“I was hoping you could help with that.”
Rose’s eyes light up. “Of course I’ll help. I know exactly what she’ll need.”
Dallas pinches the bridge of his nose. “The cottage. I’m thinking maybe she can stay with you those nights?”
Rose’s smile fades and we exchange a glance. “Oh. I .?.?. um .?.?. of course.”
“Excuse us, Rose. My brother and I need to take a walk.” I grip his collar and shove him out the door.
He doesn’t fight me. I don’t even know if he’s half with it right now. “Hell are you doing, bringing her into this? This is your daughter, Dallas. No doubt the girl’s going to feel abandoned by her grandparents not long after losing her mother, now you want to dump her on a stranger?”
“I’m a stranger too,” he argues. “At least Rose would be more, I don’t know—”
“Not her mother. Not someone she should be getting to know or growing attached to.”
“You’re fucking one to talk.”
“Don’t make me hit you right now. I’ll do it.”
“You’re going to stand here and tell me about getting attached to someone? You even tell your best friend you’re fucking his sister?”
I shove him hard against his car, growling through my teeth. “I’d hate to give you a black eye this week when you’ve got dates planned with your little girl. Wouldn’t want to send her the wrong message.”
He pushes me off. “Maybe that was out of line,” he mutters. “But put yourself in my shoes. You think you can become a dadovernight? From a woman you barely remember? What if Ellie asks me if I loved her mother? What if she wants to know how we met or anything about her, what am I supposed to say?”
I blow out a breath. “I don’t know. But you need to try, or the first question out of her mouth will be‘Doyouevenwantmehere?’”
I leave him outside and turn back to my office, then I pause, giving him a long side-glance. “Knew she was.”
He keeps his eyes on the ground. “So did I.”
26
Wilder
The case worker on the custody transition for Ellie suggested Dallas spends some time with Ellie before the official move. So on Sunday morning, he leaves, saying he’s taking her to the park and then the street fair.
Which means I’ve finally got the house to myself.
I should enjoy it, the quiet alone time to breathe, instead of wondering where my grieving brother is.
The hell did I do with myself before he moved in?
Tell you what I didn’t do .?.?. I didn’t call over my best friend’s sister to spend the day with me.
I pull my door open, and there she is, a smirk playing on her lips. “Hey, cowboy.”
“Where you been all weekend, gorgeous?” I growl against her lips, my hand around her throat possessively as I learned she loves.
She moans. “Out on the town, hoping you’d come find me, toss me over your shoulder and haul me back here.”
I growl again. And I like that she doesn’t ask me where I was last night. Because I don’t want to tell her.
Friday and Saturday had been a damn whirlwind for me with disasters left and right on the ranch, two broken-down tractors, a wrecked fence, and the vet canceling when I had two sick calves.
Then Wesley insisted on going out for drinks last night and dodging him again would only raise suspicion that something’s off with me.
Sure I could tell him something generic .?.?.
