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“They’re not mad. They just want to talk. Go be sisters and gossip,” he says softly with a wink and disappears outside. “Come on, Olive. I’ll take you for your first ride on a quad.”
My stomach plummets to my feet as I whirl around. “No, you won’t,” I call out after him.
“Calm down, sis. I’ll take her to the baby animals and chickens.” He chuckles and says something else that I miss, but Olive seems to love it as she happily claps and then slaps Harley in the face a few times. I chuckle.
I sigh and turn back to my waiting sisters.
“Come on, Dee. We just want to talk,” Mabel says gently. My feet start moving, carrying me into the dining room, where there are plates of goodies and steaming cups of coffee on the table.
“How did you know I was coming?”
“Hudson saw you and texted us, so we pulled out what we had,” Tally offers, and before I can even turn to look at her, she throws her arms around me. “I’m so sorry for the way I’ve been acting. I was jealous of what you had. You got to fall in love and leave. I feel trapped here sometimes with no way out, and I know that’s not really true, but I’m very sorry for how I’ve been acting.”
She sobs as we hug. Tears stream down my face, and there goes one of the many weights that have been pulling me down.
“It’s okay. Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but also, don’t be afraid to live your life, Tally. You deserve to be happy as much as the next person.”
She releases me. “Thank you.”
The scent of freshly baked banana bread makes my mouth water. “The bread smells amazing.” I pull out a seat and drop into it. There’s a small plate in front of me, along with a black mug with a golden rim. “This all looks wonderful. Thanks, girls.” I smile at them as they take their seats—Tally and me on one side, Sybil and Mabel on the other.
“Dig in, girls,” Tally announces. Glasses clink as we make our coffees. Moments later, our plates are loaded with sweets and warm drinks steaming in front of us.
I take a bite of the warm banana bread and suppress a groan. “This is amazing,” I say with a mouthful of food. We continue to fill our bellies until we’re all finally sipping on our coffees.
Mabel clears her throat. “Dee, what happened with you and Eli?” Her question is gentle, but all eyes are on me.
Taking one last sip, I fill them in on events with Eli from the moment I left up until the day I arrived home. I don’t skip over anything—even the suicide note. I give them the raw version, and when I finish, horror is mirrored on each of their faces. Sybil’s hand covers her mouth, and her eyes are wide. Tally’s the opposite and appears as though she needs to go a round with a boxing bag to release the tension visible in her shoulders, and she’s sitting bolt upright. Mabel hangs her head, and I swear I hear her sob, though she quickly seems to swallow it.
“You don’t need to feel sorry for me, girl. It’s my own fault,” I say.
Tally leaps out of her chair so fast that it tips backward, falling to the floor with a thud. “It isnotyour fault. No one should treat a woman like that. I’m sorry, but I’m glad he’s gone, and you’re home again.”
“Tally,” Sybil growls at her. Tally composes herself and removes some of the empty plates from the table, but I still have food on mine which I nibble on.
“Sorry, Dee,” Tally says and walks over to the sink.
“What I don’t understand is why you never reached out to us. Why didn’t you visit or trust us to help you?” Sybil asks with tears in her eyes.
“Because it’s a pride thing. I felt ashamed of how my life had turned out. I still do, but I needed to come home. I have been in a bad way since I lost Eli. Isla knew this, and she lied to me to get me to come home. She told me Dad was unwell. So I came home.”
Tally rights her chair and takes her seat again, slightly red-faced and not because of embarrassment. Her body is tense, and her eyes are cold. She’s always had a temper and becomes super passionate about certain things. Abuse is one of them. “Would you have come home had she not lied to you?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I probably would have, but it would’ve taken me longer to swallow my pride. She knew that. I’m not mad that she lied to me, I’m grateful she did. Being home has helped me.”
Sybil takes a sip of her coffee, then says, “I’m glad she lied to you. I can’t believe you went through that on your own and didn’t tell me, even though you kept in contact. I never once thought you were in trouble. Things sounded wonderful.” She stares down into her mug and shakes her head. “I just can’t believe it. I wish you’d told us. We’re your family.”
“I know, and I’m sorry I didn’t, but my head wasn’t right. Still isn’t great but being home and working with horses again is really therapeutic.”
“And your health… is it good now?” Mabel asks and points to my chest.
My hand falls where my scar runs. “I’m good. No problems or complications.”
Should I tell them about the possibility that it’s Sebastian’s wife’s heart?
“That’s good to hear. Well, you’re home now. You have to let us h-help you.” Mabel’s voice catches.
“You all already have by helping me with Olive. Sometimes she’s a handful, so having help will take a big weight off my shoulders.” I pause then say, “There’s something else I need to tell you girls, and I’m not sure if I’m right or not, but since we’re being open and honest right now, I have to tell you.”
