Didn’t I fucking know it. I’d been waiting for the day when this tension between us would break, and we’d get back to normal. Never thought I’d find myself missing the days before I knew what it was like to kiss her.
“More like the past twenty-seven years,” I said back, trying to smile. It was forced and felt wrong, but I did it anyway. I hated remembering how old she was. How I’d woken up the following day at war with myself because what we’d almost done had crossed every damn line I’d ever drawn, and yet it’d felt so right at the time.
How could something like that possibly be bad? It wasn’t fair.
But I needed to remember that nothing had changed at the end of the day. I still prioritized my work and this ranch above all, and no one—not even the twenty-seven-year-old hellion across from me—could change that.
Ruby laughed. “True. All my children are stubborn, but that one is a step above the rest,” she said, looking toward Lennox. “Takes after her father more than I care to admit. He was hard to keep up with when we were kids, you know? Always on the go, always wanting more. I see that in her.”
“I dunno, Ruby. After what I just saw, I think she’s a little more like you than you think.”
“Y’all realize I can hear you, right? Like, I’m sitting right here,” Lennox said, leaning back in her chair. She tried to put on a tough front, but her eyes softened the moment her mom said she was like Doug.
All those girls had a soft spot when it came to their dad. He was the center of all their worlds, and I hated wondering whatwould happen when he wasn’t here. They were all strong enough to survive, but his loss would be a wound that’d never fully heal.
Hell, I didn’t know how I’d recover myself, and we weren’t even related. It never mattered when it came to Doug.
I’d learned early on that blood didn’t define family. It was determined by who showed up for you day in and out when shit got tough, the ones who rallied behind you and lifted you up until you could stand on your own two feet. I’d expected to be treated like an outsider here, but it’d never happened. Instead, I’d been offered a seat at their dining room table and shown a kindness I wasn’t sure I had even deserved.
“I’m well aware, daughter of mine. But at least you know I’m not talking shit behind your back.”
“Mom!” Lennox exclaimed, laughing. “Is that supposed to make it better?”
Ruby shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s the truth,” she said, bringing her glass of wine to her lips. “What time does the band go on? I’m ready to hear some live music.”
It was around four in the afternoon now. We still had a few hours of sunlight left before the stars came out. People were already hustling back and forth on the stage to prepare for the show.
“Around seven, I think,” Doug said, turning over his shoulder to stare. “I dunno. It was all a little last minute, so I think they’re just making sure everything is good to go.”
“What do you mean, last minute?” Josie asked. “This thing has been planned for months.”
“The band I originally booked canceled like three days ago. Said they’d broken up a month ago. Guess our little shindig had gotten missed when they made their cancellations.”
“That sucks. You seemed excited about them,” Josie said.
“Who’d you get instead?” Lennox said, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her palm.
“Well, I guess the kid I spoke with was the singer. He seemed pretty confused about why I was calling at first. Then I explained the situation, and he said he’d refund the full amount I paid and still do the set.”
“That’s nice of him,” Cleo said, furrowing her brows. “But how’s he going to do that if the band’s broken up?”
Doug shrugged. “I don’t know. Guess he made some calls and told them what happened. They agreed to do one last show. Ain’t that cool?”
Lennox forced a smile, looking at her sisters. “Sure is, Dad. Out of curiosity, what’s the name of the band?”
Doug opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a tall shadow looming over our table. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach as we all turned to see who it was.
Shit. This wasn’t gonna end well.
“Lawson! How the hell are you?” Doug said, pushing to his feet. He rounded the table and shook the singer’s hand.
Lawson smiled at Doug, but his eyes kept darting to Cleo at my side. I looked her way, half-expecting her to have lost all the color in her face. Instead, she looked like she’d just eaten a hot pepper. Her cheeks were flushed red, and there was an unmistakable anger in her eyes.
“I’m great, Mr. Hayes. Just wanted to stop by and give my congratulations in person before heading on up there.”
“Have you eaten? There’s plenty of food to go around for you and the band.”
“Not yet, but we’ll be sure to grab something before we head out,” Lawson said. He kept his words polite and friendly, but he couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering to the angry blonde to my right.
