Cursing the crossword, cursing myself, and cursing my damn dick, I wrapped up the sub to eat another day, threw on my jacket, and jogged through the light rain down to the house.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Colby teased, her smile wide as I entered the dining room behind Cyclops.
I grunted, raking my eyes around the table until they found Lara.
For the size of my family, dinner was functioning at half capacity. Cassius sat in his seat at the head, Colby and Lara on one side of him, and Creighton on the other. Aside from Lara, this was the typical attendance to an evening meal. If Creed was around, which wasn’t often, he joined—not that he said much. Colton came in spurts but preferred to spend his time with the horses and taking out his aggression inside the barn; Lara took his place at the table tonight. And Callum ... forget it. At least, that was my opinion, but Cassius set a place for him regardless.
He set a place for all of us, regardless.
“I could smell the barbecue all the way up the hill,” I lied and drew out the chair next to Creighton, who chuffed at my lie. If I were anyone else, he would’ve called me out on it, but me, Cassius, and Creed were the only ones regularly spared from his rancor. Probably because we were the only ones he wouldn’t get a rise out of.
I took a second glance at his right arm, noticing a tattoo I swore wasn’t there last week. Coffee-making was my hobby, and tattooing himself was Creighton’s. He was covered in them, though always somehow found room for more.
“Barbecue chicken and sweet potato bowls.” Colby handed me the fixings, one after another, to make my own.
Sweet potatoes were grown in the garden. Barbecue sauce was Dad’s secret recipe. And chicken came free-range from another ranch a few miles down the road. Years ago, Cassius had bought chickens forthispurpose, but as soon as Colby had named them all, there was no way in hell she was going to let them become dinner.
Creighton leaned over as soon as my plate was filled and murmured loud enough for everyone to hear, “If it were up to me, we could’ve been having duck.”
Colby’s expression flatlined and she gave him the finger.
Cassius made a sound halfway between a sigh and a chuckle and redirected the conversation. “So, Lara, how do you like Phoenix?”
Pain lanced my chest, and I shoved a bite of food in my mouth. I didn’t want to think about her going back to Arizona, but I should. Better to get the ache over with now.
“It’s . . . nice.”
“Nice?” Colby prodded, scooting back as Cyclops jumped into her lap. Cassius sent the cat a glare but said nothing. “Have you been to the Grand Canyon? I don’t think it’s too far ...”
“It’s about five-ish hours, so not too far, but I haven’t gone. Most of my coworkers have and rave about it, I just ...” Her head angled and her smile tightened. “Lately, my version of a day trip is going up the elevator to the ortho floor at the hospital. I haven’t really explored much at all, which is embarrassing, but I work a lot. Too much, probably.”
“What made you want to move down to the heat?” Cassius’s bias for his home for the last four decades was making a strong showing.
“I wouldn’t say it was a choice. It was where I was accepted for my residency, so I went. I enjoyed where I worked and the people I worked with, so I stayed when I finished.” Her shoulders gave a little shrug. “Not a great reason, unfortunately.”
“But your sister has been living up here still? Since college?” The mention of Rachel instantly hung a cloud over her, one I wished I could just rip away.
Why was he asking about Rachel?I stopped eating and leveled Cassius with a hard glare, waiting for him to acknowledge my silent warning to lay off the topic.
“She moved around a bit, too, but eventually ended up back here.”
“Wait, Dad, how do you know where they went to college?” Colby butted in, her head cocked at a wild angle.
Cassius stilled and sat back, unsettled. Maybe because he wasn’t used to being the one questioned.
“We went to University of Wyoming together. Rachel graduated with me, and Lara two years after,” I said, hoping to put an end to the conversation.
Colby’s head whipped toward me, her eyes wide for what I was sure was a Colby-only reason.
“Do you think you’ll stick around once Calder finds your sister?”
Goddammit.
“Cassius,” I warned, my fork clattering to my plate.
Cassius wasn’t particularly known for his tact. I wished I could say it came from avoiding most forms of society for the last thirty-odd years, but that would be a lie. The man was a survivalist through and through. A born prepper. Situations were stripped bare of emotion so they could be thoughtfully evaluated and choices made accordingly.
He had the decency to grimace. A surprising consolation, in my experience.
