Chapter 17
Ryder
“Good morning,” Evelyn called when I came downstairs to breakfast. It was well past nine and the rest of the ranch had been up for hours. “Long night?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I grumbled, plopping down at the table and pressing my forehead against the cool wood.
“Connor didn’t stay that late,” she replied, placing a cup of coffee in front of me. “I half expected him to stay the night.”
I shook my head. “He had to work this mornin’. We don’t want my dad to know.” I paused, lifting my gaze to Evelyn. “You won’t tell him, will you?”
“It ain’t none of my business to be tellin’ Pete McGrath anythin’ about anyone.” She gave me a soft smile, patting my shoulder. “You’re secret’s safe with me.”
“Thanks, Evelyn.”
She walked over to the oven, firing up one of the burners. “So, what kept you up all night if it wasn’t Connor?”
“It was Connor. Just not like… that.” I wasn’t sure how much Evelyn really wanted to know about that side of things. “But I was thinking about him. About what we’re doing and how much it’s putting him at risk.”
I watched Evelyn’s face for any sign of judgment, but she just nodded thoughtfully as she cracked eggs into a pan.
“It’s a dangerous game,” she said finally, her voice gentle but serious. “But I suspect you already know that.”
“I do.” I wrapped my hands around the coffee mug, drawing comfort from its warmth. “Four months. That’s how long until his parole is up. Then he’s free to do whatever he wants without worrying about Dad sending him back to prison.”
“And what about you?” Evelyn asked, sliding a plate of eggs and toast in front of me. “What happens when he’s free to go wherever he pleases?”
The question hit harder than I expected.
I hadn’t allowed myself to think that far ahead.
What if Connor decided to leave Hell Creek once he was free?
What if all of whatever we had between us was just something to pass the time until he could start his real life somewhere else?
What if I was just the post-prison rebound guy?
“I don’t know,” I admitted, pushing the eggs around my plate. “He talked about wanting to go somewhere quiet. Somewhere nobody knows his name or his past.”
Evelyn leaned against the counter, arms crossed over her chest. “And how would you feel about that?”
“Terrible,” I whispered, finally admitting it to myself. “I know it’s crazy. We’ve only known each other a couple months, and most of that time I spent being an insufferable brat. But I...” I trailed off, unable to say the words that were forming in my heart.
“You care about him,” Evelyn finished for me.
I nodded, swallowing hard. “More than I should.”
“The heart doesn’t know ‘should’ from ‘shouldn’t,’” she said with a soft smile. “It just knows what it wants.”
“But what if I’m just being selfish? What if the best thing for Connor is to get as far away from Hell Creek as possible? Away from my father, away from all the people who might judge him for his past.” I pushed my plate away, my appetite gone. “Away from me and all the complications I bring.”
Evelyn came around the table and sat beside me, her weathered hand covering mine. “Honey, you can’t make that decision for him. If Connor wants to leave, that’s his choice. And if he wants to stay—for whatever reason—that’s his choice too.”
“But what if—”
“No more ‘what ifs,’” she interrupted firmly. “That’s a sure path to driving yourself crazy. Focus on what’s real. Right now, that man came to see you last night, knowing the risk. That tells me he cares about you too. Nobody risks their freedom on a fling.”
I thought about the way Connor had held me, how he’d looked at me with those intense brown eyes, the way his voice deepened when he called me his good boy. It hadn’t felt like something temporary or casual. It had felt like a promise.
“I just don’t want to be the reason he gets sent back to prison,” I said, voicing my deepest fear. “I couldn’t live with myself.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Evelyn said with such conviction that I almost believed her. “You two are being careful.”
“We’re trying to be. But what if it’s not enough?”
Evelyn squeezed my hand. “Life doesn’t come with guarantees, Ryder.
Sometimes all we can do is make the best choices we can and hope for the best. That’s what Cole and Jesse had to do too.
Not everyone in this world is going to accept them for who they are.
But they decided to be together anyway because it was right. ”
I sighed, picking up my fork and forcing myself to eat a few bites. The eggs were perfect, as always, but they tasted like cardboard in my mouth.
