Page 70 of Ashes of the Past
I blow out a breath and stare out the window.
I know why Brynn didn’t do this before, it’s overwhelming as all get out. Maybe my getting injured in the fire is a blessing; there’s no telling what else is being overlooked here.
The sound of footsteps pulls me out of my thoughts. Brynn appears in the doorway, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. “Hey,” she says, leaning against the frame. “What are you up to?”
I glance at the mess of papers spread out before me. “Just trying to make sense of all this.”
She steps closer, her eyes scanning the desk. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”
“Part of the job,” I say firmly. “Bill should’ve done it. It should never have been you.”
“He hated the paperwork. Always said the numbers made him drink.”
“I feel the same way about it.”
“Mom did it for so long and had her own little system,” she says softly as she looks out the window. “Bill tried to take over after she died, but I told him I could do it instead.”
“You’ve been doing this all on your own for too long.”
She looks at me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she nods. “I don’t mind it, but thank you.”
I watch her as she turns to leave, my heart tugging in a way that’s both exhilarating and terrifying. She’s strong, yes. But she doesn’t have to be strong alone. Not anymore.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Brynn
I’m halfway out the office door when I hear Jack’s voice behind me.
“Brynn, wait.”
I stop, my fingers tightening around the doorknob. There’s something in his tone that makes my stomach drop, a seriousness that coils tension up my spine. I turn back to face him, schooling my expression into something neutral.
Is he going to mention us having sex? Is this where he tells me that it can’t happen again?
Stop with the insecurity, Brynn. There’s no need for you two to have any sort of conversation about it. You’re freaking out over nothing.
“Yeah?”
He leans back in the chair, arms crossed, his brows pulled together in a way that makes him look even more rugged than usual. He exhales sharply, like he’s debating whether to say whatever’s on his mind.
Just rip the Band-Aid off already!
“There’s something I need to ask you about, but I need you to be completely honest with me.”
“Okay.”
“I saw the paperwork for the second mortgage.”
My heart stutters. “Excuse me?”
His gaze sharpens. “I saw the paperwork for the second mortgage your mother took out on the ranch. I also saw that you’re making the payments on the mortgage, not the ranch. That’s concerning to me. Is the ranch in trouble financially?”
Fuck!
Why did I let him come into the office? I should have stopped him!
I can feel the panic seeping in. I’ve kept this from my dad for two years; I’m not going to allow Jack to let it out now. I inhale and exhale slowly.
