Fake To Forever (Blue Ridge Falls #1)

Chapter One Oil Rigs and Dying Mothers

Haven

“S o… what did the doctor say today?”

The question causes me to flinch. I’d anticipated it, of course, but I hate having to answer. Releasing a long sigh, I look up to meet my brother’s dark green gaze. The last thing any of us want to deal with is our mother dying. But unfortunately, that’s the cards we’ve been dealt.

“He said it was just a matter of time now,” I murmur, clutching my glass of beer so hard, my fingers turn white. “All we can do is make mom as comfortable as possible.”

Garrett, who was named after our grandfather but our mother calls him Gary even though he hates it, sucks in a deep breath and lets out a long sigh before taking a drink. “I was afraid of that.”

Taking a moment I try to collect my thoughts, rolling over what steps are going to be taken next. “I know you have to leave soon, but there’s a chance she won’t be here when you get back.”

He nods, his scruffy jaw tensing at my words. “Yeah, I figured as much. There isn’t much that I can do though right now. They’ll let me come back early, if something happens.”

At least there’s that.

I lift my head higher and reach out to snag his arm in my hand, unable to hold back my relief. “I didn’t think the oil fields would be that flexible for you.”

“It’d be different if I was on an off-shore rig, but since I’m inland, it’s easier.”

Thank fuck for that.

I feel like a bit of the weight on my shoulders has been lifted. His boss acts like the rest of the world doesn’t exist outside of the oil fields when Garrett’s out there, so I’ve been scared he wouldn’t let my brother go if things with Mom took a turn while he was away. Though, the doctor said that in cases like this, it could be months before… before it takes her.

At least, that was the case for other patients.

“How’s Peter doing?” Garrett asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

Peter, our stepfather, is so over the moon in love with our mom. I know her death will devastate him. I don’t want to put any more stress on Garrett’s shoulders, so I don’t tell him how Peter barely kept it together after the doctor gave Mom’s final prognosis.

“As good as can be expected, I guess. Losing Mom is obviously going to be hard for him, but he was putting on a brave front today.”

“Peter’s a good guy.” Garrett shrugs, dropping his gaze from mine. “He’s always been good. You’ve always been good too, Haven. You’re better than me, especially when it comes to Mom. I know I should’ve been there today, but I just… you know…”

I do know.

Reaching out to squeeze his arm, I try to offer what comfort I can. “Don’t worry, I get it. It’s a lot, but you promise you’ll see Mom before you leave, right?”

“Of course.” His voice trembles. It’s barely discernible, but I pick up on it. I know him too well. It’s hard for him to see Mom suffering. Garrett’s the type of guy who sees a problem and wants to fix it, but he can’t fix Mom. He’s also not good at dealing with feelings of helplessness. “I just didn’t want to be there and listen to the doctor tell us there wasn’t any more hope. I want to believe something can be done.”

We fall into silence as we drink. What more is there to say, really? Even though I’m on the verge of tears, I hold them back. Crying never solved anything, and I don’t want to make Garrett feel worse than he already does. If I can focus on the soft murmur of the bar’s activities around me, I can hold out and delay my breakdown until later, when I’m alone and away from my brother.

Besides, I can’t let my emotions ruin our time together. It’s tradition that before Garrett goes off for his month-long shift in the nearby oil fields, we come to our favorite spot, Carson’s , and sit at the bar together to get drunk before he goes off to join his fellow roughnecks.

A term that some like, and others detest.

Living in Blue Ridge, Texas, roughnecks are everywhere. Plenty of oil magnates reside in this state, and some even come from the off-shore rigs in the Gulf, working inland until the more work off-shore opens up for them.

Roughnecks, for the most part, are younger, wiry guys with muscular forearms, tattoos, and sometimes less than spotless backgrounds. My giant of a brother fits that description to a T, apart from the shady past. He towers over me with his 6’2” height and wide, muscular frame. His dark hair and closely cropped beard give him a rugged appearance, and he has a reputation for being a total playboy, since the girls seem to throw themselves at him.

Which is the last thing I ever want to think about.

It’s absolutely disgusting to watch. Not to mention, desperation never looked good on anyone.

Garrett finishes his beer and then waves the bartender, a burly man who looks more like a lumberjack than a bartender, over to order another one.

“Did I tell you my friend Christian is moving into town?”

The topic change is abrupt, but I get it. He is trying to push our current situation to the back of his mind to lighten the mood.

“Your friend from college? The billionaire?” I scoff, raising a brow as I turn my gaze to him. “Why the hell would he move to Blue Ridge?”

“He wants a quieter life, I guess.” Garrett shrugs. “The peaceful small town experience, you know?”

I can’t help but roll my eyes. “Ah, I gotcha. Isn’t that what most people want by moving to Texas?”

He chuckles at my comment, shaking his head. “They think so.”

What Garrett really means is his rich buddy decided he wants to come to our town, build a monstrosity of a house that he’ll call his ‘country home,’ and spend a couple weekends out of the year here when he gets bored with the city. Typical.

Garrett absentmindedly scratches at the stubble on his cheek. “Anyways, he’s coming to town next week. I’ll be in the fields by then, but once I’m back, I want you two to finally meet.”

Finally meet? Oh joy.

“Oh, yeah?” I chuckle. “Don’t tell me you’re going to try and hook me up with your rich, pretentious middle-aged friend, Garrett. I’ve already told you, I’m not…”

“I’m not trying to hook you up with anyone,” he insists. I know him better than that, and it’s not like this wouldn’t be the first time.

