Free Riding and Regrets by Bailey Bradford

sidelines. Taking almost a week off made him right unpleasant, though, so maybe him being outside will take off some of his nasty attitude.”
    “He’s frustrated. No one likes having to be laid up, but… He’ll deal with it,” Will said. He inspected Prissy’s braids. “You did pretty good on these.”
    Jody shrugged, trying not to let the faint praise go to his head. “Well, since Frankie’s still out doing whoever he was hooking up with, I had to try, right?”
    Will grunted then hefted Prissy up to toss her slightly in the air.
    Jody’s heart just about stopped when Will did it, but Prissy screeched and laughed like Will was the best ride ever. Jody held himself back from telling Will to cut it out. Will and his men had bought Prissy’s bed and dresser, got her clothes and the car seat, too. They’d helped make Jody’s room her room, too. He wasn’t going to be an overprotective dick.
    “Duke doesn’t know he tried to hit you,” Will said as he tossed Prissy again. “Doesn’t seem to remember anything, even about how he got hurt. Our guess is he took a tumble off his horse. It’s not a bad enough injury to have been a kick, ya know?”
    “Yeah, seen some of those before,” Jody agreed. “I remember once, my uncle Tab got kicked in the face. Put his teeth right through his lips—what teeth it didn’t knock out. God, that was awful. He was a mess.”
    Will grimaced and set Prissy down. “Go on and get to the table for your breakfast. Drake should have it set up for you.”
    “I won’t tell him, if that’s what you’re worried about. Duke isn’t that kind of guy. I should have been quicker to pick up on him being hurt. He ain’t usually mean like he was then.”
    “Everyone has bad days,” Will said. “I’d have just thought he was being a shit because he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Don’t kick yourself over not figuring it out sooner. Now what was that about Frankie? I thought he was helping you. Actually…” Will appeared thoughtful. “Seemed to me you two were kinda close.”
    Jody hated that he blushed so easily. He couldn’t quite meet Will’s eyes. “It wasn’t nothing serious. Just blowing off steam on occasion, and he wasn’t interested anymore once I had Prissy. He went off to meet some guy in Junction he found online. I don’t know the guy’s name or anything. Frankie said he could take care of himself.”
    Will looked appalled. “Wow. I didn’t know he was that shallow. He cut you off because you have a kid? Without thinking about how much of a shock that was for you, and how you’d need your friends and—” Will slapped a hand over his mouth. “Sorry,” he said from between his fingers. He lowered his hand. “That was rude, maybe, but I didn’t mean it to be. I just can’t believe he was such a dick. Then again, he never has seemed to be particularly deep.” Will shrugged. “Sorry, Jody. That had to suck. I heard there’s a new guy in town, though. Barney’s mom Jen was talking about him, said he might be working at his aunt’s daycare.” Will raised one eyebrow at him. “Noah?”
    “Noel,” Jody answered and knew that he’d fallen into some sort of trap Will had set for him when Will grinned. “What? That’s his name.”
    “Is he cute?”
    Jody considered denying it, but why? “He is, and before you go playing match-maker or whatever you’re thinking about doing, he’s already asked me out.”
    “Whoop!” Will shouted, doing a little slinky dance. “You’ll go out with him, right? We can watch Prissy. She loves Drake, and between him, Ian and us, we can so be the best babysitting team ever!”
    Jody blinked and tried to process all of that. Will’s exuberance was discombobulating.
    “I’m not suggesting you run off and stay out overnight like Frankie did,” Will continued. “But it’s been a really rough week, and a good week, too, I’m sure, what with you finding out you had that awesome child in there. But stressful,