“Why’s he awake?”
Patting Toby’s back, Santana rocked him slightly, the whole thing looking like it came naturally to her.
“He’s interested in the world around him, Remy. When he’s tired, he’ll nap.”
I swear it looked like his head was going to explode. “He has a routine, one that’s been set so he stays calm. You fucking around with it is going to upset him.”
“I’m not messing around with his routine,” she said softly. “Babies don’t always sleep at the same time every day.”
Leaning down, Remy carefully took his son from her, making it look like he was holding the most fragile thing in the world as he straightened up.
“Here’s what you don’t understand, Santana. This is my kid. I’m his parent, and normally at this time, he’s fast asleep. You keeping him awake is going to fuck with his head, and then what? Do you know what’s best for that, too?” he hissed. This wasn’t the Remy I’d first met, and it was hard to put the two together to make the same person.
Santana stared at him for a moment, and then she lowered her head and looked straight at me, effectively dismissing him.
“Santana, I’m talking t—”
“No,” she barked, suddenly standing up. “You’re not talking to me. You’re talking down to me like I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m sick of it. I’m not here as your punchbag for when you feel stressed or overwhelmed, Mr. King.”
Remy’s head jerked slightly at her not calling him by his first name, but Santana continued with her tirade anyway.
“I’ll be there for Toby when needed, but I’m doing it for the baby, not you. I’ll also be there when I’m needed on the ranch because I care about the other guys and the horses. But I will not be spoken down to by you ever again.”
I was already getting up carefully from my seat on Marcus’s couch when she turned to me, and I saw her bottom lip trembling slightly and knew she needed to get out of here now.
“Why don’t you go and start the car,” I suggested, taking my first step and wanting to scream. “I’m a bit slower than you, so you can make sure it’s nice and cool by the time I get there.”
Smiling gratefully at me, she walked quickly out of the room, only stopping to run her finger down Toby’s cheek softly. Once she was gone, I was left alone with Remy, who was standing looking like someone had kicked him in the balls.
And I guess she had.
“You asked for that, you know,” I told him as I reached him. “She’s done nothing wrong.”
Remy swallowed loudly and looked over his shoulder at the door. “I’ll apologize.”
“That’s a start.” I moved past him to the door, then added, “But I’d also maybe address why you feel you need to be as stressed and controlling as you are where Toby’s concerned. None of us are going to hurt him, and it’s okay to ask for help or say you need a break.”
Leaving him with those parting words, I limped out to the SUV and opened the door. This was proof of what a great friend I was. Climbing up into it was going to suck balls, but sitting on the seats and driving down the dirt road to Nonna’s place? I’d rather have my pubes pulled out with Duct Tape. But she needed to get away, and I was giving her a reason—pain be damned.
Once I finally made it into the vehicle and was seated with my injured cheek off the seat, I suggested the one place that would make me feel better right now if I was in her shoes.
“Drive to my place, and we’ll get Nonna over. I’ve got an idea that works for me when I want to cry.”
Chapter Fifteen
Marcus
Seeing as how I knew Santana had driven Addy to Mrs. V’s place, I decided to walk. The sun was setting, and the temperature was comfortable. It made a nice change to do it this way than to drive.
Which was why I was currently walking from the ranch to Addy’s house, with my hands in my pockets, but I couldn’t explain why Remy was doing the same thing, except with a sleeping Toby in his buggy.
For the last couple of days, it’d felt like I couldn’t breathe. The whole incident with Hayes and Addy had been eating me up inside. She was so tiny, and the thought of him running into her made me feel sick. He was one of the gentlest horses we had, and I know in the past he’d been okay with her. I was also concerned about the cut on his flank, one that looked like he’d been whipped with something.
At night, I could hardly sleep, going through all of the people on the ranch and trying to figure out if any of them had it in them to do that to him.