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Kennedy spoke first. “That was monumental.”
Liam nodded, his stunned expression still in place. “If Stetson rebels against Cameron, it’s subtle. More like who can out-stubborn the other. This was close to outward defiance.”
“I’m glad that went well.” Archer’s smile was the one he wore when he was working. “I’ve heard all about y’all as kids, but I hear you have twins.”
Kennedy dug out her phone to show him pictures. My friends might’ve realized that Archer was avoiding any more talk about his family or how the night went. They’d probably known when I’d done it too. But we laughed over stories of the twins, and when the evening was over, Archer gave me a lingering kiss good night and left in his car. I went home by myself, wishing I was crawling into bed with him instead. Nothing about this night felt settled. I thought I was getting to know Archer, but tonight I’d seen the layers he kept hidden from me.
* * *
Archer
I stared at the ceiling of my motel room. Every so often, the drone of an engine broke through the quiet. I couldn’t sleep.
Liam, Kennedy, and Delaney had stayed at Rattler’s until after ten. I’d stayed the entire time, and it shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but I’d had fun. Liam’s irreverent humor reminded me of Ansen. My brother and I hadn’t been close the last few years.
Why, again?
Then the night had wrapped up. Delaney went home, and I came back to the room. Alone.
I grabbed my phone. There’d been too many nights I’d lain awake wishing I could talk to my wife. I wasn’t doing that when we were at least in the same zip code.
She answered with a soft, “Hey.”
“Sorry to bother you. Were you asleep?”
Rustling came over the line. “No. Let me just step outside before Ma pounds on the wall.” I heard the door open and close, then she said, “Is something wrong?”
“I had fun with you tonight.”
“Good. Spending time with my friends is one of my favorite things. Other than riding Target.” A distant moo came over the line. “Why’d you really call?”
I let out a slow exhale, wishing she was with me in the dark, tucked into my side. If she were curled next to me, we probably wouldn’t be talking, and I needed to talk. Thoughts and worries swirled in my head, and they’d rob me of sleep.
Yet, I started with an innocuous topic. “Aunt Naomi was exactly as you said. Cold and distant.”
A soft snicker came over the line. “Ant.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Just that you say ‘Ant Naomi.’ I’d say ‘Awnt Naomi,’ but I wouldn’t or she’d stare at me and I’d turn to stone.”
I chuckled, but it faded. “Uncle Cameron asked about you. I didn’t tell him more than what we told Holden.” I thought back to the awkward explanation with a roomful of eyes on me. People I’d just met who knew my business. “Am I like him?”
On paper, I should have been thrilled. Uncle Cameron was exactly who I had wanted to be—who I’d wanted my dad to be. Not only had Cameron successfully run the Barron Ranch, he was also the CEO at the refinery. He’d started there before I was born and had worked his way up. My uncle was stern, confident, and I doubted there was a person who had railroaded him on this earth.
He was Dad’s opposite.
“What makes you ask that?”
“We both cut Dad out of our lives and seem to be better for it.” What would I have done in Dad’s place? What if I’m better because of what Dad did?
“What happened?”
“At Holden’s? Or with my dad?”
“Both.”
“It’s been easy to blame Dad,” I began as I stared at the ceiling. Liam had hit the right tone when he’d guessed how my night went. “He thought, as the second oldest, he should’ve run the Barron Ranch. Cameron was going to have a full-time job and a family.”
