Behind the Scandal

  He snapped his head up and fixed his eyes forward. She adjusted her hold on the rope and stepped a bit farther away from him.

  The morning sun had begun to burn through the clouds, leaving large pockets of blue sky. Nevertheless, the air still held a chill, enough to make her breath visible as she exhaled.

  “Horse seems to like him.”

  Libby turned to greet Josh. “Levi’s fallen in love.”

  Josh came closer with his hand shoved into the worn pockets of his jeans. His large belt buckle glinted in the sun, a token of his years in rodeo that he wore almost every day. It was as much a part of him as the plaid shirts and salt-and-pepper hair.

  “Looks like Levi isn’t alone in that.”

  He walked into the paddock and closed the gate behind him.

  “Candy will be fantastic with the kids. She’s got the perfect temperament. Levi hasn’t had a single problem while riding her.”

  “Good. We chose the right one, then.” He patted her shoulder. “When do you want to introduce her to the kids?”

  Libby wondered if it was still too soon to introduce a new horse to children who were just learning to ride. They had bought the horse to take the strain off Thor. The kids adored that horse, but as he aged he grew grumpier.

  “Maybe test her for another week or so?”

  Josh nodded. “Whatever you think is best.” He lowered his voice and leaned in closer to her ear. “Has he mentioned school?”

  “Yeah. He asked if he had to go there today. He actually looked excited.”

  Josh pressed his lips together, the wrinkles around his eyes growing deeper. He stared at Levi on the horse and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll take him there tomorrow.”

  “Josh, you don’t need to do that,” Libby said, holding up her hands. “I’ve spoken to his teachers. There shouldn’t be any more problems. Besides, he seems okay about going.”

  “There won’t be any problems if I go with him. I’ll scare the evil little spawns.”

  Libby bumped him with her shoulder, rolling her eyes skyward. “I don’t need parents calling me because some old guy is picking on their kids.”

  “The old guy would kick their asses, too.”

  Libby laughed, though she was careful not to spook the horse. “I’ve sorted it out. I’ll let you attack them if they don’t deal with my complaint. We don’t need any more visitors.”

  “Ain’t that the truth?” His voice was gruff. He cocked his head toward the house after waving to Levi. “The visitor we do have is hard enough work.”

  “Ah, your nephew.”

  “Ungrateful shit.” He kicked at the sand on the ground. “Made him breakfast. He sniffed it. Actually sniffed the bread.”

  Biting her bottom lip to stop from sniggering, Libby reeled in the rope to bring Levi and Candy closer. “I’ve had your toast, among other things, and I don’t blame him one bit for smelling it first. Was it burned?”

  “It was well done. Certainly not cremated.”

  “Funny, but I don’t believe you.” She coiled the rope around her hand. “How is he settling in?”

  “He’s pissed off with everyone but me. Don’t know how long that will last, though.”

  Josh held out his arms to help the little boy off the horse. Levi hugged Josh’s leg. “Hey, Pops.”

  Josh patted Levi’s helmet, and he giggled.

  “I think he was looking out at us before.” Libby led Candy from the enclosure, and Josh and Levi followed. “I’d forgotten he was staying here and was a little freaked out at first.”

  “You don’t need to worry about Taylor. The boy is harmless enough. He just needs to work through his issues with my brother and nephew.”

  “He didn’t seem too friendly,” she said, leading the way to the stables.

  “Still got that big fat chip on his shoulder. He’ll lose it soon enough, especially when I tell him what needs to be done around here.”

  Libby removed Candy’s saddle and frowned over at Josh. “That doesn’t sound good.” She carried the saddle to the tack room and smiled when Levi removed his helmet on his own and placed it into an alcove in the wall. “It sounds as though you’re going to annoy him further.”

  “Wouldn’t do that,” Josh said with a scowl. “But if he’s staying here and eating my food, then he has to work for it.”

  “He isn’t eating your food.”

  “He damn well will be.”

