“Damn. Get some clothes on. I don’t want them to have more reasons to hate me.”

  “You know, if you told everyone the truth they wouldn’t hate you at all. Besides, I don’t even think it’s that. They’re just skeptical about people they let in. Don’t take it too personal. My family can be a bit over-protective.”

  He walked over and handed me my clothes. “Maybe you need protecting.”

  “What I need is to change my clothes.”

  We hurried out of the trailer and made our way to my place. It was easier to get around on the golf cart, and in this case I was glad we had it. As fast as I could, I showered, washing everything except for my hair, changed, and put on fresh makeup, while Rusty paced around my house. When I came out I could tell he was freaking. We rushed over to the main house, noticing that my brothers were standing outside with Christian. I approached them with caution, knowing that they probably had something up their sleeves. “Is everyone here?”

  “Everyone but you. Dad was in there telling everyone Rusty cut you up into pieces. I think they called the police a few minutes ago,” Jax announced, while Jake laughed.

  I flipped him the middle finger. “Screw you guys. Rusty’s already on edge.” Christian was on her phone off to the side. She hung up and walked toward us. “I just got home myself. Don’t listen to them. They think they’re funny.”

  “Just got home?” It was shocking to hear that she’d just gotten home. I knew for a fact that she was at the party.

  “I went out afterwards. There was another party I needed to be at. Anyway, I’ve already heard shit from my dad this mornin’. He thinks he’s a preacher or somethin’.”

  When I turned to look at Rusty I could tell he was worried. He wanted to make his presence known, and as the minutes went by it was bothering him more. “I’ll let everyone know you’re here.”

  I grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the front door. It opened before I could reach the handle. My dad stood there with a link of sausage in between his lips. He spoke without removing it. “I was just coming to get you two. Breakfast is ready.” He froze in place, sucking the sausage in and out obnoxiously. I looked to Rusty and saw him shaking his head, and just began to giggle.

  With my hand, I grabbed the meat out of my dad’s mouth and started to walk past him. “Grow up, dad. Don’t you know it’s immature to play with your food?”

  He stole the link back and took a bite. “Nobody takes my meat without asking.”

  My mom came to my rescue. “Tyler Mitchell, it’s way too early for that kind of talk. Get in here and make your plate.” She lead my dad into the kitchen with us following. In the large kitchen was most of my family. Outside in the pool yard I could see my uncle Colt with his youngest daughter, Addison. They were sitting at one of the tables with plates in front of them. For the most part we’d all retreat out there to eat so we could spread out. It let me know that I’d either missed eating with everyone, or that we’d arrived just in time. Thankfully it was the latter. My great-aunt hugged me right before handing me a plate. “Hi, sweet girl. I haven’t gotten a chance to congratulate you yet. If you need anything you know we’re here for you. Me and your grandmother are going to spoil that little one.”

  I found my grandmother over by the coffee pot and suddenly realized that I’d left Rusty alone with everyone.

  For the most part he knew everyone in the room. My grandmother and grandpa John, my mother’s parents, were around every weekend. John would always help my uncle Colt with projects, and we’d throw lots of barbeques in the summer, which the ranch help were always invited to.

  Our eyes met and he winked, letting me know he was all right. I motioned with my head for him to follow my lead. My great-aunt greeted him, hugged him, and handed him a plate.

  After grabbing bacon, and a couple links, we headed out to the pool yard, followed by my parents. Uncle Colt was too busy giving his daughter a hard time to notice that we’d even sat down at another table. Rusty gave me a look, and I understood that it was because she was getting reamed out over something she’d done with my brothers. I caught a few words of the conversation. Bad influences was the one that stood out the most.

  I couldn’t be mad. My brothers were trouble makers. They thought that everything in life was a joke, and you weren’t living unless you were getting into trouble somehow. Who could blame them when our father acted like a kid most of the time?

  I smiled when I looked over at Rusty. It was nice to know he was there with me.

