Chapter 28 Good News, Bad News
Good News, Bad News
RYDER
“More importantly,” Colt continues, giving his sister a look I can’t decipher, “what’re the tears about?”
I can tell by the way Billie clenches her jaw that she wants to roll her eyes, but she’s trying to play nice.
“They’re not there because of Ryder, if that’s what you’re implying.” Turning, she curls an arm around my waist so that we’re standing side by side.
I return the favor and wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Hey, Colt.”
He looks…not great. Bags under his eyes. His face his scruffier than usual, and his hair curls out from underneath his hat in a tangle of curls that are several inches too long.
I feel that stab of guilt again. Am I wholly responsible for the way he looks? I know the new consultant Mr. Wallace brought on, Lainey, has been busting his chops. Beck told me as much when I called him again to ask how Colt was doing. And being a single parent is always an exhausting endeavor.
Still, I hate to see my friend suffering this way.
“Hey.”
It’s a single word. But it’s the only word Colt has spoken to me in weeks. Fucked up as it sounds, that feels like progress. Wonder if he heard me just now? Did he see how I’m wholeheartedly supporting his sister? How I’m trying my damndest to make her dreams come true?
Because the friend I know would respect the hell out of that.
Then again, Colt is hurting. He’s not exactly in the right frame of mind. Who knows what he’s thinking.
“Billie and Ryder here were just making a very convincing argument that we should set up an animal therapy program here on the ranch,” Dad says.
Colt’s eyes flicker. I can’t read them.
“Ryder helped me come up with the idea,” Billie says. “He’s been with me every step of the way. My accident—it made me realize that I needed to make some changes.”
Mrs. Wallace grabs the presentation deck and holds it up. “Look at this pitch they put together. Thirty pages!”
Colt’s shoulders rise on a deep, aggrieved sigh. “Seems kinda out of left field, no?”
“Read the deck, and you’ll see a program like the one I’m proposing is beautifully aligned with our values as a family,” Billie replies. “I’d be happy to make the full pitch to you if you’d like.”
“And I’d be happy to chime in if you need help,” I add.
Billie looks up at me. “You’re the best. Thank you.”
“Anytime. This is exciting stuff. Just grateful to be a part of it.”
I glance up to see Colt looking at us. There’s a tug in my center when it hits me that the look in his eyes is sadness.
Of course. He misses Abby.
Despite the shit they went through, he loved her with his whole heart. There were times when I thought losing her might destroy him if her infidelity didn’t.
Deep down, Colt’s a romantic. He may swear off marriage—relationships in general—but I know he misses being in love.
I get it now, because loving someone and being loved by them in return is pretty much the best thing ever.
Duke was on to something when he said Colt might be jealous of Billie and me.
I know he doesn’t wish us ill. I also know he’d like to have a partner in life again, even if he does come off as surly and standoffish.
“Maybe later,” he says at last. “I gotta get home to Dean.”
Mr. Wallace pins him with a look. “You really should stay and hear what your sister has to say.”
“Dad, I was with Lainey all damn day. I’m tapped out, all right?”
Mrs. Wallace frowns. “Did it not go well with Lainey?”
“It never goes well with that woman. I’ll… Yeah, I’ll see y’all later.”
Then he disappears out the door.
That weekend, I’m pulling the biggest lasagna I’ve ever seen out of the oven in the Wallace’s kitchen when Lainey strides in.
“Well, hey there, honey!” Mrs. Wallace smiles warmly as she drops a handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese into the salad she’s making. “I’m thrilled you’ll be joining us for supper tonight.”
I met Lainey not long after Billie and I told everyone we were in a relationship. She’s young, but she knows her shit, and I’m well aware of how a rebrand can take an operation to the next level.
I’ll never forget when Mollie made her pitch to combine Lucky and Rivers Ranches. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. I think we all fell in love with her that day, just like we fell in love with the idea of Lucky River Ranch.
Mr. Wallace is a smart guy. I think he’s seen the progress we’ve made on our property since the rebrand, and now he wants a piece of the action. I also know he’s eager to honor his family’s legacy by having his ranch in tip-top shape before he hands it over to his children.
The Wallace kids pretty much run the place already. But Old Man Wallace still pulls the reins—or pulls the strings, if we’re being grammatically correct—and I know he’s itching to retire.
That’s why he hired Lainey. I think she’s great.
I also see a lot of the hatred Mollie and Cash had for each other in the dynamic between Lainey and Colt.
They’re always arguing about something, but I don’t miss the way she’ll check him out when she thinks no one is looking, or how he refills her water bottle for her, grumbling all the while.
