Free Second Chances by D.L. Roan Page B

Car’s. That, above all else, was intolerable. “Yes, you weren’t supposed to be in the barn. But, son, I had no right to speak to you and your brother that way.” He paused and draped his arm around Con’s little shoulders. “I know I haven’t been easy on you boys lately, and…and…” God, how did you say you were a dickhead asshole in first grader language? He swiped his hand through his hair and took another deep breath, telling himself he could do this.
    “ You haven’t done anything wrong, Con. I couldn’t ask for two better sons than you and Car. And I want you to know that I would never, ever get mad at you for being sick. Understand?”
    Con nodded and wiped at his eyes as Grey fought against his own tears again. “ You’ll still be grounded when you do things me and your dads tell you not to,” he continued on to keep the lump in his throat from choking him. “But I’ll never dismiss you or talk to you again the way I did tonight. Okay?”
    Con nodded again and Grey pulled him onto his lap. “Ah, son. I love you. Don’t ever doubt that.” He gave Con a tight hug and held him out so that he could look into his eyes. “Am I forgiven?”
    “Sure, daddy. But, tomorrow, can you talk Car into picking the black puppy? I really like him but he won’t even think about it.”
    Grey laughed and lifted Con from his lap then settled him under the covers. For life to be that simple again. “I’m not sure if I can talk Car into anything tonight, buddy, but I’ll give it a shot.” He wasn’t sure how to fix this thing inside him. He just knew he had to do it. He needed his sons.
    “Night daddy. I love you.” Con said on a yawn and Grey leaned down and ruffled his hair. “Good night, buddy. I love you, too.”
    H e turned out the small Scooby Doo lamp beside his bed and walked to the door, pausing to glance back at Con before he stepped out and quietly closed the door behind him.
    When he stepped out onto the porch, in desperate need of some fresh air, Grey noticed the ligh t that flooded the barn. He peered down the drive and saw just what he’d expected. She was still there. Mason must have taken her out to the barn to see the puppies. No way in hell could he deal with seeing her again, but he couldn’t make his feet move to retreat back into the house. Instead, he found himself crossing the field between the barn and the house, making sure he stayed in the shadows.
    He felt ridiculous sneaking around in the darkness on his own property. He told himself he wasn’t spying on his brother, just waiting for her to leave so that he was sure he didn’t interrupt anything. Yeah, he was doing Mason a favor by hiding in his own fucking tractor. He climbed up into the cab of the nearby combine, completely concealed in the darkness, where he waited for Claira to leave.
    He wasn’t dumb to his brother’s plans, nor could he blame them. She was beautiful. He felt the attraction to her the first time he saw her. The feminine sway of her hips when she walked, the small dip at the base of her spine, and the perfectly shaped, plump little ass that made him want to sink his teeth into her.  He was an ass man, through and through, and what he’d seen of it, her ass was a kin to things only his dreams were made of. Sarah’s ass had been perfect.
    Grey cursed and banged his head against the tractor’s steering wheel. When he thought about Sarah and Claira in the same moment, his chest felt like it would burst open and spew out what was left of his heart. There inlayed the problem that he didn’t know how to fix. How could he ever let go of Sarah enough to be with a woman that compelled him and his brothers the way Claira did? How could he possibly forget her more than he already had, and still be able to breathe?
    No o ther woman had made his body want to try until he saw Claira standing in the middle of her classroom covered in green paint. What was it about her that called to him? Grey didn’t know the