Page 14 of Roots of Redemption (Hicks Creek #4)

Chapter Ten

Wade

“ Y ou have a way with words,” Benny teases from behind me.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to in that moment. You’ve said it a million times before.” He shrugs nonchalantly. “That girl is as loyal as they come, so think about what had to have happened for her to turn her back on her family.”

I inhale sharply and look back at Benny.

I guess I hadn’t thought of the bigger picture.

He’s right, the Sutton I used to know sacrificed a social life for that ranch, for her family.

I’m embarrassed by the way I immediately judged her without even pausing to take a second and think logically about any of it.

So many people turned their backs on her without asking questions or trying to understand her motives.

I’m just as big of an asshole as her dad.

“This entire town thinks she’s flaky and whatever else. But I remember that little girl in her prom dress, up on a horse, corralling cattle for her family and yours when the river flooded. She skipped her own prom.”

“If I remember correctly,” Tommy interjects from behind us. “I’m pretty certain she showed up late to graduation because she was delivering a breached calf.”

“At the same time those floods came through, she jumped in the river after the Childers’ baby when their car got away from them. Stupid thing to do, but she missed her scholarship interview with the University of Montana,” Dad adds from behind me.

I whip around and raise an eyebrow at him, surprised that he’s standing up for her, too.

“I didn’t know that.”

“Caroline told your mother. Your mom and Caroline both told the committee why she missed it, but it was too late.”

“Wait…you knew they were still talking?”

“My beef was with Frank, and Caroline had nothing to do with that. Besides, your mother would have left me had I told her that she couldn’t speak to her best friend,” he chuckles. “You can’t control a woman and expect her to thrive.”

I nod slowly, and my eyes flit back to the barn where Sutton is. I chew the inside of my cheek, deciding on whether I should go in and say something to her.

I guess I don’t know anything at all, really. I shake my head in disbelief. All this time, I thought Dad was going to have an aneurysm about Sutton on the property helping out, and he seems not to hold a grudge against her.

Was I wrong to turn my back on her when the fight first started? I thought I was doing what I was supposed to for my family. Turns out, I didn’t need to.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Dad chuckles as he shakes his head and walks off, almost as if he were answering the question I just internally asked myself.

I stride into the barn. Sutton is in there muttering a slew of curse words under her breath. I’m pretty certain I can hear her say my name and ass several times in a row.

“I don’t mind if Caleb goes with you,” I tell her.

Her head snaps up, her eyes narrowed as if she’s ready for a fight.

“He loves to learn, especially if it means helping the ranch. He’s incredibly intelligent, and school is boring to him because of that. He’s been burying himself in research to help us figure things out, and…him following you around, learning things, will be good for him,” I continue.

She stares back at me in shock.

Apologize to her, Wade.

Her demeanor doesn’t change. It’s almost as if she thinks there’s going to be a gotcha or something at the end of my sentence, but there’s not.

I hear the bell ringing outside the main house—Mom’s signal to let everyone know it’s lunchtime. I can’t apologize right now because to do so would take time, and Mama doesn’t tolerate people being late for meals. I know that’s a bullshit excuse, though, so I turn around and look at her.

“Listen, I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t…

I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions and judged you as harshly as I did.

I was an absolute ass to you and you didn’t deserve it.

I accused you of betraying your family when I know damn well you sacrificed everything for that ranch.

I remember you being so sick during one of the tropical storms, like you had mono or something and could barely stand up, but you were outside battening down hatches and making sure your family didn’t lose anything.

You’re as loyal as they come, Sutton. I’m sorry. ”

She doesn’t reply, just stares back at me with those doe eyes. She opens her mouth but no sound comes out. I turn on my heel and walk out of there. I said what I need to, and that’s enough.

I pass Benny on my way out of the barn. He raises an eyebrow at me, and I keep walking.

“Hey, Doc. Miss Elena has chow ready,” Benny tells her.

“I forget that Mrs. C’s first name is Elena,” I hear her say.

