Page 31 of Perfect Scandal
“I’ve driven just about every piece of ranch equipment we have at Shadow River, so relax. I’m not going to scratch your baby.” Rolling my eyes, I turn over the engine, adjust the seat and mirrors, and buckle my seat belt.
The ornery foreman grumbles under his breath. “Never gonna get that seat back to the right spot.”
“Better than the whole truck ending up in a ditch, now, isn’t it?” I back out of the parking lot without struggle and head for the highway.
Kaden and Carly left just ahead of us, but Holden and Alana hung back to say goodbye to the last of the party guests. I half expect my domineering older brother to show up at Dean’s, regardless of whether their ridiculous curfew is up or not.
“Might as well lay it on me,” Dean slurs once we’re out of town and surrounded by nothing but moonlight and mountains.
“I’m not going to lecture you. You’re a grown man.” And I have it on good authority that he rarely drinks like he did tonight. So clearly, something is bothering him. Scolding him for trying to self-medicate won’t help matters.
“I mean about earlier. When you said we could talk later.Privately.” He draws out the words almost bitterly.
I frown. “What’s with the attitude?”
“You tell me.” He lets his head fall back against the headrest.
“Excuse me? You’re mad because I want to talk about what’s going on with us before everyone figures it out?”
He shifts his gaze to me, his eyes cloudy beneath heavy lids. “What’s there to talk about? You got what you wanted from me.”
“What?” I turn the truck onto the cutoff road between Mason Creek and Rebel River and slam on the brakes. “Are we even having the same conversation right now?”
He lifts a shoulder. “Dunno.”
“Dean…” I shift the truck into park. “I like you. I’ve told you this a dozen times. Yes, I think we got ahead of ourselves in Vegas, but last night…” I shake my head and pause to catch my breath. “I’ve never wanted just sex from you.”
Something unreadable passes over his expression before he looks toward the windshield, his jaw ticking in the faint glow of the dashboard lights.
I reach across the console. My fingers barely graze his arm before he jerks it away.
“I don’t want kids.”
“Okay?” Why is he so stuck on that? I know we jumped into the deep end of the pool with the whole marriage thing, but I’d kinda like to go on a real date with him before we start talking aboutactualfuture plans.
“My parents died in a car accident,” he says. His tone is impassive, but his rigid posture and clenched jaw are anything but.
My chest tightens at the thought. “I’m so sorry.” When I reach for him a second time, he doesn’t pull away.
“My father was driving, and the toxicology report showed he had cocaine in his system. Alotof fucking cocaine.”
Oh my god.
“He killed my mother because he was high, and she probably didn’t even know he used.”
I can’t imagine losing both parents at the same time, let alone in a situation like that.
“My uncle—T.J.’s dad—said it was because my old man was a workaholic. He couldn’t work hard enough or fast enough—by his own standards—so he turned to coke for the boost.” He shakes his head and drums his fingers against his knee. “He was never home. Never came to a single one of my baseball games, and my mom used to cry all the damn time. She’d work so damn hard cooking his favorite meals, and he’d never come home to eat.”
“I am so, so sorry.” Sliding my hand into his, I tangle our fingers and squeeze. “I wouldn’t have asked if I’d known.”
“I don’t tell many people. Holden and Kaden don’t even know.”
But he’s telling me, and that has to mean something.
“What did he do for a living?” I ask quietly.
“Sales. Worked for a technology company. He traveled a lot.”