  Then Noah came and sat at our table, followed by Shalan. He gave us both a once over, and focused on his plate of food. Shalan broke the awkwardness. “Good morning, you two.”

  “Morning,” Rusty said as he chewed. He swallowed before continuing. “Did you just get here?”

  “No. We were upstairs. Apparently Addison snuck out with your brothers last night. God only knows where they all went, because none of them are talkin’, but I’m sure it was to one of her friend’s parties. She told my parents that she was staying at Gram’s house. Apparently they partied somewhere, because she threw up all over the bedroom she slept in. We were up there tryin’ to get it cleaned up.”

  I looked over at Addison getting yelled at and knew exactly where they’d partied it up. “I bet they were at my house.”

  “Your house?” Noah asked.

  “She stayed with me last night,” Rusty announced proudly. I don’t think he said it to rub it in Noah’s face. It was more to make it a point that we were definitely together. I think he felt that if he kept reminding my cousin he’d finally get over the hostility he was feeling for Rusty lying to him.

  “I didn’t notice nothin’ out of place at the house when I went to change my clothes, but I bet they were there. My brothers might be assholes, but they don’t drink and drive, and they certainly wouldn’t have put her in danger.”

  “She’s under age,” Noah said loudly.

  “Babe, calm down. Your father has it handled,” Shalan did her best to settle Noah. Once he got a hair up his ass he was exactly like his father. It was pretty comical when I thought about all of the times he’d said he didn’t want to turn out like him. When he started eating, instead of bitching, she turned her attention to me. “I hear you have a sonogram coming up. That’s so exciting! Do you want to know what you’re having?”

  “Yeah, I think I might,” I said. “You don’t want it to be a surprise?” Rusty asked. “You two haven’t discussed this yet? Ain’t this a big

  decision?” Noah was onto us. “We just can’t decide, that’s all. I hate secrets, and I don’t

  like not knowin’ if it’s a boy or girl. I want to have the name ready, and be able to decorate the room.”

  “In other words, she wants pink or blue,” Rusty teased. “I think we all know the color she’d like it to be.”

  Noah shook his head and started chuckling as he spoke. “Yeah. She’s a girl through and through.”

  I threw a piece of meat at him. “Shut up! I hunt. I four- wheel. Just because I like lookin’ pretty don’t mean I can’t hang with you men.”

  They both agreed to give me a look and change the subject.

  Ignoring them, I turned my attention back to Shalan. “I was thinkin’ that maybe since everyone knows, you’d want to help me to decorate the room, once we find out the sex of course.”

  “You know I will. It’s so exciting. I can’t believe you were able to hold it in for so long, especially from me. You know I would have had your back.” Shalan ignored the dirty look she got from my cousin.

  “The truth is, I didn’t want you to have a secret from Noah. I didn’t want anyone having to be burdened with my secret.

  Rusty was the first person to know, and together we decided to wait until I was far enough along. I wanted the whole family to be around, so that I didn’t have to explain it a million times.”

  “So what happens now that the secret’s out? I’m thinking y’all will live in your house, and not the trailer?” Noah’s question caught me off guard. It was my fault for not thinking that far ahead. Technically, Rusty and I had just become a couple. We’d hooked up several times, but I’d always fought my feelings because of my situation.

  “I’m going to move into her house,” Rusty reached for my leg under the table. I stuck my hand down and placed it on top of his. When I looked his way he formed a small smile at the corner of his lips.

  “I’m not rushin’ you, but Seth’s been bunking in the office for a few weeks. It would be nice to offer the trailer to him, if that’s all right. I know your job requires me to house you.”

  Rusty motioned with his hands. “It’s not a problem. I know where I belong.”

  He stared deeply into my eyes when he said it and I couldn’t help but feel chills all over my body. This thing between us was really happening, and I was going to have to accept that it was a good thing. I’d worried for a long time, and finally it was all starting to settle. I had a boyfriend that wanted to take care of us, and a family that was accepting it.

