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You’re a good man, Clint Ryker. Maybe too good. I’m sorry it had to end this way, but can it really end if it was never real to begin with?
I stared across the sprawling land my family had worked since before I was born, then I crumpled the note in my hand before tossing the paper into the fire.
Jess was nothing more than an opportunistic liar. She’d stolen my heart, won over my family, and then run off with everything we’d work so hard for. Every goddamned penny. A good man. I laughed and tossed back the last of my beer. If I was a good man, I’d have taken more notice, seen what she was up to before she cleaned us out.
Hoofbeats in the distance caught my ear, and I saw the figure of my brother Buck astride his horse Teddy as they approached. Buck stopped a few feet from where my own horse was tied and enjoying some feed. “Knew I’d find you here. Wallowing?”
Buck jumped down and tied Teddy’s reins to the post outside the secluded cabin.
“It was Dad’s favorite thinking spot. Seemed fitting.” I cracked another beer and tossed one to my brother.
“We’ll figure a way out of this, I promise,” Buck said, popping the cap off his bottle using his belt buckle.
“Don’t see how. Costs are up. Income is down, and Mama’s medical bills aren’t getting any lower.”
He sat on one of the stumps surrounding the fire and stared up at the wide Montana sky. “We let go of the staff, run the ranch ourselves until we figure out how to get back what she took.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “We’re never gonna see a dime of what Jess took.”
He sighed and dragged a hand across the back of his neck. “We started with nothin’. We can build back up from the ground if we have to.”
Buck pulled a pack of Marlboros from his jacket pocket and lit a cigarette. Taking a long drag, the cherry glowed bright in the dying light of day. It made me want to start smoking again, but I watched lung cancer slowly kill our father. I wasn’t willing to risk it.
“Mama catches you smokin’ she’ll remind you you’re never too old for her to take a switch to your hide.”
He laughed and held the thing between his thumb and forefinger, taking another long drag. Then he flicked it into the fire. “If there was ever a day that deserved a fucking smoke, it’s today.”
I had to grant him that. “You’re right.”
“So, tonight we drown our sorrows. Tomorrow, we fix this mess.”
I held up my beer, waiting for him to do the same. Then the two of us drank until the fire burned to nothing more than embers.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we’d figure out where to go from here. Tonight we were brothers enjoying the beauty of our family’s hard work, blood, sweat, and tears.
TWO MONTHS LATER
I stared down at the ledger. More red than black filled the pages.
“Goddammit!” I shouted, shoving everything off my desk with a satisfying crash.
“You about done with your tantrum?” My mama stood in the doorway of what used to be my dad’s office. It was mine now, but honestly, I felt like I didn’t belong here any more than I had when I was a kid.
“I don’t think we’re gonna make it past Christmas this year.” I dragged my hand over my face and sighed.
“Well, not with that kind of attitude. We just have to think outside the box.” Mama’s piercing blues locked onto mine “I didn’t raise you to be a quitter, Clinton James Ryker.”
I stood at the sound of my full name. That meant trouble. Walking around the desk until I was in front of her, I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not. But we’re in real trouble. Something’s gotta change.”
She grabbed my hand and squeezed. “It will. I have faith.”
“You’re always the optimist.” I couldn’t help my chuckle. “Even when we’re staring down the barrel.”
“It’s not as bad as all that. I got an ace up my sleeve.”
I cocked a brow and stared into eyes that looked just like mine “What are you up to?”
