Page 74 of Secret Baby Daddies
Harley
My days changed from thinking nonstop to working so hard that I couldn’t think at all. I worked in the barn mostly, cleaning stalls and doing whatever I could. I’d gotten particularly good at grooming the horses after they’d been ridden all day. No matter what I did, though, I did it hard enough that I was barely upright when I walked into the house each evening. I shoveled my face full of whatever food Reagan had prepared and pretended to listen to what they were all talking about until I could excuse myself. Then I showered and fell into bed, so exhausted I fell straight to sleep. So exhausted I couldn’t fret, or even dream.
Each morning I woke up and stumbled downstairs and I faced Reagan and my phone. Each morning she had nothing new to report. I used the pain to drive me outside to work.
I knew I had to go back to my life eventually. I owned a business. Reagan had talked to Hunter, though, and Susie was happy to take care of things until I got back. That didn’t mean I could stay gone. I just kept hoping that one more day would stop the horrible ache in my chest. One more day of back-breaking work would exorcise the guys from my soul.
Almost two weeks had passed since I’d left and I’d thought of little other than the guys. So much so that when I looked up and saw my dad walking towards me, it took me a few moments to process just how insane it was that he was there. I dropped the shovel I’d been using and peeled the thick leather work gloves off my hands. Exhausting myself was really working because I didn’t have the energy to react poorly to seeing him. I just accepted we were going to interact and sighed.
Mills walked out of the barn, giant body tense as he spotted my dad.
“Can I help you?”
Dad shook his head, never taking his eyes off me.
“No. I just need to talk to my daughter.”
Handing my gloves to Mills, I frowned.
“I’m sorry. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get back to work.”
Mills scowled at me.
“I’ve told you a hundred times, Harley. You don’t work here. You leave whenever you want to. I don’t expect you to do anything.”
“You’reworkinghere, Harley? Honey, why? You have a trust fund. You don’t need—”
I held up my hand and started walking down the road, towards the cabins.
“What do you want, Dad?”
He hurried to catch up and stared down at me once he got close enough.
“Try not to take this personally, but you look like shit.”
I surprised both of us with a short burst of laughter. He was right. I knew I looked rough. I just didn’t care.
“How’d you find me?”
“It wasn’t easy.” He groaned when I stopped in front of Maxie’s old cabin and motioned for him to sit with me on the steps.
“I’m too old for chasing you down, girl.”
“Then don’t.”
“Well, that’s not an option for me anymore, Harley. Not when we have so much left unsaid between us.” He shook his head when I started to deny it. “I filed for divorce from Rebeccah. I hired the most bloodthirsty divorce lawyer I could find and I plan on treating Rebeccah like the monster she painted me out to be.”
That got a bigger reaction from me. I turned to face him and met his gaze.
“What do you mean?”
“I have a lot to tell you, Harley. I have to be honest, though. I wasn’t expecting you to be so willing to listen. I had a lot more buildup prepared…” He wiped his palms down his thighs and grunted. “I brought a few visual aids…”
I didn’t recognize the nervous man in front of me. I watched him pull some folded papers from his jacket pocket and tap them against his calf. He looked like a feather would knock him over.
“If I have even a sliver of hope of getting you back in my life, Harley, I have to correct history. I know how this is going to look, I realize I have the odds against me here, but I have to try because I miss you.” He sucked in a shaky breath and unfolded the papers. “I never wanted you to see this, Harley. It’s not pretty. If I was less selfish and could give up our relationship for your benefit, I would. I know I said things when you were younger that were unkind about your mom. Even an asshole like me had limits, though.”
My heart was thumping harder.
