My Mate Cut My Brand Off, So the Outcast Wolf Claimed Me novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: Rope

"I'll say it from here," Cade said from the foot of the stack, with his hat still in his hands.

I had my shirt buttoned by then and my hair in a rope down my back.

Rod stood beside me on the top bale and said nothing.

"Dad's lost the ditch loan," Cade said. "We're running the heifers through the sale barn a week from Saturday. I wanted you to hear it from me."

"Why?" I said.

"I'd like to talk to you there."

"You can talk to me anywhere, Cade. You won't be answered."

He looked up at me for a long moment, and then he put his hat on and walked back to his truck.

I watched him go with my hands shaking.

I was not afraid of him.

I was tired of being the one who had to stand watch.

"Marit," Rod said.

"I'm all right."

"I know. You've been all right since May."

I turned and looked at him.

He had hay in his hair and his hands hanging at his sides.

"Come to the barn," I said.

The saddle room in my father's barn was a plank room with a cold stove, a bench, and four saddle stands along the wall.

It smelled of leather and neatsfoot oil.

A string of lead ropes hung from pegs by the door, soft cotton ones my father had bought for the colts.

I took the blue one down.

I held it out to Rod in both hands.

He did not take it.

"What's that?" he said.

"Rope," I said.

"I can see it's rope," he said.

"I want you to tie my wrists with it."

He stood very still.

"I've been holding everything up since the day my father died," I said. "I held the place up and the permit and the note.

"I held my whole body up at that branding fire.

"I want to put it all down for an hour with one person, and I want that person to be you."

His throat moved.

"Marit."

"I know what I'm asking. I'm not asking you to hurt me.

"I'm asking you to take it out of my hands."

He took the rope.

It lay across his big palm, soft and blue, and he ran it through his scarred fingers.

"Nothing's owed," he said quietly. "Say the word and it's off. Any time."

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