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“It’s for the new operations manager I hired.”

“The what?”

“My father wants a person there twenty-four seven to run the ranch, so I hired someone. Randy’s a real nice dude.”

After losing sleep for months, I’d realized I had free will and didn’t have to ask permission for shit. Texas needed a leadership presence, and my dad thought it should be me, but I saw it differently.

“It sounded like your dad wanted you to run the ranch,” Dial said, softening.

“He does.”

“Did you tell him you’re not interested?”

“Yes, but you know Ernest. Saying no to him is insubordination.”

Her eyes were still narrowed, but her hands now hung limply at her sides. “Why didn’t you just tell me this from the start?”

“Because you just cussed me out for five minutes straight.”

Dial gasped like I was hurling around false accusations. “I’m not going to apologize because I was upset over the possibility of losing you. Ernest knows you have a child to take care of.”

“My dad is a family man in name only. My mother raised Fancy and me, you know that.”

Dial collected her hair, holding it in a pile atop her head. As she paced about the small space, it was clear that she was comparing my version of events against my father’s.

When her feet finally stalled, she said, “I’m sorry I chewed you out.”

“And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I should have a long time ago. But we were in a different place, and honestly, I was scared that if I told you I’d lose you forever. No excuse—it was selfish on my part.”

“It was,” she said. “But apology accepted. I shouldn’t have ignored your calls. That was childish.”

“If we’re turning pages, we gotta leave bad habits behind. I’d rather be cussed out over the phone than ignored.”

“You sound like Reese.”

“Reese has always been ten toes down when it comes to me and you,” I said. “What I don’t understand is why you would think I’d leave you.”

“I don’t know… maybe because it’s just easier. I know I’m a lot, Oz. I jump to conclusions, I talk slick, and I don’t give you a minute of peace.”

“All things I love about you. I love it when you talk your shit because I know you can back it up. And I’ll take contained chaos over peace any day. You’re my little whirlwind.”

“It’s true, I love walking into a room and causing a ruckus,” she said.

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re stuck with me. I’ma get one of those shirts made that says, If lost, please return to Dial Birch Palmer.”

A smile tugged at her mouth, and she bit down on her lip to contain it. “That has a nice ring to it.” She reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze. “So, what are we gonna do about your daddy?”

“Shit, is Figs and Twine hiring? Because you know it’s his way or the highway.”

“No, bump that. Your father needs to understand you’re not his teenage son anymore. You’re grown and you get a say in your life.”

“That man is gonna whoop my ass when I tell him about Randy.”

“You and I both know he can’t whoop shit,” Dial said. “You’ve got all this rah-rah for everyone else, but your daddy gets a pass?”

“That’s just how our relationship works.”

“But it doesn’t. Because is this working out for you?”