My brows wing upward. I haven’t officially met Briggs either—outside our brief run-in at the hardware store when I had noclue who he was—but Cormac hasn’t shared anything gossip-worthy about the man.
Jesse, and by extension, me, on the other hand…
“Guess that means they’re probably talking about our quickie marriage, too, huh?” I ask.
Dr. Landish winces. “Yeah… Everyone is curious. I mean, Cormac is a catch. A handsome silver fox who runs a successful ranch? Lots of women were disappointed when they heard about you.”
“Oh, god.” My face drops into my hands as I groan.
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” she jokes, patting my arm. “If you ever want to commiserate over drinks about small towns and the gossip mill, I’m still on the search for local friends.”
“Can a doctor be friends with a patient?” I’m not opposed to hanging out with Dr. Landish. Honestly, I could use a friend, too, since Linnea is hours away in Oregon.
“It’s a bit of a grey area,” she admits. “But this is a small town, and things work differently here. If everyone avoided relationships based on a conflict of interest, then no one would be able to connect.”
“True… Though I should probably call you something other than Dr. Landish outside the office.”
“Ah, good point. Call me Autumn.” She playfully offers her hand in greeting, and I accept with a grin. “Nice to meet you.”
“Now, let’s get you checked out before your husband calls the office wondering what’s taking us so long. I wouldn’t put it past him to drive out here to make sure you’re both okay.”
“Me neither,” I say, shocked by the confidence I feel.
Cormac would worry about us if the appointment dragged on. He’d worry because he’d be thinking about us. We wouldn’t be forgotten just because there’s something more important in his life.
And somewhere in the vicinity of my heart, another brick wall crumbles to ashes.
20
CORMAC
“Ican’t believe we both have sons.” Deacon shakes his head in disbelief before taking a sip of his beer.
“Better late than never,” I joke. Deacon had his son, Dylan, at sixteen with his then-girlfriend. Now, Dylan is old enough to be my own son’s father when our kids should have grown up together.
“Congratulations, brother,” Connor cheers, “you finally have everything you wanted—a beautiful wife and a cute as fuck kid.”
Briggs snorts, refusing to clink his beer bottle with the rest of ours at the center of the table. “Yeah, I mean, it really could have been any woman and kid, though. You just wanted a family. Handy that this one popped onto your doorstep.”
“Jesus!”
“Not cool, asshole.”
“What’s the matter with you?” I place a protective hand over Jesse’s chest, where he rests on my thigh. “I know you disagree with the speed of things between us, but I’ve had enough of your bitching. Disrespect my wife again, and that will be the last time. Understand?”
Briggs grunts and dips his chin in acknowledgment, though he doesn’t apologize for his harsh words.
Words that stick with me through the rest of the evening, on the drive home, and lying in bed waiting for Davie to finish her nightly routine.
Was Briggs right?
Would I have immediately married any woman who popped up on my ranch?
Am I using Davie to fulfill my dreams while ignoring what she needs? Sure, she needs me to retain custody of Jesse, but is that enough to justify everything else I’ve asked of her?
My gut rejects the possibility, but my head… It replays Briggs’s words over and over again.
“What’s wrong?” Davie asks, sliding beneath the covers next to me.