“What would you do?” I asked after a few minutes. “If you were me?”
Evelyn considered the question, her silver brows drawing together. “I’d cherish every moment I had with him. And I’d make damn sure I was worth staying for, if that’s what I wanted.”
“Worth staying for,” I repeated, turning the phrase over in my mind. “How do I do that?”
“By being yourself. The real you, not the mask you wear for everyone else.” She smiled knowingly. “The you I saw just now, worried about someone other than yourself. The you who stood up to your father because it was the right thing to do.”
I felt my cheeks warm at her assessment. “I’m not sure that’s enough.”
“It’s more than enough,” she insisted. “You’re a good man, Ryder McGrath. Better than you give yourself credit for. Maybe you’re just too young to see it yet, but I’m old and I’m tellin’ you, you’re a good man.”
Before I could respond, a knock at the door interrupted us. Evelyn frowned, glancing at the clock.
“Who could that be?” she muttered, standing up. “Cole and Jesse aren’t due back for another week.”
My heart leaped into my throat. What if it was my father? Had he somehow found out where I was staying? I stood up quickly, ready to bolt out the back door if necessary.
Evelyn peered through the curtain, then let out a relieved breath. “It’s just Larry,” she said, moving to open the door.
Larry stood on the porch, his weathered cowboy hat in his hands. He looked uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot like a schoolboy called to the principal’s office.
“Morning, Evelyn,” he nodded, then his eyes found me. “Ryder. Glad to see you’re okay, son.”
“Larry,” I replied, surprised to see him. “What are you doing here?”
He glanced at Evelyn, who stepped aside to let him in. “Thought you might want to know what’s happening at the ranch,” he said, declining Evelyn’s offer of coffee with a shake of his head.
“Is everyone okay?” I asked immediately, thinking of Connor. “Did my father—”
“Everyone’s fine,” Larry assured me quickly. “Your dad’s been... quiet. Too quiet, if you ask me. But he called for a random inspection this mornin’ of the parolee’s bunkhouse. And well… we found somethin’.”
“No…” I whispered, taking a step back. “Not Connor…”
“It’s not Connor,” he assured me. “It’s Sam.”
My heart hammered in my chest. “Sam? What happened?”
Larry sighed, twisting his hat in his hands. “Found meth in his bunk. Not a lot, but enough to violate his parole. Your father called his PO immediately.”
“Shit,” I breathed, sinking back into my chair.
Relief that it wasn’t Connor quickly gave way to worry for Sam.
He was just a kid like me, barely old enough to know which way was up.
But his jail time was due to drugs, so this infraction wasn’t unexpected as far as the law was concerned.
“Sam wouldn’t... he’s been clean since he got out.
He said he wanted nothing to do with the stuff anymore. ”
“That’s what Connor said too,” Larry nodded. “Got pretty heated about it. Said someone must’ve planted it.”
My stomach dropped. “What did my father say to that?”
“Told Connor to keep his mouth shut if he didn’t want to join Sam back at Montana State,” Larry said grimly. “But between you and me, Connor might be right. The timing’s awful suspicious.”
I met Evelyn’s concerned gaze. “You think my dad’s retaliating? Using Sam to send a message?”
Larry shrugged, but his expression said it all. “Can’t prove nothin’. But your dad’s been makin’ noise about ‘cleaning house’ since your... disagreement.”
The eggs turned to cement in my stomach. My father was punishing the men to get to me. Sam was just collateral damage. He was the youngest, the easiest target. The most like me.
“Connor’s alright though?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
Larry gave me a knowing look that made my cheeks burn. “He’s fine. Angry, but keepin’ his head down. Smart man.”
“Is there anything we can do for Sam?” Evelyn asked, saving me from my embarrassment.
“Not much,” Larry admitted. “Ms. Randall’s already on the way. But I thought you should know, Ryder. Your dad’s on the warpath, and I ain’t sure who’s next on his list.”
I stood up, pacing the kitchen. “This is my fault. I shouldn’t have left. I should’ve known he’d take it out on them.”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for your father’s actions,” Evelyn said sharply. “Pete’s a grown man making his own choices. Bad ones.”