“Right… so you’re telling me you just want us to meet for shits and giggles?”

Garrett nods to the bartender when his beer is placed in front of him, frowning at me before he takes a drink. “I promise you, I’ve no intention of hooking you two up… and he’s not middle-aged. He’s just a guy, and he’s not going to hit on you, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Good. Because I’m not looking to date any stuck-up oil magnate nepo baby.”

“You have such a weird thing against rich people,” Garrett mutters, causing my mouth to drop open.

“It’s not weird! We grew up with practically nothing. People like your friend are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, and they don’t appreciate anything.”

Garrett’s back stiffens at my words, his eyes refusing to meet mine. “Christian’s worked hard for what he has.”

I know Garrett’s just defending his friend, but I refuse to back down. “How hard do you have to work if daddy gives you your first job?”

Never one to let things bother him for too long, Garrett takes another swig of his beer, shaking his head. “I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.”

I scowl at him, playing with the little bowl of peanuts between us. Finding the biggest one, I chuck it at his head, and laugh when it bounces off and lands in his beard. Garrett’s always taken care of me, and been the best big brother anyone could ask for. Growing up poor in a small town like Blue Ridge was hard, but Garrett made sure I always had what I needed, and even a few things I wanted by taking extra shifts or working odd jobs. That was before he became head honcho of the inland rig just north of Blue Ridge.

Maybe he’s a little overprotective, but he’s a good big brother.

Not that I’m going to tell him that. He has a big enough head already.

Suppose I should trust his judgment when it comes to his friends. I don’t really understand why or how he became friends with the likes of Christian Tallow to begin with—outside of them both going to the same college. Tallow is a billionaire oil tycoon who could not have grown up more differently from us. We worked our asses off just to get by, and Tallow came from a wealthy family who helped him build his own massive wealth.

The bar’s front door opens and a group of four guys come inside, talking and laughing loudly. I spare them a glance, but that’s about it. Since half the town works on the rigs, it’s a safe assumption they’re roughnecks. They make their way toward the pool tables on the other side of the bar, and I turn back to Garrett. He’s watching me with an arched brow and a small grin playing around his lips.

“What?” I demand to know, frowning. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You want to go talk to those guys?” A smirk plays behind the lip of his beer.

“That is such a weird thing for you to say.” I turn back around on my stool, effectively tuning the group out. Definitely not interested. “You know, older brothers usually don’t want their sisters to date.”

“Is it so wrong for me to want to see my baby sister settled and happy? To actually go out with a guy and have a little fun once in a while?”

“I appreciate your concern, Garrett, but I’m fine. I don’t need anyone right now. Between work and taking care of Mom, I’m too busy.”

The look he sends my way tells me he’s not letting this go anytime soon. And I have a feeling I’m not going to like what he says next.

“What are you going to do when Mom isn’t around anymore?”

The question makes my stomach twist so hard, bile rises up my throat, but I manage to swallow it back down and push away the fear and pain that his words provoke.

“I’ll figure it out,” I say, my words weak even to my own ears. “I’m an adult, Garrett, who can manage her life on my own.”

“But you shouldn’t have to.” He slams his bottle down with a little more force than needed, causing a few peanuts to fall out of the bowl. “You should have a family of your own and a life outside of our family’s tiny bubble. It’s what you’ve always wanted.”

Perhaps, but we don’t always get what we want, do we?

“Look who’s talking,” I reply, slapping on a grin to hide the effect what he’s saying is having on me. “Am I really getting this lecture from my workaholic brother who gets bored with a girl so quickly, she doesn’t last more than a couple of dates?”

“Yeah, well, I’m not exactly the family type,” he says. He looks away, a shadow falling over his eyes, but I’m too fired up to deal with his own insecurities.

“You do realize how hypocritical that is, right?”

Garrett grumbles under his breath before replying, “Whatever. I just worry about you, okay? I know Mom worries too. We just don’t want you to be lonely.”

I appreciate his concern, I really do. But I’m not a little kid anymore, and now’s not the time for me to be thinking about shit like that. He’ll be leaving soon, and there’s no point spending what little time we have left arguing.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I’m very happy with my life, and if I decide someday that I want the whole marriage, kids, and white picket fence, I’ll make it happen.”

Garrett smirks and shakes his head. “You make it sound so easy, but I know you, Haven. If you do decide to give your heart to someone, he’s going to have to be someone extraordinary. Someone who isn’t from Blue Ridge. The world is much bigger than this place, and you belong out in it.”

His words warm my heart, but I don’t let him know that. I lift my glass to take a long drink, not wanting Garrett to see the effect his statement is having on me. He’s right. The world is much bigger than Blue Ridge, but this town is what I know and where I feel safe. It’s where my family is.

Venturing outside of Blue Ridge would open me up to all the heartbreak and dangers the rest of the world holds. I’ve experienced enough pain in my life already, and I’m not interested in going out and inviting more in.

Blue Ridge is where I belong, and I just need to keep on focusing on the things that matter most to me so that I don’t lose them. My family, my friends, and my job. I don’t need more than that. Garrett might not get it, even if I fully explained it to him, and that’s okay. I don’t need him to understand. I just need him to come back from the oil fields safe and sound.

If I can maintain what I already have and the people I already care about, I’ll never have to let anyone else in… which also means I won’t have to worry about losing anyone else either.