Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Brynn
“Ihope you don’t mind that the kids came along. They wanted to say hi to Olivia. They’re up on the porch playing now.”
“That probably made Olivia’s day,” I reply. “She’s got so much to do out here, but I think she gets bored without any kids around.”
Joanne grins, leaning against a post. “Figured it might. Ava and Bret have been bouncing off the walls all morning. Thought it’d be good for them to get out.”
“Well, they’re always welcome out here. Y’all should stay for lunch. We’re going to grill some burgers and hot dogs.”
“Oh, I couldn’t intrude without having brought anything.”
“Nonsense,” I say with a laugh. “There’s plenty of food.”
“Joanne, you ready to take a look at that mare? She’s over here,” Jack interjects as he clears his throat.
Joanne straightens, all business now. “Let’s do it.”
I follow them, keeping a little distance as they walk toward the stall.
Jack’s pace is steady, his shoulders squared like always, but there’s something about the way he talks to Joanne that softens him.
He’s still gruff, still the one calling the shots, but there’s a gentleness in his tone that I’ve never heard before.
It’s a big brother thing, I guess. Protective but not overbearing.
Inside the barn, Jack leads Joanne to the mare. The horse’s coat gleams, but there’s a nasty scrape along her leg that’s clearly been bothering her. Joanne crouches down, running her hands gently over the wound.
How did I not know about this?
“How long has that been there?” I ask quietly.
“I can’t say for sure,” Jack answers. “But long enough that it’s infected.”
“It’s pretty deep and angry,” Joanne says, her voice calm and measured. “Looks like it’s a couple of days old. Did she try to jump the fence or something?”
Jack nods. “No. I know what happened, and it’s been taken care of; that’s all I’ll say.”
Joanne’s eyes flit to his carefully and questioningly. I feel a pit of guilt in my stomach, assuming that Lane is somehow responsible for this. If he reports that to Joanne, it can cause more problems for us.
Joanne pulls a small kit from her bag and gets to work.
She cleans the wound with practiced efficiency, her movements steady and sure.
Jack watches closely, arms crossed, but there’s a softness in his eyes that catches me off guard.
He’s not just watching—he’s learning, like he wants to be sure he knows what to do next time.
“Here,” Joanne says, handing him a small jar of salve. “This is an antibiotic ointment. Apply it twice a day until it starts to scab over. Keep her out of the mud, if you can.”
Jack takes the jar, nodding. “Got it. Thanks, Jo.”
She smiles up at him. “Anytime. Perks of coming home. You get to spend extra time with your family and get a horse treated.”
He snorts. “Except that you’re probably going to charge me five hundred dollars for an emergency call.”
They both chuckle, and I’m struck by how easy their relationship is. Jack’s still the same gruff, no-nonsense guy, but with Joanne, there’s a warmth that’s rare to see.
“Nah, that would have been Sutton’s price for sure. I offered to take her place, so this call is on the house.”
“Will that be the same answer when I ask you to look at another one? She took a pretty good hit to the head.”
“Let me see if you’re pushing it or not,” she says teasingly.
They move to another stall, inspecting a second mare. She’s quiet for a moment, then says, “She looks good, but I’d like Doc Sutton to take a look tomorrow. She’ll be able to give her a proper exam.”
Jack nods. “I’ll make sure she’s ready.”
We all step out of the barn together, their conversation shifting to something about the kids’ day plans. As they walk, Ava and Bret come tearing around the corner, their laughter echoing through the yard. They run straight to Jack, throwing their arms around his legs in a quick, fierce hug.
“Uncle Jack!” Ava squeals, looking up at him with wide, adoring eyes.
Jack’s entire demeanor changes in an instant. The gruffness melts away, replaced by much more softness than even the unexpected glimpses I just caught in the barn. He crouches down, giving Ava a quick hug, before giving knuckles to Bret.
“You two behaving yourselves?” he asks, his voice low but warm.
“Yes,” they chime in unison, though their mischievous grins say otherwise.
“Good,” Jack says, standing up. “Go on, then. Don’t get into too much trouble.”
The kids giggle and take off toward the porch, their laughter fading as they disappear around the corner. I watch Jack straighten, his usual gruff expression slipping back into place, but there’s a lingering tenderness in his eyes that stays with me.
I’ve never seen him like this before. With Joanne, there’s an unspoken bond, a quiet respect that tempers his rough edges. And with the kids? He’s patient, kind, even gentle. It’s…nice. Unexpected but nice.
“Come on in,” I say to Joanne, gesturing for her to follow me. “Nick, one of the ranch hands, is out back with Dad, working on the grill for our Sunday lunch. I’ve got all the fixin’s inside, and they’ll need to be pulled out.”
“I can’t impose,” Joanne says.
“Do you need to get home to Rick?” Jack asks, referring to her firefighter husband.
