Chapter 30 – Luke
LUKE
Wade’s “office” is a small room off the industrial barn. It’s surprisingly pleasant-smelling, despite the close proximity to cattle, but noisy. The whir of machinery and the distant chatter of workers drifts in as I review the papers for our whiskey deal.
“You should be able to provide all the wheat, rye, and barley we might need,” I say thoughtfully. “We might need to contract out for corn, though.”
Wade grunts. “We’ve tried corn as a crop, but it hasn’t thrived the same way.”
“Twisted Devil has never made a whiskey without corn in the mash. We wouldn't be able to label you as our exclusive providers without it. Is that a problem?”
“Not for me. As long as our grain goes into your whiskey, I’m happy. You might be able to get a tax discount if you find another small corn farm in Alberta, though. I could introduce you to a few people.”
“That would be great, thanks.” I flip through the contracts Wade drew up one last time. “I’d need to have my lawyer review before we make it official, but I’d be happy to sign a preliminary contract today so you don’t sell to someone else.”
Wade hands me a pen and I scrawl my signature on the contracts.
He does the same, then extends his hand.
His hand is as large as mine, but calloused and tan.
He wears his work on his body, from his broad shoulders to the falcon tattoo on his forearm, faded slightly from the sun.
The man couldn’t be more different from me, but as he shakes my hand, I know it’s more than a contract he’s shaking on.
He’s giving me his approval.
Without mentioning Eden’s name, he’s granting me permission to date her. I know it's not a decision he made lightly. He spent the last months texting me, sussing out my character. Meeting me again in person wasn’t a final test but a confirmation that he was making the right choice.
By signing the contract, I tie myself to Eden's family in a way that won't easily be undone, which makes anxiety and relief mingle in my chest. I don’t want to fuck any of this up—not with Eden, and not with her brothers.
At the same time, this means that our breakup won’t be the end.
I’ll have a reason to keep in contact with Wade, maybe even to come down and visit the ranch a few times.
It probably makes me an asshole, but I’ll take every entanglement I can get to tie myself closer to Eden.
The harder it is for her to get rid of me, the better.
“Come on, now,” Wade says when he lets go of my hand. “Let’s get some coffee and I’ll show you the place.”
With Eden and my help, Rose cooks up two pans of meatloaf, a gigantic bowl of mashed potatoes, and a pile of green beans. It’s enough food to feed at least a dozen people, and I wonder aloud if they’re planning on having leftovers. Rose and Eden laugh.
“Oh, no, darlin’,” Rose says. “We’ll get through this. Trust me.”
I’m still disbelieving until Wade and Jasper show up for dinner. They pile their plates so high with food, even Ryan would be intimidated. They promptly start scarfing down gigantic bites of food. I lean over to Rose.
“No offense, but I have to ask. How are all your sons not 500 pounds?”
Wade snorts. Jasper swallows long enough to say, “Ranching is hard work. We get hungry.”
“Did you eat like this when you worked on the ranch?” I ask Eden.
“I ate more, but I can’t compete with the boys. They’re machines.”
“She’s always had more of a sweet tooth, anyway,” Rose says. “I forgot to mention, I got a cherry pie from the Sugar Plum Bakery for dessert.”
Eden’s face lights up. “You’re the best, Mom. I’ve been craving those pies ever since I moved.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t live so far away from them, then,” Jasper mutters. It’s quiet, and I’m not sure he meant to say it out loud. Still, Eden’s smile droops.
Reed appears before she can answer. Unlike Wade and Jasper, he’s still wearing his dusty work clothes when he takes the last empty seat. Rose scowls at him.
“I hope you’re planning to sweep up after dinner, tracking in dirt like that,” she says.
“Yes, Mom,” Reed says, grabbing the mashed potato serving spoon. Soon, his plate is piled higher than anyone’s. He asks around a mouthful of meatloaf, “Wade, did you figure out that payroll glitch?”
Wade’s face darkens. “No. I wrote out checks for the guys, but I’m not sure why they didn’t send automatically. It all looks right on the computer program.”
“I can check on that after dinner if you want,” Eden offers. “I know the software.”
“Maybe if you did ours like you were supposed to, we wouldn’t have problems,” Jasper says.
Rose glares at Jasper, and Eden’s eyes narrow. “What do you mean, like I was supposed to?”
“You did the ranch admin for years before you trotted off to the city. You know Wade’s shit with that stuff.”
Eden puts down her silverware. “I trained Wade for hours before I moved. Besides, nobody taught me. I learned by watching YouTube videos. Why can’t he do that?”
“Because Wade’s shit with computers,” Reed says. “You know that.”
“You’re not,” Eden snaps. “If he’s having such a hard time, why can’t you take over?”
“Reed’s not reliable,” Wade says. “None of the guys would want someone handling their paychecks who’ll disappear for a week and come back with a piercing and a motorcycle.”
I don’t see any piercings on Reed, and I’m not about to speculate where one might be. He doesn’t seem bothered by Wade’s comment. He just shrugs as if to say, yeah, so?
“What about Jasper, then?” Eden says. “He’s the smart one, right?”
