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“It looks more like you were getting ready to kill each other.”
“Nah, Tucker was just upset I drank the last cup of coffee. He wanted it for himself.”
I hear my brother suck in a breath.
“Geez. You don’t need to fight over that. I can make another pot,” Mom says, clicking her tongue and moving over to the counter.
“It’s fine, Ma. I’m not on vacation like Ryder. I have to get back out to the pasture.”
“Ryder’s vacation is almost over. I sure hate to see you go back tomorrow, Son,” Mom responds, and I frown.
“Yeah. I really hate it, too, Ryder,” Tucker practically purrs, and I throw up a middle finger as soon as Mom turns her back.
He leaves without another word. I watch the door close behind him and realize he doesn’t need to say anything else. The two of us are going to have it out. For now, though, I need to call Green. I can’t leave Tillie yet.
I need more time.
Ryder
“Do you know what amazes me, son?” Mom asks, bringing me over a piece of the coffee cake that she baked this morning.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“That my sons still think I’m stupid after all these years,” she says, a little more bite into her words. I look up at the woman who has remained the constant in my life. It didn’t matter what was going on or what mistakes I had made. She loved me and never tried to hide it. I didn’t appreciate that enough when I was young. Now, as an adult, I do, but I know I don’t show her how much—at least not enough.
“It’s okay, Mom. Tucker and I just have some shi—crap to work through.”
“You would have to be blind not to see that your brother has been sweet on Tillie Carter for months now, Ryder.”
Her words threaten to reignite the anger I felt mere moments ago. I don’t bother hiding the displeasure I find on my face. There’s no point really. My mother is right. She’s not stupid.
“I’m aware,” I mutter, staring down at the slice of cake she put down.
“For all your blustering, the two of you are a lot alike, Ryder. You both are passionate about what you love in life and you’re both good, strong men who refuse to bend. He just happens to love ranching and your heart was never in this life.”
“A fact he and Dad will never forgive me for,” I mutter.
“That’s not true. Does it make your father sad? It does, but he respects you, Ryder. He never misses a game that he can find and he brags to all the guys at Gun’s bar when your Arby’s rating is better than some of the guys in the majors.”
“My what?”
“Your Arby’s. You know that stat they keep showing whenever you make a home run.”
I frown, wondering what on earth she could be talking about. Is it some kind of baseball themed fast-food commercial they show during the game, and she gets confused. “Mom, I don’t know—”
“He swears you’re going to beat Babe Ruth’s record one day. Well, him or that Hank guy. He keeps telling them how the record is one hundred and ninety something in a season and his boy is getting closer and closer.”
“RBI’s,” I murmur when it hits me what she’s talking about.
“That’s what I said,” she responds, and we both know it’s not what she said, but I let it go with just my lips twitching. “Anyway, the point is, your father is very proud of you. You, my son, just hold grudges and never forget things that were said in the heat of an argument—another thing your brother does as well.”
“I don’t,” I start, but I rub the back of my neck, because she’s kind of right. There’s always a part of me that holds onto my father telling me that I’d never make it in baseball and the ranch life was a family operation. It was where my life was meant to be. Those words only got more vehement when I passed on the rodeo offers after winning a few local buckles.
“We both know you do. If you ever sat down and talked with your father, you might find that he’s not only mellowed on the subject but that he’s happy for you.”
“He hasn’t exactly made a beeline to talk with me either,” I point out. I look up at Mom when I feel her hand on my shoulder, her fingers sifting through the hair at my spine. I don’t have my hat on. I think it’s still at Tillie’s. I didn’t even think about it this morning. I was too fucking happy that I had Tillie and we were getting closer.
“I didn’t deny that the stubbornness you and your brother share, comes directly from your father. Maybe instead of being cool with him, you just be… Ryder.”
