Chapter Sixteen
July Twenty-Third
Tucker
I slam the hood of the old farm truck down and give the front bumper a swift kick, knowing that’s not gonna help solve my problems. We just had this truck serviced last May, and here it is July, and the piece of shit is broken down in the middle of a fucking field. Guess Major was right; it’s time to get some new farm trucks.
“I don’t have no damn signal,” my farm foreman, Tommy, says as he slides his phone back into his pocket. “What about you?”
I pull my phone out and slide my finger across the screen, getting the same result. “Not even enough to send a fucking text.”
We’ve been driving around for the last hour, looking for Sundancer. She didn’t show up in the corral last night and didn’t return this morning to get her feed. Most of the other horses, we’d give them a day or two to return, but not that mare. Not only did we pay a damn bundle for her, but I’m hoping she’s breeding. I want her found, and I want her found today.
“It’s nearly three miles back to the barn,” he says, telling me something I already know. “It’s gonna be a long damn hike in this weather.”
The hike won’t just be long; it’ll be fucking miserable. It’s July in Kentucky, so it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the truck hood. The temperature may only be topping out at ninety, but the humidity is making it feel like a hundred and ten.
“I’ll head back to the barn,” I say, taking pity on him. “You stay here and keep an eye out for Sundancer.”
“Sure thing, boss,” he says, reaching into the back of the truck, pulling out two bottles of water, and tossing them my way. “Be safe.”
“I’ll have someone here to pick you up as soon as I can.” Carrying the bottles, I head back the way we just came.
I barely make it halfway before my body starts to lag. I walk all the time, so the distance isn’t an issue, but the heat is draining me fast. Over an hour and two bottles of water later, I make my way to the corral.
When my eyes land on Major, I call out to him. “I need you to go get Tommy.”
“What the fuck happened to you?” He heads my way, looking down at my sweat-drenched shirt.
I tell him about the truck and give him the general directions. I wait around until he slides in his truck, then I head into the barn. I check in with the rest of the farmhands, telling them where I want them looking for Sundancer and walk toward the house. The day’s only half over, but my ass is taking a shower and gonna spend some time relaxing in front of the TV.
As I get closer to the house, my mother’s voice reaches my ears. It’s not quite clear enough to make out her words, but it’s loud enough to know that she is pissed. I pick up my pace and make it to the porch within seconds.
As my hand wraps around the door knob, I finally make out her words. “This is all your fault. If it wasn’t for you, none of this would be happening.”
There’s no reply, but I know she is screaming at Hadley, and that shit is gonna end right now. Deciding to catch her in the act, so she can’t pull the pity shit she has been using for the last two days, I quietly open the door and silently step inside.
“I still don’t understand what my son sees in someone like you. You’re just a girl, and not even a pretty one at that.” Mom’s voice echoes from the kitchen. “He doesn’t need you. He’s got me to take care of him.”
I quietly make my way to the kitchen doorway, standing far enough to the side that neither woman can see me. My heart is telling me to run in there and save my wife from my mom’s nasty temper, but my brain is holding me in my spot. I need to hear this shit with my own two ears. If not, I’m gonna spend the rest of my life wondering if I could have done something different to make things work between them.
“You’re his mother, not his wife.” Hadley finally adds her two cents. “Those are two very different things, and he can love both of us.”
“The only thing you can give him that I can’t is your body,” Mom says in a voice so loud that it makes my ears ring. “He could get that from any woman in town without bringing her into my home.”
“This is Tucker’s home. His dad left it to him,” Hadley says, sounding stronger than I’ve ever heard her before. “It’s also my home now, and it could be yours, too, if you would just give me a chance.”
I want to shout my denial, tell them both my mother will never be welcome here again, but Mom does it for me. “No, that will never happen. You turned my son against me.”
I peek into the room, glad to see my mother standing by the fridge, while Hadley is only a few feet from the door. At least, she is close enough that I can get to her before Mom does. Not that I think Mom would ever lay a hand on her, but a month or so ago, I wouldn’t have believed that she would be saying the shit that is coming out of her mouth.
Mom is quiet for a second before saying, “I can’t believe Tucker married you. It makes no sense. I took care of the house, made sure he had good meals to eat, and always had clean clothes. I did everything for him. What I couldn’t, those women in town took care of.”
Hearing the things she is saying makes me nearly sick to my stomach. She’s talking about me like she used to talk about my dad. The similarities between the two are just so fucking disgusting.
