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“I really care for her Sky. I want to be with her but she keeps holding back.”
“Because she thinks you love me. When Ava was born, asking me to marry you probably didn’t help.”
He laughed. “Dalton asked you too.”
“He did.” She smiled at the memories of their attempt at being honorable. Dalton was only sixteen at the time, not even of age. She and Brett were only eighteen. “Dalton wasn’t even old enough to be legally wed without a parent’s permission. I’m sure Luna would not have given him permission to marry me but it was cute.”
Brett chuckled. “No he wasn’t.” He nailed the new board in place then he picked up the old one. He leaned against the wagon. “Do you know how many times I almost told Luka about Ava?”
She shook her head. Her eyes meet Brett’s. She saw the pain it had caused him lying to his brother. It was all pretty obvious to her now. She should have seen it. Like many other things, she missed this too. “Too many times I’ve lost count.”
“Maybe you should have,” she told Brett. “It would have been better for Ava.”
“And you Skylar. You still love Luka. The sooner you admit that the better it will be for everyone especially yourself. Luka isn’t going to give up. You know him.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist and held on tight. “I can admit that I still love him if only to you,” she said. Her tone was soft and trembling with emotion. “But I will never let him know that or let him have my heart Brett.” Tears threatened but Skylar refused to cry. “I can’t let him have the power to hurt me like that again.”
Brett walked over to Skylar. He tapped the end of her nose. “Maybe this time he won’t.”
“Maybe I won’t be giving him the chance to find out.”
“Stubborn. All you Bradford women are so damn stubborn.” He looked up to the heavens as if searching for an answer.
“You drive. I’m walking to the next spot that needs replaced.”
He nodded and climbed up on the tractor. He followed her around the ranch repairing boards in the broken fence; twenty of them in all. Both of them were stretching their shoulders and flexing their hands when she climbed up behind him and he drove back to the house. Her hand rested on his bare shoulder.
Brett parked in the side yard near the barn. They hopped down from the tractor. Then they heard Ava calling Brett’s name as she ran across the drive to meet them. He started to scoop her up in his arms then he reminded her how sweaty he was.
Brett looked across Ava’s head. His brother was walking across the yard too. He took his shirt and wiped his face and chest. Skylar could feel the emotion crackling between them. Luka grabbed Brett in a fierce hug. He held him close for several minutes. Then he whispered, “You didn’t tell me you bastard.” Skylar heard him but thankfully Ava didn’t.
Brett took a step back when Luka released him. “What can I say Luka? I’m sorry.”
“Not good enough.” Skylar glanced at her daughter who was watching her uncle and her father. Their voices were getting gruffer and louder.
“I did what I thought was right for Skylar and Ava at the time.”
“You did what you thought was right for you and Skylar.”
“What does that mean Luka?” Brett snapped at his brother. The anger growing between the two brothers.
She was about to say something when Ava stepped between them. She looked up from her four-and-a-half-foot height and cleared her throat. Then both men looked down on her. “No fighting,” she snapped. “I love you both.” She focused on Luka. “Daddy, I wouldn’t have known who you were when you came here yesterday if Uncle Brett hadn’t told me the truth. I just got you in my life I don’t want any drama between you two over me.”
Skylar had a proud smile on her face. She said exactly what she would have said but Ava beat her to it. “I’m sorry Ava,” Brett said first.
Luka looked at his brother then at his daughter. “Me too sweetheart.”
“I’m going inside the house now,” she informed them.
“I’ll be inside in a moment,” Luka told her.
Brett looked at Skylar. She knew what he was thinking. Luka really wasn’t going to leave. She chuckled beneath her breath. “So what happened with you and Ramona this morning?” Luka asked Brett.
He glanced at Skylar, you told him. She shrugged apologetically. Then he turned to his brother. “She threw me out.”
He looked between them. Then he said, “Let me see if I can get this right. You ran after Skylar, pissed off Ramona and she threw you out.”
“What’s your point?” Brett asked scowling at Luka.
