Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Stockton Ranch had always seemed like heaven to Huck.
But it didn’t have to do with the two-story brick house with its wide porch and gabled roof that most Texans dreamed about living in. Or the thousand acres of prime cattle land that surrounded it. It had to do with what Cadee’s parents had turned the house and ranch into.
A loving home.
Cadee’s parents had been the best kind of parents.
The kind that were scout leaders and room moms. The kind that showed up for every sporting event and school activity.
The kind that beamed with pride when their kids won .
. . and when they lost. The kind that put their kids first and would never think of putting an old dancehall with bad plumbing before their own children’s needs.
While Huck had never been inside the house, Cadee had told him stories about living there.
The time her daddy had gotten her a pony for Christmas, and instead of taking Cadee out to the barn on Christmas morning, he’d brought the pony right into the house and it was next to the tree eating a bucket of oats when she walked into the living room.
The time she found the biggest Easter egg and got to boss her brothers around all day as Head Bunny.
The special birthday parties and the big family gatherings.
All of it had sounded like heaven to Huck.
Which was one of the reasons he’d been so focused on making money.
He’d dreamed about owning a ranch just like the Stocktons’.
Unfortunately, not one of his schemes had ever resulted in enough money to buy a ranch.
Which was probably a good thing seeing as how he knew absolutely nothing about ranching.
But if he couldn’t have the dream, he was thankful his son had it. Even though, at the moment, the pretty house with its picturesque front porch filled with pumpkins and magazine-worthy fall décor was making him feel a little sick to his stomach.
Of course, that might be due to the early hour.
Six o’clock? Who got up at six o’clock in the morning?
The sun had just barely peeked its head over the horizon.
The last time Huck had been up that early, he’d been getting ready to go to bed after partying all night.
But if getting up with the roosters was the only way he got to see Camden, then he’d be a rooster.
And Camden wasn’t the only reason Huck had rolled out of bed after only three hours of sleep.
A big smile spread over his face as the image of Cadee coming to his rescue popped into his head.
He’d thought the feisty best friend he’d left behind was long gone.
Last night had proven otherwise. As much as she acted like she no longer cared about him, she did.
It was that thought that gave him courage to park his motorcycle in front of the Stockton’s gorgeous sprawling house and get off.
He exchanged his trucker’s cap for the cowboy hat he’d stowed in one of the Harley’s saddlebags. If he was going to be a cowboy for the day, he needed to dress the part.
When he knocked on the door, he expected one of the Stockton brothers to answer. He figured they’d be waiting to threaten him with bodily harm if he hurt their nephew or sister. But it wasn’t Cooper or Callum who threw open the door.
It was Cadee’s mama.
Tiffany Stockton had always been a beautiful woman and she still was. An older version of her daughter, she had Cadee’s same petite body, dark wavy hair, and expressive blue eyes. Those eyes didn’t show surprise or anger. Just concern.
He understood why. He was more than a little concerned himself about his ability to be a good daddy.
He pulled off his cowboy hat. “Good mornin’, Ms. Stockton.”
“Good mornin’,” she said.
“I guess Cadee told you I was coming to help.”
“She did,” she said and then waited. Obviously, she wasn’t going to make this easy on him.
He cleared his throat. “Is Cadee here?”
“She and Camden are helping Cooper and Callum load the horses.”
He took a few steps back. “Okay then, I guess I’ll go—”
She cut him off. “A lot of folks think you and your siblings are trouble. My husband was one of them.”
“Yes, ma’am. I know that.” Joseph Stockton had never liked Huck and, in middle school, had banned his daughter from seeing him.
Knowing how much she loved her daddy, Huck had been surprised when she hadn’t listened.
And thrilled as hell that she wasn’t willing to let their friendship go. Even for her beloved daddy.
He waited for Mrs. Stockton to say she thought he was trouble too.
Instead, she surprised him. “I never agreed with Joe.”
He blinked. “You didn’t?”
She shook her head. “I always thought you and your siblings were just acting out to get your mama’s attention.
Not to speak ill of the dead, but I think everyone knew Rosie didn’t give y’all enough of her time and attention—something I know she regretted at the end of her life.
Unfortunately, it was too late to mend the relationship with her kids.
I think that’s why she showered Camden with her love and attention. ”
Huck had given up on his mama’s love long ago. Or so he’d thought. But if he’d given up on it, why did the thought of her showering Camden with the attention she’d withheld from her own kids make his chest feel so damn tight.
