“Daaaamn. What did your parents say? What did her parents say? She was one of those girls who had it all planned out.”
He blows out a breath and tips back his ballcap, then sets it to rights again. “My parents were disappointed. My dad was pissed. Her parents asked her why she was slumming it with a rancher.”
“What the hell? Don’t they realize your family is rolling in it?” I ask.
“They know. Don’t care. For them it’s about ‘breeding’ and ‘bloodlines’. Fucking bullshit. They wanted her to have an abortion. Can you believe that? An abortion. Like anyone who knows Alicia could think she was capable of that. Jesus. She lost it. Went off on her parents who then threatened to disown her. She’s been living with me ever since,” he informs me.
I whistle. “How’d your parents take that?”
“Well, you know mom. She took it in stride. ‘What’s done is done.’ And dad, ‘Well, ya tried. Damn faulty condoms.’ And that was that. It’s really fucking weird having her living with us… sharing my room. I get no privacy, and all we talk about now is the baby or baby stuff.”
While I want to be a bitch and tell him, “You play, you pay,” I don’t—because that very thing could have happened to me with Leo. What a mess that would have been.
“Looks like you’re way more adult than I am.”
He pulls me into a hug. “You just lost your dad. I think we’re even. The others wanted to come over, but I told them that’s not your way. I know you’d rather not deal with tons of people right now.”
I step back. “Thanks for that.”
“No problem.” He eyes the pitch fork and the cow shit. “Want some company?”
“Sure, but that doesn’t mean you have to help.”
He scoffs. “Please. I muck stalls in my sleep most mornings.”
I roll my eyes and while we work, he chatters so I don’t have to. All-in-all it’s a pretty good day.