“No, he’s on shift until tomorrow morning.”
“Then, you’re having lunch with us today,” I tell her with a shrug. “Come on, all the ranch hands are eating lunch with us, too. The kids are playing. Let them burn off their energy for a while longer.”
She bites her bottom lip, her eyes flitting to her brother’s. “My brother is having lunch with you guys, too.”
“All the ranch hands do.”
“I have work to get done,” Jack says at the same time as I do.
I turn around and pin him with a stare. “All work stops for the Sunday meal. It’s a weekly tradition that my grandma started, and it won’t change because of you.”
His eyes go wide for a second and Joanne snickers. He nods without saying anything and then turns to go back out to the barn.
“We’ll stay.” Joanne smiles before she turns to watch her brother go into the bar. “I knew you two would hit it off.”
“We have not hit it off.”
“It’s just playful aggression,” she says teasingly. “It’s beautiful.”
I roll my eyes as we go into the house. “It’s really not. The only nice thing about him is you and your mom.”
“He wasn’t always so angry,” she sighs.
“Life has a funny way of doing that to people.”
The two of us move about the kitchen, pulling out the fruits and vegetables to cut up and finishing up the deviled eggs and the potato salad. There’s a sausage and cheese dip in the crockpot that the kids keep running in to try as well.
“What were you and my brother talking about when I got here?” she asks.
“He fired Lane today.”
“No shit?” she gasps. “That was a long time coming, right? He’s always been a cocky little jerk.”
“It was, but he made more problems for me than I care to think about right now.”
“Hopefully, he really leaves for the circuit like he’s telling everyone.”
“Let’s hope. The less I have to be around him or Clay, the better my life is. It’s better for Liv, too.”
The kids come back inside the house, and I look at Olivia. “Hey, can you go out and bring these plates out to Popo and Nick?”
She nods, taking the plates and scurrying out the back door with the other two kids in tow to where the guys are grilling. A few minutes later, they return carrying plates of burgers, brats, hot dogs, and even a few steaks.
“Why did your grandpa call you Brynn?” Ava asks. “Isn’t that your mom’s name?”
“He forgets sometimes,” I reply softly. “Hasn’t your mom ever called you by the wrong name?”
“Yeah, sometimes when we’re in trouble, she says all of our names, even the dogs, before she gets to our name,” Bret laughs.
“He’s not wrong,” Joanne giggles.
Olivia’s eyes flit to mine knowingly, and I feel a pang of sadness. She’s a smart girl, and I’m sure she’s starting to see changes in her grandfather, too.
“Why don’t you three go round up the guys and ask them to get washed up for lunch?” I ask.
All three respond in some way before racing out the door. Joanne and I continue moving about the kitchen, getting everything ready for the guys to come in to eat.
In no time, all the ranch hands are in the house filling their plates with food. Some of these guys have been working for us since I was a teenager, so it really is a family dinner for us.
Jack comes in last. He leans against the doorframe, his dark brown eyes observing the room carefully. He tugs on one of Ava’s braids.
“Uncle Jack!” she gasps.
“Is that all you’re eating, Ava?”
“They’ve been stealing bowls full of sausage dip since we got here,” Joanne says with a laugh. “Make sure you get some of that; it’s really good.”
“I’ll do that.”
“It’s usually the first to go,” Paulo says over his shoulder.
“It’s the most addicting thing I’ve ever eaten,” Steve, another ranch hand, adds. “Miss Brynn’s potato salad is really good, too.”
“It’s Mama’s recipe, not mine,” I say dismissively.
“She taught you well,” Dad interjects.
“But the apple pie is the worst thing you’ll ever eat in your life,” Nick, one of the oldest ranch hands, chuckles. “Don’t touch it.”
I swat at him playfully. “I made you one of your own. I know how you try to get it all to yourself.”
“It usually works on the new guys,” he chuckles, his bright blue eyes shining back at me.
Nick has been here the longest of anyone. He started working here when he was only fourteen and never left; he’s almost fifty now. Dad offered him the management position originally, and he turned it down.
Everyone’s plates are full, and we all gather in the dining room with the special table my dad handmade for my mom and these special moments. There’s laughter and conversation like any other Sunday dinner.
My eyes keep flitting to Jack, though. I watch as he teases Bret, Ava, and Olivia, but also how he interacts with them. They’re all having a conversation as he gets to know them better. I don’t know that I’ve noticed him having a real smile on that gorgeous face of his until right now.
Jack glances over, catching me staring. “What?” he asks, his tone sharp but not unkind.
I shake my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Nothing. Just…you’re good with them. The kids, I mean.”
He shrugs, looking almost embarrassed. “They’re family. Comes with the territory.”
But it’s more than that, and we both know it. Jack might not be the easiest man to get along with, but there’s a heart buried under all that gruffness. And today, I’ve caught a glimpse of it.