Southern Secrets (Southern 7)

"What?" I ask, shocked.

"We know," Jacob says. "I know she is my daughter, and I love her with everything that I have, but that woman can push anyone to their limits." He shakes his head. "So if you’re still living with her after all this time"—he holds out his hand—"you have to like her at the very least."

"Does that mean you’re staying?" Ethan asks. "We both thought you were coming here to tell us that you’re staying."

"Um," I say, shocked with so many things going through my head. "There is also something you guys need to know."

Ethan looks at me, and he can sense from my tone that it has nothing to do with Amelia. "I should have told you when I first came to town," I say and then stop talking when Jacob’s phone rings. He takes it out of his pocket and answers it.

"Hey, baby girl," he says, and then his face drops. "Truck," he says to us, and I’m already running to my truck. My heart’s in my chest, thinking that Tex went to pay her a visit. Jacob gets into the truck passenger seat, and I watch for Ethan to close the door in the back before I take off. "Lock the door," he tells her. "Don’t let anyone in until I get there."

Chapter 28

Amelia

Thirty minutes earlier

"I’ll see you soon." I lean over the truck and kiss his lips. "Try not to get into any more fights."

He rolls his eyes, shaking his head. "It was one fight," he says, "and I’d do it all over again." My heart speeds up when he says that. When he showed up at the barn, I could tell from the look on his face that something just happened. Then I saw the ice around his hand, and my heart sank. The minute he said Tex’s name, I knew this was going downhill. What I didn’t know is that instead, it soared higher than I’ve ever been. I have never felt so loved in my life than I was at that moment. For someone to fight for me was everything.

I get out of the truck and walk in, turning off the alarm as the phone in my purse rings. I grab it as I walk to the back office. Chelsea’s name flashes on the screen with a picture of the two of us taken three weeks ago. "Hello," I say, pressing my shoulder up to hold it to my ear.

"Hello," she says. "Is that all you have to say to me is hello?" I can hear that she is in her car on Bluetooth.

"What else does one say when answering their phone?" I laugh, walking into the office. I dump my purse into the chair and pick up the mail on the floor. The mail that fell on the floor yesterday after he bent me over this desk. I smile, thinking about him.

"So I heard a rumor today," Chelsea says.

"Really?" I say, putting the mail on the desk, then turning and walking out of the office. "And what is this rumor that you heard?"

"That you are knocking boots with Asher," she says, laughing, and I stop walking when she says this. "I wish I was there right now to see the expression on your face."

"There is no expression on my face,” I lie to her, and she just laughs even harder, making me shake my head.

"I knew it," she says. "I knew it, and everyone told me I was silly."

"You are silly," I confirm.

"Okay, did you or did you not take him home today to have nasty-ass sex because he beat up that sorry excuse for a human Tex?" she asks, and I walk behind the bar. "Your silence is a yes."

"My silence is because I’m shocked that my family are gossip queens," I say, and then I close my eyes. "Who is saying these things?" I ask softly.

"Well, Willow called me, and I called Emily,” she starts, and I groan. "If you don’t make a statement, the aunts are going to be calling each other, and then you’ll be pregnant by the end of the night."

I laugh because she is not wrong. "Fine," I admit. "I’m with Asher."

"Oh, please," she says, and I can feel her rolling her eyes. "Tell me something I don’t know."

"What do you want to know?" I ask.

"How long?" she asks, and my head hangs.

"Over a month," I say, and she gasps out in shock.

"What?" she asks. "How is it that no one saw it?"

"You just told me that you knew about it," I remind her.

"Yeah, we figured it out this weekend when someone saw him slap your ass behind the bar and you didn’t throat punch him," she says, laughing.

"Well, you know," I say, turning when I hear a car door slam. "And I’m not with child either, so when you call your mother after this phone call, you can let her know."