“I didn’t know when they would get the chance otherwise.”
My comment landed like an empty barrel betweenus. She stopped. I steeled myself and faced her, putting my back to the other four.
“That bothers me for two reasons,” she said. “You broke my heart. You didn’t even give us a chance, but any time the kids wanted a tour, each one of my family members would’ve stopped and given them one.”
Chagrined, I gritted my teeth. She was right, but I hadn’t gone out of my way to keep in contact with the Baileys, knowing I’d hurt June.
“The second reason,” she continued, “is that I can’t believe you’re still determined to end this thing between us after all that’s happened between us in the last few weeks.” She poked my shoulder. “Since I first stopped in town.”
“June.” We’d been over this.
“What?” She searched my face. “What, Rhys? You know better? You’re going to drag me down? You’re no good for me? Didn’t we prove otherwise when I started pumping out songs after one kiss?”
An old, clogging fear rose inside me, an emotion that had formed inside me the moment I’d heard my mom would never get to live out her dream. “I’d just get in the way.”
She folded her arms. “You’re not a kid anymore. And I’d certainly never think of treating Bethany and Hannah, or any other kid, the way your mom treated you.”
I recoiled like she’d slapped me. “Jesus, June.” Emotions clashed in my chest, making it hard to breathe. June would never speak to a kid like that— My mom hadn’t either. I had deserved her hard words. Like my mom had told me, I’d needed a reality check. “You don’t know anything about that.”
“I know that I can probably commiserate with how hard your mom tried. I can probably even understand the pressure she was under trying to care for you. But what I don’t understand iswhenyour dad took you in. Didn’t Angela ever call him? Did he even know about you? I don’t think Jonathon Kinkade turned down custody of his son.”
“He knew about me.” I didn’t know any of the specifics. Dad hadn’t talked about Mom. He’d made sure my needs were met, and I’d made sure to behave so I wouldn’t lose another parent.
“But you didn’t know about him?” She folded her arms, her skirt swirling with the shift in her weight. “What exactly did she say about your dad?”
I ground my teeth again.Your dad’s a single rancher. He can’t be a single dad.Then after Dad and Wren had married.She won’t like you. You’ll ruin his marriage. “June, this doesn’t have to do with us.”
She flung her arms out. “It has everything to do with us!”
The voices in the background went silent.
“Fuck,” I growled and rubbed the tiny cramp forming between my brows. “Can we talk about this later?”
“I don’t know, Rhys, is there going to be a later?”
The guys appeared around one of the rows.
Tenor assessed us in that calm demeanor of his. “The girls are bored by nothing but barrels. We’ll take them back to finish the tour.”
“Thank you,” June said, her glare still on me.
The girls were watching us with big eyes. Bethany’s mouth pursed like she was chewing the inside of hercheek. I didn’t want to worry them. They were in good hands.
“I’ll be right there.” I forced a smile. “You can each pick out two things from the shop.”
June morphed into the stage presence she was adored for. “Y’all go ahead. I need to clear up a few things with your daddy before I leave.”
I winced at the subtle stress she put on leave.
Hannah clapped her hands. “I want that hat and a toy.” She rushed out the door and Tenor stayed on her heels.
Bethany was older and getting harder to fool. She pinned me with a wise-beyond-her-years gaze before following Hannah.
Teller was the last to leave, but the look he shot me wasn’t the warning stare I anticipated. His brown eyes were full of disappointment.
Why was I the goddamn bad guy?
Hadn’t I made myself one so June could do what she needed to?
