“Expecting delivery in the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The casing’s durable.”
He presses his fingers into his eyes. “Jesus Christ.”
“Maggie’s on Dorito watch. She’s following him around with a bucket and a pair of rubber gloves like it’s a stakeout.”
“A stakeout.” Daniel’s voice is flat. “For goat shit.”
“Welcome to my week. Never in the history of this ranch has anyone monitored a bowel movement with this level of care.”
Daniel stares at me. Then something breaks behind his expression, and he laughs. Not the controlled, older-brother laugh. The real one I only hear when he’s around Delaney. It lasts three seconds before he kills it, shakes his head, and drains the rest of his glass.
“If Dad finds out our big play against LandCorp depends on a goat’s digestive system, he’ll sell the ranch himself.”
He exhales, and something loosens between us. It’s the first time in months I’ve let Daniel into the operational side of things. I’ve been running the cameras and the data trails and the quietinvestigation by myself because that’s what I do. I hold things. But this is bigger than holding.
“One more thing,” I say.
Daniel looks at me, an eyebrow raised. “Don’t tell me, Major Pecker swallowed the backup hard drive.”
“Major Pecker hasn’t swallowed anything. He’s too busy fighting every living thing on this ranch.”
“He let Delaney pet him last week.”
“Major Pecker lets Delaney do whatever she wants. The rest of us are on his shit list. Literally. He shit in my boot yesterday.”
“Both boots?”
“Just the left one. I think he’s pacing himself.” I shake my head in disgust. “What I wanted to ask was if you’ve talked to Gabriel lately?”
Daniel’s expression shifts, telling me he’s noticed our brother’s absence too.
“He was supposed to help me move feed to the south barn yesterday. Didn’t show. Found him on the back porch an hour later, just staring at the tree line.” Daniel turns the glass in his hand. “He’s been pulling away. Doing his hours, doing his work. But he’s not here. Not really.”
“He’s been like that for weeks.”
“Longer. Since before Christmas.”
We sit with that. Gabriel is the youngest. He stayed behind when the rest of us left for the military. The one who came after. Mom didn’t come home from the hospital. Dad disappeared into hisgrief. Gabriel grew up in what was left. He’s always been quieter than the rest of us, but this is different. This is a man putting distance between himself and the people who love him, and I don’t know why.
“He won’t talk to me about it,” Daniel says. “I’ve tried.”
“He won’t talk to me either. I asked twice. He changed the subject, the way he does when he’s decided you’re not getting in.”
Daniel nods slowly. “You think it’s a woman?”
The question doesn’t surprise me. “Could be. He’s got the look.”
“What look?”
“The one you had around Delaney. As though something’s gotten under your skin and you don’t know what to do with it.”
Daniel’s mouth flattens. He doesn’t argue, which is how I know I’m right.
“Keep an eye on him,” I say. “Don't push. Just... be around.”
“I’m always around.”
“Be around softer.”
