He knocked once on the back door frame and walked in without a response. Stopped in the kitchen doorway. His eyes moved from my dad to my mother to me to Arlo.
"Stetson," Arlo said.
"Dad," Stetson said. Flat.
I nodded at Dakota's empty chair. Stetson came in, hung his hat on the hook by the door, and sat down. My mother put a plate in front of him. He said "thank you, Mrs. Holt" and started eating.
Cooper watched his half-brother across the table. They'd met maybe a handful of times. Stetson, meanwhile, kept his eyes on his plate…but I knew without a shadow of a doubt he was watching his father.
"Didn't know you'd be here," Cooper said.
"Didn't know you were coming," Stetson said without looking up.
That was the end of that.
Arlo had stopped eating. He watched Stetson the way he watched the property—taking stock.
My dad refilled his water glass. "You enjoying the Hill Country, Cooper? Been a while."
"Yes sir. Real pretty." Cooper glanced around the table, landed on Millie again. "You said you're from San Antonio originally?"
"Born and raised," Millie said.
"You miss it?"
"Sometimes. Less than I expected."
"She's settled in well," my mother said, in the tone she used when she was drawing a line.
Cooper nodded, but his eyes went back to Millie anyway. "Well, if you ever want to see more of Texas than this one ranch, I know some good spots between here and Midland."
My fork went down.
Millie's hand found my knee under the table before I'd moved an inch.
Her hand on my knee was a warning. I knew that. I also knew I didn't care.
"Cooper," I said.
He looked at me. Still easy, still loose, no idea yet.
"She's not going anywhere between here and Midland."
"Gage." My mother's voice, level.
"Just being clear," I said.
Cooper raised both hands, a half-grin on his face. "I didn't mean anything by it. Just being friendly."
"I know you didn't." I picked my fork back up. "Now you know I did."
Millie's hand stayed on my knee. Pressure, steady. I let it go.
For a moment the table returned to itself—my dad asking Stetson something about the back acreage, my mother refilling water glasses, Haven turning back to her plate. The meal noise closed over the gap.
Then Arlo said, "What's the timeline on the pregnancy?"
The room went quiet the way rooms go quiet when something lands wrong.