“She’ll be offended if you don’t come in for lunch,” Tommy adds.

“She did mention something about an apple pie,” Sutton replies.

I continue walking and try not to focus on how hard I am listening to whether she is coming in for lunch.

When Sutton walks into the house, she’s like a pod person compared to who she is around me.

That rough demeanor is gone as she offers to help Mom in the kitchen.

Seeing how much my mother adores her is different as well.

Mom loves everyone, but there’s something special about the way she and Sutton interact.

It’s almost like Mom sees her as a daughter.

Mom catches me staring and she gives me a grin before tilting her head in Sutton’s direction. I shake my head and focus on eating my lunch.

I don’t have time to think about any woman, especially not Sutton Bishop.

I keep my head down, picking at my food while the ranch hands chat around me.

Sutton sits across the table, her no-nonsense demeanor somehow commanding attention even when she’s not trying.

Jared, Tommy, and Benny are doing their best to charm her, throwing out jokes and half-flirtatious remarks, but she’s not having it.

“So, Doc,” Jared says, leaning back in his chair with a grin. “What’s the verdict? Are our cows gonna make it, or should we start looking into goat farming?”

She raises an eyebrow, her fork poised in midair. “Goats? Sure. If you’re ready to milk them every morning and fend off coyotes twice as often.”

The table erupts in laughter, and Jared holds up his hands in mock surrender. “All right, all right, point taken.”

“What about chickens?” Tommy chimes in. “I hear they’re low maintenance. And the roosters—”

“I always thought you liked cocks,” Sutton shoots back, her tone dry but her lips twitching with the hint of a smile.

Benny throws his head back and laughs, as does my mother.

“It sure is nice to see someone keeping these boys in line,” Mom interjects from the kitchen.

I catch myself almost smiling at her quick wit, but I stop short, glancing down at my plate instead.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mom watching me, a knowing look on her face.

She’s been on my case about settling down for years, and I can practically see the wheels turning in her head. I avoid her gaze, focusing on my food.

Lunch wraps up, and everyone starts to scatter, heading back to their tasks. I step outside, needing some air. The sun beats down on the barn as I make my way toward it, my mind still on the conversation at the table.

Inside the barn, it’s cooler, the scent of hay and leather filling the air. I’m not expecting to see anyone, so we nearly collide when Sutton rounds the corner at the same time I do. Her shoulder brushes against mine, and I instinctively reach out, my hand catching her elbow to steady her.

The moment my fingers touch her skin, it’s like a jolt of static electricity shoots through me. Sutton freezes, her wide eyes meeting mine, and neither of us moves. My eyes go down to those kissable lips, and it’s all I can think about.

Before I can stop myself, I lean down, closing the distance between us. My lips meet hers, soft and warm. Everything else fades away. She doesn’t pull back, her hands coming up to rest lightly on my chest, and I deepen the kiss, losing myself in the feel of her.

It’s like nothing has changed since that night in Texas.

My cock stands at attention, twitching to be released, to fill her. I push her back against the wall. Her hips thrust upward to meet mine.

Her hands go up to the back of my head, her fingers threading through my hair. My hand goes up to her breast, groping her. She moans against my mouth; a needy little whimper escapes, too.

That sound drives me wild.

My cock is threatening to bust through these Wranglers. It needs to feel her. I want to fill her. It’s all I can think about. My hand gently goes to her throat, and her hips slam forward and up again as though I’ve found the secret lever to unlock her desires.

Her whimpers, mixed with the way her tongue is tangling with mine, is causing me to forget everything. I reach down to cup her butt cheeks, lifting her slightly. Her legs wrap around my waist. Her core settles against the bulge in my pants and I damn near see stars.

I need to be inside her now.

A sudden, loud whinny from one of the horses shatters the moment. Sutton pulls back, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. She doesn’t say a word, just turns and bolts out of the barn, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding and my thoughts a mess.

I stare after her, my hand still tingling where I touched her elbow. What did I just do?