Page 29 of Sunrise & Serenity

She checks the display on her camera and presses buttons on the back.

Fuck. When did I become such an asshole? I almost stop her and tell her not to worry about it. But I don’t. If it was just a joke, it doesn’t matter whether she deletes them anyway.

“See.” She holds up the camera so I can see the screen, which shows one of the photos she took during the tour this morning. She presses the scroll button, but nothing appears, proving the photos she just took are gone.

“Thanks.” My voice comes out gruff, unforgiving. I hate that I can’t seem to control my body or voice the way I want to these days.

“Now that all the awkwardness is over…” Taryn gives a fake grimace. “I’m officially inviting Sage to dinner tonight. Since you’re her chauffeur, you have to stay as well.”

This time, my sister’s stare is a challenge.

I rarely stick around at the end of the day to eat with the family. Maybe she senses that part of me feels bad about snapping at Sage and that refusing her a home-cooked meal is a step too far, even for me.

Still, I must hesitate for a moment too long because Taryn’s blue eyes turn pleading. “Please, Holden? It’s been ages since we’ve all had dinner together.”

I couldn’t say no now, even if I planned to. The two of us were close before Mom died. Before I packed up and left the suddenly too-quiet ranch for the bright lights, the crowds, and the constant buzz of the rodeo circuit. She might have been just a kid the last time I lived here full time, but I miss that closeness. I think she does too. “I guess we can stay.”

Her answering smile is so bright it makes my heart squeeze. Have I really been so distant since I came back that a simple family dinner makes her that happy? Or is she just excited to have another woman at the table tonight?

I risk a glance at Sage. Her lower lip is caught between her teeth as she watches us.

What do those pretty hazel eyes see when she looks at me? A broken-down bull rider? A man who’s being a dick for no reason?

Does it matter?

I roll my shoulders to loosen them. In a few months, she’ll be gone. And by then, I’ll have figured out what the hell my future holds. I just need Rick to come back with an offer worth taking.

“I’ve got some more work to do,” I say. “I’ll see you back at the house.”

“Uh-huh.” My sister scrunches up her face. “Maybe put that shirt back on too. Nobody around here needs to see that.”

She waves her finger at my chest and, stupidly, I look down.

Yep. Still shirtless.

With a roll of my eyes, I drag my shirt back over my head. It smells like horse. Then again, the rest of me does too.

As I tug the fabric down, I catch Sage’s gaze fixed on my abs. But she blinks quickly, then averts her eyes and fiddles with her camera.

Not sure if that makes things better or worse.

With a nod to the two women and Chance, whose smirk is clearly meant to annoy me, I step out into the sunshine, unsure whether I’m looking forward to dinner tonight or dreading it.

CHAPTER 8

HOLDEN

When I stroll into the kitchen that evening, the sight before me brings a reluctant smile to my face.

It’s been too long since I saw Dad with a dishcloth draped over his shoulder, standing in front of the stove, stirring saucepans and checking on what’s roasting in the oven.

After Mom died, he didn’t have much choice but to hold himself together, at least enough to feed us kids. For months, we survived on baked beans, scrambled eggs, and bacon.

Not that any of us really felt like eating anyway. But eventually, our appetites returned, and we all gradually improved our cooking skills. Dad, in particular, threw himself into it. I think it gave him something to focus on.

If the rich aroma of roasting meat that hits me is anything to go by, he’s been sharpening his skills even more since he handed the ranch manager role to Sterling.

Speaking of my eldest brother, he’s in his usual spot at the table, laptop open in front of him, probably poring over another spreadsheet. Quinn is messily setting the table around him, and Chance is chopping vegetables at the island.