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“Well, I do not know how long this is going to take. Last she told me, she wanted a separation, so I gave it to her. Now, who the hell knows what she wants? Perhaps she has forgotten all the reasons she wanted one to begin with,” Gabe said, letting out a sigh.
“I’d have told her you were busy. I mean, the woman knows you have a farm to run.”
Gabe nodded. “Yeah, she does.” He hung his head. “Which is part of the reason she left. She couldn’t stand not being the centre of attention all the time.”
I’d become cold since I lost Ella. Back when she was alive, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t have dropped if she needed something. Now, the farm came first, that was it. There wasn’t anything else, or anyone. Besides, watching Mallory walk out on Gabe shortly after his grandmother had passed a month ago had pissed me off. She knew he needed her.
“I need a favour, Connor.”
“What’s that?” I questioned, feeling my stomach growl. I hadn’t had breakfast yet and was suddenly starving.
“I need you to take care of things at the farm while I’m gone. At least check on things, make sure the work is getting done.”
I chuckled. “Look, I’m a rancher, yes, but I know absolutely nothing about dairy farms. The horses I can easily look after, but you’re probably better to get your sister for this. Want something to eat?”
I opened the front door of the house and made my way into my kitchen, with Gabe trailing behind. I pulled the pack of fresh sausage out of the fridge along with eggs and pulled a clean pan out of the pile of dishes that sat in the one sink.
Gabe stepped into the kitchen and looked around. I knew he was judging me. He’d been doing it since Ella died. I wasn’t the best at keeping the place clean, nor did I care. Most nights I was way too exhausted to eat, never mind clean up the place. I needed a place to put my head at night. That was it.
“No bacon?” Gabe questioned, sitting down.
That question six months ago would have stopped me in my tracks. Instead I just shook my head. “Nope, and we aren’t getting on that topic again,” I replied.
I still couldn’t stand the smell of bacon cooking after stepping into the house the day I found Ella dead. In fact, my stomach turned the second I even caught a whiff.
“So, why can’t Cadence look after things? She should be back home soon.”
Gabe met my eyes. “Like all the women in my life, she’s decided she isn’t coming back from our grandparents’. I tried to get her to stay when she was here for Ella’s funeral, but she refused. I tried again when I went out there a month later when Gramps died. I figured after Grams went, she’d be packing up, but now she claims she won’t return. She says that the farm meant too much to Grandma and Gramps. She doesn’t want to let it go.”
I nodded, throwing the sausage in the hot pan. “At least she has her shit figured out,” I muttered, wiping my hands on my jeans. “You’ve got to give her that.”
Gabe let out a laugh. “My sister does not have her shit figured out. That much I can tell you.”
“Sure she does. She’s going to make a go of it out on the dairy farm at your grandparents’. That’s something.”
“I know Cadence, and I know her well. She’s hiding from something. Something here,” Gabe replied. “I just can’t figure out what it is.”
“Probably from her brother’s fucked-up ex-wife.” I chuckled, not able to help myself.
Only Gabe didn’t laugh. Instead, his face turned serious, which made me stop laughing. “Sorry, that wasn’t called for.”
“It’s fine. I know Mallory isn’t everyone’s favourite person. I also know she pissed you off when she packed her shit and left.”
That was putting it lightly. They’d met at school. I, for one, couldn’t stand her, and I knew Cadence felt the same. She’d told me that many times. Mallory came from an affluent home on the outskirts of Willow Valley, and I’d told Gabe from the start that she’d never be happy with a farmer, but he insisted. Things went well for the first couple of years before Gabe took over his parents’ farm here. Then the trouble started.
I quickly plated up the breakfast I’d cooked and carried both plates to the table, setting one down in front of Gabe.
“I just need to know you can help me out for a bit. It won’t take much of your time, I promise.”
“No problem. We can go over a plan on Monday,” I said, digging my fork into my food while Gabe did the same.
* * *
I lay on the couch Sunday night flipping through the channels, debating whether I should just go to bed. Morning came early, and not only did I have the cattle to tend to, but I also needed to visit Gabe. I flipped a few more channels, wiped my hand over my face, and switched the TV off. I was just about to climb the stairs up to the bedroom when I heard a knock on the front door.
I glanced at my watch and frowned. It was after nine. An odd time to have company, I thought, knowing few people from the town came out this way this late at night. Getting up, I walked over and opened the door to find Gabe standing there.
“What’s up?” I questioned.
