Cade watched him, silent.
“Rodeo is my life,” Liam said. “I’m Mr. Rodeo. But I can’t stop thinking about being with Mina. I can’t stop thinking about being a real dad to this baby.” He shrugged, trying to play it off like it wasn’t much of a choice at all. “I don’t know. What’s there to do about it?”
Cade considered him over the rim of his mug. “I can’t make that decision for you. It’s like riding a bronc, right? You’ll have to find the right balance between what’s best for all of you. That’s all there is to it.”
Liam gave Cade a crisp nod, then changed the subject. He nursed his beer and when it was gone, he sat and listened to Cade talk about the innovations on the ranch, thanks to Becca. The words flowed over him in an endless river that he couldn’t keep up with. Instead, Mina filled his mind. A hundred years later, Liam stood and tossed a bill on the counter. The brothers parted ways on the sidewalk outside. Cade patted him on the shoulder. “You know where to find me.”
He clung tight to the wheel of his truck all the way back to the cabin. Liam just wasn’t the kind of guy who went after a woman who didn’t want him. That was the difference between him and Cade. Becca had wanted Cade. They both had wanted each other.
As much as it hurt for things to be so unequal between him and Mina—and it stung, all the way to the core—he’d rather avoid the inevitable conflict. New plan. He’d see her when her saw her, and that would be that.
It happened the following week, in the grocery store. Mina stood in the freezer aisle in front of a case of ice cream. He nodded his hello and reached into the opposite case for a package of frozen vegetables. By the time he turned around again, she was already gone.
Liam let out a heavy breath. Hurt pulsed in his chest, expanding with every beat of his heart. She really had just wanted him for stud service—and nothing more. He gripped the handle of his shopping basket hard, lifted his head, and walked resolutely toward the checkout. It was officially time to move on.
13
Liam successfully ignored most of March. It was easy enough, now that he was in physical therapy for his leg injury, which, it turned out, had screwed up some of the muscles around his knee. Life revolved around those appointments and taking care of Lucky. Eat. Sleep. Appointment. Walk the dog. Repeat.
It wasn’t a bad life, only a dull one. March turned to April and the snow in Benton Ridge started to melt. Liam noticed it most on his daily walks with Lucky. The ground got soggier and the scent of grass in hibernation grew stronger every day. Soon he’d be back on the circuit and away from town. He clung to that like a life preserver. If he could only make it to the first event. Any day now, he’d be cleared to ride again, and then life as a rodeo star would carry him away.
Which is what he was thinking about on his ride into the city for yet another appointment.
Liam almost drove past the car on the side of the road without a second glance, but something about it looked familiar. No—it definitely looked familiar. And in the front passenger seat, a woman leaned her head against the steering wheel. A woman with dark hair. He’d know that hair anywhere.
He pulled off the road as fast as he could, heart in his throat. Mina hadn’t spoken to him in weeks. What if something had happened? He slammed the door of his truck and jogged down to her car.
When he got there, she was rolling down the window, red-faced and frowning. “Hey, Liam,” she said. “How’s it going?”
He leaned on the window and gave her an easy smile, even though it just about killed him. “How’s it going with you? Why are you parked on the side of the road?”
Frustrated tears sprang to her eyes, and Mina looked away until she had blinked them all away. “I’m going to my first OB appointment. My car broke down. I have no idea why, or how to fix it, and the tow truck is two hours away. The appointment’s in an hour.” She named a doctor’s office in the city. “I’m not going to make it. And I really wanted to make it.”
Liam stood up straight and pulled her door open. “Let’s get going, then.”
Mina shook her head. “You don’t have to take me. I’ll reschedule, and then—”
“Oh, come on.” He waved her out with one hand, a big gesture meant to make her laugh. She cracked a smile. “I’m not going to let you sit on the side of the road when I could easily give you a ride. I don’t have anything else to do.”
She looked up at him, blue eyes wary, and then grabbed for her purse. On the way to his truck, Liam texted his physical therapist. Not going to be there. Something came up. Charge me anyway. He was over Mina—he really was. But over her or not, she was still the mother of his child. And she was going to make it to her appointment.
He helped her into the truck and put it in drive, steering them out onto the highway. Mina sat silent in the passenger seat. God, she smelled good. Like sweet pea and vanilla and a hint of sunshine. Liam took the first exit to the freeway and settled in.
“So,” he said, after a minute. “Why are you going so far to each appointment? Are you trying to spend less time in town?”
He caught her frown out of the corner of her eye. “Why would I do that?”
“You know. To
