bale.
Needing something to hold onto, she leaned over the side of the truck’s bed. Her stomach swam with nerves. Miller had always been so hard for her to talk to. What a complicated relationship they’d had. “I need you to know how sorry I am.” She swallowed. “I should’ve had the decency to talk to you.”
“Eh, probably should’ve.” He used hooks to grasp the bale. “But things worked out for the best.” He slapped the hay into the back of the truck. Only then did he spare her a glance. “I’m flat out busy with three days of work ahead of me. Say what you want so I can get to it.”
“What you did for me…” Mouth dry, she moistened her lips. “I want to thank you. I can’t think of another man who would’ve…” Miller had saved her. He’d saved her from her parents’ abuse, from their religious craziness. Most importantly, he’d saved her from herself. If he hadn’t stepped into her life when he had…she’d never have escaped the hell of the existence she’d been living.
No matter what demons had haunted her then, the affair with Ethan had been so wrong. Not admitting her failing to Miller was just as wrong. “I’m sorry I didn’t have the courage…”
“No worries, sheila. As I see it, I didn’t do much.” He wiped his brow. “I didn’t have many prospects out here anyway.” He rested against the end of the truck.
Denae shook her head. Miller needed only to show interest, make an effort. He never really socialized. Work and the land drove him. She’d never understand why he was so aloof. “Deep down, you were…are relieved we didn’t marry.” Dragging her hand along for support, she stopped in front of him.
Blue eyes so much like Ethan’s held her gaze. Only, they weren’t Ethan’s. Ethan’s offered clues to the man behind them. Mischief. Anger. Passion. She’d never seen Miller’s lit-up. That fact scared her the most. What if Miller really did hold a grudge against Ethan? Forever. And she’d be at the root of it. “Please, Miller, I need to hear you admit it…”
“Sheila, if this is about Ethan, it has nothing to do with you.” His jaw tensed. “It has to do with loyalty. Period.” He shifted around her to lean over the side and pull a bale up the bed. “Like I said, glad things worked out for you.” Straightening up, he tipped his hat. “Hooroo.”
Please don’t let him be stubborn about this . For Ethan’s sake. For Nate’s sake. And for Miller’s own sake.
“You didn’t even love me…” She grabbed his arm to stall him. “You can’t stay mad at Ethan over this. You can’t.” It’d kill her, knowing she’d come between them.
“Sheila, leave it be.”
“Please don’t be this way.” Miller reached up to clasp her hand, trying to loosen her hold. “Please, Miller.”
“Let her go, M.”
She gasped, turning with Miller to the doorway.
Ethan’s eyes blazed blue fire.
Miller dropped her hand. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“Sounded to me like De was begging you.” Ethan’s cheek ticked in anger. “That pisses me off.”
Denae’s breath caught at his assumption. “No. No. I wasn’t.” Had she been? Okay, maybe a little. She’d do what it took to get Miller to be reasonable.
“I don’t know what you were planning…” Ethan faced Miller head on. “But whatever you had with De in the past is long over.”
She moaned. Where had this side of Ethan come from? This was crazy. “Ethan, stop.”
“You…” Miller took a step forward. “Back off, little brother.”
Ethan didn’t back down. “Not until you’ve got the fact De’s mine now through your bloody thick skull.”
Her mouth gapped open. “Ethan!” Where had the notion come from? His?
“Really?” Miller arched a brow. “That’s not what De was telling me a minute ago.”
“Miller!” She gasped at the perverse man egging Ethan on. “This has nothing to do with me .” It was the breach between them. Miller had confirmed that. She
Needing something to hold onto, she leaned over the side of the truck’s bed. Her stomach swam with nerves. Miller had always been so hard for her to talk to. What a complicated relationship they’d had. “I need you to know how sorry I am.” She swallowed. “I should’ve had the decency to talk to you.”
“Eh, probably should’ve.” He used hooks to grasp the bale. “But things worked out for the best.” He slapped the hay into the back of the truck. Only then did he spare her a glance. “I’m flat out busy with three days of work ahead of me. Say what you want so I can get to it.”
“What you did for me…” Mouth dry, she moistened her lips. “I want to thank you. I can’t think of another man who would’ve…” Miller had saved her. He’d saved her from her parents’ abuse, from their religious craziness. Most importantly, he’d saved her from herself. If he hadn’t stepped into her life when he had…she’d never have escaped the hell of the existence she’d been living.
No matter what demons had haunted her then, the affair with Ethan had been so wrong. Not admitting her failing to Miller was just as wrong. “I’m sorry I didn’t have the courage…”
“No worries, sheila. As I see it, I didn’t do much.” He wiped his brow. “I didn’t have many prospects out here anyway.” He rested against the end of the truck.
Denae shook her head. Miller needed only to show interest, make an effort. He never really socialized. Work and the land drove him. She’d never understand why he was so aloof. “Deep down, you were…are relieved we didn’t marry.” Dragging her hand along for support, she stopped in front of him.
Blue eyes so much like Ethan’s held her gaze. Only, they weren’t Ethan’s. Ethan’s offered clues to the man behind them. Mischief. Anger. Passion. She’d never seen Miller’s lit-up. That fact scared her the most. What if Miller really did hold a grudge against Ethan? Forever. And she’d be at the root of it. “Please, Miller, I need to hear you admit it…”
“Sheila, if this is about Ethan, it has nothing to do with you.” His jaw tensed. “It has to do with loyalty. Period.” He shifted around her to lean over the side and pull a bale up the bed. “Like I said, glad things worked out for you.” Straightening up, he tipped his hat. “Hooroo.”
Please don’t let him be stubborn about this . For Ethan’s sake. For Nate’s sake. And for Miller’s own sake.
“You didn’t even love me…” She grabbed his arm to stall him. “You can’t stay mad at Ethan over this. You can’t.” It’d kill her, knowing she’d come between them.
“Sheila, leave it be.”
“Please don’t be this way.” Miller reached up to clasp her hand, trying to loosen her hold. “Please, Miller.”
“Let her go, M.”
She gasped, turning with Miller to the doorway.
Ethan’s eyes blazed blue fire.
Miller dropped her hand. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“Sounded to me like De was begging you.” Ethan’s cheek ticked in anger. “That pisses me off.”
Denae’s breath caught at his assumption. “No. No. I wasn’t.” Had she been? Okay, maybe a little. She’d do what it took to get Miller to be reasonable.
“I don’t know what you were planning…” Ethan faced Miller head on. “But whatever you had with De in the past is long over.”
She moaned. Where had this side of Ethan come from? This was crazy. “Ethan, stop.”
“You…” Miller took a step forward. “Back off, little brother.”
Ethan didn’t back down. “Not until you’ve got the fact De’s mine now through your bloody thick skull.”
Her mouth gapped open. “Ethan!” Where had the notion come from? His?
“Really?” Miller arched a brow. “That’s not what De was telling me a minute ago.”
“Miller!” She gasped at the perverse man egging Ethan on. “This has nothing to do with me .” It was the breach between them. Miller had confirmed that. She
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