Chapter 13
For early fall it was unseasonably warm, the sun beating down on his skin more than it had in the past week. Sweat poured down his face and across his back, yet he refused to take off his t-shirt. No telling where Magnolia was, and there were things she didn’t need to see. He put his hand on the end of his shovel and leaned on it while Adam maneuvered the back hoe to dig out part of the drain. He waved him forward. “Keep comin’, keep comin’. Stop!”
At his side Finn stood, covered in his own bit of sweat and grime. The only difference was, he’d taken off his shirt hours ago. Dax shoved him away. “Go stand down wind. You stink.”
Finn laughed and pushed him back. “At least I’m not trying for a wet t-shirt contest.”
Dax flipped him off then motioned for Adam to dig a little trench. The back hoe reached down, pulling up the earth. Dirt fell from the claw and bits of grass dangled precariously from it. The smell of mud invaded his senses, yet he loved every minute of it. Once the top of the pipe came into view, he motioned for Adam to stop. The roar of the engine died when Adam shut off the ignition and climbed from the cab. The three stood around the ditch, looking at what appeared to be a huge crack right down the middle of the pipe. Dax kicked at the ground. “Damn it.”
“Shit, that’s going to be a bitch to fix.” Finn jabbed his shovel into the ground.
“Tell me about it. This is just what we fucking need.” Was the pipe really bothering him? Or was it everything else? Only two days ago, he’d lost it in front of Magnolia, something he swore he’d never do. But when she’d looked at him like he’d betrayed her, it took all his self control not to take her in his arms and show her exactly how he’s felt about her for a damn decade. The regret he felt about his night with Zinnia ate at him for years, and now that Magnolia knew, it was suffocating. “Son of a bitch.”
“Man, you have been in a mood since she got back.” Finn grabbed up his shovel and leaned on it.
Why was everyone picking at him when he didn’t want them to? “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“You hear that, Adam? He doesn’t want to talk about it.” Finn threw his arms out to his sides as though frustrated.
Adam had always been calm and steady. Once a month he’d go in for his army reserves training, and the rest of the time he split between being home with Calla and working on the farm. He was a plain sort of guy, with his military haircut and wholesomeness. He didn’t have the internal damage Dax had or the pain Finn tried to hide. At times, Dax envied his simple, happy life. Two kids, beautiful wife, no drama, no wanting a woman who was full of fire and tied to another man. No wanting someone for years on end, and not being able to get her out of his system.
Magnolia was an addiction for Dax, pure and simple. The woman got under his skin; no one ever stood up to him or sassed him the way she did. And when they were younger, no one ever kept up with him. Before she came breezing back into his life with the subtlety of a train wreck, he thought he’d beaten what he’d felt for her. But seeing her every day becoming the headstrong Magnolia he once knew stoked the heat he felt for her.
Adam shrugged. “If he doesn’t want to talk about it then he doesn’t have to.”
Finn’s fist connected with Adam’s arm so fast Dax barely saw it. Adam stumbled back. “Fuck, bro. That hurt.” He rubbed at where he’d been hit.
“Then stop saying stupid shit.” When Finn turned those desolate blue eyes on him, Dax knew he felt exactly what it was like to be in his position. Finn took a small step closer. “I’ve seen that look in your eyes. I know you’re strugglin’.”
It was true he was struggling, but not in the way anyone thought. Dax leapt down into the hole to inspect the pipe. It was damn near rusted through. “Hopefully all we have to do is replace this piece.”
“Stop changing the subject.” This far down in the hole, Finn towered over him. With the sun at his back, he cast a shadow over Dax.
“What the hell do you want me to say?” Dax threw up his hands. “Ugh, Magnolia is, well, she is something else, and I am trying my best to stay away. What more do you want?”
“Tell me I’m not going to find you at the bottom of a bottle somewhere and I’ll stop.” Finn put his hands on his hips.
“You’re not going to find me at the bottom of a bottle. Geez, have a little more faith in me. Magnolia is—”
“Magnolia is what?” Her sweet voice carried over to them.
They’d been so wrapped up in what they were doing, he hadn’t seen her walking out toward them. When he turned to look at her, she damn near took his breath away. Her long hair was braided down the side of her face, and those sweeping caramel bangs fell into her eyes. A black tank top clung to her body, showing off her pert round breasts, and her ripped jeans were painted onto her long curvy legs. She’s gonna be the death of me. With her big rubber boots on, she was the perfect mix between cute and sexy as hell all at the same time.
When she came to a stop, she crossed her arms and looked down at him. “I heard my name. What’s up?”
He shot a glance to Finn and Adam. Both of them looked like deer in headlights. Dax cleared his throat. “Magnolia is going to help us out with the herd today. I was just telling the boys.”
She arched her eyebrows over those hypnotic green-hazel eyes. “Sure you were.”
Tension stole through his body. “How much did you hear?”
“Not much.” She lifted her shoulder and dropped it.
Damn it! She’d definitely heard more then she was supposed to. This was not the time or place for anything to be brought up. No, Dax was determined to move on with his life. If he was going to do that, then he had to figure out a way to be around her without it affecting him. Maybe if could get through today without wanting her more than he wanted air, then he’d learn to cope with it all. “You ready for today?”
“A bit nervous, to be honest. I haven’t inseminated a cow in about eight years. And I know y’all depend on new stock for next year.”
As Dax climbed from the hole, his hands seeped into the mud and the ground beneath him began to crumble. Before he slipped back in, he forced himself up and out. Finn grabbed his arm, helping to haul him up. Maggie peeked over the side of the ditch. “Damn it, that pipe is going to need replacing.”
His thoughts exactly. “Yeah.”
“Are you going to do it, or are you going to call Mike at the pipe line?”
He could call a specialist, and he probably should, but something in him wanted to show her he was capable of so much more. “Think the guys and I can do it.”
“Say what now?” Finn crossed his arms over his chest.
Dax bumped him with his shoulder. “We can definitely do it.”
“Um, yeah, sure we can do it.” Finn nodded in not-so-convincing agreement.
Oh, brother. This was already off to a great start. “We were just finishing up here. Why don’t you head over to the barn and get set up? I’ll be right behind you.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan.”
When Magnolia turned from him, he couldn’t help but stare after her. Those blue jeans hugged her curves in all the right places. So much so, he could see the perfect cleft of her ass.
Finn smacked him in the shoulder. “You need to not be staring at her backside like that.”
“What?” Dax tried to play off his checking her out.
“You know what.”