“Because it’s not his job,” Wade says. “It’s yours. Our ranch ran well for years with you handling the admin. Things only got messy after you left.”
“And that’s my problem how? You always knew what my plan was! I didn’t make a secret of it.” She slams her hand on the table. “I went to school for event planning. I talked about it constantly. I did as much work as I could in Alberta, but it wasn’t enough!”
“Because nothing here is good enough for you,” Jasper says.
My stomach twists, because I’ve heard those words before. Not from Jasper, but from my parents. Every time I wanted something they couldn’t pay for, every time I dreamed about making a life they didn’t understand.
I have a feeling it’s not the first time Eden’s heard that either. Next to me, she goes pale. “That’s not true.”
“You always looked down on ranch life, Edie. Don’t pretend,” Jasper scoffs.
What do you need a passport for, Luke? We don’t travel abroad.
Don’t be stupid, Luke. Most new businesses fail. Just go to college.
Just because we sent you to private school doesn’t mean you’re going to live like your friends.
What’s so wrong with the life we gave you?
The memories swim in my head. All the times I told my parents about my dreams and they shut me down. Every time I wanted something they thought was ridiculous. All the times they acted hurt because I wanted something they couldn’t give me.
I didn’t fight them because I didn’t see the point. The only way to make them understand was to show them. I thought they'd come around when Twisted Devil succeeded. I fantasized about them admitting that I've been right all along.
They never did. They just stopped calling me much. They let Brinley and me grow into strangers whose lives they didn’t get.
Well, fuck that. I'm not going to let anyone talk to Eden like that.
“She wanted something different,” I growl. “A life that felt right to her. That’s not a betrayal or an insult, it’s the truth.”
Everyone whips around to stare at me. Eden’s eyes are wide with shock, while the boys’ faces glow with rage. I can’t read Rose’s expression.
“She doesn’t owe you anything,” I continue.
“Eden made her own life in Toronto, and she’s kicking fucking ass at it.
Flair Events brought her in as a contractor, then hired her full-time as soon as they saw what she could do.
She’s got friends and an apartment and a future.
She’s fucking thriving. So guilt trip her all you want.
She’ll only move back here if she chooses to, and you need to respect that. ”
“You barely even know her,” Jasper snaps. “You started dating what, five months ago?”
“You’re right,” I say in a low voice. “You’ve known her longer.
But at least I listen when she fucking speaks.
She told you what she wants, and you’re pretending she’s not grown enough to know better.
Seriously, listen to yourselves. Even if you manage to shove her into a box where she doesn’t fit, she’s not going to be happy here. ”
“You don’t know that—” Jasper starts, but Wade raises his hand.
“Stop,” he says. “Luke’s right. Things went better for the ranch when Eden was here, it’s true.
But we made a deal with her when she left.
If she could make it in Toronto, that was it.
We weren’t going to drag her back. Well, she made it.
” He looks at his sister. “Shit, this got out of hand. We were going to ask you if you’d come back to Sundre.
The plan was a conversation, not an ambush. ”
Jasper crosses his arms, but he looks more embarrassed than angry now.
Eden sighs. “You knew I was going to say no, right?”
“I think they did,” Rose says. “It's probably why they got so pissy. Eden, we might've had some growing pains since you left, but we’ll figure them out. We’re very proud of you and everything you're doing, and we’re delighted you brought this young man home to meet us. Now, Luke, how about you go to the fridge and get us that pie?”
Based on the way Rose is glaring at her sons, I'm guessing she's sending me on an errand to give her time to yell at them.
“Sure,” I say, hopping to my feet. “I’ll be back.”
Thanks to a quirk in the farmhouse architecture, the kitchen is down a long hallway from the dining room. Voices drift down after me, but I don’t hear what they’re saying. They fade away entirely when I walk into the small, homey kitchen.
Then, I hear small light steps rushing down the hallway. I barely have time to turn around before Eden rushes at me like a small tornado. She wraps her arms around my neck and hauls me down for a quick, hard kiss.
“Thank you,” she whispers against my lips. “Nobody’s ever stood up for me to my brothers like that. It was amazing.”
“It wasn’t that big of a deal.”
She shakes her head. “No, Luke. It was everything.”
She says it like it’s rare. Like being defended is some exotic luxury she never budgeted for.
Something in me goes quiet and certain at the same time, because I suddenly know exactly what I want to be for Eden Locke—not the man who pays her way out of trouble, but the one who plants himself between her and every voice that tells her she’s too much or not enough.
Before she can pull away, I wrap my arms tight around her waist and haul her against me.
She lets out a small, surprised exhale before I claim her lips.
My tongue sweeps against hers, and she presses onto her toes to get closer.
We gasp short, desperate breaths as we devour each other, our lips sliding messily across each other.
Before my cock can get completely hard, she pulls away. There’s a twinkle in her hazel eyes.
“Grab the pie,” she says. “I told them I’d get plates.”
She opens a cabinet and pulls out five dessert plates, then rushes back to the dining room, leaving me standing in the dark kitchen behind her, my heart pounding so hard, I can practically hear it.