Chapter Fourteen Bree
Chapter Fourteen
Bree
I was in heaven. A sound I had missed so much after I left home was the sound of a horse’s hooves when they crunched the brittle leaves of autumn.
It was a beautiful morning as Patrick led the way along a rarely used path near the lake.
He explained he didn’t want to run into any guests.
It was obvious my brother was struggling with something, and when he had asked me to join him for a ride at breakfast, I had known it had to be important.
Plus, Brad had a meeting this morning, and I knew I could spare a few hours for my brother.
“I miss seeing you in flannel,” he teased. I looked down at my hunter green flannel jacket. I needed it at least until the sun warmed the day. My light jeans and white T-shirt weren’t enough to keep out the chill. “It’s a good look for you.”
“Thanks.” I steered Toby around a fallen log and wondered when Patrick was going to open up.
It was a twin thing to sense what the other might be feeling, and in that moment, I felt he was all twisted up inside and needed to get whatever it was out.
As someone who lived that way daily, I totally got it.
My history of working with runaway kids also had taught me how consuming mixed-up feelings could be. If not handled right, they could make things way worse. I needed him to bring it up first.
We came over a big hill to a clearing and stopped to admire the view of our ranch.
I looked over at the Stones’ property and Ronnie’s cabin a little farther up the lake.
People paid money to come here, but we got to live here.
Since I’d been back, I had repeated that sentence to myself more than a few times to remember how truly lucky I was to have this place to call home.
“Oh man, Patrick, I just can’t believe what you guys have done with the ranch. ”
“Mm” was all he offered me.
“This time of year, it’s like a watercolor coming alive.”
Patrick adjusted his beloved cowboy hat that Dad had given him as a graduation present and squinted over at me. “I’m going to need you to pray, Bree.” He pulled his chin in like he might lose it. “This is a hard one.”
Everything faded away as his words filtered through. I nodded and gathered myself for what he might say. I tried hard to give him a moment to get hold of himself but finally had to ask. “Is it Mom or Dad? I know Mom was sick before. Is it back? Is it Dad? He never gets sick sick!”
“Bree, no one’s sick.”
So many things ran through my head. Shit, what if it was Charley? I knew he wasn’t back from visiting his mother. Maybe something had happened.
“No one is sick,” he repeated as if he knew my head was still there.
“Oh, thank God.” I blew out some air and tried to calm myself. Then my brain pushed a thought forward, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it before. He and Maxine had been distant lately. “Maxine?” The muscles around his mouth tightened, and his eyes went glossy. “What’s going on, Patrick?”
“I think she’s seeing someone.”
I couldn’t help my reaction, but I tipped my head back and laughed loudly.
It echoed off the hills and found us again.
It made my asshole-sister moment that much worse.
“Sorry, I’m sorry.” I tried to pull myself back in, but it was a struggle.
“Patrick, that woman is so madly in love with you, she trips over her own feet when you walk into a room—she texts me about you almost daily. I mean, come on, she lights up whenever anyone so much as mentions your name. You don’t do that if you have a sidepiece.
So,” I said and swatted him with my reins, “why on God’s green earth would you go there? ”
He bit his upper lip the way he did when he was little, and I noticed he tightened his grip around the horn of the saddle. “There’s this doctor.”
“Okay, let me stop you right there. Maxine hates doctors.”
“Normally yes, but this new guy started, and she’s been gushing over how great he’s been. And whenever he’s in surgery, she’s his right hand. She’s missed dinner three times in the last two weeks because Doctor McSteamy wants her to work.”
“Oh, man, turn off Grey’s Anatomy and watch some true crime.”
He rolled his eyes at me. He knew I watched more drama shows than he and Maxine combined.
“I’m serious, Bree. I’m actually nervous for us.
She’s taking on extra shifts, barely can hold her head up in the evenings, and mutters about how she should just sleep at the hospital because it’d be easier than coming home.
That shit plays on a guy. She walks around like a zombie.
I suggested she take some time off to get some rest, but she wouldn’t hear it. ”
“All right.” He had a point. “I agree it looks bad, but we’re talking about Maxine here. Look, Patrick, I’ve got the weekend off—why don’t I swing by and see what I can find out?”
“You’d do that?”
“Of course I would. You know, besides Lainey and Charley, you’re my most favorite couple, and I refuse to let anything happen to what you have.”
