Page 46 of The Moments You Were Mine

His words had me pulling myself together, had me fighting the tears and wiping at my face, even though it would spread the black ash into an ugly mess.

I reluctantly stepped away from Parker and tossed an irritated look at my foreman.

“And what’s that supposed to mean, Kurt? I’m a woman, so I’m supposed to curl up in a ball and cry, while you’re a man, so you’re supposed to be able to take it all on the chin and keep standing?”

Kurt’s mouth twitched, and he guffawed. “There’s my girl. Thought you were in there somewhere below that blubbering mess.”

It took me a second to realize what he’d done. I slammed him on the shoulder with my fist. “Asshole.”

Beckett looked between the group of us with a smile emerging. “I see you’ve got plenty of support with Dad and the gang here, so I won’t have to worry about you.” I rolled my eyes, and he laughed. “That eye roll is the same one you gave me when I asked you to the homecoming dance, and you broke my heart by saying no.”

A gurgled laugh erupted from deep inside me. “I didnotbreak your heart. You didn’t even really want to go with me. You wanted to go with Maisey.”

He winked. “True story. But she’d already told Carter Smythe yes.” He flung a thumb back at the crew still mopping up. “I’m going to get back at it. When Wylee shows up, direct him my way.”

He pocketed the bag with the black box and strode away.

When I turned to Parker, his face was shuttered in that way I despised. All emotion was hidden away. It made him look every inch the Navy SEAL he was, but I still couldn’t stand it. I missed the Parker I’d grown up with—the one I could read as easily as he still read me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

Kurt cleared his throat awkwardly, and I reeled around to glare at him again. “You called him?”

“He called my dad,” Parker answered for him. “But the question is, why didn’t you pick up the phone and call one of us?”

“Damn you, Kurt—”

“Look. I respected your reasons for not calling Rafe,” Kurt said gravely. “But ultimately, Jim is in charge of the security team, and they haven’t been doing their job. Someone needed to come and kick them in the ass. They sure as hell weren’t going to listen to the guy in charge of the cows.”

“You should have talked it over with me,” I snapped. “It was my decision to make, not yours.”

Old wounds flashed. The many times I’d been overruled by Mom while she’d had control of me and the ranch. Taking it out on Kurt wasn’t fair, and I instantly regretted it.

Kurt held up his hands. “Maybe so. But I won’t apologize for doing what I thought was right. And as soon as you get your ego out of your ass, you’ll realize it too.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets and strode off toward his men who were standing at the edges of the cabin, watching the firefighters finish up.

Anger and embarrassment burned. Not only because Parker had seen our exchange but because Kurt was right. It had been partially ego that had stopped me from calling Jim. How many mistakes would I make before I realized I wasn’t ready for this responsibility? These character-building errors I kept making risked far more than the land. Someone could have died today!

My chest wound another notch tighter, and I fought against chewing my nails by biting into my cheek once more.

I lifted my chin and met Parker’s gaze defiantly, but it wasn’t judgment or disapproval I saw in those steely eyes—it was a flash of concern that bled through the SEAL facade.

“Want to tell me what the hell has been going on, Ducky?”

“Hell, Ducky!” Theo said with a smile, throwing his stuffed dog into the air, and Parker looked completely abashed.

“We’ve talked about this, bud. You can’t repeat everything I say.”

My heart clutched at the exchange, making those stupid tears prick again. The love wafting from Parker to Theo was so big and so visible it could cause a sonic wave. The few times I’d seen Parker with Will’s son before now, he’d always been good with him. He’d teased and laughed as anyone might with a friend’s kid, but I hadn’t seen this—protectiveness and love.

It hit me right in that tender spot, deep inside, that had always been Parker’s. Right besidethe ache I’d once had to have my own kids. To raise a couple of babies who would forever know they were loved and wanted. I’d set those wishes aside, thinking there was plenty of time for them after I’d finished college, taken the ranch in hand, and made my dreams of the animal refuge come true.

Now, I wasn’t sure what—if any of it—I’d be able to pull off.

Then, I kicked myself in the proverbial ass just like Kurt had said I needed. What was wrong with me the last few days?

My emotions were on a wild roller-coaster ride that I couldn’t seem to stop.