“She enjoyed being with Camden?”
She looked surprised. “Cadee didn’t tell you?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Well, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I just wanted you to know that I don’t blame y’all for being ornery kids.” She hesitated and her face got a stern expression. “But if you haven’t grown out of your wild ways and do something to hurt my family, I won’t be as forgiving. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am. The last thing I want to do is hurt Camden. Or Cadee.”
She nodded. “That’s good to hear. Now did you have time to eat breakfast? You look a little green around the gills.”
That’s exactly how he felt. Especially after hearing about his mama. “No, ma’am.”
“Then come on in and I’ll get you a breakfast burrito and a cup of coffee to go before you head on over to the stables.”
The house smelled like a mixture of fresh-baked cookies and air-dried sheets, the same scent that always surrounded Cadee, and the foyer was as magazine worthy as the front porch.
On one wall was a huge solid wood wardrobe with cupboards and hooks for hats and jackets.
Next to it was an antique umbrella holder and a bootjack.
The opposite wall had a side table filled with glass pumpkins and fat candles in wooden candleholders.
Above it was a group of family pictures in coordinating frames.
Through a doorway, he could see the family room. It was cozy and yet elegant, with overstuffed chairs and the throw pillow-filled couches surrounding a big fireplace of Austin stone.
“Cadee did all the decorating,” Mrs. Stockton said. “Did she tell you that she got a bachelor’s degree in interior design?”
“No, ma’am.” He hadn’t even known she was interested in interior design. But it made sense now that he thought about it. When they were kids, she had loved watching HGTV and every other year wanted to redecorate her room. He’d been forced to look at paint swatches until his eyeballs burned.
Mrs. Stockton frowned. “It’s too bad she can’t put her degree to use here in Promise Springs.”
“Why not? I’m sure there are folks who would love their house to look like this. And it’s not like she has to just use her talents here when there are so many big cities within a couple hours drive.”
Mrs. Stockton nodded. “Then maybe you can convince her of that. I sure haven’t been able to.” She headed to the kitchen and he followed.
It was a big country kitchen with a picture window over the apron sink that showed off the pinkish tinge of the sunrise. He stood in the doorway and watched Mrs. Stockton bustle around pouring coffee into a travel mug and then pulling a foil-wrapped burrito out of the oven.
She packed the burrito into a thermal lunch bag, slipped a napkin into a side pocket, before she handed it and the travel mug to him.
“There you go. The stables are out back. Don’t worry about the boys. They’ll be a little gruff to begin with, but they’ll come around.”
Gruff wasn’t exactly the word Huck would have chosen for the way he was greeted by Cooper when he arrived at the stables behind the house. The oldest Stockton sibling looked like he wanted to beat the shit out of him, then toss him over a cliff.
He might have if Camden hadn’t seemed so happy to see him.
“Hey, Huck! Mom told me you were helping today.”
Huck glanced at Cadee who looked about as thrilled to see him as her brother. He couldn’t say the same. His heart thumped in overtime as he took in her T-shirt, wrangler jeans, cute braids, and trucker’s cap.
Camden looked just as cute in his full cowboy attire, including roper boots, a brown Stetson, and chaps with fringe.
“Hey, Cam. I like your chaps.”
He glanced down and grinned. There was something about the dimpled grin that had Huck’s heart flipping. “Uncle Cooper had them specially made for me as an early birthday present.”
Huck had no clue when his son’s birthday was and he was too ashamed to ask. “Wow. That was real nice of your uncle.” He glanced at Cooper and got a glare in return.
“Yeah, he’s awesome. So is my Uncle Callum. He got me new boots when I started school.”
“And I’m a little upset you stopped wearing them to school.” Callum came out of the stables leading a huge horse. A huge, angry horse that was snorting and fighting the reins Callum held.
“You’re riding Chaos?” Cadee asked her brother.
“Nope.” Callum grinned at Huck. An evil grin. “I figured I let your old friend here ride our best horse.”
Cadee’s eyes widened. “Absolutely not, Cal. You know Huck isn’t good at riding.”
“Then what’s he doing here? If he can’t ride, he can’t help.”
Camden looked at Huck in question. There was no way he was going to lose face with his son. Even if the thought of riding the horse scared the crap out of him.