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And he’d lied.
March
Iwatched Luke drive off and felt like a part of my heart, no, fuck a limb, my soul left with it.
I waited.
Hoping, stupidly and selfishly, they’d turn around because Sunny had changed her mind. After a moment, I felt my mom’s hand touch my back and cleared my throat.
“I fucked up,” I drawled.
“I’d say,” she agreed easily yet gently. If the hole in my chest didn’t hurt so damn badly, I would have laughed. “Wanna talk about it?”
“I hurt her.” Bile churned in my gut. “I didn’t tell you guys and?—"
“And she thinks you were keeping her a secret,” Mom cut me off, and my head jerked. “And more than likely thinks you were ashamed of her.”
“Right.”
“I don’t blame her.” My gaze cut to my mom, but she simply shrugged.
My mom was the best.
Always there whether we wanted her to be or not. January West had raised a gang of hellions on a ranch. My brothers and sisters and I were always into something. If there was trouble to be found, we or my cousins found it. But somehow, the woman was always three steps ahead of us and nothing ever really surprised her.
“Thanks, Mom,” I muttered, and she laughed.
“Honey.” She shook her head before patting my shoulder. “You have always wanted to do things on your own. Since you were tiny.” Her lips twitched like she wanted to laugh but somehow, magically restrained herself. “Maybe it’s because you were the oldest or because we put too much pressure on you to be responsible? I’m not really sure.”
“Mom,” I groaned.
“But you know… your dad was never upset that you didn’t want to work at the ranch. I mean, I think he knew your path would be different from when you were little.”
“He did?” I asked, and she nodded.
“Oh, yeah. The way you used to avoid having to deal with the animals but loved to build things with your grandfather?” she said softly, and I knew she had the same knot in her throat I did. “He expected it. Just like we expected May to go out and do her own thing and August to end up with Sandy. March, one day, hopefully soon, because you’re not getting any younger?—"
“Thanks for the reminder, Mom.” She chuckled and leaned into my side, resting her head on my arm.
“When you have a baby of your own, you’ll understand that at the end of the day, all you want is for them to be happy.” She sighed, and I nodded. “And maybe hope that when their dead grandfather starts making their life hell from the grave, they talk to you about it before they go out and do something crazy, like marry a stranger.” I slowly turned to look at her.
“You knew?”
“Honey,” she laughed. “Why are you guys always surprised that you can’t pull one over on me? Thanks, by the way.”
“For what?” I frowned.
“I won a hundred bucks off your dad that you would do something nuts without talking to us.”
“Wait, you bet against me?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I was betting on you. And from what I saw, you didn’t do too bad. I think you lucked out. Sunny is?—"
“Perfect,” I cut her off.
She stilled, and when I looked down at her after she didn’t say a word, my mom was staring at me like she was looking at me for the first time. “It’s true. Sunny is perfect.”
“Honey—" she started to say, but I shook my head and started to explain.
