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“Sally,” Kait said, glancing at her. “She does. She’s making one right now by not going after him to make sure he’s okay, and that he knows she’s not going to abandon him every time he makes a mistake or has a bad day.”
“We all have bad days,” one of the cowboys said, and Beth turned toward Marc. She didn’t know what to say. She felt two inches tall and insignificant, and she was desperately trying to find all the ways she hadn’t done what Sally had just accused her of doing.
The problem was, she couldn’t. She did like to play the martyr. She did get help from her father. She hadn’t known about Mick’s job, nor had she ever offered to help Sally with her kids, house, yard, or businesses while her husband was out of town.
She didn’t know how to save someone else while she was drowning herself.
You don’t have to, she thought. She drew in a deep breath and stood up. “Thank you,” she said. “Anyone else?”
No one said anything, and Beth looked out at them. “I know this is my house, but I have to leave for a little bit.” She looked at Sally. “I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to help you. I am one breath away from drowning all the time, and I don’t know how to throw you a line when I don’t have one myself.”
“I know that,” Sally said. “It’s why I’ve never said anything to you. But I’m telling you right now—stop thinking you’re drowning. Maybe you were a couple of months ago, before Trey came on the scene and started pulling you to shore. But you’renotdrowning anymore, and it’s annoying to watch you pretend like you still are.”
Kait stood up and moved around her kids to hug Beth. “We love you, Beth. We’ll forgive you when you leave to go get Trey and bring him back here so we can have our awesome holiday afternoon together.”
Beth clung to her, trying to steal some of her strength. At least she didn’t cry. “Okay,” she said, taking another breath and stepping back. “Okay.”
Daddy got up and hugged her, as did Hugh. When her brother stepped back, Sally stood there, waiting her turn. The two sisters looked at one another, and then Beth grabbed onto Sally and let her tears fall.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “Really, I am.”
“Go get him,” Sally said. “Find him, and tell him you forgive him, and tell him that none of us care about the fake marriage that I suspect isn’t really fake anymore.”
Beth nodded, pulling in another long, deep breath. She wiped her face and bent down to TJ. “Buddy, I have to go find Trey, okay? Will you stay here and listen to Grandpa, please?” She met her father’s eye just past TJ, and he nodded.
TJ said, “Okay,” and Beth pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Where did Trey go?”
“I don’t know, bud,” Beth said. “Where does he go when he’s upset?”
“Probably to see Thunder,” TJ said. “He likes Thunder.”
“Yes, he does,” Beth said almost absentmindedly. She wasn’t sure if Trey would go saddle his horse and disappear out into the wilds of the ranch or if he’d get in his truck and drive until he ran out of gas or the road, whichever happened first.
She collected her keys and her phone, left her dinner plate full of food in her spot at the table, and called Trey after she’d started her car so his voice would come through the speakers.
“Hello,” he said after three rings, his voice cool and detached.
“Trey,” she said turning toward Bluegrass Ranch. “Where are you?”
“The ranch.”
Beth blinked, trying not to be irritated with him. “It’s six hundred acres,” she said. “Could you give me a better idea of where I can find you so we can talk?”
“We’re talking right now.”
“I’d like you to come back to the farmhouse,” she said as the dirt lane that led back into the trees and to the ranch where Trey was came into view. “I love you, and I don’t want to have this family party without all of my family.”
Enough silence went by for her to drive down the road and make the turn onto the dirt lane. “I’m at my parents’ house,” he said. “I’ll meet you by the little house at the first intersection on the ranch, okay?”
“Okay,” Beth said. She wasn’t entirely sure where that was, but she’d figure it out.
“Five minutes,” Trey said.
Beth went around a corner and came to the first intersection. The road branched to her left and continued straight, and in the little pocket of land sat a little house. “I’m here right now, but take your time.”
He said he’d see her in a minute, and the call ended. Beth pulled her SUV into the short driveway of the house, realizing it was more of a cabin than anything. It might even be a shed and not a house at all.
Her fingers gripped the wheel, all of her muscles tight. They kept her in place, and she tried to think through what she might say to Trey when he arrived. She couldn’t come up with anything good.
