Love All Out - Part 4 (A Stepbrother Romance) Read Free Page B

hadn’t looked at me, but Daddy didn’t seem to sense that anything was wrong. “I should be apologizing to you,” she said. “I thought I was spoiling you, cooking all of your favorite meals. If I’d known…” Renee brought a hand to her mouth and looked down, tears flowing from her eyes yet again. I felt bad for her, so I decided to extend an olive branch.
    “It took a lot longer than a few months for Daddy’s artery to clog. This isn’t your fault, Renee,” I said softly.
    “Of course it’s not,” Daddy agreed.
    “Well, no more red meat and shortening in my kitchen,” Renee said firmly. “Dr. Gulley arranged for me to meet with one of the hospital nutritionists. From now on—”
    She was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. It swung slightly open and Matt peaked in.
    “Up for one more visitor?” he asked Daddy.
    “Absolutely,” Daddy replied with a grin. “I can’t thank you enough for coming all the way up here, Matt,” he continued as Matt stepped into the room. “I know your being here made this much easier for Willow.”
    “Nothing could have kept me away, Cole,” Matt said. He sat down on a rigid hospital chair and crossed his legs. “And Willow was a trooper through the whole thing. She was worried, but she was also decisive and confident you’d pull through.”
    Daddy bared his teeth in a proud smile. “I was surprised when I woke up here instead of Durango. Dr. Gulley explained everything this morning. Willow did exactly what I would have done if I’d been awake.”
    Renee cringed but Daddy didn’t notice. I’d felt confident that Daddy would be happy with my decision, but having him confirm it was like having a large weight lifted off of my shoulders. I’d done what I had to do, and Renee would have to find a way to get over it.
    “So how long are you stuck here?” Matt asked. He uncrossed and recrossed his legs and I wondered what else he had on his mind.
    “I’ll get to go home next Monday… earlier, if I’m lucky,” Daddy replied. “Though I don’t expect all of you to stick around that long.”
    Matt nodded. “Actually, that’s one of the reasons I stopped by. If you don’t mind, I need to speak with Willow privately for a minute. We can just step out into the hall.”
    “I can tell something’s bothering you, Matt,” Daddy said. “If something’s happened back home… something about Bradley, perhaps? I’d like to know about it. You don’t have to worry about upsetting me.”
    Matt blushed and sat up a little straighter. “I’m sorry… I thought it would be best not to add to your stress right now… considering…”
    Daddy raised one eyebrow. “Considering I had a heart attack right after my best friend’s son attacked our home?” His lighthearted tone didn’t reflect the severity of his words.
    “Yeah,” Matt said with a matter of fact nod. “Considering that.”
    “I need to be in the loop on what’s happening,” Daddy firmly declared. “So was I right? Did you need to talk to Willow about the Bradley situation?”
    Matt nodded. “The prosecuting attorney’s office has been calling our office line in the barn. Lucas explained your health situation and gave them my number. Bradley was arraigned this morning. He was charged with two counts of animal cruelty and… petty theft.” The last two words came out in a frustrated sigh.
    “ Petty theft! ” I demanded. “Thunder is worth a quarter of a million dollars, easy. That’s not petty theft.”
    “I know,” Matt agreed with a shrug. “But with both of us gone, there was no one to testify to the value of the horses. I called the prosecutor after I talked to Lucas. He said we can amend the charges, but he’ll need to meet with us and see proof of Thunder’s value.”
    I sighed. “Great, that’s just what I need to be worried about right now. But I guess I don’t really have a choice. As soon as we get home, I’ll pull Thunder’s paperwork and take it down to the DA’s