Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
FORD
As the car takes us closer to Whispering Willows, my stomach dips, and not for the first time since hanging up with Faith.
When I’d called Alex, asking for a loan of his company jet, his stunned silence had said it all. Sure, my friends have met my family when they visited the city over the years, but they also know I’ve not been back home since my father’s arrest and the ensuing seizure of Circle H.
Alex being Alex, had readied his jet within thirty minutes of asking and even sent a car to pick us up, both from my apartment in Manhattan and when we landed at the small airstrip outside Austin.
Emmy’s hand squeezes mine as the car passes the enormous entry gates of Circle H, the birthright that was stolen from me, courtesy of my father’s selfish decisions.
I quickly notice the ranch is fully operational, and a bittersweet sense of relief fills me. I’d known it was purchased in the aftermath of the trial, though I’d never spoken to my family about it, so seeing that someone kept it going the way it was intended makes the sting less potent.
But just barely.
The car turns left and then goes down the private road leading to Whispering Willows Ranch. Willow trees that gave the ranch its name line the long and winding driveway until the main house comes into view.
The sun is low in the sky, bathing the house with her rays, and a sharp pang of emotion tears at my chest.
The ranch house where my momma grew up is white with a pale blue roof that matches the accents of blue dotted throughout. Its windows, doors, and the swing on the wraparound porch all match the shingles, and the darker bluebonnets in the surrounding shrubbery make it pretty damn picturesque.
As the car rolls to a stop, Faith comes barrelling out of the house, her golden blonde hair streaming out behind her. I’ve barely slipped out of the backseat when she’s thrown her arms around me, smiling from ear to ear. Big brown eyes identical to our momma’s shine up at me, filled with adoration and a hint of disbelief.
“I can’t believe you’re here, Fordy.”
Me neither.
Emmy slides out of the car, silently standing beside me to slip her hand into mine. I begin to ask my sister where Momma is, but the words die on my lips when I spot the woman in question strolling out onto the porch.
I can see her dusting her hands off her trusty blue apron, a quizzical smile on her face as she glances between Emmy and me. Faith notices my line of vision and disentangles herself before meeting my gaze with a wince.
“I may have exaggerated just a teeny-weeny bit…”
“Would you have ever returned to Texas if Faith hadn’t lied to get you here?”
Emmy’s question hangs between us as we wash up for dinner in the guest room my delighted mother had quickly prepared for us. Faith, the little she-devil, had conveniently disappeared, but she can bet her ass we’ll be having a conversation real fucking soon.
“Actually, Tink, I had already been thinking it’s past time to face my demons. Passing Circle H today was the first big one.” She holds my hand, using her free one to smooth the slight wrinkles from the shoulder of my fresh black t-shirt. “The dinner conversation we’re about to have is the next.”
A knock sounds on the door before my youngest sister, Finley’s, voice calls out. “Dinner’s ready, y’all.” I open the door to find my seventeen-year-old sister looking much too grown up as her gaze moves past me to land on Emmy at my side.
Her eyes light up as a smile stretches across her face. “I’m so excited to meet you, Miss Hart?—”
“Please, call me Em.”
Finley’s smile grows even broader, her big doe eyes shining in delight. “Did you break up with Lawson Wilde to be with my brother?” She doesn’t wait for an answer, continuing at top speed as Emmy and I exchange a smirk.
“I can’t believe you’re here! I’ve seen everything you’ve ever starred in.” She glances away almost shyly, which is absurd for my vibrant, outspoken baby sister. “I loved you since the first time Fordy brought me to see Les Misérables .”
Emmy rounds on me as Finley rushes off downstairs, looking up at me with a questioning gaze. “You brought your sister to my show?”
I nod once as we move to follow Finley, my stomach protesting when I catch the scent of Momma’s cooking.
Fuck, I’ve missed that.
“And how many times did you come and see it?”
