"Okay," he said carefully.
"She's keeping it."
Another beat. Then: "What do you want?"
I looked at him.
"I'm not asking what you think you should do," he said. "I'm asking what you want."
The sky had gone deep orange over the cedar line. Somewhere across the property a gate swung shut, metal on metal, somebody heading in for the night.
"Her," I said. It came out rough. "The baby. All of it."
Dakota nodded slowly. Like that was the answer he'd expected and he was just waiting for me to catch up to it.
"Then what are you doing out here talking to me?"
“Because I’m too fuckin’ old for her,” I said. “Because she’s got a future and her whole life and she should be with someone who…”
I stopped.
I didn’t know what the hell I was saying. Only half-believed it myself.
“Who what?” Dakota asked.
I still didn’t have an answer to that question.
“You saying she should have someone who suits her better?” He watched me, sipping his beer. “Someone younger? Someone with better hair and a better attitude?”
“You’re a dick,” I muttered.
“Wyatt, she’s been in love with you since we were in high school,” he said. “Like…you know I had Bio with her, right? I was a dumb fuckin’ senior, she was a too-smart freshman, and she used to writeMrs. Holtin her notebooks. Everyone said she had a thing for me. But I’d seen you two working on the ranch and I knew better.”
I blanched. “I waswaytoo old for her then.”
“But we both know that Haven is like…she’s always had her shit together, way more than a lot of forty-year olds.” He paused. “Way more thanyou.”
I let out a harsh laugh despite myself. "Thanks."
"I'm serious." He turned to look at me. "She walked in there this morning knowing it might blow everything up and she told you the truth anyway. All of it." He shook his head. "You know how many people would've just...not?”
Yeah, I knew.
I knew it all too well.
“Keeping secrets,” I said. “That’s not who she is.”
“Right,” he said. “She’s the woman you love. Not a liar. Not a cheater. A damn good woman you'd be lucky to spend the rest of your life with.”
“Dakota—”
“Am I wrong?”
I glared at him.
He sipped his beer.
“I just don't know what the hell she sees in me,” I finally said.
