A False Start (Gold Rush Ranch, #4)

by Elsie Silver

brat. “Boys are dumb, you know? I don’t give a flying fuck about your meaningless marriage. Do I irrationally hate a woman I’ve never met? Yes. Could I get sick just thinking about you with someone else? A big fat yes. Am I pissed off you didn’t tell me? Yeah, Griffy, I am. But mostly I’m pissed off you’re too big of a pussy to fight for me.” I glower at her, hating how right she is. “Too scared of my brother? Too scared of hurting me? Too scared to work on yourself so that you can be worthy of something good? Fuck you for being such a coward. You said I was yours, and now you’re going to sit there and let me walk out?” She scoffs. “Yeah. Pardon my French but . . . Fuck. You.”

My dick hurts, it’s so hard. “Do you have any idea how pretty you look like this? I’ve never been harder than I am right now with you trussed up and spread out on my dining room table like a fucking five-course meal.” She giggles, sounding a little unhinged. “Only five?”

house. Can we elaborate on why you were up there at all?” I blink, not ready to give a name to what we were doing up there. Especially not in the wake of the whole scene here. “Griff?” my brother asks, with a note of pleading in his voice. Griffin shrugs. “I’m not going to speak for Nadia.” Stefan runs a hand through his hair like we just announced the worst news of his life. “Seriously? She’s fourteen years younger than you.” Griffin’s eyes flit to mine again. The look he gives me is like he’s about to throw caution to the wind, jump off a fucking cliff. And he doesn’t disappoint when he says, “Yeah. Well. I’m in love with her anyway.”

“You two Neanderthals are best friends. Don’t be stupid about this. I’ll see you both at family dinner tonight.”

“I want you to be careful. I want you to put yourself first. I want you to consider the implications of getting involved with a man this much older than you, one with demons big enough to rival your own. One who is about to get dragged into the media. And I really, really want you to go to vet school. I want to watch you walk across that damn stage at your graduation, a huge fuck-you to the monster who raised us. I want the world for you. Every dream, every goal. I want you to have every opportunity our mom never got.”

“I think in some cases, age is just a way to measure the number of years you spent without the person meant for you.”

“This isn’t enough, Nadia. To repay you for the way you’ve brought me back? It will never be enough. I’ll spend the rest of my goddamn life repaying the favor, and I’ll do it with a smile. This place is yours whenever you want it. With me. Without me. No strings attached. I want you to have it. I want to see you spread your wings and soar. To see all your dreams come true.” I pause, sucking in a deep, centering breath, and then I forge ahead like I planned. “But right now, I’m going to beg you to give me another shot. Before? That was a false start. This? This is a clean slate. I want all your right nows. All your tomorrows. I want it all with you.”

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. But you’re not one of them. You’re the happiest accident I’ve ever known. The very best decision I’ve ever made. My reason.”

Even my parents, Joan and Doug, are here, positively beaming like she’s their own. Everyone who loves her is here to watch her walk across that stage today—the family she chose.

His parents are so sweet, omg

“Yeah. And I just added something.” Two somethings. She snorts. “You added something to my list?” “Yeah. Join the mile high club.” And get down on one knee and beg you to be Dr. Sinclaire for the rest of your life.

My girl. My reason. My Wildflower. Forever.