He lifted his hat and ran his gloved hand through his short hair. “Okay, yeah, that would be good. I just don’t want to be blindsided.”
“Makes sense. Leave it with me, and I’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah, okay.” He grinned and shot me a look, and I knew what was about to happen. “Race ya home?”
I didn’t get to answer before he spun the horse around and took off in a full gallop toward the house.
“Such a cheater,” I yelled out as I followed him down the hill and along the trail.
Now I knew why he suggested I ride Toby.
God love the little fatty, but he was slower than dirt and usually tried to stop for a snack at every tree branch.
I got maybe five minutes of run out of him before he slowed and snorted like that was enough.
“Damn, Toby, maybe we need to lay off the snacks.” He turned his head and looked at me, and I could have sworn he glared.
He reached up and grabbed a branch and began to chew.
“I should’ve ridden Kevin. That porker can move. ”
A twig snapped, and I whirled around in the saddle to see what it was. “I swear to God, if that’s you, Kevin, we’re done. I’ll fry you up so quick.”
“I do love some morning bacon.” Ronnie stepped out onto the path, and my heart slowed. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”
I smiled and looked around. “What are you doing out here?”
He broke eye contact with me. “Ah”—he lightly laughed as if embarrassed—“truth? I think I had an episode, because one moment I was in the kitchen making a sandwich, and the next I was under some brush with a stick trained on a rock.” He smiled again as if he’d made a joke.
Then he dropped his head and rubbed it in frustration.
“It’s pretty messed up when you fight for a country that won’t fight back for you. ”
I slid off Toby and dropped the reins because I knew he wouldn’t go anywhere. I moved in and gave Ronnie a hug. “I’m sorry you’re not getting the help you need.”
“I get some.” He shrugged. “It’s just not enough to really do anything.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine where your head goes.” I put a hand on his arm.
“Can’t you?” he challenged as he pulled back and motioned for me to follow.
I snatched up Toby’s reins and looped them over my arm and walked with him.
“Your battle might look different from mine, but we’re still both affected up here.” He pointed to his head.
“Maybe.” I hated that the topic was now me.
“I know you hate to talk about it, and so does Brad, but keeping that shit inside hasn’t done me any good.”
I knew he was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to open up. “I hear that a lot.” I chewed on the inside of my cheek and knew my next question wasn’t cool, but I couldn’t help myself. “Did Sherry ever ask Brad about that day?”
“She knew Brad never liked to talk about it, so she never pried. It made her a safe place for him to be, I think. He didn’t have to think about the dark stuff.
She kept things upbeat, easy.” He scrunched up his face as he thought.
“But that’s not healthy—your person should be the one you can share your deepest fears with, not help you hide from them.
I think that’s why I was so happy when I saw you were home, because maybe you two could talk. ”
“I can’t be that person for him, Ronnie.
I’m a mess about it myself.” I shook my head.
If I couldn’t do it with Dale, I certainly couldn’t do it with Brad.
It made it harder because he’d actually been there that day.
“I’ve got Sherry jealous of me being around Brad.
She sees me as a threat. In spite of their divorce. I think she wants him back.”
“What?” he shot back a little too fast. I pulled in my chin as he looked at me funny, then his face fell like he was holding something back.
“She might, but he sure as hell is finished with her. If it helps, he was finished with her before you came along. The only reason he’s even trying to keep things civil with her is because we grew up here and everyone talks.
” He gave me a pointed look like I could relate.
“I get that.”
He nodded. “So, you and Hayne, huh?”
I chuckled. “We’re just friends, that’s it.”
“I’m glad of that. He’s a great guy to do a tour with.
He had my back just as much as I had his, and shit, did we see some things that would knock the church right out of you.
But Hayne isn’t really boyfriend material.
He’s more of a good time, if you know what I mean.
Just be careful. We share the same demons, and sometimes I think he might be worse off than me. ”
“Noted.” I appreciated the insight from him.
“Well, this is me.” He waved a hand as we reached the edge of the lake. “God, Bree, it’s so nice to have you back.”
“It’s nice to be back.”
“I’ll never forget my brother’s face when you left,” he blurted, and I went still. “Just, don’t run off again like that without letting us know. You didn’t just hurt him”—he pointed to my parents’ house—“you hurt everyone.”