Page 60 of Risking it for the Cowboy

She shook her head, her hair brushing back and forth across his jaw. “This weekend was Jason’s weekend with Daze. Half the time he’s too busy to give a care and flakes on her or brings her home early like that weekend. And child support? He just works under the table so I can’t go after any of it.”

Or defrauds people for it. His hold tightened.

“But Judge Mitchell told Jason he isn’t supposed to drink when she’s there because he’s…”

He felt her shudder. Ran his hands up and down her back to soothe the shivering. He was a mean drunk, was what she’d been about to say. How had Jason taken that meanness out on her? She better not say he’d hit her.

He saw that morning two weeks ago in a whole new light. The thought of that bastard putting his hands on his flower girl, in any way other than to worship her body, made fury burn like gunpowder through his blood to a keg.

Keys wedged between fingers.

Plumbing wrenches at the ready—no matter how much she’d looked like a mechanic’s fantasy wielding that tool.

Baseball bats behind the door.

“He ever put his hands on you?” he growled through tight lips, so low, so soft, feeling the wolf within him that proved he was every bit the monster Jason was lust for blood.

Remembering all too well scraping Charity off the floor after satisfying the beast within him, he felt Charlie shaking. He petted back her hair, fingers tremoring with unchecked fury, to soothe this frightened creature who was holding up her little world alone—

“Why do you think I packed Daisy up and left him?” she whispered, breaking his heart.

His brow contorted. His fingers clenched the hair he’d just been petting. Because unlike Charity, Charlie’d had no one to be there for her. No one to go to bat for her.

“The guys are staring at you, Charlize,” she imitated darkly. “Get off the stage, Charlize. Are you flirtin’ Charlize? Gonna let another guy knock you up, Charlize?”

God he wanted to satisfy his fists as she spoke.

“‘You played at a pageant with a bunch of beauty queens and think that’ll cut it in Nashville!’ he once announced to the audience, and a lot of people laughed. ‘You’re ruining the band, Charlize. Shut up and go home, Charlize, before I do it for you…’”

To be an insect constantly stomped beneath a powerful boot. T.R.’d never let anyone get the jump on him, but still, the echoes of the pressure, the strain, of putting one’s self back together each time the boot stomped harder, writhed within him to resonate.

Still curled in on herself, still curled into him. Still so stiff and yet, pressed willingly into his hold. Wanting to let down a guard that at the same time, she probably didn’t know how to let down, which was why she’d chased him off that morning. Why she shied from the spotlight if Jason had humiliated her in front of it.

Right now, she needed a listener. Growing up with four sisters had taught him that sometimes a girl just wanted someone to listen. Her head shook against him.

“Let it out, Flower Girl,” he nudged, still caressing, still brimming with intensity to chase Jason down and treat him to a taste of dirt.

As long as you don’t have a record … naw, he couldn’t let that happen again. Charlie didn’t want a bulldog ready to throw down. She wanted a gentleman. Too bad she’d gotten him.

But he’d try. For her.

“He didn’t want to marry me,” leaked out of her mouth. “It was my fault.”

He dragged her head back from him, bracing her nape and glaring. “What did you say?”

Her eyes bounced back and forth between his.

“It ain’t your fault he hurt you. It’s his fault. He had a choice—”

“I was so stupid.” She furrowed her brow.

No, she wasn’t but telling her that right now wasn’t going to make any difference.

“Why?” He pressed her head back into his chest, pressed a kiss to her temple, breathed in her lilac.

Home. A family. Everything lilacs meant. This girl needed a home, and so did her baby girl. He’d never in his life considered settling down. But then again, he’d never met anyone who’d make it worth it.

“My momma was so depressed. My daddy traveled to find any work he could. Would be gone for weeks. Those pageants … dolling me up like a centerfold when I was only a kid … it started when I was a baby. I thought it was normal, until I started school and realized she was obsessed, would get so mad if I complained. So, I finally entered Miss Lone Star as a teenager. I was so certain, if I could win it, it would be my ticket out of here and the last pageant I’d ever have to do. And I did win. And I was gonna go places, study music at University of Tennessee, go to Nashville, and then I met Jason, and he was so charming, so cute, and he had this amazing band and was everything I wanted to be…” She trailed off.