Tacker (Arizona Vengeance #5)(31)

“How are you holding up?” I ask. I had kind of hoped he was being more of a supervisor out there today, handing out orders to the young men, but knowing him, probably not.

“Fit as a fiddle,” he replies, taking a bite of cornbread.

“Can you get over that tractor?” I ask, once again giddy over such an amazing donation. “Do you know all the things we can do with that thing?”

“Goodnight, little Gator.” Raul chuckles, putting our little transport ATV to rest in his mind.

We eat in companionable silence for a little bit before Raul tips his head up, scanning all the people who are shiny with sweat, laughing and joking with each other, and enjoying the food.

“You stumbled into a new community by knowing Tacker,” he observes. “Trust me… those people out there will be friends of the ranch for life merely by what you’ve done for that man.”

“I’ve not done anything,” I demure, because my job is to merely listen and encourage. “Tacker’s done all the hard work. I’m really proud of him.”

I take a bite of potato salad. It’s so good, I shove in another. When I swallow, I offer, “I’m weirdly excited about going to the game after they get back from their road trip.”

Raul chuckles. “Hockey’s a great sport.”

I knew Raul would be excited about it. He loves all sports. When he’s not busy working his hind end off, I can usually find him in front of a TV, watching ESPN or something sports related.

“So,” he drawls hesitantly, a sure sign he’s about to change the subject. By the tone of his voice, I can tell it’s a radical change. “Tomorrow’s going to be a tough day for you. Want to get away from the ranch and go do something? Maybe a movie?”

A jab of anxiety hits me deep in my tummy, but it’s quickly washed away by the flow of love for this man who is always looking out for me. He’s been with me through nineteen birthdays, and he knows how hard they are.

Tomorrow is March 3rd. I’ll be thirty-two years old.

It’s also the anniversary of the Serb attack on my village and the twenty-year anniversary of the day I watched my grandfather, father, and brother murdered right in front of me. Twenty years since my sister was handed over to soldiers and raped while I was forced to watch even as my tears still poured from grief over the rest of my family.

I’ve never celebrated my birthday since then. Never wanted to. Helen was always understanding of my choice. Instead, we celebrated the date of my adoption finalization, which is in November. It was a way for me to have cake and presents like other normal kids.

But on March 3rd, I try to live my life as normally as possible while not avoiding the pain.

Because that’s impossible.

But as a reminder that I am quite the normal person. I have overcome much. While I’m still sad and grieve, I also flourish.

“I’ll be fine tomorrow.” I tip my head his way, giving him a quick, sly smile. “Besides… aren’t you just dying to play with the tractor tomorrow? That’s way more fun than a movie.”

Raul’s head falls back as he laughs, his hat catching on the side of the barn and tumbling off. His eyes are bright with humor when they land on me. “All right then… I’ll make you a non-celebratory birthday breakfast and we’ll spend the day playing with the new tractor.”





CHAPTER 14




Tacker


For the life of me, I can’t figure out why walking away from Nora to go sit with my teammates isn’t sitting right with me.

Might have to do with the fact I’d rather talk to her than them. I sure as hell like looking at her a lot more than I do them.

Hell, just moments ago when she came toward me with a plate of food in her hand, I thought she might be the prettiest creature I’d ever seen. And yes, I felt a flush of guilt for feeling that way because not only is she my therapist, but she’s also not MJ.

But MJ’s gone. You’re allowed to think other women are pretty, Tacker.

Not really, asshole.

Yes, really.

And that’s why I’m walking away after we made a little small talk. The truth is, because I want to stay and talk to her so badly is why I needed to walk away.

I make my way to the picnic table, currently occupied by Dominik, Dax, Legend, and Aaron. The guys are big and the table is small, so I merely sidle to the edge of it, setting my plate down.

The conversation between Dominik and Dax is already heated. Aaron and Legend listen with smirks on their face.

“For the last time,” Dax says with frustration. “I am not helping you hook up with my sister.”

Dominik is cool and unruffled. “I don’t need your help with that. I need your help figuring out how I can get her to give me the time of day.”

“Not going to happen,” Dax mutters.

“Why not?” Dominik challenges. “I’m smart, successful, and I’d treat her like a queen.”

Dax’s eyes narrow as he leans in toward Dominik. “I’ve seen the queens you’ve had in your stable. There are a lot.”

When Dominik shrugs, my eyes cut over to Aaron. I can read the expression on his face clearly. This is really good stuff. Extremely exciting.

I smirk, refocusing my attention on Dominik as he replies to Dax in a calm, level manner. “Look… your sister is admittedly relationship-averse, so why do you care if I am, too? She’s an adult who is more than capable of making her own decisions about whether she wants to go out with me or not.”