“What the hell are you talking about?” Hayes snapped.
Now everyone was really, really quiet. Even the babies didn’t make a sound, and there were five of them.
I looked at my plate. This was it. I expected it to happen sometime, but maybe when I’d proven myself, that I wasn’t like the rest of my family. That I was a good worker. Honest. Loveable.
“I didn’t put it together until right now,” Colt began.
Oh God. He knew. My heart was beating so hard my skin tingled.
“Don’t fuck with her or I’m gonna take her out of here,” Hayes warned.
Oh no. They were going to fight. Hayes was going to hate his brother because of me.
Colt raised a hand and I was surprised it didn’t have handcuffs in it. “Cove isn’t your last name. It’s either made up or–”
“My mother’s maiden name,” I said, my voice soft.
“What?” Hayes bellowed.
Now a baby fussed.
“I think maybe it’s time you tell everyone why you took a job on our ranch. Why you ended up in Hayes’ bed.”
Hayes popped to his feet, fists clenched, but Colt pushed on.
“Tell everyone, Cassidy Trout.”
15
HAYES
What the actual fuck?
I wanted to kill my brother for talking to Cassidy like that.
But then I saw that Cassidy wasn’t shaking her head or telling Colt he was wrong. Or anything at all. She looked panicked.
“Cassidy?” I asked. Everyone was quiet. Waiting.
She looked up at me, eyes filling with tears.
“He’s right,” she said. “My name is Cassidy Trout.”
Then all hell broke loose. Everyone started talking at once. Babies started to cry because of all the noise. All I saw was Cassidy.
Reaching down, I took her hand and tugged her to her feet, then hauled her out of the picnic table and dragged her into the house. “Hayes!” she cried, but I ignored her.
I slammed the kitchen door behind her.
I let her go, then began to pace. The kitchen was a mess from making dinner, but I barely noticed. I set my hands on my hips and tried to calm down.
Cassidy,myCassidy, was a Trout.
“Talk,” I said, once the kitchen island was between us. That was all I could grit out through my clenched teeth.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. Her hands were clasped together in front of her. “I’ve never lied to you. Not once.”
“You’re a Trout! You didn’t tell me that!”