“Sex is not the only thing you can’t give,” Hadley says, pushing her shoulders back. “You can’t give him children either.”
The vision of Hadley growing round with my child fills my mind, but it is shattered when Mom starts to shout. “I knew it.”
“You don’t know anything, Mrs. Brady.” Hadley crosses her arms, her voice full of aggravation. “You just think you do.”
She slams her fist against her thigh, shaking her head. “I saw you running to the bathroom after lunch, and I just knew you were pregnant.”
My heart skips a beat as I wait to hear Hadley’s response, but Mom doesn’t give her time to say a word. “You tell me right now if I’m right.”
“Yes, I’m pregnant, but I want to tell Tucker myself. I have something special planned for this weekend, so please don’t ruin the surprise.” Hadley nods, taking a step back from the anger on Mom’s face.
Before I can rush forward and pull my woman into my arms, Mom starts shouting. “My son isn’t gonna raise any kids with you, so you best be finding a doctor to get rid of it.”
Her words fill me with so much anger that I can’t hold back the roar working its way up my throat. “Shut your fucking mouth.”
Ignoring my mother’s shocked expression, I stomp over to Hadley and pull her into my arms. “You’re having my baby, darlin’?”
When she nods, I slam my mouth down on hers. I put everything I feel in the kiss: love, happiness, devotion, all those things I thought I’d never feel for a woman.
“No, Tucker,” Mom shrieks, reminding me she is still in the room. “You don’t even know if the baby is yours.”
I place another quick kiss on Hadley’s lips and push her behind my back. “You need to get out of here.”
The anger I feel is so extreme; I’m afraid I might seriously hurt her if she comes near me. I’m not worried I might knock her on her ass anymore. Now, I’m more concerned about snapping her fucking neck.
“Fine,” she grunts, stomping past us and toward the stairs. “But, you’re going to get a paternity test.”
I turn to follow her with my eyes, keeping Hadley behind me. “You’re going the wrong way, Mom.”
“What are you talking about?” She comes to a stop right before she gets to the stairs. “I’m going to my room, just like you told me to.”
“That isn’t what I said. I said for you to get out.” I shake my head and point to the door. “I want you out of my house right now.”
She looks toward the door and back to me, fake ass tears filling her eyes. “Major said Mrs. Shanks’s house wouldn’t be available ‘til late next week.”
“You won’t be staying anywhere on my property, including the Shanks’s place. This little stunt has seen to that,” I say, my voice filled with determination. “I won’t be giving you a penny either. You’re on your own.”
She opens her mouth to argue, but Major steps through the open door and says, “Same goes for me. She’s not coming to my house, and I won’t be paying for her to relocate.”
“You two can’t do that,” Hadley says, stepping out from behind my back. “She’s your mother.”
Major’s eyes move to Hadley, and he shakes his head. “I only caught the last bit of what she said to you, but the minute she told you to get rid of my brother’s child, she quit being anything to me.”
“Get her out of here, brother.” I turn my back on Mom and Major, knowing he will take care of her.
I grab Hadley’s hand and pull her through the kitchen and out the back door. Without saying a word, I drag her across the backyard and head straight to the corral. I look around to see what I am looking for and point toward Shadow.
“Look over there, darlin’,” I order, watching as the mare stays near her foal. “See how Shadow never goes too far from Raven.”
“They’re beautiful.” She leans into my side. “But, I’m not sure we should be looking at the horses right now. We need to be dealing with your mother.”
She is completely missing my point, so I try again. “Shadow is watching over Raven because she loves him. Still, she isn’t on top of him. She is letting him walk around on his own. She is letting him learn to do things on his own.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her against my chest. “That’s what a mother does. They love their child enough to want him or her to find their own place in this world. That woman in there may have given birth to me, but she’s not my mother. She was my fucking warden. I let her make decisions for me, cook and clean my house, and I listened to her advice, even when I knew she was wrong. I let it go on way too long. I should’ve realized she was manipulating me a long time ago, but I was just too damn stupid. I realize now what she was doing to my life, and to you. You never have to worry about being treated like that again.”
“Tucker,” she starts, but I cut her off with a shake of my head.
“As soon as she walks out that door, I’m gonna be a free man. More importantly, I’m gonna have you by my side.”
Her beautiful brown eyes fill with tears as she reaches up to lay her hands against my cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Tucker.”
I brush a kiss over her lips and whisper, “I’m not sorry. I’ve got you, so I’m the happiest man in the entire fucking world.”