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“Who is she?”
I close my eyes, but quickly open them again when flashes of dark, windswept hair and luscious curves assault my mind. “Lacy Hallman.”
Mack lets out a whistle. “That is trouble.”
My shoulders slump, bone-deep weariness pulling me down. “Thanks, man, you’re really helping.”
“Hate to ask.” He pins me with a guilty stare. “But are you sure it’s yours?”
“Don’t go there.” I stiffen before sagging back down to the bench. “I know her family doesn’t have the best reputation, but she’s not like that. She’s not a scammer.”
“You sure about that?” He looms over me with his jacked-up arms crossed over his stupidly wide chest. “You say it was one night. How well do you really know her?”
My stomach’s suddenly in my throat. It’s the same sensation you get when going over the top of a roller coaster. Only, right now, it feels more like someone’s pushed me off a cliff.
“I wasn’t sure at first. But she told me in no uncertain terms it’s mine, and I don’t know why…but I believe her.”
Mack joins me on the bench again, eliminating the awkward height difference and making me feel like I’m not quite so alone. “Okay. But believe her or not, you’re still going to ask for a paternity test, right?”
A dry, brittle breeze sweeps into the dugout, making my eyes sting and my throat feel like the goddamn Sahara. “I don’t know. I don’t think she wants to have anything to do with me.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You are not this shortsighted.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” I shake my head, hoping to dislodge the absolute chaos within it. “It’s ludicrous, and if you tell another soul I will beat your ass, but I’m kind of hung up on her.”
The mix of dry air, racing heart, and sinking stomach makes me feel like I’m going to be sick. “When she told me, I was shocked and couldn’t quite believe it. Yet, at the same time…I don’t know…there’s just something about her. Something I want to hold on to. Only it’s impossible, you know?”
“Nothing’s impossible, especially if it’s what you really want, but did you forget you’re already engaged?”
“Of course not. How could I? But that hasn’t stopped me from thinking about it…thinking about her. Lacy.” I sigh heavily and swipe a hand over my face, hoping to scrub away some of the downright insanity circling my mind.
“Listen.” Mack’s tone is as cool as ever. “Maybe you’re just questioning things because so much in your life is out of your control right now. It raises doubts you wouldn’t otherwise have. Or”—he looks me in the eye, his expression grim—“maybe you’re finally allowing yourself to consider things because the doubts were already there.”
“Yeah, maybe. I’m not sure it matters, either way.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
It’s the same question I’ve been asking myself on repeat for the past three days. Still, I don’t have an answer.
All I can think about is how brave and beautiful Lacy was when she held my gaze and told me the news. She didn’t back down. Didn’t beg or threaten. Just told me how it was—how it’s going to be. She might not have said a lot, but she was clear. Her plans don’t include me.
“What can I do? My future is Canyon Spring. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been allowed to want. And I do—I want it. I’ve given up everything else for it. And it’s not just duty or obligation or even some misguided vengeance against Pa.”
I swallow hard, wishing I had something cool to wash down the lump of emotion suddenly lodged in my throat. “The ranch, the land, and everything on it are as much a part of me as my flesh and blood. I don’t know what I’d do without it.”
“Yeah,” Mack agrees with a sigh. “But if that baby’s yours, it’s your flesh and blood too. And if you don’t take care of it now, there’ll come a day when it’ll come back to take care of you. One way or another.”
His words are ominous, which, coming from someone like Mack, makes them doubly impactful. But they’re true.
If there’s anything Devlin Kincaide taught me, it’s how to take care of my own—even if they don’t appreciate it. Even if it’s against their will. When it comes to the best interests of my family, I can be downright greedy when I want to be. Ruthless when I have to be.
But I’m no good to anyone if I’m not head of Canyon Spring Ranch. Without that controlling seat, this whole town sees me as just another spoiled rich boy with a big mouth and a bad temper. As it is, most of the respect I’m given is in memory of my pa. My family name can only get me so far, though. I’ve still got a lot of work to prove I’m worthy, and the only way that happens is if I’m running the show.
“I know. I want to do the right thing here, Mack.” My throat is so tight, I can hardly get out the next words. “I’ll ask for a paternity test. If it’s mine, I’ll arrange financial support.”
“That’s it? You don’t want a relationship with your kid?”
“It’s not about what I want. It’s what has to happen. Besides, what kind of father could I possibly be? I’m just as bad as Devlin ever was, and that’s no kind of life for a child.”
