“I think that’s up to her.” Noah opened his car door, about to get in when I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him right in front of my face.
“Stay the fuck out of it, Noah. This is your warning,” I spat.He looked me directly in the eye and swallowed hard before I shoved him against his car. He fell back, bracing himself.
“Chill out, Dean. I hear you. I won’t say anything to her. Doesn’t mean I won’t still talk to her though.” He stood back up, fixed his shirt, and then slid into the driver’s seat of his car. I watched him back up and drive off, never taking my eyes off of him until he was off the property. I saw the fear in his eyes once I got in his face, but I also knew better than to trust that fucker.
Regardless of the surprise visit from Noah, I still had a job to do at Addison’s barn. After finishing injecting both horses’ hocks, I went searching for Addison. I felt bad that I left her in her office with zero explanation of what had just happened. I first went back to her office to check if she was still there, but no luck. I looked out her office window and found her sitting by the pasture, perched on the top rail of the fence, watching Dahlia eat grass in the field.
I made my way outside, and once I reached her, I climbed up onto the top rail and sat beside her. She said nothing, didn’t even look at me, just stared out into the pasture like I didn’t exist. That familiar, sickening feeling churned in my gut yet again.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Noah.” Not necessarily the best way to start this conversation, but hey, I had to start somewhere.
She was quiet for a moment, still not looking at me. “I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me,” she said in almost a whisper.
“I don’t know, I guess because I didn’t think it was relevant. He and I are not close. My mom and his mom are sisters. I rarely see him—the last time I saw him was ten years ago. I didn’t want you to associate me with him. We are not the same,” I admitted.
She turned her head and looked at me, her brows pinched together. “Dean, of course it’s relevant. Your cousin is my ex-fiancé. I was with him for eight years.”
I sighed heavily. “When you put it like that, you’re right. I’m sorry. I should have told you when I made the connection.” I looked out over the rolling hills because I couldn’t look her directly in the eye right now. I knew I should probably tell her about my involvement in unknowingly helping Noah cover up his cheating, but a little voice in my head told me not to, that now was not the time. She needed to digest the fact that he was my cousin first.
She surprised me and reached out, slipping her hand into mine, intertwining our fingers. “Dean, I would never put you and Noah in the same category. But please, no more lies.”
I nodded, swallowing hard.Why am I such a goddamn coward?I didn’t know for sure that she could forgive me for my part in Noah’s bullshit, and I didn’t want to find out.
I didn’t know if I was just being paranoid, but after I left Addison’s farm, I still felt like everything was unresolved between us, like something was off, and I felt in my gut thatthis whole Noah thing wasn’t over.
Addison had dinner plans tonight with her sister, and then Ava was staying over at her place, leaving me solo for the evening. After the events that had transpired today, I had a feeling that she was also avoiding me and needed some space.
I made myself some pasta and decided to call Archer to catch him up on today’s drama. I clicked on FaceTime, then his name, and waited for him to pick up.
Once he answered, his face came onto the screen. “What’s up, brother?” I could tell from the background that he was at home on his couch.
“Noah showed up at Addison’s farm today,” I deadpanned.
Archer’s eyes widened. “What the fuck? How did that happen?”
“Well, evidently, the information was leaked by Mom over the holidays when they were all in town. I didn’t realize that Mom and Dad were getting together with the Clarks this year. Anyway, she briefly mentioned what town I was working in and that I was dating someone new who had just opened up her own hunter/jumper training facility. Noah put two and two together. Luckily, he didn’t tell them anything, but in true Noah fashion, he wants what I have.” I let out an exhausted sigh. “My dumb ass has made a giant mess of things.”
Archer chuckled. “Ain’t that the fucking truth. He never could handle it when one of us had something he didn’t. So,what happened once Addison found out?”
Over the next several minutes, I caught Archer up to speed on the entire timeline of events that had transpired. Archer just shook his head in disbelief and released a heavy sigh. “Fuck, man. I’m sorry. That’s wild. So where do you and Addison stand now? Did you tell her everything once the little fucker left?”
“I apologized for not telling her that Noah was our cousin when I made the connection, but no, I couldn’t find the nuts to admit my involvement with his bullshit. I’m fucking terrified that if she knew that piece of information, she would be done with me.”
Archer was silent for a moment. “I know I told you originally that there was no point in telling her any of this, but now thatshe knows about Noah, maybe you should come all the way clean. Plus, you didn’t find out what he was up to until after you helped him out. That’s got to count for something, right? I just don’t trust that fucker, and it’s better that you tell her before he does.”
Archer said out loud exactly what I feared. “I know, I’ve had the same thought. Maybe I will tell her. I need to find the right time and think of the right way to talk through it with her, ya know?”
Archer nodded in agreement. “Yeah, but don’t wait too long, brother. You’ve already gotten bitten in the ass once, don’t let it happen again.”
I ran my hand through my hair and pulled in frustration. Archer and I chatted a bit more about how he and Harper were doing as well as the family business before turning the conversation where it always goes—to sports. After we ended the call, I noticed I had a text message.
Walker:
Hey bro, want to meet at Hops & Hills for a beer?
I wondered how much Walker knew about what just happened between me and his sister. Guess I was going to find out.
Sure, can be there in 10.
