Chapter 17
I ’ve just gotten back from checking on the camp, and when I see Cole’s truck parked up in the yard, I immediately see red. Jumping off Thunder’s back, I stomp towards where he’s resting his shoulder against one of the beams keeping up the porch.
“You got a fucking nerve showing your face here,” I call over, spotting Wade coming in on him, too, from the corner of my eye.
“Don’t speak to me about nerve. Not when you got Laurie-fuckin-Cross spyin’ on me.” Cole shakes his head, and I contemplate knocking it off his goddamn shoulders.
“I sent Laurie Cross to keep an eye out on this family's enemies. Ain’t my fault you choose to work for them.” I point out, my voice shaking with rage. “Now, get your ass back in your truck and fuck off back to the Mason’s bunkhouse.”
“That ain’t much of a welcome home, now is it?” he chuckles, and Wade grabs him by his shirt and forces him up against the house.
“You gone deaf, as well as fuckin’ stupid?” he spits at him, and I can see that the fury in his eyes ain’t come from anger; it’s from hurt and betrayal.
“This place is goin’ under. Face it, it’s over. You can’t compete with the Masons; not the way Pops wants to run things. It’s only a matter of time before he gets desperate and sells out to the corporate giants.”
“That ain’t gonna happen. Not while I got breath in my body,” Hell knows how I’m staying so calm, maybe it’s for Wade’s sake, or maybe it’s because deep down, I know what Cole says is true.
We’re treading water, and it doesn't matter how much money’s in the bank, if these people want something they’ll find a way of getting it.
And it’s looking like it’ll be my generation that lets our family legacy down.
“Leave it, Wade.” I place my hand on his shoulder and ease him down.
“You could have left town, you could have taken your trust fund and set up your own ranch in fuckin’ Texas for all I gave a shit, but why there?” I ask, doing nothing to hide the hurt from my face. He caused it. He earned it, so he can face up to it while he gives me his answer.
“You wouldn’t understand.” He looks away from me, proving he’s ashamed, and so he should be.
He knows Uncle Jimmer leaving the ranch, all those years ago, had a massive impact.
Soon as we were all old enough, we made a pact that we would never let that happen to us.
We even made a lame-ass attempt to brand ourselves, like some of the bunkhouse boys.
Wade, being the youngest and having to go first, still got the scar on his arm to prove it.
“I’m your fucking brother, Cole. I’ll make myself understand.”
“I came here to tell you that you don’t need Laurie Cross.
If there was anything that I thought would put this ranch in danger, you’d be hearing it from my mouth.
And if you sent him to keep an eye on me, you should know better.
My loyalty will always be with you. I just got my reasons for being there, right now. ”
“I hope they’re treating you like shit.” Wade shakes his head at our brother, curling his lip in disgust as he barges past him and heads inside.
Cole pulls himself back together and takes a seat on the porch step. I sit beside him and notice his shoulders sag, like he’s carrying the weight of the world on ‘em.
“Tell me it ain’t her, Cole.” I beg, because shit’s complicated enough between us and the Masons.
“I could tell ya it ain’t, but I promised you I’d never lie to ya, so I won’t.”
“Fuck!” I slam my fist into the beam, beside me. “She’s a married fucking woman, Cole!”
“Yeah, but she ain’t a happy one.” He stares at his hands, so he doesn’t have to look at me.
“She made her choice,” I remind him.
“Yeah, because I didn’t give her no other one. And now she’s suffering for it. I can’t stand by and watch her get hurt.”
“That’s exactly what your fucking doing, by being there. And what use are you to her there, anyway? There, you’re just a wrangler, nothing but a cowboy. Come home. You can make the difference, here.”
“We’re all just fucking cowboys, Garrett,” he laughs bitterly. “You got the fight of a lion in ya, but the damage has already been done. We’re gonna lose this place.”
“We ain’t. I promise. Pops is gonna see sense soon enough, and I got plans for when he does.
Hell, I’ve already started working on things, you know that.
Just come home, be part of it.” I hate that I sound so desperate, but I don’t want to do this without him.
We’ve already lost so much, I don’t want our loyalty to each other to be the next loss.
“I can’t, Garrett, and I know that hurts ya, because it hurts me, but I can’t watch this place fall around us. She’s gotta know I’m there for her.”
“Wade’s right, they must be treating you like shit over there.” I know for a fact those Mason brothers will be getting off on the fact he’s working for them. I know I’m right from the way he clenches his fists.
“She’s too scared to leave him, and for as long as she’s there, I’ll be there, too. I came here to make sure you know that that don’t mean I’ve deserted my loyalty to you.”
“You realize what’ll happen if they figure out what you’re doing? They’ll already have their suspicions about you.”
“I know the risks,” he assures me, and when I think about Maisie and how much it hurts not to have her, it helps me understand him a little better.
“Pops is having a family dinner tonight; you should come, make the effort.”
“I can’t, I got work to do, and I won’t sit around the table playing happy fuckin’ families, watching the old man with her.” He stands up and wipes his hands on the back of his jeans.
“You know she’s never coming back, right? If Breanna dying didn’t bring her home, there ain’t nothing that will. For all we know, she could be dead.”
“Maybe it’d be easier if she was,” he admits sadly, and when my head nods in agreement, I hate myself for even thinking it.
“I need to know we’re ok. You and that knucklehead are all I got, and I’m not asking you to support what I’m doing, just to try and understand it,” Cole says.
I watch Maisie backing out the stable, wearing Dalton’s hat on her head.
She’s swinging a bucket in her hand, and after she’s filled it with the hose, she sprays him with it.
Dalton reaches out, offering to help her carry the bucket back inside, and I watch her tease him with his Stetson when he tries to get it off her head.
The sound of her laughter travels across the yard, warming my heart, and breaking it, all at the same time.
“I understand it,” I assure my brother. “Just remember to take care of yourself.”
“And what about him?” Cole’s head tips toward the door that Wade just stormed through.
“He’ll come around. He’s just scared of losing another person he loves.”
Cole nods his head and starts heading back toward his truck.
“Hey, whatever it takes,” I call after him, because I want him to know I got his back.
Yeah, what he’s doing is stupid, but I can relate to it.
I feel nothing but fucking stupid these days, and Maisie’s only been here a little while.
Cole’s been crazy about Aubrey since we were kids.
Our moms were best friends, and we always used to play together growing up.
They dated all the way through high school, and although nothing shocked Fork River more than my grandpa hanging himself, Aubrey marrying Joe Mason came a close second.
The fact my brother stood by and let it happen shocked everyone, even more. Especially me.
I think back to the time when I told her that the tooth fairy wasn’t real and made her cry. Cole lost his shit and split my lip, and it earned us both extra chores for a month.
Cole opens the door to his truck and raises his hat at me.
“Whatever it takes,” he nods back, getting inside and pulling away.