Page 76 of Knot my First Rodeo

My first instinct is to go to her, which is probably why I don’t move. She’s still mad at me.

Which I deserve.

If I walk over there demanding answers, she’ll dig in just because it’s me asking. I know that. Doesn’t make standing still easier.

Clint’s voice drops. “The MC President’s old lady being taken is bad.”

“Yeah.”

“But Hunter telling us not to tell Autumn means it’s worse than bad.”

I nod once, eyes still on her as she reaches the garden and sets the basket down beside the tomato bed. She glances toward us like she can feel us looking, and even from here, I can see the way her face changes when her gaze lands on me. Not much, just a small tightening around her mouth before she looks away.

Tripp exhales through his nose. “So we tell her Hunter’s okay?”

“And not the rest,” Clint confirms.

Autumn dips down and starts messing in the dirt.

I look down at Hunter’s message again, thumb hovering over the screen like there’s a version of this where he actually answers me if I ask the right way.

There isn’t.

“What’re we gonna do?” Tripp asks.

I shove the phone into my pocket and grab the post hole driver again.

“Finish this fence.”

Clint watches me for a second. “That your plan?”

“No,” I say, lining the tool up against the post. “That’s me keeping my hands busy so I don’t do something stupid.”

Tripp makes a thoughtful sound. “Growth.”

I shoot him a look.

He raises both hands. “Sorry. Emotional growth.”

The laugh almost gets out of me, but it catches somewhere in my chest.

Because all I can think about is Autumn walking across the yard like everything’s fine, while Hunter talks around whatever the hell she’s hiding. All I can think about is Clint saying her scent hit him hard enough he had to step back, about the way she kissed me back, and the way her face closed when I pulled away.

I swing again, but there’s less anger in it this time, and more worry.

Which feels worse.

Because anger I know what to do with, but worry makes me want to fix something I don’t understand yet.

And Autumn?

She’s already made it clear she doesn’t want me anywhere near the broken parts.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

Autumn