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Now that wasn’t the answer he was expecting. Brow raised, Kellan swiveled his neck, eyeballing the lead rider at his side. “The fuck, man. She’s your wife. Don’t you love her?”
“Course, I do, but she don’t make it easy.”
“What do you mean?” He never found it difficult to get into her jeans, but Kellan had a feeling that wasn’t what he was talking about here.
“Cassie ain’t a lovey-dovey kinda girl, you know? She can be downright coldhearted.”
He wouldn’t call her affectionate, no. But she wasn’t coldhearted. Not in all his years of knowing her. Cassie had feelings. It just wasn’t easy for her to show them.
Kinda like you, asshole.
“Shiloh and her ain’t never been close the way most sisters are. I don’t think they even like each other all that much. Some days, I worry they might kill each other. Everything’s a competition between them two, and I’m in the middle. You have any idea how hard that is?”
His brows cinched together briefly before he shook his head. “Can’t say that I do.”
“Well, you’re lucky. You and Tanner’s always been thick as thieves, so Arien’ll never have to put up with that bullshit.”
Ouch.
Kellan and his brother were as close as brothers could be. Loved each other deeply. Always had. Always would. Yet, Griffin’s words hit home.
“Ever since we found out about the baby, Cass won’t even let me come near her. Guess that’s my punishment for gettin’ her little sister pregnant first.”
“Does it matter?”
“Does to her, I reckon.”
For a while, they rode without talking. The only sounds were the clops of horse hooves, cows snorting and grunting. Kellan turned to his friend. “I don’t know shit, but before it gets worse, you need to talk to Cassie. Alone. Just the two of you.”
His chuckle sardonic, Griffin huffed out a breath. “She won’t.”
“Then make her.”
That night, Kellan lay awake in his bedroll, staring up at the stars. His miserable state was of his own making. Arien might not forgive him. But if he wanted any chance at all, he was going to have to take his own advice.
Looking none too pleased with him, Tanner was waiting to take the horses when they returned the following morning. “You’re a real asshole, Kel.”
Fair enough, he deserved it, but right now his only thought was to get to his wife. “Think I don’t know that? Goin’ to talk to her and don’t come lookin’ for us.”
“Yeah, okay.” He grabbed the horse’s reins. “What the hell can you possibly say?”
“Gonna start with I’m sorry, ’cause I am. After that, I don’t rightly know.”
Nodding, Tanner clasped his shoulder. “Good luck to ya, brother.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
Arien was in his truck. Backpack at her feet.
Kellan found her in the kitchen taking pictures of blueberry muffins. He walked right up to her, covered in dust, the stench of a three-day-ride all over him, and took the Nikon out of her hand. “I love you.”
Then he kissed her.
And she let him.
He only told her to pack her camera, and to bring along some of them muffins, then he went upstairs to shower.
