“Yeah, the bastard sold it back to me.” Zack sighs on the other end of the phone. “I have a feeling I paid more than what he bought it for.”
“Kensie didn’t tell you what she sold it for?” I ask with a frown.
“I haven’t spoken to her since before she left Seth with you.” He sighs again. “Is Seth nearby?”
“He’s in the house with Cara, working on math or something.”
“He still won’t take my calls.” I hate hearing the defeat in my brother’s voice.
“I wonder what that woman told him,” I murmur.
“I’m sure she told him many, many things that aren’t fucking true and are pretty fucked-up.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” I walk through the back door of my house, a smile spreading across my face at the sight of Cara sitting at my table, looking all fresh and sexy in her jeans and green T-shirt. Her honey-blond hair is tucked behind her ears and I want to push my fingers through it.
I can’t get enough of her.
She looks up and grins back at me, those hazel eyes shining in happiness.
“Hello?”
“Sorry, Bro, got sidetracked.”
Seth’s head snaps up and he eyes me warily, but Thor hops up from his napping place at Seth’s feet and greets me energetically, dancing around my legs, his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.
“So when will you be here?” I ask as Seth leads Thor back to his feet at the table. I pull a bottle of water from the fridge, twist off the cap, and guzzle it down in one long gulp. Cara’s eyes are glued to my neck, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide, and when the tip of her little, pink tongue peeks out to touch her upper lip, I almost grab her and take her to my bedroom to keep her under me for hours.
She recovers and blushes, looking down at her papers. Fuck, she’s adorable.
“I’ll be there by this weekend.”
“Awesome, I can use the help.”
“I miss you too,” he mutters dryly. “Be nice to my kid.”
“Seth’s being taken care of,” I assure him, wave at Cara and Seth, and head for the shower.
“Is he as bad as Mom says?”
“He’s doing better. Cara’s been great for him. He’s enjoying the ranch and we put him to work every day with chores, but I think he secretly loves it, he just doesn’t want us to know it.” I start the shower and start stripping out of my sweat-soaked, smelly clothes. “Louie’s Lab had pups a few months ago. He gave one to Seth.”
“Sounds like us at that age.” Zack chuckles. “A boy needs a dog. I’m nervous about seeing him, man. Kensie has him hating me.”
“So prove the bitch wrong, Z. Seriously, Seth will come around with time. You deal with eighteen-year-old kids fresh out of boot camp every day. You can handle one kid who secretly hero-worships you.”
“I don’t need him to hero-worship me. I’d settle for speaking to me over the phone.”
“He’ll come around.” I watch the mirror go cloudy with steam. “Do you need me to pick you up from the airport?”
“No, I’m driving up. I’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
“Drive safe. Call if you need me.”
“I will. Thanks, man. Later.”
“Later.” I hang up and step into the shower, washing up quickly so I can join Cara and Seth. I yank on a clean pair of worn blue jeans, pull an old red T-shirt over my head, and join Seth and Cara in the kitchen.
“. . . don’t care!” Seth yells.
“Seth,” Cara’s voice is hard and her hands are fisted on the table.
“What’s going on?” I ask, and narrow my eyes at Seth, who just glares at me as he jumps out of his chair, his feet planted, shoulders square, as if ready for a fight.
“Why didn’t you tell me my dad was back in Texas?” he demands.
“Seth, you refuse to listen to anyone when your dad’s name comes up.”
“If he’s in the States, why hasn’t he come here?” His lip quivers slightly but he tightens his mouth to hide it, and a ball of lead takes up residence in my gut.
“He had to finish up some things in Texas before he could come home,” I explain calmly.
“No one told me,” Seth repeats stubbornly.
“Seth, your dad tries to talk to you every time he calls and you refuse to take his calls. I know you don’t want to see him, but—”
“You don’t know anything about it!” Seth yells as tears fall from his eyes.
“Okay, explain it to me.” I lean against the counter and tuck my hands in my pockets, as if my body weren’t tense and longing to pull him to me to reassure him.