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Holiday Rider

Page 90

by Maggie Cole

He tugs me into his chest and holds my head against him. "I'm sorry. I'm not blaming you for anything. You know I love you."

My heart calms slightly. I sniffle. "I know you do."

"So give me a minute to process this, okay?" he says, hugging me tighter.

I don't say anything.

He finally speaks. "We need to get a test."

"I got one at the store."

"Where is it?"

I retreat from the safety of his chest and meet his gaze. He's trying to look calm, but his worry is obvious, and it freaks me out. My insides quiver, and I reply, "In my car."

"Okay. As soon as we're back, you need to take it," he asserts.

"I will."

"Good."

A moment of silence builds between us.

I blurt out, "If you go to Tennessee, I'll come with you."

His face falls. "How?"

"What do you mean?"

He chuckles sarcastically. "What would I say?'Hey, Jacob. I knocked up your daughter. And I'm moving her to Tennessee tolive in a bunkhouse with a bunch of other cowboys even though there's a no-women-allowed rule'?"

The earthquake in my stomach intensifies. "We'll get another place."

"With what money?" he asks.

"You've won a lot," I point out.

His expression shutters, and he looks away.

Dread claws at me. My voice trembles as I ask, "How much did you lose gambling?"

He takes a minute, then finally meets my eyes. "Almost everything."

I gape at him.

He closes his eyes. "I'm sorry. We just got carried away. I didn't realize how much I'd lost until the following day."

My anger flares. I accuse, "How could you not have known?"

His voice drops into the low octave he saves when he's mad. He admits, "We were drinking a lot."

My eyes turn to slits. I hiss, "I told you Jagger shouldn't go with you!"

"It's not his fault."

"Stop defending him!" I cry out.

Wyatt's face darkens. He insists, "I'm my own man, Willow."