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“Yes, Silva. I heard.”
He heard? I immediately glanced around me. Did he have a spy on my ranch? “Did you now?”
Harry chuckled. “Don’t worry, my boy. When the rescue horse died, word got around town about the other one. Quite a few people were concerned. I’m pleased that you found a way to rectify the situation.”
I noticed that he didn’t actually come out and say who he heard the information from, but I let it drop. “Have you made a decision about the other buyer?” I tried to keep my voice casual. All this dust that I was kicking up would be for nothing if Harry got impatient and just sold it to someone else. Of course, if it was to another rancher, I’d feel a little better.
“When I make a decision, I’ll notify you. I called to see if I’d be seeing you and your pretty wife at the festival tomorrow evening?”
The festival. I’d completely forgotten about it. Every year, Springs County hosted their annual hoedown festival. It was meant to be a step back in time, to remind everyone of their frontier roots, but the festival had been modernized quite a bit. Even though the dance floor in the middle of the square was the most popular, there were still food trucks from the city, fair rides, and other vendors.
“Absolutely.” I plowed a hand through my hair, thinking things through. “Jillian’s looking forward to it. She and her friend are going shopping for a dress this evening,” I lied.
“Excellent. I look forward to getting to know your wife a little better.” He hung up, and I groaned. What the hell was I supposed to do with Jillian during the festival? Word had no doubt already spread that I was still married, so it would be impossible to hide her.
“Why are Jillian and I going shopping for a dress?” Danielle asked with acid dripping from her voice. I whirled around. The raven-haired beauty was leaning against a tree and glaring at me. “I was heading up to the house to grab some more treats for the horses.”
“You son-of-a-bitch. You’re going to leave her now? After everything that has happened to the two of you?”
I hadn’t slept in days. The last thing I wanted was for Danielle to get her claws into me. Rubbing a hand over my face, I blinked and stared at her. What the hell was she even doing in our apartment? Jillian wasn’t even here. “I’m not the only one signing the papers.”
“She’s traumatized. She’s hurting. She’s—”
“Shutting me out,” I snapped. “She’s shutting me out, Danielle. She’s not my wife. She’s some stranger living under the same roof as me. She’s better off without me.”
Silence descended, and she stared at me. “You still love her.”
“Get out,” I ordered. “My marriage is none of your business, and neither is my divorce. Just get the hell out.”
“That conversation was private.” A headache formed behind my eyes as she glared at me.
“You were going to have to explain anyway, so you might as well start now.” Danielle shook her head. “You know, I encouraged Jillian to do this. She’s been a completely different person since she lost the baby and then you. It’s been really hard to watch, and I thought that maybe if she did this, she’d find some closure. She’d be able to find a way to enjoy her life again and look forward to being in love. I even thought that maybe you two might rekindle something.”
“But?” I muttered through gritted teeth.
“How could you seduce her like that? How could you get her back into bed without even discussing the baby?”
“Stop.” Holding up my hand, I shook my head. “I am definitely not going to talk about it with you, and I didn’t convince Jillian to do anything that she didn’t want to do.”
“Of course she wanted you! She hasn’t slept with anyone since you!”
The blood drained from her face as she realized what she’d said, and I felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on me.
Really? For all these years, Jillian hadn’t slept with anyone? No wonder she was running from me today. “Why?”
“You need to talk to her, Brendan,” Danielle said softly. “I know that she’s difficult and doesn’t want to talk, but she’s still hurting, and this is only making it worse. I’m not saying that you have to reconcile your marriage. I’m not even saying that you can’t sleep with her. Believe it or not, I think it might be good for her. She needs to be able to move on with her life and not fear being in a relationship again.”
“She was in a relationship,” I pointed out.
She threw up her hands, a look of disgust on her face. “Dear god, we are not counting Don. In fact, if nothing else, that should show you just how far off the reservation she’s gone.” Danielle shook her head. “I know this ranch is important to you, and the land or whatever it is you’re trying to get, but Jillian used to be important to you too. Don’t just use her. Help her.”
