Hard-Riding Cowboy (Kinky Spurs 3)

“No.”

Megan blinked, realizing she’d actually said that aloud.

Nash set his rage-filled eyes onto her. “You need to hear this, Megan.”

In one second, it was like all the steps forward they had taken were suddenly gone. Something in her heart snapped then, rushing her with an awareness that she could no longer run from. “No, actually, I don’t,” she said, moving closer to them. “I’m done. If it’s not you,” she said to Nash, then glanced at her father, “then it’s you. It’s just this constant back and forth that never stops. Ever. You both want to destroy each other, but I don’t have to watch you do it.” Her voice blistered now that she was finally saying all the things she hadn’t been able to say before. “I can’t live around all this hate anymore. I refuse to bring a baby into this.” She turned to Nash and softened her voice. “You’ve been trying, and I really appreciate that, but you hate him. And you have a right to. I’m sure he’s done something horrible and deserves whatever you want to throw his way. But I’m choosing to no longer be a part of this fight.”

“Megan.” Nash frowned.

Not letting anyone speak but her, she turned to her father. “You have been horrible to the Blackshaw family for years, for land . . . for money . . . for notoriety. But guess what? I have nothing to do with that. The Blackshaws have been wonderful and welcoming to me. They’re a good family, and I’m so happy that our baby will grow up around them.” To Nash, she placed her hands on her belly, and added, “We tried for this little one. We should feel good about that, but this isn’t going to work. You know it. I know it. And I’m done pretending that I can somehow fix how much you hate each other. Neither of you are going to change.”

Nash crossed his arms and frowned. “If you only—”

“Nope.” She shook her head firmly. “I don’t want to know what he’s done or how you plan on dealing with it. You two figure it out. I want no part of this anymore.” She glanced from Nash to her father. Sadness tightened her throat. This wasn’t the future she wanted. “Consider this the last time we will ever be together.”

More than done with all of this, she strode past her mother then trotted down the stairs. On her way past Nash, he snagged her wrist.

“Megan,” he said softly.

She took his hand, squeezing tight, fighting the tears. “You don’t need to say anything. There’s nothing to do anymore. Nothing more to say.” She felt the hopelessness in the situation, right down to her toes. “I fought against this feud between the families since I was little, wishing all the anger would go away. But I realize now that will never happen.” Nash’s eyes filled with sympathy. She pressed on before she burst into tears. “You hate each other. I know why.” She cupped Nash’s cheek. “But I love you both so much.”

Nash went statue-still at her admission, his expression revealing nothing.

She couldn’t go back now. She loved him. She had for years, but she had always been too afraid that this feud would do exactly what it was doing right now—hurt her. Megan refused to live in fear any longer. She’d live on her terms. “The truth is, I realize I can’t have it all. And that’s okay. I know that now. Just like I know that I’m going to have to love you separately.” She lowered her hand from Nash’s face, and he took her fingers in his and squeezed. “I refuse to bring our baby into this madness. I won’t. It’s not healthy. It’s so damn sick. So, you’re both off the hook, okay? You don’t need to be around each other. There, it’s done.”

Mom burst into tears. “Clint, fix this.”

Dad glared at Nash, obviously blaming him.

Megan shut her eyes and sighed, knowing this would never end. Dad would burn Nash, and Nash would want to bury Dad. The feud would live on and on. She couldn’t do this anymore.

“Megan,” Nash said gently, and she reopened her eyes to him.

She gave him a smile she knew looked terribly sad and rose on her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his firm lips.

“You don’t understand,” he said when she broke away.

“That’s the thing, Nash,” she told him. “I don’t want to understand.” She pulled her hand out of his tight hold and strode toward her car, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

She got into her car then grabbed her cell off the passenger side seat, quickly finding Jannie’s contact info. The phone began ringing through the Bluetooth speaker, while Megan drove off, forcing herself not to look back.

Two rings later, Jannie said, “Hi, Megan. How are things?”

Things were what they were. Megan was determined to make them better. On her terms now. “Listen, I’m calling to see if that house I looked at is still available?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Great,” Megan said, never so sure about anything, not even when she bought Kinky Spurs. “Let’s put in an offer, but stick a financing condition in there, just in case.”

“And away we go,” Jannie said.

Chapter 16

The dust from Megan’s car still billowed around Nash as he left Clint seething on his front porch. Everything had changed when Megan said those three little words. Yeah, he’d known she loved him. Christ, he knew that because of how he felt about her. There was only one woman he’d chase for years and never stop trying to snag her heart. But it occurred to him now that there was something far worse than not having Megan’s love. And that was having her compromise for him. To deny herself the happiness and life she deserved because she was so desperate for peace that she’d take it any way she could have it.

His head spun, and he needed to find solid ground again.

Two people did that for him.