  Libby nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. She powered up the riding school’s laptop, intending to check on the day’s activities. Sundays were never too crazy, but there would be at least two hour-long lessons scheduled. Levi started to chatter and squealed loudly when Josh tickled him through his jacket.

  The cottage she rented from Josh was perfect for them. It had plenty of room and gave them the security they needed. The fact that her job was on her doorstep gave it major plus points, too.

  “I have Charlie booked for twelve o’clock. She’s barely learned how to hold the reins, so the gap in the fence isn’t an issue. Tomorrow is a whole different story, though. I don’t want to nag, Josh, but—”

  “But you will.” He smiled.

  Libby huffed and continued. “Do you think you could hammer a few planks across the stumps to block the gap?”

  “Nope, I couldn’t.” He paused, giving Libby enough time to gather her wits. “But I know a man who will.” Josh pointed toward the ceiling.

  Libby wrinkled her forehead. “I know he’s famous for miracles, but I don’t think God is going to fix your fence.”

  Josh let rip a huge belly laugh. Levi stared at him, his eyes growing wide in surprise. “Taylor. I meant Taylor will do the fence.”

  Libby giggled.

  “Momma, can I get a snack? I’m hungry.”

  She took hold of his hand. “Riding Candy has burned off your breakfast, huh?”

  He rubbed his stomach over his jacket. “Can you hear it? Rumbly-rumbly.”

  “He needs a man’s breakfast,” Josh said, rubbing his own stomach. “Bacon, eggs, biscuits—”

  “Josh, you’re not helping.” She looked back down to her son. “You can have another slice of toast and some fruit.”

  “Apple.”

  “If you like.” Libby closed the laptop and ushered everyone out of the tack room before locking the door behind her. They strolled across the yard and over to the main house. Levi raced inside, chanting about toast and apples. He ran down the corridor, around the corner, and out of her sight before she heard a loud shatter.

  “What the hell, brat?”

  Libby froze. The aggression in the voice had been strong and worrying. She rushed to the kitchen, with Josh right behind her. Her heart beat double time, but her feet moved faster.

  Levi ran at her and clung to her leg like a monkey to a branch. He shuddered against her.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  The man she’d seen in the bedroom window leaned against the counter and took a deep breath. His upper lip lifted in a sneer as he stared at her son.

  “She asked you a question,” Josh said. “I suggest you answer it.”

  Taylor turned to grab a mug. Libby glanced at the floor, where the remains of a red mug were shattered across the tiles along with a pool of brown liquid. Coffee.

  “What happened, Levi?” Libby squatted to his level so she could see into his eyes.

  Her little boy’s eyes darted toward Taylor as he pointed in the same direction.

  “Someone needs to tell me what the hell happened. As my son is too scared to say anything, that person will have to be you.”

  Taylor poured another mug of coffee before turning his intense blue eyes on her. His chiseled jaw clenched, and long dark lashes framed his narrowed eyes. He licked his full lips to get a stray drop of coffee.

  “I should be the one pissed,” he said, his tone low and gruff. “He made me break that mug and spill my coffee. I don’t deal well with others without coffee.”

&nbsp
; “Seems like you don’t deal well with others, period.”

  Josh snorted, and Levi reached up for her hand.

  Taylor straightened, his spine snapping rigid. “You don’t know anything about me.” He pointed toward Levi. “That little brat came rushing at me. It’s his fault I dropped the mug, his fault it smashed, and his fault all of this is going down.”

  Anger surged within her, but she kept a lid on it because of her son. Josh stepped forward, his shoulders tight and his mouth set in a grim line. Libby ushered Levi out of the room. “Baby, go and watch some cartoons while we talk.”

  Levi raced off. Taylor eyed her over the rim of his mug as he took a sip. Then he turned and headed for the door.

  “Excuse me, but I haven’t finished.”

  He stalled in his retreat, leaving her with no choice but to talk to his back.

  “I’m still waiting for an explanation.”

  “Then you’ll have a long wait, Blue.”

  Libby fisted her hands as she took a step toward him. Josh placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her getting any closer. “Leave him, Lib. I’m sorry. I’ll talk to him.”