  I was able to finally breathe.

  Chapter 29

  Rusty

  Things settled down once everyone left and went home. I think at first I was reluctant to move some of my

  things over to Isabella’s house, considering she’d been so indecisive for such a long time. It was nice to be able to get off work and head straight to her place to see her, and even better to be welcomed by her beautiful smile.

  Since she worked off the ranch, I decided that if I was home first I’d make the meals. She’d come home and put her feet up, allowing me to pamper her. I think I was going above and beyond just to prove to her that it was what I wanted. Now that I was taking on the father title, I needed to get used to taken care of a family again.

  Sometimes it reminded me of my daughter and wife, but not the way that Isabella would assume. I couldn’t help miss them, and I knew they’d be on my mind every day for the rest of my life. Still, I’d been offered a second chance at a good life again, and this time I needed to make things right.

  With her mother coming back into town for the sonogram in just a few short days, I decided that I needed to have all of my things moved over and put away. Isabella insisted on helping me get things organized. The baby was going to be here soon, and there was still a bunch to get done.

  Even after making the commitment to be the child’s father, I was still nervous about it all. My love for Isabella had blinded a lot of my decision making, because I’d been so desperate to be with her. Now I was faced with what every new couple had to endure. I had to learn to live with someone again, after a long period of being alone. I think even when I tried to walk on eggshells, at times I was still annoying to her. To make matters worse, I felt as if the harder I tried the more I’d fail.

  Isabella’s sonogram was scheduled for that following Monday. Her mother came back to Kentucky on Sunday afternoon, along with her father, which neither of us expected. Thankfully, by that time all of my stuff was neatly stored in her house. Because we’d been so busy with everything else, we hadn’t had time to reflect on our new relationship, which in turn left us with little to talk about when we were around her parents.

  I think to lighten to mood, and get us both out of the house, that Sunday he took me out to get a bite to eat. Sitting there with the father of the woman that I was in love with reminded me of being young and going through the motions of asking for Simone’s hand in marriage. I was so nervous that day, and swore her father was going to tell me to take a hike. It got me wondering where he was now, and if they’d ever been able to forgive me for skipping out on all of them.

  Isabella’s dad kept to small talk until we’d been sitting in the tavern for a while. He’d ordered a beer, and watched as I requested a tea instead. I couldn’t blame him for wanting to know why I didn’t drink. “What’s your story, Rusty? I suppose I should have asked this sooner, but we’re here now and it’s been bothering me. I need to know that something from your past isn’t going to ruin my daughter’s happiness. You see, she’s too trusting when it comes to men. Her last boyfriend was a piece of shit. You understand how I’d want her to be with someone that’s going to treat her right; someone who is who he says he is.”

  I nodded, knowing that I had to tell him about my past. I was ready to take that leap with his daughter. “You’re right. You need to know the truth, and I’m willing to tell you, if you give me your word that you won’t tell Colt. My job is my business and I don’t want people giving me any kind of special treatment.”

  “You do realize you shovel shit for a living?” I nudged my head upwards. “I’m not a stable boy.” He took another sip of beer and laughed to himself. “Sorry,

  I was getting you confused with one of my wife’s porno novels. She’s always reading shit about Indians and cowboys.”

  I smiled, feeling like he was trying to lighten the mood. “My story probably isn’t as interesting as you may think. I do have a past that I’m running from.”

  “Do I need to call the family lawyer? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  “No,” I immediately reassured him. “I’m not a criminal.”

  He placed his hands on the table and smiled, but it wasn’t because he was happy. It was more like he was holding in his anger, waiting for me to get to the point.

