Page 12 of Huckleberry Hill
“Don’t you have things to wrangle?” I asked pointedly.
Declan smiled. “In a bit. I still have bacon on my plate.”
I grabbed the remaining slice and put it into my mouth.
His eyes widened. “You ate my bacon.”
“Sure did. Now you can get on with your day.”
“You ate my bacon,” he said again. “Are you trying to start a fight?”
“Who’s starting a fight?” Muddy asked as she came into the dining room with a plate of food.
Dad followed her.
“No one,” I said.
Declan looked at Dad. “We got a bear close by. Grizzly.”
“Yeah?” Dad asked. “You saw it this morning?”
“Last night. When I prevented it from eating your daughter.”
I glared at him.
“Hadley?” Muddy asked, her gaze bouncing between me and Declan. “Something you want to tell us?”
“I got home late last night and I didn’t want to wake you guys up. I was going crash in the cabin. I didn’t realize that the cabin was occupied,” I said pointedly. “I was having trouble getting the door open. The bear came out of nowhere and it would’ve gotten me if Declan hadn’t pulled me inside.”
“So you slept in the cabin?” Muddy asked with a raise of her brows.
“Yes,” I said.
“I gave her the bed,” Declan added quickly. “And I took the couch.”
Dad looked at Declan, his expression tightening. Declan didn’t appear at all put out and I silently cheered him. Not many men could withstand what my dad threw down. He was a tough man. An old-school rancher with the grit and strength to back up his statements. But where his daughters were concerned, he was a big softie. People talk about women, but Hell hath no fury like an overprotective father trying to keep a charming cowboy away from one of his daughters.
“Well, I better get to work,” Declan said, rising from his chair. “Thanks for breakfast.”
“Leave the dish in the sink,” Muddy said. “I’ll take care of it.”
Declan took his plate into the kitchen and then a few moments later, the front door opened and closed.
“All right,” Dad said. “It’s just the three of us now. You wanna tell me why you’re home and not in Italy with your fiancé?”
Chapter Three
The Ranch
* * *
“Gianni and I broke up,” I said flatly. “So, going to Italy with him would’ve been a very bad idea.”
Muddy stopped eating and Dad’s cup of coffee had been halfway to his lips when I’d dropped the truth bomb.
“When did you break up?” Muddy asked finally.
“A week ago,” I said, my chest pinching with pain.