  “Please do.” She shrugged off his hand and went to pick up the broken glass from the floor. “I’m not having him speak to my child like that. Even if he is your nephew.”

  Josh exhaled, nodding before she walked away and took her fiery temper with her.

  Chapter 3

  “Stupid fucking middle-of-nowhere Hicksville,” Taylor mumbled as he picked up a long wooden post. Apparently he was now the unpaid help around the ranch. He couldn’t care less about the fence, and yet he had to fix the thing. Josh made it a demand, not a request. His steely glare had given Taylor no room to argue.

  For one small moment he thought about leaving, going back to Sea Pointe, and seeing if his father and brother had dealt with their issues. But he buried it fast, knowing the thought was ridiculous. They both would want proof he’d changed before they welcomed him back. He had nothing to give.

  Grunting, he gripped the lump hammer and smacked it down onto the post. The wood drove into the dirt and, unsure if he was doing it right, he hit the post again just to make sure.

  Sweat trickled down his spine. His arms were sore, and his muscles burned. But the ache of hard work covered the needy one that had pulsed through him since he’d arrived in Hunter’s Hollow. The one that made him thirst for the very thing that had gotten him there in the first place. Frustration gripped him hard, giving him the strength to continue with the hammer blows to the wood. He cursed, grunting with each whack.

  A month ago his life had been simple. He’d been answerable to only himself, living in his own plush apartment with more than enough money to cover his bills. He had no problems when it came to women, no issues when it came to getting what he wanted. But then in the blink of an eye all of that was swept away. It left him lost and clinging to his dignity with everything he had.

  His brother’s latest lay had caused the problems to begin with. He knew Dale had been whispering into Kyran’s ear about how late he turned up to work, along with the state he usually arrived in. It had nothing to do with her. She wasn’t their mom, just Taylor’s assistant.

  It made him wonder if Kyran had employed her to spy on him. Then again, Kyran had his own shit going on and probably never even noticed what went on in Taylor’s life. Everything had been just peachy until Dale arrived. She was the one who’d opened Kyran’s eyes. She was the reason Taylor slept on a creaky bed in a house that stank of horses, with nothing but fence-fixing to occupy himself.

  His life sucked because of Dale Porter.

  “Are you planning on standing there all day and admiring one damn post?”

  Exhaling, Taylor turned to face his uncle. “I was thinking, not admiring.”

  “Good, because it looks like shit.”

  Taylor shook his head, kicking the post and realizing Josh was right. The plank wobbled and fell onto the grass. The last thirty minutes spent beating it into the ground had been for nothing.

  “Do it yourself, then.” Taylor dropped the lump hammer to the ground and squinted to see the man through the bright rays of autumn sun.

  Josh shook his head and pointed to the fence. “That needs fixing before Libby’s next appointment.”

  “Why?”

  His uncle raised his gray eyebrows. “Check your tone, boy. Libby can’t teach those kids to ride a horse with a great hole in the fence, can she?”

  “And that affects me how?”

  “Won’t repeat myself. Libby needs the hole closed. You’re the one to do it. We’ll call it an apology of sorts and ignore the fact that you’re currently living in my house rent-free.”

  Taylor grimaced. “I’ve got nothing to apologize for.” Nor was it his choice to be living on the ranch either.

  Josh moved closer, his boots carving deep holes in the sand. He lifted his hand, and Taylor flinched.

  “I’m not about to coldcock you. Not yet, anyway. There’s still time, and if you don’t talk to Libby about your attitude toward Levi, then I may just change my mind.”

  Taylor winced, trying his best to hide it from his uncle. “Why were they in your kitchen, anyway? The kid came out of nowhere.”

  Josh grumbled, bending over to pick up the wood post. He gestured for Taylor to retrieve the lump hammer and waited until he did before speaking.

  “Not that I have to explain anything to you, but I’ll clear up your confusion. Libby and Levi live in the cottage at the back of the house.”

  “Aunt Della’s den?”

