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“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” I blurt out as my thoughts return to the night when Hunter’s innocence was stolen away.
“Your business will take time to repair. And this is the biker you nursed a crush on.”
“I wish I could get him to stay here.”
“Your father is dying.”
Stopping in my tracks, I cross my arms protectively and mumble, “I don’t want to see him.”
Hunter watches me, seeming ready to walk away. Instead, she says, “He’s dying. This is your last chance. I know you well enough to understand how you’ll regret if you don’t tell him goodbye. Deep down, you miss him.”
“I’m sorry.”
Hunter doesn’t react to my words. “I remember how you were crushing on that biker. He was going to be your first. Now, after all these years, he’s the one to show up to protect you. That feels like a sign.”
“I don’t believe in signs.”
“Well, I believe in luck. I see how it follows some people and eludes others. But I also believe in common sense and taking chances.”
“Staying here makes more sense.”
“Maybe, but your father won’t be around much longer.”
“I don’t want to see him.”
Hearing the fear and shame in my voice, Hunter backs off. “Maybe you shouldn’t see Urick. But even if you can’t forgive him, I hope you’ll find a way to forgive yourself.”
I stare into my sister’s eyes and think back to when I seemed cool and carefree. Hunter looked up to me. She’d been a shy teenager, unsure about her body after she developed faster than other girls. And there I was pretending as if my curvy body and C-cup breasts didn’t need to change anything. I was still the cowgirl with a rowdy spirit.
These days, I’m the shy one, hiding in our mother’s shadow. Meanwhile, Hunter’s moved out and taking chances. She has hobbies and friends. Men don’t seem on her radar, but she lives a busy, joyful life.
“I love you,” I say, and Hunter flinches as if my words startle her. “I wish I could go back and fix things.”
My sister hugs me to her, showing affection in a way she rarely does anymore. Stroking my head, she whispers, “You’re wasting your life as penance for a crime you didn’t commit. Austen, this is your chance to have more. If you let Walla Walla walk away, you’ll always regret it. But unlike what happened that summer, this will be your fault.”
Hunter lets me go and stares into my wet eyes. “You have to be brave.”
Wiping away my tears, I nod. “Will you come with me to hear what Aunt Fred has to say?”
“Sure,” Hunter says, pushing my hair from my shoulders and fanning my red face. “Siobhan said her mom’s taken charge of this situation. You know how she loves to show off for Suzanne and Katja.”
Years ago, my sister bonded with Aunt Fred’s daughters. A few months back, Hunter showed up to Sunday dinner sporting a faint black eye. When our mom went ballistic, Hunter just shrugged and explained, “Carys has a big mouth, and it gets louder when she’s pregnant. I had to step in and take the punch to avoid her baby turning out daft.”
My mom didn’t find the situation funny. She likely wanted to call Aunt Fred to scold her for raising wild daughters. However, I know she kept her feelings to herself.
For one thing, Hunter is twenty-eight and fully capable of making her own choices. For another, my mom realizes women like Aunt Fred and Katja Kovak don’t take kindly to even mild criticism of their children.
Hunter and I arrive in the sunroom to find Suzanne sitting on one side with her two assistants tucked nearby. Across the wide, sun-soaked room, Aunt Fred sits while her brothers-in-law, Noble and Zoot, stand behind her like leashed guard dogs.
Suzanne gestures for Hunter and me to sit next to her. I do as I’m told. My mom strokes my hand, having noticed my flushed face and recently wet eyes.
Aunt Fred doesn’t look like a woman who spends her days surrounded by bikers. She’s got a New England schoolteacher vibe. Her long, wavy hair is a mix of gray and black. She wears faded blue jeans, pink tennis shoes, and a black T-shirt with the rainbow-colored words “Proud Grandma” printed across the front.
I can’t imagine her running in the same circles as my stylish mother or a woman like Katja Kovak. All these years, I’ve seen these people from afar. I never thought to ask questions about them.
Mostly, I feared the answers. My mother is in the mix with wildly rich and violent people. My sister runs in the same circles. Knowing the truth would be too stressful.
Now, I wish I had inside info to ensure I could protect Walla Walla and Goose. On the estate, everything feels tranquil. Yet, danger lurks in Banta City. Not only with the ranch hands. There are also powerful people who might decide to disappear the out-of-town bikers.
