Page 51 of Easy On Me

No.

“And there’s not anybody else.”

Fuck.

“I’m glad it’s not him.” She stepped forward, beseeching eyes wide, a hand outstretched. Her left hand, the one that used to wear my ring. An image flashed through my brain, Tyler’s pretty hand, Noonie’s diamond nestled next to the gold band I’d picked out for Tyler. “I’m glad it’s you–”

Tyler. God. Tyler was going to . . .

This wasn’t happening. This was not happening, me standing in the mud with Elizabeth telling me she was having a baby I didn’t want to have with her.

God help me.

“I love you, Jase. I do. It’ll be all right.” The words spilled from her, a wild, reckless rush, as disjointed and impulsive as I’d discovered her to be. “We can get married and–”

“No.” The harsh laugh burned my throat raw, like I’d swallowed gasoline and chased it with a match. I yanked off my glove and held up my left hand. Under the thin cloudcover, the dull glint of my gold ring stood between us. Tyler’s ring. “I’m already married.”

Her rough inhale scraped my nerves. I planted my feet and firmed my jaw. At least I looked steady, even if the world was falling out from under me.

“And even if I weren’t, me and you . . . that’s a nonstarter.”

Lips parted, she stared, Agony flitted through her eyes before her face contorted into a familiar mask of anger and disgust. “You married someone else.”

I lifted both hands. “Yep.”

“Who is she?” Fury narrowed her eyes to sparking slits. “Not that slut from Thomasville. You don’t know who she is, what she’s like, and you married that bitch?”

Fury slammed through me, a hot tide. If I shut her up the way I wanted to . . . Daddy and Grandaddy would have my hide.

“My life is not your business.” I shoved my hand back in my glove and pointed at her car. “You can go. I want a DNA test, then we’ll talk.”

“You don’t believe me.” Her voice rose to a screech I knew all too well. I didn’t have to do this anymore, though. “And you married another woman. I’ll find out who she is, Jase, the bitch, and I’ll make sure–”

“Get.” Rage shook my voice. I flung a hand toward her car. “Gone.”

“You can’t just ignore me, Jase–”

“Swear to God, I’ll call the cops, Elizabeth.” Darkness blurred the edges of my vision. I was going to have a stroke if she didn’t get the fuck away from me. I stabbed a finger at the gate. “Posted property, and you’ve been told to leave.”

Every muscle tensed because wrath had me trembling all over, I stared her down.

Tension stretched between us, humming like a transformer before it exploded.

“I’ll make you sorry for this.” She lifted a shaking finger. Tremors ran over her whole body, despite the rigid set of her shoulders. “You’ll be sorry.”

I stared after her clomping through the mud, stumbling a couple of times, my heart thudding so I felt it at my temples. My lungs seized, cramping my chest and belly.

Elizabeth, walking through the damn mud to tell me she was pregnant, that it was mine.

I had to tell Tyler.

Fuck.

Fuck.

I spiraled while finishing up the hydraulics on that job. I could not get fired – not that I was in danger of that, but being a Hatcher meant being reliable.

And I needed to think.