Page 94 of Sudden Summer

Yeah, I grumbled as I lined everything back up, letting my hands crank down on the tool more than I should have. And damn, did karma fucking come for me. I didn’t realize what had happened for a second. Not even as the wire coiled by the post and something warm ran down my face.

Oh, fuck. My fingers ran across my forehead, and when I pulled them down, red was seeping into the leather.

Goddamn it. Birdie was going to fucking kill me.

I heard her laughter spill out of the house before I even stepped foot on the porch. Yeah, I looked like a mess. But the important part was that the fence was fixed, the cows got reunited with the herd making it into their new pasture, and I had a handkerchief that I shoved under my hat to stop most of the bleeding until I got the fence done and could find Kip who had the more robust first aid kit with him.

“Oh, you are fucked. What the hell happened?” Colt stood up, his boots clomping across the old wooden slats of my front porch, eyes immediately dropping to the blood on my shirt.

“Had to repair a section of fencing on the fly. The wire broke and got me. Don’t tell Birdie, but I was fucking lucky it didn’t catch me in the eye.”

He scoffed, putting his hand on my shoulder as he looked up at the cut. “Don’t tell Birdie? You know she has eyes of her own. She’s going to freak out when she sees your shirt.”

I laughed, pulling my shirt free from the waist band of my pants. I tugged it over my head and threw it onto the chair.

“Toss that in the trash for me, will ya?” I grimaced. “Wait…What are you even doing out here?”

“The girls wanted some space for girl talk. Figured out here I could still keep an eye on things, and I wouldn’t accidentally hear Jessie talking about Hawk’s⁠—”

“Yeah, yep. I get it.” I held up my hand. “How long have you been out here?”

“Couple of hours. They fed me and brought me a beer, though, and I was on Beckett duty most of the time. It’s been great!”

I laughed, my left eye squinting a bit as the pain flared in my freshly stitched up head. “Glad you had a good day. Ready to take your family home so I can enjoy mine?”

Colt shook his head, and I knew he was getting ready to be a dick with the way his mouth curled up in a half smile.

“Actually, I was hoping to watch Birdie chew you out for getting hurt.”

“Goodbye, big brother.” I opened the door and stepped inside, closing it right behind me so he got the message. I couldn’t help but smile at the scene in front of me. Birdie was down on the floor with Juniper, both my girls in matching overalls. Birdie’s hair was pulled up into two little pigtail-bun things with strands falling out all haphazard, ticking Juniper’s face. The squeals of delight coming from my daughter etched their way across my memory.

“Look, sweet girl. Daddy’s home.” Birdie helped Juniper sit up without looking closely at me, wrapping her little worm cushion around her back so she had half a chance of staying seated for more than ten seconds.

My eyes drifted to Violet, sitting with Connor on the couch. “Vi, my brother is annoying me. Take him home and give him hell for me?”

Violet stood, her forehead crinkling as her eyes widened. “Right. Thanks for the girl time, Birdie. I had so much fun today.”

“Me too.” Birdie’s face fell for a second before she smiled. But it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks for everything earlier.”

“Anytime.” Vi turned back to me. “We love you guys.”

“Love you too.” She pressed a kiss to my cheek, her eyes darting up suspiciously to my head, but I just smiled and walked deeper into the living room.

“Hey, there are my girls. Sounds like you’re having fun in here.” I pulled my hat off, setting it on the table to the right of the door, only to jolt at Birdie’s gasp.

“Oh my God, Beau! What the hell happened? How did you get hurt?”

Suddenly, the itching on my scalp was back. Emmett and Kip flushed the damn cut as best they could when we were out in the field, but I’d need a shower to get the rest of it off my skin.

“Can’t believe me being shirtless got no reaction,” I grumbled as she pushed up off the floor and stormed over towards me, her fingers immediately pressing around the sensitive skin.

“Knock it off! What happened?”

“It’s really nothing. I’m fine.”

“You are not. Come over here and sit down.” She laced her fingers through mine, pulling me toward the couch. “When did this happen?!”

“Just after lunch time.” I winked at Juniper who was smiling up at me while gnawing on a teething toy.