Page 236 of Cowboy Daddies

Then he crouched down to pull her slippers off. That was when she remembered that she was wearing her alligator slippers. But he didn’t even look twice.

They were really cute slippers. As soon as she’d seen them in the store, she’d known she had to have them. Thankfully, she had very small feet and was able to fit into them despite the fact they were meant for kids.

He carefully took off the bandage around her foot.

“I’m so sorry that happened, Jeb. For you and for Wyatt. Elise too.”

Because she was certain that the other woman wouldn’t have wanted things to end up the way they had. Who would willingly leave this man and boy?

It was going to be very hard for her to leave, that was for certain.

“Things hadn’t been good between me and Elise for a long time. But I never wanted that for her. And I definitely never wanted it for Wyatt. He worships her. Like I said, he doesn’t remember the bad. Which is a good thing. It’s just hard when he idolizes her. I feel like I’m losing my son, the kid that used to be my best bud, because he’s angry that she’s gone. And he is angry at me.”

Wow.

She’d never thought he’d tell her stuff like this. That he’d open up.

“Urgh, sorry. I just spewed out everything, didn’t I?” He grimaced. “I never talk like this.”

“Maybe you’re overdue. And I told you about my father.”

“I’ll kill that bastard if I ever meet him.”

Okay, that was quite the vow. She knew he didn’t really mean it. But it definitely warmed her from the inside out to have him on her side.

“I guess Wyatt is angry that she’s gone and he can’t be mad at her so he’s directing it to you. He’s got to let it out on someone and you’re safe because you’ll always love him.”

He froze and she moved her gaze down to meet his surprised one.

“Uh, sorry. I should keep out of it.”

“No, I . . . I think you’re right. How did you know that?”

Casey shrugged. “I was mad when my mama died. No one told me that she was going to die. I thought she was going to get better. It wasn’t until my granny came to see her and discovered that my father and brothers were lying to me that she took me aside and told me the truth. Of course, then I got really mad at her.”

“How did she deal with that?”

“She just hugged me. She told me that this sucked and I was entitled to have big feelings about it.”

“She sounds like an amazing person,” he told her.

“She was. She died last summer and I really miss her. Grandpa died the year before. After Mama’s death, they were the only people who ever seemed to understand me. I’d go stay there every summer along with my youngest brother, Titus. And I always had the best time with them. I wish I could have lived with them. Most of the time I wasn’t sure why my father even wanted me around. He didn’t seem to care about me.”

“I’m sorry, baby. That’s rough. And I’m sorry your mama died.”

“Wyatt will come to realize that what happened wasn’t your fault. That you love him and are here for him.”

Jeb grimaced. “Have I been here for him, though? I’ve been working long hours and he hates having a nanny. You’re the only person other than my mother that he likes looking after him.”

“You’re not able to take more time off? Get a manager or something? Not to tell you how to do your job or anything,” she added hastily.

Jeb sighed. “It might be something to think about. This looks sore and red. Has it been hurting you?”

Huh?

Oh, her foot. Casey was having trouble keeping up with what he was saying.

“Um, I think I’ll plead the fifth.”