right before he reconnected with Ciara. Just before life transformed.
“You knew the horses would be no good for us.”
This time he couldn’t shield his surprise. “What?” His brother had no access to his records; he couldn’t possibly know what he’d done.
Yet shoulds and coulds didn’t apply to his perceptive brother. “You knew Darton’s horses were sick, but you bought them anyhow. You always meant to give them away.”
Surprise splintered into shock. How did Davey perceive the truth when his other brothers never considered it, despite their far greater education and experience? Yet Davey possessed adeep wisdom, a profound intuition. Somehow, he saw the truth, no matter how deep.
Still, Rowan couldn’t let the world see the real him. Even if he did something good, it didn’t change things. He was still his father’s son, still emotionless, still controlling, still hard. And if people learned that he allowed himself to be swindled to help people… “Why would I do that?”
Davey gave one of his giant smiles. “Because deep down, you’re a hero.”
The world froze.
Davey was oblivious to his eldest brother’s stunned silence. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anybody. I gotta go. Love you!”
And with that, he was gone.
Ridiculous. Preposterous. Unbelievable.Impossible.
He was the opposite of a hero, a man who couldn’t feel emotion, couldn’t fulfill anything beyond duty and responsibilities. Of course, Davey was mistaken. Well, not about buying ridiculously overpriced horses he couldn’t use. And not about his plan to donate them for animal therapy. But the other part, certainly.
A voice cleared, and Rowan turned to Ciara. She gazed at him with an inscrutable expression, her features raw with emotion. “You’ve done this before?”
His denial was swift. “Not really.”
Her eyes sparked a challenge, belying the misleading words. “Why does this remind me of you spinning a root canal into a vacation?” She moved closer, surrounding him in her sweet wildflower scent. “Davey is right about you. Youarea hero.”
He shook his head vigorously, even as his chest burned with a strange heaviness. For a second, they just stayed there, locked in each other’s gaze, breaking apart only long enough to call in the ecstatic young woman and tell her she was getting her second chance. He couldn’t help but wonder…
Was this his second chance, too?
The days until the grand opening passed quickly, characterized by frenzied preparations and a dizzying schedule. Interest in their small operation skyrocketed, driven by social media and viral posts from people near and far. Of course, they couldn’t predict exactly how many people would attend, but the interest was highly promising.
