Read Online 01 Winters Thaw by Jayne Rylon, Mari Carr - Free Book Online Page B

long-suffering tone of someone trying to explain something that’s obvious to an idiot. “Only all the time. When she sets the table for supper, she puts your place next to hers, instead of mine, like I tell her to. And she comes to the stable to talk to you after work. She never did that before. James said it’s ’cause she’s got the hots for you. I’m not stupid. Hots means she wants to have sex with you, which is pretty gross, by the way.”
    “Thanks for the definition.” If Daniel wasn’t so floored by Doug’s revelations, he’d fist-bump with the kid. Then he realized Doug didn’t look very thrilled by the prospect. “Would it bother you if I was interested in Sienna?”
    Doug didn’t answer immediately. Instead he tilted his head, lifted one shoulder. “I dunno.”
    Doug, for all his rough and tumble ways, was very protective of his older sister. Suddenly the boy’s disdain for Josh made sense. Doug didn’t like the idea of his sister with any man.
    Before Daniel could figure out how to set Doug’s mind at ease, they were interrupted.
    “Hey, Doug,” Austin, one of Doug’s cousins, yelled from the hallway. “We’re going outside to shoot targets with my new BB gun. You comin’?”
    Doug’s eyes brightened, and it was clear the sex talk was over. “See you later, Daniel.”
    The young boy sprinted toward his cousins without a backward glance, leaving Daniel alone again. He drifted toward the front window and glanced at the stable. For weeks, he’d gone against character and left Sienna alone to sort out her life instead of pursuing what they both obviously desired. Hell, he hadn’t even given the upper hand to her. He’d given it to Josh, the tool.
    Time was up on this bullshit. Daniel was about to toss his own hat into the ring.
     
    Sienna drifted out to the stable, searching for Josh. He’d been quiet most of the day. While it was hard to get a word in edgewise whenever all the Comptons got together, Josh usually made at least a bit of an effort.
    She suspected he was feeling the same strain she was. After all, Josh—despite growing up in ranch country—was not fond enough of horses to brave the cold just for fun. Time to bite the bullet.
    “Josh?”
    It was quiet for a moment before she heard him say, “Over here, See.”
    She followed the sound of his voice and found him sitting on a bale of hay, his back against the stable wall. He looked tired.
    “What’s up?” she asked.
    He patted the hay bale next to his. She sank down, her heart aching as she realized just how badly the next few minutes were going to suck. She’d been so wrapped up in all the things she wanted to say to him, practicing her speech for days, that it never occurred to her that Josh might be as unhappy as she had been lately.
    “Listen, Josh—”
    “No. Wait, Sienna. I have something I need to say and I’d just like to get it out, so let me go first, okay?”
    She nodded.
    “I haven’t been the best boyfriend lately.”
    She started to brush off his words, even though they were true. Josh waved her denial away. “Don’t. Don’t pretend like I haven’t hurt you. I have.”
    “I wish I knew what was going on inside your head, Josh. We always used to be on the same page. I never had to work so hard to figure you out.”
    He chuckled, the sound holding no mirth. “I wish the same thing. I feel like I’m floundering around these days, constantly trying to find a way to make you and my parents happy while deciding what to do. Unfortunately, I’m failing at everything—school, life, you.”
    “It’s okay. You just need—”
    “I need a break.”
    Sienna paused. “A break? From what? School?”
    He shook his head. Realization dawned hard.
    “Me?” she asked.
    “Sienna. I’ve loved you since I was fifteen years old. We grew up together, always as a couple. I have no idea what it means to be my own man.”
    She’d known what was coming the moment she entered the stable. So why was it so hard