Kinda cute when you think about it.
“Thank you for the invite. The bartender at the Homestead Hen joked the other day that I should just sleep in one of the booths because I practically live there these days.”
Mrs. Wallace pulls her brows together. “You gotta come eat with us more often, then! It goes without saying the door is always open.”
Lainey smiles. “Thank you, Paige, that means a lot. Honestly, I end up getting a lot of work done while I eat at the restaurant, so it’s no biggie. Also, I think Colton might literally kill me if I bug him all day and show up to his family supper at night too.”
“Colt’s been in a grumpy mood lately. He’ll come around.” Mrs. Wallace crosses the kitchen to inspect the lasagna. “Looks done. Thank you for your help, Ryder.”
I take off the oven mitts and slip them in the drawer beside the stove. “No problem. And sorry about Colt’s grumpy mood, Lainey. That’s my fault.”
“How dare you treat his little sister with respect and adoration.” Mrs. Wallace clucks her tongue, a smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. “What a crime.”
Lainey leans her elbows on the counter. “He’s super protective of the people he loves, huh?”
“You have no idea.” Mrs. Wallace rolls her eyes as she heads for the freezer, pulling out a loaf of garlic bread.
“I got that.” Taking the loaf from her, I read the instructions on the package before opening it. “You made the lasagna and the salad. Go sit.”
But Mrs. Wallace just keeps on smiling. “Now you know that’s not gonna happen. You’re sweet to help.”
“Is he, though?” Tate walks into the kitchen with wet hair, wearing clean clothes. As the youngest of the Wallace clan, he’s stuck being on weekend duty caring for the horses, so he’s worked in the barns all day.
Billie is hot on his heels. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
I came over to the house early to help Mrs. Wallace with dinner, so Billie could continue to work on the business plan for her program. It’s now a fifty-page document that includes more spreadsheets than I think I’ve ever seen in my life. In true Billie fashion, she’s leaving no stone unturned.
“Sweet as pie, in my opinion,” Lainey replies. “You got a good one, Billie. They’re few and far between.”
Billie grins, going up on her toes to peck my cheek. “That’s why I’ve been chasing this guy down for years. I knew he was a keeper.”
Tate glances at the lasagna. “You made Italian, Mom? Hell yes.”
“Smells good in here.” Mr. Wallace wipes his feet after walking in the back door. “Whatever that is, I’m about to put a hurtin’ on it. Lainey! Ryder! To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“Lainey needed a home-cooked meal,” Mrs. Wallace replies. “And the Lucky River Ranch crew was kind enough to let us borrow Ryder for the evening.”
“Give my regards to your people.” Mr. Wallace taps the brim of his Stetson before he takes it off, hanging it on the hat rack beside the door.
“Will do, sir.”
“It’s Dale.”
“Right. What can I get you to drink, Dale?”
A big old smile breaks out on his face. “Finally. I got a sixer in the fridge outside. Lemme grab it.”
Billie is the last to join us at the table in the dining room. Well, other than Colt and Dean, who haven’t attended Sunday supper since I started coming. Mrs. Wallace still sets a place for them at the table, but they never show.
We’re just toasting to Billie’s business plan, which she says is coming along swimmingly, when the front door opens.
“Mimi! Pawpaw! Are you here?”
My chest squeezes at the sound of Dean’s cute little voice. A second later he’s running into the dining room, his gap-toothed smile of pure delight making all of us laugh.
“We’re here! Oh, sweet boy, I’m so glad you were able to come.” Mrs. Wallace wraps her grandson in a tight hug. “I’ve missed you.”
“I miss you too. Miss Lainey, you’re here for dinner?”
Lainey wipes her mouth with her napkin and grins. “Your grandmama invited me. Isn’t that so kind?”
“Can we play UNO after we’re done?”
“As long as you eat your vegetables and mind your manners.”
“That a deal?” Dean asks, holding out his hand.
Lainey takes it. “That’s a deal. Such a good handshake.”
“Thanks. My dad taught me.”
“I’m sure he did,” Lainey says, looking up wearily as Colt walks into the room. “Hello, Colton.”
My stomach bottoms out. Billie and I meet eyes, and I can tell she’s wondering the same thing I am. This a good thing or a bad thing?
“Lainey.” He nods, then looks around the table. “Why y’all so quiet?”
“Because you’ve been giving us all the silent treatment for, like, a year now, and suddenly you decide to show up to supper like it’s no big thing.” Mack cocks a brow. “Care to explain yourself?”