  “Mm-hmm.” Josh nodded toward the post. Taylor lifted the hammer and brought it down onto the wood. It drove into the ground much easier than when he’d tried to do it alone.

  “After Della passed I needed a hobby, so I built it out as a guest house. I never intended on renting it, but when Libby came about the job, she noticed the place and loved it.”

  “Bet she did,” Taylor muttered, slamming the hammer down again.

  “We connected right away, so it seemed right to offer her the cottage along with the job.”

  Taylor sneered in disgust. “Are you sleeping with her?”

  “Did those drugs rot every one of your brain cells? The girl is young enough to be my daughter.”

  “Didn’t stop Dad.”

  Josh laughed. “Touché. But I’m too old to keep up with you young ones, and she already has someone to look after. I doubt she needs another.”

  Taylor didn’t say anything further. For the next ten minutes, he pounded the post into the ground while Josh helped him by holding it steady.

  “So the brat’s hers?” he asked when the wood remained firmly in the ground.

  Josh’s hand snapped out so fast Taylor didn’t have time to duck out of the way. His uncle clipped him hard around the back of his head and scowled. “I’m warning you. If I hear you refer to him that way again, there will be consequences.”

  Taylor rubbed his scalp. “I’m not five. You can’t chastise me and make me sit in the naughty chair.”

  “No, but I can make your life hell while you’re staying here. So heed what I say and play nice with my friends.”

  Taylor took a step back and glared at his uncle. He didn’t give a shit who the kid belonged to or what the redhead and her brat meant to Josh. All he could think of were the cramps in his stomach and the bone-deep need for something he could no longer get a hold of. Rage burned within him, singeing its way through his veins under his tightened muscles. His entire body clenched.

  Taylor’s head began to swim, and Josh’s voice sounded as if it was filtered through water. He could see his uncle’s lips moving, and he heard a deep series of noises, but not one made an ounce of sense.

  Another spasm gripped his gut and doubled him over.

  “Taylor? Taylor? Boy, speak to me.”

  Taylor raised his palm, taking a deep breath as the pain subsided. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead, and even though he felt hot, goo
se bumps scattered across his flesh. He gagged, spitting the saliva that pooled in his mouth onto the grass.

  “Are you okay?”

  Taylor gasped. “Yeah. Just . . . just give me a minute.”

  Josh patted him on the back. The touch should have been soothing, but instead it annoyed him. He shrugged it off and flopped down onto the grass. Lying back, he blinked up at the sky as he willed his body to calm down. It hurt. Everything hurt.

  “Maybe I should call the doc?”

  Taylor shook his head, slowing his breathing. “It’s going now. The doctor can’t help anyway.”

  Clicking his tongue, Josh helped Taylor to sit up. “You’ve made a right mess of yourself. Was it worth it? Those few hours of fun can’t possibly make all this seem like a joyride.”

  Taylor’s tone was subdued. “It was more than a few hours, and to be honest . . . I don’t remember.”

  “You spent thousands, snorted God knows how much, and messed up everything you ever had, only to tell me you can’t remember if it was worth it? Are you serious?”

  “So it would seem.”

  “You’ve dug yourself one hell of a hole.” He hauled Taylor up, keeping his arm around him.

  “I’ve got it,” Taylor snapped, pushing Josh’s hands away. “I can stand up on my own.”

  Josh chuckled. “If that were the case, you’d be back in Sea Pointe living your life as you should, not here dealing with the fallout of your fuckup.”

  The man had a point, but Taylor wasn’t about to admit it. Right now all he wanted was to climb into bed and pull the covers over his head. Everything hurt. Including his ego. Hiding would be the only way to get through this. He’d sleep until his father brought the keys to release him from his prison.

  “Your silence is very telling.”

  “I’ve told you shit.” His lip curled as he snarled. Why couldn’t Josh just leave him alone? He didn’t want to be there—Josh knew that. So why was he trying to be his friend and understand him? Or involve him in his boring little life? There was a reason he’d hated coming to the ranch just to visit: he didn’t care.