Come Back for Me (Arrowood Brothers #1)(17)

“How do you know my daughter?”

I step toward him, my hand on his chest and a soft smile on my lips. “Hadley wandered a bit too far, and Connor was nice enough to make sure she found her way home.”

Kevin takes another step down so he’s off the steps. His hand snakes around my back and grips my shoulder. “Well, that was very nice of him. Hadley, go on out back for a minute. And then you can check on the horses.”

She looks to me, and I give her the smile I’ve perfected.

“Okay, Daddy.”

“Thanks, my sweet girl. And don’t wander off this time.”

Hadley turns, the fear in her eyes is there, but she smiles up at him. “I won’t.”

“That’s my good girl.”

My husband is great at illusions. To anyone watching, he’s being loving and attentive. He’s always been this way. He would never give anyone room to gossip. When we do go out in public, he dotes on me. He touches my face with tenderness. His hand holds mine, and he smiles as he watches me.

It’s so easy to believe the lies.

I can even get swept up in them. And I know better.

Still, I wish he would love me that way all the time. I want to remember how his hands touched me in love and not anger. My heart aches for the kind man who offered to help me and didn’t cut me down.

It’s stupid, and I know it. He won’t ever be that man, and that’s why I’m leaving.

His hand moves down my back, gripping my hip. There’s a fresh bruise on that side, and I pray he doesn’t remember or he’ll find a way to use it. “It seems welcome home is in order. I’m Kevin and this is my wife, Ellie.”

Connor’s eyes narrow slightly, but he steps forward, hand extended. Kevin has no choice but to release me. They shake hands, and I can hear the thunder echo in the background.

“It’s great to meet you both.” Connor’s hand moves to me.

I take it, shaking as briefly as I can, and retreat back to my husband. I move toward him, trying to force myself into his embrace. Kevin wraps his arm back around me, and I smile up at him.

Please let this be enough.

“Hadley didn’t cause you any trouble, did she?”

“Not at all. I meant to stop over here when I moved back in the other day, but I got sidetracked. It’s been a while since I’ve been in town, and I didn’t know who took the Walcott farm since they didn’t have kids.”

Kevin nods slowly. “Yeah, my uncle left it to me. For the first time in over fifteen years, we’re profitable. I know your father had a big dip a few years back.”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Connor says without emotion. “I’m shocked there is a building still standing.”

“Hopefully, you do better than he did. It’s doubtful you can turn it around but, who knows, right?”

I want to gasp at the insult, but I hold it back. Kevin isn’t usually this rude in front of other people. He likes for everyone to think he’s wonderful. Or at least he did for a while.

Connor chuckles as though it doesn’t bother him. “I’m sure I will, Kevin. Anyway, I should get back to work. I’ll see you around.”

“Thanks for bringing Hadley home,” I say as he turns.

Kevin’s hand clutches my side, and I wince, the sound of sucking in air through my teeth seems a hundred times louder than it is.

Connor’s brow furrows as his attention moves to where Kevin’s fingers are on the bruise he left the other day that’s hidden under my dress.

“No problem,” he says in an easy voice. His eyes, however, are tinted with a calculated knowing that makes me uneasy. “I’ll be around if you need anything.”

“We’re fine, but thanks.”

And with that, Kevin turns us, and I let him lead me back into the house. As we ascend the steps, I fight the urge to run away from my husband. He’s angry, and there won’t be any of the kindness I hoped for.

The door slams, and he starts to pace. I watch the clock tick as my mind goes through a million scenarios, all of them center around ways to cope with his inevitable loss of control.

He stops moving after almost five minutes, his eyes on me. “Did you sleep with him?”

My heart sputters, and my mouth gapes open. Of all the things that I thought, this was not one of them. “What?”

“You heard me, Ellie! Don’t fucking play games with me.”

I have no idea how to answer this. Does he know? Did he see Hadley has Connor’s eyes? Or am I making it up because she has Kevin’s nose? All of this is crazy. I have no idea if he’s asking if I slept with Connor eight years ago or if I slept with him yesterday.

“No! I didn’t sleep with him!” I scream and turn as though he’s wounded me. Really, I do it so he won’t see any lies in my face. “How could you ask me that?”

“I saw that way he looked at you! Like he knows you. Like he’s had what’s mine.”

I shake my head and spin back to face Kevin. “You’re accusing me of cheating on you because of how a stranger looked at me?”

He shakes his head. “I saw it.”

“You want to see it, Kevin. How could I have slept with him when I’ve never met him before? How could I do that to us when he told you himself that he just got here! How?”