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The men seem confused by that, so I feel the need to explain.
“I’ve loved Porter Dixon my whole life.”
Porter clenches my hand. “Well, I am irresistible.”
I huff out a laugh. “We lost each other once, but we found our way back. And I don’t plan on losing him again.”
“You won’t,” Porter whispers, then turns to the men. “Been running away my whole life but always knew this is where I belong, with Bishop. We don’t need your support to go on loving each other, but it sure would mean a lot to have it.”
Bulldog, Big Jimmy, and a couple of the grooms step forward to clap us on the back.
Jeb and Otis stay back, a look passing between them.
When it grows tense again, I motion to the pair. “Like I said, get it all out now.”
Otis nods. “Is it true, the other thing Randy told us?”
I try not to flinch. “What exactly did he tell you?”
Jeb looks over his shoulder, maybe to make sure my parents aren’t anywhere around. “That the Sullivans stole the ranch from the Dixons.”
“It’s true.” I blow out a breath. “I found out just this morning.”
“It happened over a hundred years ago between our great-grandfathers,” Porter clarifies. “Turns out the agreement between them wasn’t even binding.”
“Still should count,” Otis says. “That’s how they did things back then.”
“I get it, and I don’t disagree,” I reply. “Just need some time to wrap my brain around it all.”
Porter shakes his head. “You know that’s not how life works, Otis. And I’m tired of being angry about every damned thing. I got everything I want right here.” He makes a point of kissing my cheek. “So I don’t blame nobody in the Sullivan family who’s alive today. And neither should you. They’re good people.”
“Amen,” Wade says, and the men nod.
I know Porter’s statement is not exactly true, but he’s trying, and God, I love him for that. But I also can’t help feeling that the gossip mill is going to be brutal, not only around here, but in town, and I don’t know how to bridge the gap and not make these men doubt me or my parents.
Suppose what Dad said earlier is true. They either know our character by now or they don’t.
“We plan on doing right by the Dixons,” Mom says, and I stiffen, not having realized she’d come over. “In the meantime, we’ve got a ranch to run.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Wade says with a tip of his hat.
We watch as the men wander off to their chores, and then we’re alone with Mom. She steps toward Porter, anguish in her eyes. “I wanted to tell you that day with the pie…but you were carrying so much anger and grief, and I didn’t know how. Plus, we needed to fill Bishop in first, but we never got the chance. That’s not on you, it’s on us.”
“Thanks for saying that, Martha,” Porter replies. “I won’t pretend this isn’t gonna be hard for me, but I’ll need to get past it—on my own time.”
“Of course.” Mom reaches out like she wants to touch him or pull him into an embrace but stops, likely knowing it won’t fly right then.
“But I do know that I love Sully, and I plan on showing him every day.”
“I have no doubt.” Mom’s smile is watery. “Sully, huh? That what you call him?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Porter bites his lip, and I swallow the bubble of laughter in my throat. “Sort of fits him, don’t you think? Sully…Sullivan Ranch?”
Mom grins and looks off in the distance, as if considering something.
The thought clears, and she pulls her sweater tighter across her shoulders. “I got Pixie off to school. She doesn’t know anything. Figured that would buy us some time to see what Randy’s gonna do.”
I picture that sweet girl’s face, her bright smile, and feel heartbroken all over again. “What do we do if Randy doesn’t?—”
