Chapter 28 #2
But…the opportunity could be good for him. Excellent, even. If he didn’t run after the third day waking up before dawn and working until after the sun set, he had a shot. If nicotine withdrawals didn’t convince him to give up.
Tate wasn’t convinced. “I don’t have the time—”
“I’ll teach him.” Mae lifted her chin, challenging her oldest to tell her she couldn’t and to do it in front of everyone.
“I can help,” Tenor added, uncaring that both his brothers were glaring at him. “I can run numbers at night. I’ll work with Cruz until he can be independent.”
Cruz grinned, either uncaring about the tension in the room or thriving on it. “When do I start?”
“Tomorrow.” Mae waved her fork at him before she stabbed into the crust of her pie. “You can stay here, and I’ll take you shopping. I doubt anything you packed will stand up to ranch work.”
That was Mae’s way of saying his clothing sucked.
She’d done the same to me. My ripped metal rock band shirts had been lost to thick sweaters and plain tees.
My crappy boots had been useless when it came to mud and dirt and snow.
I’d lost every scrap of clothing that’d had a swear word on it.
In its place, a Bailey Ranch or Copper Summit logo.
Wynn stroked her hand over mine, but she didn’t leave it. I rubbed my thumb in an arc over her jeans. I’d rather she was on my lap and my hands were under her sweater, but this was closer than I’d thought I’d get when I’d woken up this morning.
“If you need anything, surely Lane can bring it.” Mae smiled at Lane. “Would you like to come out on the weekends?”
Lane blinked. “I…sure?”
“Perfect. Can you start next Saturday?”
“Yes?” Lane’s wide gaze swiveled to me. His eyes said he was hooked, and he didn’t know how it had happened.
Tate made a disgruntled sound. “And who—”
“I can,” Teller added. His features had gone from stunned and furious to too curious to help himself. He must think my brothers’ training would be a shit show he didn’t want to miss. “The weekends would be perfect.”
My chest clogged with appreciation. The Bailey boys might not be fully on board with my brothers learning the ropes at the ranch, but they wouldn’t sabotage it. Teller and Tenor would do right by Lane and Cruz as long as they tried.
I tensed my fingers over Wynn’s leg. She caressed my hand again.
This family didn’t have to help my brothers do a damn thing.
If anything, I should be swinging in to aid them, but I’d seen firsthand how much difference the Baileys could make in a person’s life.
I had an open loft and stills. Here they’d learn all things cattle.
Horses, too. Riding lessons when the weather was nicer.
Chicken lessons. They’d teach my brothers about goats and donkeys.
Hell, they’d probably review how to care for cats and dogs, too.
My brothers would have to learn how to drive various tractors, how and when to hay, how to keep a hundred and fifty animals alive…
I’d always be there for them, but here they’d get exactly what I had needed as a kid. Support and mentorship in the guise of hard damn work.
Teller and Tenor had seen what I had. The awe in Lane’s and Cruz’s faces.
The yearning for the idyllic but hardworking life the ranch represented.
They were used to working hard—for survival.
This way, their efforts would be directly linked to their quality of life, and my brothers sensed it.
They’d eat cuts of meat they’d never been able to afford at the grocery store, much less in a restaurant.
Mae would teach them how to cook. She’d have them mending their own sweaters and socks and coats. Lane would become as familiar with a sewing needle as he was with a wrench.
“You said you’re a mechanic?” Mae asked. “Oh, won’t that be handy.”
Goddamn. Did Lane just blush? I knew the feeling. When one of the Baileys complimented you, you knew it wasn’t smoke getting blown up your ass.
“You both will definitely earn your pay,” she said, beaming.
“Pay?” Cruz’s brows popped. “You’re going to pay me? It’s not just room and board?”
Lane put his fork down, his gaze stunned.
Tate’s gaze bounced between my brothers. “You thought we were only going to feed you a little and give you a small bedroom?” When Lane and Cruz nodded, Tate grunted, disbelieving. “You’ll grow to love this work so much you’d do it for free—don’t mean you have to.”
“We pay our ranch help and our mechanics,” Tenor said. “We’ll give you the rates we pay on the ranch. You give us your mechanic rates.”
Lane blinked. “I work on cars.”
“Can you weld?” Teller asked.
“Yeah?”
“You’ll do fine.”
“More pie?” Mae asked.
Lane and Cruz shoved their plates out.
Wynn chuckled. I was that kid before. We all were. Get seconds before the last slice was taken.
My brothers dug in. Mae talked excitedly about the skills the guys would learn.
They chewed and bobbed their heads. Was it only a few days ago I’d met them?
A little over a week ago I’d found out I even had brothers?
And they were already getting sucked into the Bailey orbit.
They would be able to stay as long as they liked.
No Gianna to ruin their opportunities. If they didn’t fuck it up, they’d be on the road to a good life.
This family. They’d taken me in just the same. And I’d left. Then they’d done it again…and again.
The room grew hot and drawing a breath became a struggle. “Excuse me.” I picked up my napkin, silverware, and empty plate and took them to the kitchen. The weight of everyone’s gazes bored into my back, but no one stopped me.
The kitchen was cooler, but the heavy weight on my chest didn’t let up. I set my items down and propped my hands on the counter.
A light touch landed on my back, and Wynn’s sweet lemongrass smell surrounded me. “Don’t you like the idea of your brothers working the ranch?”
“I fucking love it.”
“Oh. Okay.” She leaned against the counter, facing me. “What, then?”
“It’s a lot.” I was trying really hard to take this day—this whole fucking week—in stride. “It’s all really great.”
“And you’re waiting for it to go to shit.”
I dropped my head and nodded. “Things don’t go this well without going to hell. And things don’t go this well this fast.”
My lungs were squeezing together again, until I had to shorten my breaths. Was I hyperventilating?
I didn’t hyperventilate.
Inhale. Exhale.
“It’s okay for things to go well.”
“I know.” My brain continued fucking up signals to my body.
“But you’ve never had it happen before.”
“Not without fighting and sacrificing and giving up everything to eventually lose it.”
“You did give up everything.” She put her warm fingers on my chin and turned my face toward her. I drank her in. Liquid brown eyes. Satiny skin. Compassionate aura. “You left this life behind for us. You stay holed up in your tower in the mountains to hoard a treasure—”
“You make me sound like a dragon.”
“—that you can dole out, and you don’t think you can do that without sacrificing your personal life.”
“But my brothers—”
“Have been going without their entire life. They wouldn’t be lapping up Mama’s attention otherwise.”
“Do you think they’re going to mess it up? Give Mae attitude? Tate?” Of course they’d give Tate attitude. They weren’t used to a male authority in their lives.
“Yes, yes, and yes. And they’ll still thrive off it.
If the guys have issues with Tate, there’s Teller and Tenor to back Tate up.
If Tate comes down too hard on them, there’s Mama, Teller, and Tenor to tell him to back off.
Switch any of those names around. If all else fails, Summer will come home and kick some ass. She lives for being bossy.”
My anxiety began to ebb. “I’ve never panicked like this before.”
“You’ve never faced your feelings before.”
“Shit, Wynn. Don’t hold back.” I gave her a wry smile.
She squeezed my arm. “Want to help me clean up? Your brothers are still guests tonight, so Mama won’t make them do it.”
“She might not, but I will.” I put my hand on the small of her back. As we returned to the dining room, I marveled over how right this felt. And how much the feeling terrified me.