Chapter 28
LENNOX
The house looks the same as the day I left.
Two stories of log and stone construction, practical rather than pretty, built to withstand Montana winters and house a family with six kids.
The wide porch wraps around three sides, the rocking chairs my mother had insisted on still there, even though she’s been gone fifteen years.
My father’s truck, dusty from morning work, is parked near the barn.
Everything is familiar. Everything is mine in a way Sebastian’s ranch could never be.
Cage parks and kills the engine, but neither of us move.
“Are you ready for this?” he asks.
“No.”
“They’re all inside waiting. Dad called everyone home the second he heard you were coming.
” Cage turns to face me. “Crew and Lark drove up from Bozeman. Emma and Grace canceled their plans. Even Janie.” Cage’s eyes narrow.
“What happened to her, Len? She won’t tell anyone anything, just keeps saying she can’t talk about it. ”
“She had some trouble in California. I helped her out of it. That’s all.”
“That’s not all, but fine, keep your secrets.” He opens his door. “But Dad’s not going to let this go. You disappeared for months, apparently got married to someone none of us have met, and now you’re here without him. He’s going to want answers.”
“I know.”
We climb out of the truck, and I grab my bag from the back. The front door opens before we reach the porch, and my youngest sister Emma appears.
Twenty-two years old, blonde like me but taller, studying veterinary medicine at Montana State. She takes one look at me, and her eyes fill with tears.
“Lenny.” She flies down the steps and crashes into me. “Oh my God, we were so worried. You just disappeared and stopped answering calls, and Dad was talking about hiring private investigators.”
“I’m fine, Em. I’m okay.”
“You’re not okay. You look exhausted.” She pulls back, studying my face.
“It’s complicated, Sissy.”
She frowns when she looks down at my hand, before she grabs it, looking at the ring. “This is gorgeous. And expensive. And completely unlike you to do anything this impulsive. I want details.”
“Can we go inside? I just need to get this over with.”
Emma nods, linking her arm through mine as we walk up the porch steps.
Inside, the house smells like coffee, my father’s leather boots and something baking in the oven, probably because Grace stress-bakes the way normal people stress-eat. The familiar scents make my chest tight.
The living room is packed. My father sits in his chair, the same worn leather recliner he’s had since I was a kid.
Warren Briggs, sixty years old, weathered from decades of Montana ranching, his gray hair still thick, his blue eyes sharp as they land on me.
Crew, only ten months younger than Cage, and his very pregnant wife Lark hover between the couch and the windows.
Cole, my younger brother, stands by the fireplace.
At twenty-six, he’s already running half the ranch operations.
Grace sits on the couch, twenty-four and fresh out of culinary school, her hands covered in flour.
And there, in the corner looking like she wants to disappear, is Janie Turner. Small, delicate, her dark hair pulled back into a tight bun, her eyes go wide when she sees me. I give her a slight nod and watch some of the terror leave her expression.
“Kathryn Lennox.” Dad’s voice fills the room, and I know I’m in trouble. He never calls me Kathryn, ever. The voice that has run this ranch for forty years booms. “Sit down. Now.”
I sit on the couch between Emma and Grace, feeling like I’m sixteen again and have been caught sneaking out.
“Start talking,” Dad says, and I look around the room. My siblings are watching with curiosity and concern. Janie is practically vibrating with anxiety. And my father, sitting in his chair, leaning on his cane, looking like he’s aged five years since I left.
And I lie.
“I met someone in California,” I start. It’s getting easier to tell the story, like every time it flows from my mouth, it becomes more natural.
“When did you get married?” Dad’s voice is flat as he looks at my left hand.
“Five weeks ago.”
“Five weeks.” Dad shifts in his chair. “You’ve been married for a month, and you’re already home alone? Where’s your husband?”
“Texas. His family has a ranch there. He’s handling some business.”
“What kind of business is more important than meeting your wife’s family?” Dad bellows.
“Dad, please,” I beg.
“Don’t ‘Dad’ me. That’s not how this family works, Lennox. We talk to each other. We include each other in major life decisions.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” I can’t tell him why I really did it. “It all happened so fast. We were caught up in the moment and just eloped. I should have told you first.”
“Yes. You should have. Look at me,” he demands. I meet his eyes. “Are you in trouble? Did he force you into this? Because if some asshole thinks he can buy my daughter…”
He’s closer to the truth than he knows.
“He didn’t force me. I chose this.” The lie comes easier now. “I love him, Dad. I know it’s fast and unconventional, but I love him.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Sebastian Drake. He owns resorts in California and has a ranch in Texas. I met him at work.”
