The shadows of the treehouse deepened as the Texas sun finally dipped below the horizon. Grandma and Grandpa had headed back to their own place, but Axel and the twins were still at the house—likely waiting for me to resurface. I had no desire to see them, especially not after the confrontation at the shop.
A sudden knock on the wooden supports below broke the quiet. "Blake! Someone's down here wanting to talk to Cam," Michael called up.
"Which one?" Blake asked, his voice protective.
"The thinner one. Cash," Michael replied.
Blake looked at me, waiting for a signal. "You want me to let him up?"
"I guess," I sighed, pulling my knees to my chest. "As long as you stay right here."
"Send him up!" Blake shouted down. After some hushed murmuring below, we heard the rhythmic creak of someone scaling the ladder. When he finally hauled himself onto the platform, the dim light confirmed it was indeed Cash.
"How are you, honey?" he asked softly.
"Could be better," I snapped.
"How so?"
"Your brother," I bit out, the anger still fresh.
Cash let out a long, weary sigh. "I'm sick and tired of taking the heat for his trash," he muttered.
I furrowed my brows, confused by the sudden shift in his demeanor. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not into this 'sharing' thing he's obsessed with," Cash said, leaning against the railing. "That's his deal. He can find some other guy who wants to live that way. I could tell from the start you don't need the both of us. You're an independent, strong woman, Cam. No one can take that from you—not even that idiot I call a brother."
He looked out over the dark fields. "You're going to find a great guy one day who treats you like the queen you are, stubbornness and all. And about those twin colts—if you're serious about selling them, I've got a great home for them. I know someone Colt absolutely hates, and since these colts come from pure stock, I know she'd fall in love with them."
He looked back at me. "They'll grow out of this crazy stage. If she can't train them, I'll ask if you can. I'll let you meet her, too."
I squinted at him, trying to read his face in the dark. "So you were faking it this whole time? The arm behind me, the acting like everything was fine?"
"That's how a man should treat you, Cam. Don't forget that. I wasn't faking it to mess with you; I did it because of his temper. I was trying to keep you safe from him by playing along. I'm sorry for putting you through that."
I stepped down from the railing and slid onto the floor next to him, the tension in my shoulders finally beginning to ebb. "May I be forgiven?" he asked.
"As long as you can get Colt to leave me alone," I said firmly.
"Deal. I'll bring my girl by the ranch next week to check out those colts. It'll give you a chance to see I'm telling the truth."
I let him pull me into a brief, platonic hug. "That also means you two are out of my space," I added. "As soon as you get back to the house, go to my room. Get every single thing belonging to you and your brother out of there, then lock the door behind you."
"Done," he promised. "I'll see you tomorrow. I won't tell Colt you're still here; I'll tell him you went back with your grandparents so he stops hunting for you."
"Thanks, Cash," I said as he began his climb down.
Blake settled back down beside me once we were alone again. "I guess he didn't like the way his brother was handling things either," he mused.
"Guess not. I just hope he can actually keep Colt at bay. If he can't, Colt has another thing coming."
Blake chuckled, kissing my temple. "You know, you're one of the meanest people I've ever met, yet you're so kind when no one's ticking you off."
"I try," I whispered, leaning into his shoulder.
"I know," he said. "We all try."