He was lifting her.Not much, but more than he should be.Oh, the man was insane.“Put me down.I know you’re hurting.”
She’d seen him wince a few times today.She knew what hiding pain was like.
“No.I want my hands on you.”He looked at her, from eyes far darker green than his sisters’.“If…you are good with that?”
It wasn’t a casual question.She knew what he was really asking.“I’m confused.No denying that.I’m not good at…this.”
“How so?”
Well, might as well be honest.
“I have never fully trusted a man in my life.Not without being related to them first.”And even then, there was a hesitancy.It had taken her a long time to get used to living with Derrick, Josh, Monroe, and Jace.Deacon had only been four when she’d moved in, but the rest of her cousins had been in their late teens.Derrick had already been twenty-one at the time, and working on the ranch he’d saved up to buy cheap from a neighbor a few years earlier.He’d lived with his parents, in an apartment above their horse barn.And had thought it washisjob to watch over her, Em and Junie, until he’d driven her utterly crazy.“I am not sure I knowhow.”
“Well, maybe we’ll just figure it out together.I’m not…so sure…sometimes, either.The last time I was seriously interested in a woman my father nearly killed her sister.Kind of hard to forget that part.I haven’t dated a woman since.And even with her…it wasn’t anything at all like what I feel for you.”
She remembered.He and Meyra Talley had dated for a little while.Meyra had really liked him, but she’d told Auggie herself that she wasn’t ready to be serious at the time, and she’d thought Cal would want that before she did.Meyra was engaged now to a Barratt from Finley Creek.Brandt adored her; the two were very much in love.She’d seen them together multiple times—and she had always noticed how they’d looked at each other.“See why that terrifies me when you say that?”
“Hell, yes.You,AugustaDawn,terrify me just as much.I…hell, after what my father did—I shut down.Especially where romantic relationships were concerned.I think all five of us did, honestly.Especially Cadell and Claud.I’m still finding my way out.”
“Sins of our fathers.They don’t have to define us, but they definitely leave scars.No denying that.”
“No kidding.I just focused on…day to day.Fixing what I could fix.Dad, Cadell and I shared a few investments, that my brother and I had to untangle, and with the house—hell, I didn’t even want that damn house.I still don’t want it.It’s not my style at all…I just don’t want to lose the memories.It was our mother’s house more thanhis.I remember them buying and remodeling it, how she angsted over every decision.How much she loved that house.And…I wanted stability for the girls, if nothing else.But it took me almost a damned year to get Cadell to even step foot inside.Claudia will stay occasionally, but Cloe—dinner there, once in a great while.I don’t evenwantthat house—but…I’m stuck with it.At least with Clancy there now, it doesn’t feel so empty and sad.”
And he had been hurting, too.Maybe deeper than he even realized.Auggie slipped her arms around him, this time.Her heart hurt forhispain now, too.“I’m sorry he hurtyou,too.”
Then his lips were on hers and she was just clinging.
As the man burned up her insides.There was no other way to describe it.He had burned her up completely.Probably the first time he’d really touched her.
Auggie just hung on tight while she could.
It just feltdifferentwith him than with any other man who had kissed her before.
46
He tookthe woman he wanted to dinner at the Talley Inn to help her calm down and find her balance again.She told him she wasn’t quite ready to talk to the girls yet.Her cousin and his wife were having a movie party in the home theater or something to distract the kids.She didn’t want to undo that progress by interrupting.
The inn was quieter than the diner, so that was where he took her.Somehow, Marin finagled it to where he and Auggie were in the back corner, in an almost secluded, private area.She’d smirked at Auggie when they’d walked in together.Cal had tensed, waiting for Marin to say something to them.He’d felt uncomfortable around Meyra’s older sister since what his father had done.No denying that.He probably always would.
But he’d also been really angry at her for a long time.For Claudia.Marin and Claudia had been the closest of friends backbeforehis father had become obsessed with Marin and shot her and Brandt Barratt that day.Those two had been together almost daily as girls for years.
Marin had pulled away from Claudia sharply after—and while his sister had actedfinewith that, he’d known it had hurt Claudia so much.Claudia had a sensitive heart and could be easily bruised.Even if she acted all big and bad sometimes.He was her big brother—it was his job to protect her.And to know when she was hurting.
He’d understood it from all angles—they’d all been protecting themselves.Everyone had experienced trauma.But he’d hated seeing his little sister lose not only their father that day, but her closest friend.Claudia had been reeling for months after.He would always remember that.
He was beyond glad she’d found Auggie and her sisters and Sage now.
Meyra was there, as well.Cooking as always.That woman couldcook,no denying that.Her fiancé was right there, too.
The man Cal’s father had almost killed.Hell.Cal almost stopped.Hadn’t they dealt with the scars from their fathers enough today?
Auggie’s hand wrapped around his.She looked up at him, from those soul-stealing eyes of hers.“I…know this is hard for you.But we can leave, if you want?”
This had been his idea, and he knew she had been friends with the Talleys for years.Two of her cousins were heavily involved with Meyra and Marin’s cousins Dusty and Dylan now.It was just what it was; he’d have to learn to deal.“I’m good.It’s a small town—and this place is owned by them.I knew what I was getting into.I’d rather be here, with you, than concerned with ramifications of what my father did.”
“Smooth.This one issmooth.Really pretty, too,”a female voice said behind them.Cal turned to see Dylan, a young blonde woman no bigger than Em and around her age, standing there in the typical polo for the inn.“Hello, welcome to the Talley Inn.Well, what’s going on here?He looks a little sneaky, Aug.Very pretty, though.”
“Cal is buying me dinner, Dylan.Why are you working?Weren’t you under strict orders to be resting?”
