I pushed off the truck. Shrugged. “You believed the same as everyone else.”

“Believed—” She sputtered, stared at me. “Are you kidding me? You came home with a baby! Why would you have an infant that’s not yours?”

I pointed at her. “That. Right there. You think I gave a shit then what people thought of me? Or now?”

“I thought you cared about what I thought.”

“I did.” I ran a hand over my face.

She huffed out a laugh. “You have a funny way of showing it.”

I sighed. “You found out Claire’s not my biological child. She’s legally mine though. I’m her daddy, and that’s all that matters. All she’ll ever know.”

I laced that with a hint of warning in case she had any ridiculous ideas.

“You walked away from me. Told me you were holding me back. You had no job besides working the ranch. The town knew you as a slacker.”

“Your father’s word, I believe,” I countered.

Tears welled in her eyes. “I tried, Huck. Tried to change your mind. I wanted you just as you were. God, I loved you.”

That hit my chest harder than any bullet.

“If I’d known the truth about the baby, it would have been different.”

I shook my head. “And yet I stopped being a slacker and got my shit together. You didn’t come to me until last night.”

She stared at me. I doubt she even blinked. I hadn’t been able to tell her the truth. I’d walked so her family didn’t get ripped to shreds back then, and it wouldn’t make a difference now.

“What I want to know is when you’ll be in my bed again.” She wasn’t the only one who wanted answers. “This time to stay.”

Her mouth dropped open. Then closed. Then open again. “I don’t want that!”

I smirked. “Really? Your nipples and dripping pussy last night said otherwise.”

“How dare you!”

“You’re the one that bought me, baby girl. For five hundred dollars, you at least deserve a little dick, don’t you think?”

She came over and slapped me across the face. It rocked my head to the side and stung like a bitch, but I’d made my point.

I took hold of her shoulders and pulled her close. “Why are you so outraged? Because your plan backfired? You wanted to get back at me for keeping the secret about Claire, but you discovered you still have feelings for me.”

“Feelings of hatred.”

“And lust. You want me.”

“God, how does your ego fit in your truck with you?”

“If you didn’t want me, you wouldn’t have climbed into my bed. Knelt over my face.”

“Women can only get off if their feelings are involved?” she countered.

“I don’t give a shit about other women. I care about you. You can’t. You’re a one-man woman, baby girl.”

“You think that man’s you?”

“It always was. I just had to make something of myself. Make myself worthy.”

“Like I said, I loved you just the way you were. You didn’t have to prove anything to me.”