  “I had a wife and daughter. Simone and Sydney. They were my life, my reason for living, until one day my daughter got sick. We took her to the hospital, but she didn’t make it past dinner.” I took a few deep breaths, noticing his facial expression had changed. I knew he was feeling my pain, and I appreciated that he was giving me time to control my emotions. “Bacterial meningitis is what they told us had killed her. They don’t know how she got it, and once she was gone it wouldn’t have helped us anyway.”

  “I heard many marriages end when couple lose a child. Is that what happened?”

  I sat there trying to come to grips with why Simone would take her life. We could have gotten through it together. We wouldn’t have been one of those failed marriages. “I wouldn’t know how things could have turned out. My wife took her own life shortly after my daughter’s death. In fact, they’re buried together it was so close. I reckon she couldn’t live another minute without our little girl.”

  “I’m real sorry to hear about your family, Rusty. Man, that’s just terrible. I can’t imagine having to go through something like that.” His brow furrowed, and I did my best not to make eye contact. I was supposed to be someone who was strong; someone that could protect his daughter. Instead I was crumbling in front of her father, showing him how weak I really was.

  “Our families did their best to console me, but I couldn’t handle it. I left my house, my job, and everyone I ever knew to be alone, because I couldn’t go another day with someone asking me if I was going to be okay.”

  I looked down at the condensation forming on my glass of tea. I watched it drip down, leaving a trail as it moved. It reminded me of the tears that I’d shed for my girls, and how I’d never be able to fully get over them.

  “I’m guessing my daughter knows all of this?” I nodded. “She does.” “Can I ask what you did for a living? You’re obviously good

  with horses. Did you live on a farm?” “My dad was a veterinarian, as was I. We had a practice in

  our little town.” He chuckled. “You’re telling me that you’re a god damn vet

  and you’d rather shovel shit?” “Well, I don’t shovel shi-.” “You know what I mean,” he corrected. I shrugged. “I get to be around animals, and a family that

  reminds me how good life could be again. It’s not so bad. It also came with a house, so that was a plus.”

  He seemed to study me for a couple moments. I had no idea what he could be thinking. He could be thinking I was damaged goods, and that I had no right to be with his daughter.

  He could be thinking of a way to send me packing. I just didn’t know.

  “Do you love my daughter, Rusty?” His question was legitimate. Of course he’d want to know how I felt about his daughter. After all, she was the reason we were here.

  “Yes. I do. I love her very much.” Admitting that out loud made my heart beat faster. It was a word we’d never talked about. Still, I knew how I felt. There was no question about it.

  He reached his hand across the table. When I shook it he started talking again. “You have my blessing, but just know that if you hurt her in anyway, I’m going to hurt you. That means if you fuck her in the ass, I’m going to fuck you in the ass. Understand?”

  I raised my brow and looked at him as if he were crazy. “Come again?”

  He laughed to himself and wiped his face, as if he was tired. “That sounded pretty gay didn’t it? Shit. You know what I meant, right?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “I sure do hope you don’t want to fuck me in my ass, sir.”

  “It’s not sir. Ty’s fine. Definitely don’t ever call me dad. I don’t give a shit if you do marry my daughter someday. I’m not having someone your age calling me dad. I draw the line there.”

  He waved the waitress for another beer. I sipped at my tea and watched her bring him his drink. “When I first lost my girls I drank too much. I said things to my father, and got myself into situations that I wasn’t proud of. Once I got my shit together I promised I’d never drink again.”

  “My daughter might drive you to drink. She’s a spitfire, who sometimes makes it her life mission to annoy the hell out of people. She thinks she’s always right, and you can’t tell her anything and expect that she’ll follow directions. Trust me, I’m married to her twin. I just agree and call it a day. It’s not worth the effort.”

  “I hear ya on that. You’re daughter can be difficult. She’s pretty fickle. It’s hard to handle, but I’m getting the hang of it.” He pointed his beer in my direction. “I think we’re going to

  get along just fine, Rusty. Your secret is safe with me. If you want to tell the family, it’s up to you. I’m sure when the time is right you’ll be able to talk about it more.”