Chapter 107 Part 107
Asher
He couldn’t remember ever being so mad. He slammed the truck’s door and started it. His tires spun on the gravel, and he sped away from the main house, and headed into town.
He slammed his hand against the steering wheel, his anger building and building. A hundred different thoughts went through his mind as he passed the bar, screeched to a halt, and turned around when he spotted his truck.
He parked his truck and took a deep breath. If he went in there and confronted him while he was this angry, it would not end well for his friend. In that moment though, he wasn’t his friend, just the man that had put his sister in a compromising position.
He stalked into the bar and looked around. He was greeted and patted on the back as he made his way deeper inside. Lorelei gave him a glare but he ignored her. He didn’t have time for one of her tantrums.
“Hey, Asher! Didn’t think I’d see you here,” Joey said, and peered over his shoulder. “Where’s that pretty girlfriend of yours?”
“Not now, Joey,” he said, and pushed past him.
He sat with Claire in a booth, her hands were wrapped around his arm, but he was looking everywhere but at her. Asher didn’t care about his personal problems.
“McRoy! Outside now!”
“Asher? What’s going on?” Winchester untangled himself from Claire, and got to his feet.
“We ain’t doing this here. Outside. Now.” Asher turned, and headed back outside. He knew the anger showed on his face, but seeing him with Claire just angered him more.
He knew Winchester was behind him, he could feel his presence, and he pushed the bar’s door open with force. Winchester caught the door, and closed it behind him quietly.
Asher kept walking to the side of the bar where nobody could see them. He turned just as Winchester rounded the corner, and he drove his fist into the man’s abdomen. Winchester doubled over and groaned, his arms clutching his stomach.
“What the hell, Asher! What’s your problem?” Winchester yelled at him.
“We’re friends, McRoy! Friends! And then you go and do this!”
Asher grabbed him by his shirt, and pushed him against the bar’s wall. His eyes were blazing with anger. He gritted his teeth and let go of the man. He wiped a hand down his face and shook his head.
“This will be my first and last warning to you. Stay the hell away from Eden. It’s bad enough that she’ll have to endure the looks and the whispers. People don’t have to know it's yours and make her life miserable; you understand me? You stay the hell away from her,” Asher said, and took a step backwards. “And take your horse business elsewhere. I don’t want to see you anywhere near her! You got your little fiancee, Momma’s Boy.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I love Eden!”
“You don’t love her! Forget her name, McRoy! I won’t tell you again. I’ll support her, and I’ll help her raise this child!”
“Child?” Winchester blinked a few times. “She’s pregnant?”
Asher was taken aback, looking at Winchester through narrowed eyes. “You didn’t know?”
“No! Of course, I didn’t know!”
“It doesn’t matter. She probably had a good reason for not telling you,” Asher said, angrily.
“There is no reason good enough for her not telling me!”
“You’re getting married, asshole! To another woman! To keep your momma happy! Your balls are purely there for decoration, ain’t they? Go back to your cushy lifestyle, because we all know if you don’t do what she says, she cuts you off. Money rules you, McRoy! And if I find out that you’ve told anyone that Eden’s carrying your child, there will be hell to pay!”
“Asher!”
“Piss off, McRoy, and stay the hell away from Eden. She has a family that loves her. She doesn’t need you!”
Asher walked back to his truck, but this time he kept to the speed limit as he drove back to the ranch. He parked his truck in front of the main house, and stalked inside.
Everybody was still seated at the dining room table. “Eden.” She looked up at him, fear and worry etched in her eyes. “Let’s go for a drive.”
She stood up slowly, and Asher took her hand, and led her outside to his truck. He opened the door for her and lifted her inside. When he was seated as well, he started the truck, and drove toward his house. He took the western route and drove all the way up to the cliff.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Asher turned to face her. “You’re my sister, and there’s nothing you can ever do that will make me love you less.”
“I know, Asher, I feel the same way.”
“I won’t leave you. I’ll be here, and I’ll support you. I know you’re gonna keep that baby, so, I want you to know that I’ll be here. If you need me to go to doctor’s appointments, I will. I’ll even do the Lamaze classes with you. I’ll be here for whatever you need. McRoy might be the sperm donor, but you’ve got a whole family that will love your child.”
“How did you know it was him?”
“He was looking at you every time he introduced Claire to people. I thought it was odd, but I didn’t think much of it until you said you were pregnant,” Asher said.
Eden lowered her head, and Asher pulled her closer so she could lean against him. “What did you do to him?”
“I told him that you didn’t need him. You have a family.”
Eden chuckled. “I love you, Asher.”
“Why didn’t you tell him about the baby?”
“I just found out, then he came by to tell me about the engagement his mother was forcing on him. He’d talked about marriage before, but I wasn’t ready to do it. I didn’t want him to have to give up his whole life for me.”
“That’s what you do when you love someone,” Asher argued. “Money’s nice to have, but I’d rather struggle every day than not have the people I love with me.”
“He’s worked hard, Asher. They nearly went bankrupt a few years ago, but Winchester turned it around. He made that place successful, I couldn’t take that from him. We all know his mother hates us.”