“Twice a week, every week, and as many matinee performances as I could manage.” I can feel her eyes penetrating me when she inhales sharply, so I glance down at her and brush the backs of my fingers against the apple of her cheek. “I told you, Tink. Every step of the way.”
She swallows, her eyes shining with unshed tears as a bittersweet smile tips her lips, and I can’t help myself from closing the gap between us to take her mouth with mine in a leisurely kiss, uncaring of who could easily see us at the top of the stairs.
Emmy winds her arms around my neck, pulling me close as she deepens the kiss, arching her chest against mine before pulling away. My groan of displeasure fills the space, and she giggles as she continues down the staircase, tugging me after her with a whispered, “Later.”
EMERSON
The atmosphere at the dinner table is frosty, and if it weren’t for Ford’s mom, Abi, and his sisters, Lissie and Finley, keeping the conversation moving, I’m entirely sure there’d be silence.
Ford’s eldest sister, Fallon, is sitting at the head of the table, glowering at her plate of beef enchiladas like they’re a personal affront. Faith is to her left, steadily shoveling food into her mouth while keeping her eyes firmly down.
Whispering Willows ranch manager, Luke Sullivan—or Sully, as I recall him—joined in the conversation here and there throughout the meal, but he mostly watched Fallon. It isn’t until the inevitable showdown arrives that he sits back in his seat, taking everything in with a slight smirk on his ruggedly handsome features.
Abi stands up to bring the empty plates back to the kitchen, but Ford puts a gentle hand on hers.
“You sit, Momma. I’ll clean up.”
She smiles at him, opening her mouth to thank him, but is cut off by Fallon spitting, “I guess you’ll want a pat on the back for that, big brother.”
Ford’s shoulders sag as he shakes his head. “Come on, Fal. Get it over with. I’ve only been waiting for this conversation for the past five years.”
His sister pushes to stand, her chair hitting the ground behind her when the sudden motion knocks it over. “We would’ve had it before now had you not run away to New York, leaving the rest of us to deal with the fallout.” Fallon narrows her blue eyes, almost identical to Ford’s, as she glares at him. “I was eighteen, with no clue how to run this ranch. That’s what you were supposed to do. Instead, you fucked off and never bothered your ass to come back.”
“ Language , Fallon.”
Abi pins her eldest daughter with a hard stare, and Fallon’s jaw ticks before she murmurs, “Sorry, Momma.”
My eyes shift to Sully, watching as his smile grows broader, and I can’t help but think he’s enjoying this.
“I didn’t plan on stayin’ away, Fal.” Despite the seriousness of their conversation, my lips twitch as his Texan drawl reappears, just as it always does when he’s pissed off.
Or turned on.
“It just…” He sighs exasperatedly, searching for the right words. “It never felt like the time was right to come back. I didn’t feel like I fit here anymore…”
He trails off, his forehead creasing heavily as he expels a sigh. “I haven’t felt like I fit anywhere these past five years, truth be told.”
The bare honesty in his admission makes my chest ache, and when Abigail catches my eyes from across the table, I send her a sad smile that she returns with one of her own.
Brother and sister stare at one another, Ford’s eyes filled with sorrow, Fallon’s brimming with rage until she tosses her almost black hair over one shoulder. “Don’t expect me to welcome you back with open arms. I’d sooner sit on a cactus.”
Then she pivots on her heel, grabs a bunch of keys from the sideboard, and strides out the back door.
“Sully, dear, would you mind…”
Sully nods somberly as he stands, his eyes on Abi. “I’ll check on her, ma’am, though I’m not the man for the job.”
Then he turns to follow her, murmuring beneath his breath, “That damn woman would surely shoot me soon as look at me.”
Once he’s left, Ford begins to gather plates, shuffling off toward the kitchen with a deep sigh. I stand up, intent on helping him, as Abi settles deeper into her seat, surveying the damage. Her deep brown eyes are twinkling devilishly when she looks up at me.
“Well, that went better’n expected.”