Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) by Olivia Jaymes (reading women .txt) 📕

don't you concentrate on the people that still believe in you or at least want to believe in you? They want to. They've fooled themselves into thinking that you give a shit about someone else besides yourself. But you and me, we both know that it's not true. There is no one you love more in this world than yourself. You'd throw me or any of them under the bus to save your miserable hide. In a heartbeat. You wouldn't even debate about it. Just own it, Ben. I'd honestly have more respect for you if you did."

"You take after your mother," Ben snarled, his blue eyes an icy gray color. "Stubborn and ignorant."

"Not so charming now, are you?" Knox replied with a chuckle. "I think our five minutes have passed and even if they haven't, I've grown bored talking to you. You probably won't believe this but I do wish for you to change someday. I hope that you can because you have kids out there that could use a decent father. It's too late for me but it's not for them. They need you."

"You're not going to lecture me about growing old and ending up alone? That's usually your favorite."

"I'm surprised that you actually listened."

Ben waved his finger in front of Knox's nose. "I know you, boy. You like to put on that you're perfect, but you aren't. That pretty girl in the house is going to realize that eventually."

"I've let her know that I am about as far from perfect as one human can get. I admit that I have issues. But the difference between me and you, Ben, is that I can actually put another person before myself. I can care and feel love."

"If you love her then you'd better let her go. You'll just mess up her life like you did your own."

"You might want to take your own advice. I'm done with you."

With that, Knox turned on his heel and strode back inside the house, looking for Jenna. He wanted to leave. Immediately. He had words for Randy as well but he needed to cool down before delivering them.

Ben Owens hadn't changed. Would he ever? Probably not, but even if he did Knox had been through far too much chaos with his father to ever want a ticket on that ride ever again. He was walking away and there was no looking back, no regrets. Jenna had been right - as usual. Knox had created his own family of friends, people he trusted and had chosen. They were people he could count on with his very life if the situation called for it. He'd be there for them too.

And maybe Jenna could be part of that created family.

Because he'd told his father he could feel love. Love for Jenna.

He should tell her. Would she say it back?

26

Knox was uncharacteristically quiet on the drive back to Tremont. His brother Randy, who Knox said was a decent guy, had been extra proud of himself at the party. He'd told Jenna that he'd managed to get Knox outside to talk to their father. Knox might like his younger brother, but in Jenna's short acquaintance she thought Randy was a douchebag for doing that.

"He can't avoid Dad forever," Randy had said with a big proud grin on his face.

"Actually, he can," Jenna had replied and walked away. She had much more to say but it would probably be better not to speak any more than she already had.

She couldn't say Knox hadn't warned her about his family. He had, and she'd believed him. Honestly, he'd been kind. From the crap that she heard from his own brothers while he was out back talking to Ben Owens, she wanted to drop kick them in the balls.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

They were almost halfway back to the house and the silence had stretched on for longer than Jenna was comfortable with. If he didn't want to talk about it, that was fine, but she needed to make the offer. They were a team now, so his problems were her problems too.

"Did you want to talk about my conversation with my dad or your conversation with my brother? We both probably wish we could get that wasted time back in our lives."

"How about we start with you and your dad and work from there?"

"Fine with me. I'll make it short. He said he'd changed and I challenged that. Then he dropped the facade and showed me that he hadn't changed a bit. I told him to pound sand. End of story. How did your meeting go? Any better than mine?"

Jenna wasn't quite ready to move on yet. She had questions.

"What do you mean when you say that he dropped the facade?"

"He stopped pretending to love me and be charming and friendly. He turned cold and nasty. He said that I should break up with you so I won't ruin your life like I've ruined my own. I guess he thinks that regular employment and paying my own bills is a bad thing."

"You weren't actually going to do that, were you?" she asked, more than a little scandalized. She might have lost Knox because his dad was a jerk. "I wouldn't have let you anyway."

Knox threw back his head and laughed. "That's what I love about you, babe. Even if I wanted to break up - which I don't - you'd just tell me no and to go sit down and stop complaining."

She leaned in closer to Knox, feeling the warmth of his body through the thin cotton of her blouse. "You love that about me, huh?