Colt leans down to kiss his mama before he takes his seat. “Me and Dean were hungry.”
“Right,” Beck says slowly.
Colt helps Dean put his napkin on his lap. “This looks amazing, Mom.”
“Ryder helped too, you know,” Mrs. Wallace replies. “He’s an excellent kitchen assistant.”
“That so?” Colt cuts me a look.
I reach for my beer and take a gulp. “My mom always used to say many hands make light work.”
“You’re kind of a living embodiment of that, Ry,” Billie says.
Lainey chews thoughtfully on a piece of garlic bread. “All y’all are. Watching you work together day in and day out is really something else.”
“That’s ’cause we’re doin’ real work.” Colt gives her a tight smile. “The kind you do with your hands.”
Lainey, bless her, isn’t having it. “You really gonna start with this right now?”
“Daddy, Miss Lainey does real work too. Matter of fact, we worked together today.”
Colt’s brows pop up, a piece of garlic bread poised over his open mouth. “I thought you were showing Miss Lainey how to ride a horse.”
“We were riding horses, Daddy. We were also talking strategy.”
Mack is laughing into his napkin. “I like the sound of this.”
“Can we tell them?” Dean begs Lainey. “Please please please? Your ideas are the neatest.”
That has us all laughing again.
Lainey nods. “Sure. Why don’t you tell everyone the idea we were kicking around today while you were being such an excellent teacher?”
“Double U Ranch!” Dean proudly exclaims. “Get it, Mimi? Instead of The Wallace Ranch, our new name would be—wait, what did you call it, Miss Lainey?”
Lainey laughs, reaching over to ruffle Dean’s hair. “A play on words. Wallace starts with the letter w, so we just spell that letter out in a different way. D-o-u-b-l-e…”
“U!” Dean claps his hands. “Remember you wrote it out for me and I got it because I know how to read now?”
“You are so smart it’s amazing,” Lainey replies. “Of course I remember. Just like I remember how much you’re learning in kindergarten.”
“Kindergarten is the best.” Dean is beaming now. “I’m so good at it.”
I lean over to whisper in Beck’s ear. “Is it just me, or does Dean have a serious crush on Lainey?”
Beck’s lips twitch. “I think Dean and Colt have a serious crush on Lainey. Lucky for her, she don’t gotta choose between ’em.”
Mr. Wallace’s eyes go wide. “I think that’s mighty clever. What do you think, Mama?”
“I think I love it,” Mrs. Wallace replies simply. “It’s just different enough to stand out, but still classic and very tongue-in-cheek. Just like my sense of humor.”
“Dean informed me he saw the letters in the color yellow.”
Dean nods. “It’s my favorite color.”
“Well then, our new logo has to be yellow, then.” Billie glances around the table. “I don’t know how y’all feel, but I am really digging this.”
“Thank you, Billie. Appreciate the vote of support.” Lainey looks at Colt. “Although I don’t think the new branding will pass by unanimous vote tonight.”
Colt picks up his water glass. “What makes you say that, Lainey?”
“You and your stubborn behind,” she replies steadily. “You were gonna shoot us down even before we shared our idea.”
I bite back a smile. “For what it’s worth, I like it too.”
“Of course you do.” Colt shakes his head. “Am I the only one who thinks this whole rebranding business is a waste of time and money?”
“Yes,” the table replies in unison.
Colt scoffs. “Great.”
“How about we shelve that conversation for later?” Mr. Wallace interjects diplomatically.
“Tonight, I wanna enjoy this delicious lasagna and the company of all my well-behaved children. Plus their significant others.” He nods at me.
“We’ve been waiting an age to add some more places at the table. Thank you for coming, Ryder.”
Heat works its way up my face. “Thank y’all for giving me a chance to prove that I’m worthy of your daughter. She’s somethin’ special, and I can’t wait to watch her soar.”
Billie’s eyes get that soft look in them that I’m learning can mean a lot of things.
She’s happy.
She’s tired but in a good way.
She’s turned on.
I’ll take any of the above tonight, please and thank you.
“Amen to that.” Tate raises his glass. “To Billie and Ryder. May the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation he gave her that night at the rodeo be the start of a beautiful love story.”
“Cheers!” Dean raises his own glass with such enthusiasm he spills water everywhere.
The rest of the table toasts us too.
I don’t think any of us misses the fact that Colt raises his glass. He doesn’t say a word. Doesn’t meet my eyes. But he does participate in the toast, and that small but significant gesture means everything to me.
It means shit just might really work out—for the better.