“Drake. The Drakes from around Odessa?” Dad’s eyes go wide. “Those people are… Lennox, they’re massive. Like, serious money and serious power. How the hell did you end up married to one of them?”
“It happened fast.”
“No shit it happened fast. You’ve been gone eight months. The last time I talked to you, you were working at a resort, trying to figure out your life. Now you’re married to a billionaire?” He shakes his head.
“He’s not a billionaire, Dad.”
“Oh no? Maybe you should look up your husband and his family.” He taps on his phone, and I shake my head. They are well off, anyone can see that, but billionaire is a stretch.
“Already having problems?” Cage’s voice goes sharp.
“No, it’s nothing like that, I just needed space. Time with family. Is that so hard to believe?”
“From you? Yeah, actually. You don’t run home when things get hard. You dig in and fight,” Dad says, taking control of the conversation again. “So whatever sent you running back to Montana must be pretty serious.”
“I haven’t come running back,” I say. “But living on a ranch made me realize how much I missed you all.”
Dad studies my face for a long moment. He doesn’t believe a word, but he also sees that I’m not going to budge, and I’m not going to give him the real story.
“I want to meet him,” he finally says. “Before you go back to Texas, I want to meet this Sebastian Drake and look him in the eye.”
“Dad.”
“That’s non-negotiable, Lennox. You’re my daughter. You married into one of the biggest ranching families in Texas without any of us there. The least he can do is come here and face your family. Tell him, now.”
I pull out my phone, type a quick text to Sebastian.
Me
I’m here. My father wants to meet you before I come back. Any chance you can fly up here?
The response comes within seconds.
Sebastian
Glad you’re there, sorry things are a mess. When do you want me to come?
Me
Tomorrow? Day after?
Sebastian
I’ll be there tomorrow. Send me the details.
I look up at Dad. “He’ll come.”
“Good.” Dad’s jaw is set. “If I get the sense he’s not treating you right, if I see any sign you’re not happy together, I’m not letting you go back. I don’t care how rich or powerful the Drakes are. You’re my daughter first.”
“I know, Dad.”
“Do you?” He leans out of the chair and takes my hands. “Because you look exhausted. You look like you’ve been carrying weight you shouldn’t have to carry. And that’s not what marriage is supposed to be like.”
Tears burn behind my eyes, but I blink them back. “I’m just adjusting. It’s a big change: moving to Texas and joining a new family. The dick-swinging war the Drakes are involved in. I just need a few days at home to ground myself.”
“Then you take all the time you need.” He squeezes my hands. “Your room is exactly as you left it. Stay as long as you want.”
“Dad, it’s not that simple,” I say, shaking my head.
“Yes, it is. You’re my daughter. That comes before any vows.” He stands and reaches for his cane. “Everyone, clear out. Give your sister space to settle in. We’ll have dinner together tonight, but right now she needs to breathe.”
My siblings file out slowly, each of them hugging me or squeezing my shoulder as they pass.
“I’m making your favorite,” Grace whispers as she hugs me. Pot roast with vegetables, homemade buns, and chocolate cake; that’s what I smelled on the way in. She leaves, and I hear the oven door screech in the next room.
“I’ll be in the barn if you need to talk,” Cole says as he leaves the room. Sweet Emma just holds on tight for a long moment before letting go, not saying a word.
I stay seated and look at my father, now that we are alone. He shifts in his chair. “What is it?” His voice is soft, and I’m not sure I’ve seen this side of him in fifteen years.
“I shot someone, Dad,” I whisper.
He frowns and clears his throat. “Well, I expected some big revelation, but that wasn’t it.” He leans back and looks at me again. “Dead?”
Tears well in my eyes, and I shrug. “I don’t know, I didn’t stick around to find out.”
“Is that part of this war you glossed over?”
“Yeah.” I nod, but don’t feel like elaborating, and thankfully he doesn’t push.
“Listen, Lennox, I’m going to tell you the same thing I told your brothers.
We use force when needed, to protect ourselves, it’s not something we do often or enjoy but if it’s between you or them, it better be them laying in the dirt.
” A tear rolls down my cheek, and I wipe at my nose with my sleeve before Dad hands me a tissue.
“You have to live with it, Lenny-Lou, but I sure as hell am happy you knew what you were doing and are sitting here in front of me now.” He clenches his jaw, and I think I see his eyes glisten just a little before he blinks quickly.
“Thanks, Dad,” I say as I stand and wrap my arms around him.