“But if I’d stayed—”
“He’d still be hurting you instead,” Larry cut in, his voice firm. “And that ain’t right either, son.”
I ran my hands through my hair, frustration and guilt churning inside me. “So what am I supposed to do? Just hide out here while he picks off the guys one by one?”
“You could call Ms. Randall,” Larry offered, pulling a card out of his breast pocket. “Tell her what you know. None of us can prove Sam is innocent, but we might be able to give her enough doubts to stop her from sending him back to prison.”
I took the card. It was heavy with responsibility, far more than a thin piece of paper should hold. “Will she listen to me?”
“I don’t know.” Larry shook his head. “But I think you should try. And whatever you do, make sure Sam’s not sent back to McGrath Ranch. If there’s one thing your father can’t stand, it’s having to deal the consequences of his own actions.”
I nodded, taking the card from Larry. “I’ll call her. And I’ll make sure she knows the truth about what’s happening at the ranch.”
“Good man,” Larry said, settling his hat back on his head. “Just... be careful what you say. Pete’s got friends in the sheriff’s department, and Ms. Randall might not take kindly to accusations without proof.”
“I understand.” My fingers tightened around the card. “Thanks for coming to tell me, Larry. It means a lot.”
Larry shifted uncomfortably, his weathered face creasing with emotion. “I should’ve done more for you over the years, son. I saw what was happening, and I just...” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Well, I’m trying to do better now.”
After Larry left, I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the parole officer’s card.
The weight of what I was about to do settled on my shoulders.
If I called Ms. Randall, I’d be directly opposing my father, possibly exposing our family’s dirty laundry to strangers.
But if I didn’t, Sam would go back to prison for something I was positive he didn’t do.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” Evelyn said, placing her hand on my shoulder.
“I know,” I sighed. “But I can’t just sit back and let Dad destroy people’s lives because he’s mad at me.”
“No,” she agreed. “You can’t.”
I picked up my phone and dialed the number on the card. My heart pounded as it rang once, twice, three times.
“Randall speaking.” The voice was brisk, no-nonsense.
“Ms. Randall? This is Ryder McGrath. I need to talk to you about Sam Wilson.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Are you Pete McGrath’s son?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I took a deep breath. “And I have reason to believe the drugs found in Sam’s bunk were planted there.”
Another pause, longer this time. “That’s a serious accusation, Mr. McGrath.”
“I know.” I glanced at Evelyn, who nodded encouragingly. “But I also know my father, and he’s been... retaliating since I left home. We fell out in a pretty bad way and… well… I think Sam’s just getting caught in the crossfire.”
“I see.” Her tone revealed nothing. “And why should I believe you over your father?”
I closed my eyes, gathering my courage. “Because I’ve spent my entire life watching him manipulate people and situations to get what he wants. And right now, what he wants is to hurt me by hurting the people I care about.”
“And you care about Sam Wilson?” she asked, skepticism clear in her voice.
“I care about all the guys on parole at the ranch,” I said firmly. “They don’t deserve to be pawns in my father’s game.”
“You say you and your father had a falling out.” There was the sound of papers shuffling in the background. “Families fight all the time without sending parolees back to prison.”
“I’m sure most families don’t have parolees hanging around,” I replied. “And we didn’t just fall out… I…” I glanced at Evelyn, gathering my courage. “I have the bruises to prove it.”
“Hmm.” She paused for a long moment. “Well Mr. McGrath, I’ll be picking up Sam this afternoon. If you’re amenable, I’d like to stop and chat with you before I head back up to Montana State.”
I felt my stomach clench, but I didn’t back down. “That would be fine. I’m staying at Nelson Ranch at the main house. I’d be more than happy to talk to you.”
“I’ll see you in three hours then, Mr. McGrath.” Then, in a more serious tone, added, “And you better not be making things up. You have a reputation for being a bit of a troublemaker and I don’t want any of that.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied. “You won’t get any trouble from me.”
“Good.”
Then the line went dead.