Page 7 of Shattered Hearts

“I don’t want to,” I whisper, knowing that it’ll make this even more real, and I really don’t think I can handle that phone call right now.

“You might not want to, but he has the right to know,” she reminds me. “He is the dad, after all.”

My eyes fall shut, knowing that she’s right. He is the dad, after all.

Gosh I might puke again.

I nod again, controlling my breathing as bile tickles my throat.

A knock sounds at the front door.

Collecting myself, I breathe through gritted teeth, “Someone is at my door. Can you send me Scott’s number?”

“You didn’t get his phone number?” Sadie sounds horrified, and now that I think about it, it does sound terrible.

My jaw clenches. “Again, I thought this was a one-time thing.”

“Right. Okay, I will send it now.”

“Thank you. I’ll call you later, all right?”

Her response is immediate. “Please do so I know that you’re okay.”

Ending the call, I toss my phone on the bed and head out to answer the door. I stop a few feet away, mortification rushing through my blood like ice.

What if it’s Grayson? What do I tell him? Can I even tell him?

The knocking starts again, and I inch towards the locked screen door, only to see Macie’s bright face fall at the sight of me. Flushed cheeks, pinched face, and bright ginger hair, she stares at me in shock as I feel the overwhelming pressure once again. Tears fall again as her arms swallow me in a comfortable hug.

Chapter Two

Grayson

“Ihave an idea.”

We all groan in unison as Cole’s smile drops from his face.

“This won’t be good,” Holden mutters and drops the rake, banging against the concrete floor of the barn.

Cole snickers, folding his arms. “You don’t even know what my idea is.”

“They’re never great,” Sawyer adds, leaning against his twin, wearing a matching flannel shirt. For an outsider, they might not notice the differences between them, but as their brother, I can spot them a mile away. Holden’s brows are thicker. Sawyer’s jaw is squarer. And he will deny it, but Holden is an inch shorter.

Reid chuckles under his breath, moving into one of the stalls.

Cole clears his throat. “For your information, some of the best ideas for this ranch have come from me.”

Holden scoffs, “I beg to differ.”

“You’ll be the only one begging for him,” Sawyer murmurs.

I hold in a smile, as Reid cackles from the other side of the wooden wall.

Cole’s tongue runs along his teeth, and he turns to leave. I grab his arm. “Stop, we’re just joking around.”

“Yeah, I know,” he grumbles, looking over his shoulder at me. “But I really think that I have a great idea this time.”

“All right, let us hear it then,” Reid says, appearing again to give our youngest brother all of our attention.