Chapter 2
RYDER
“Here you go,” Jeff said, handing over the keys to my long-term rental. “This is one of our newest houses.”
I stared at the small cabin, relieved I had a place to stay other than my parents’ ranch. They weren’t like the Parkers. They didn’t have multiple housing units on the land.
If I went home to them, not only would I be bombarded with questions, I’d have to stay in the same house as them. And that was most definitely not happening.
“So, what prompted the trip home?” Jeff asked.
“Needed a change.”
“A change from city life?” he grinned. “I heard New York was good for you.”
“From who?” I asked, my voice clipped with irritation.
“You know how things go around here,” he answered. “All it takes is gossip from one person, and the whole town thinks they know what’s going on.”
“They don’t know shit about me,” I muttered.
He was about to leave, but stopped, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, I don’t want to pry…it’s really none of my business, but is there a chance you’re going back home?”
“Home to New York?”
“Home to your parents. Well, either, I guess.”
“Nope,” I answered, not leaving any room for interpretation. “Why? Hoping to get rid of me?”
“Just wondering how long a long-term rental is for.”
“Have things been that bad?” I’d heard they had to transform the ranch, and it was a shame. The Parkers had been ranching for generations. My family only survived because they were larger than the Parkers and had invested early in developments.
“It’s getting better. Pop is still pissed about the whole transformation, but he’ll get over it eventually.”
“It’s not easy to change your whole life,” I said, almost to myself.
Thankfully, he didn’t jump on the slip, only tossed me the keys. “Well, if you’re staying for a while, you probably want to get back to your roots. We just bought a brand new mare. I think you’ll like her,” he smiled.
“It’s been a minute since I had a horse between my legs.”
“Don’t tell the ladies that.”
“It wasn’t a euphemism,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“I didn’t think it was,” he chuckled. “You’re home now. Nothing gets the ladies going like a cowboy in tight jeans on a horse.” His eyes checked out my suit. “If I were you, I wouldn’t walk around town in that. You’re bound to get a milkshake thrown at you.”
“Because…” I said, not understanding what the problem was with my suit or why I’d get a milkshake thrown at me.
But he didn’t answer. He just chuckled and headed for his truck. “Give me a call when you’re ready to check out Susie. She’s a real sweetheart. You’ll love her.”
I wasn’t sure I was ready to get on a horse anytime soon.
In fact, all I really wanted was to go inside and drown in my sorrows for a few days.
But I knew that wasn’t a possibility. My parents knew I was coming home.
There was no way to secretly move back and have a few days of peace, so I called them the moment the plane touched down.
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Hey, if you need anything, just give me a holler.”
“Will do.”
I waved him off and grabbed my things, feeling like an idiot for having such expensive luggage out here on a ranch. Then again, nothing about my attire or my taste in furnishings fit the life I once lived.
Sliding the key in the lock, I shoved the door open and immediately felt my heart drop. It was homey and warm, but it was nothing like what I had in the city. There wasn’t a single thing about who I was that fit in with this cabin.
And yet, it felt like home.
Large windows filled the walls, giving a spectacular view of the mountains.
That was the thing about Montana. No matter the season, there was always a beautiful view.
With only a small closet in the entrance, the house opened right up to the peaked living room with a huge stone fireplace that took up half of one wall.
Thick beams ran across the ceiling, not only for support but also as a beautiful accent.
Deep leather armchairs and a couch surrounded the fireplace, along with a thick rug on the floor and a handcrafted table in the center.
That had to be because of Liam. He was the best with woodworking, from what I remembered.
To the left of the living room was an open kitchen with all the latest appliances, but it was the massive gas stove that caught my attention. You could cook a feast for four Thanksgivings on that thing and still have enough room.
“For a one-bedroom cabin,” I laughed to myself.
Rolling the suitcase across the hardwood floors, I headed straight back to the bedroom and plopped the suitcase down on the gigantic wood-framed bed. They thought of everything when they built this cabin.
The king-sized bed sat in the center of the large wall with windows on either side.
There was another stone fireplace on the wall running parallel to the bed, another leather chair in the corner, and a door that led into the master bathroom.
There was even a thick, white rug taking up three-quarters of the floor.
It was fucking cozy as hell.
And nothing like my apartment in New York. Crisp, clean lines and white walls everywhere made the apartment reek of elegance. Hell, there wasn’t a single piece of furniture in that apartment that was comfortable. It was all designed to look expensive, which usually meant uncomfortable as hell.
But this…I could get used to living in a place like this.
Not that I could. This was only temporary until I figured out my next step.
I pulled out my phone, checking the messages. The moment I saw her name, I clicked on the voicemail, then slumped down on the bed, shoving my fingers through my hair.
“Ryder…It’s me. I mean, you already know it’s me. I know you said things couldn’t work between us, but we’ve been through too much to walk away from everything we have. Please…just call me.”
I hung up the phone, staring at the dark screen, trying to decide if I should dial her number.
She was right. We had been together a long time.
Maybe things could be worked out, but right now, I needed some space from her and New York.
What happened…I couldn’t even imagine what my parents would say if they found out.
The bell rang, giving me an out from making a decision on whether or not I would call her back. Tossing my phone down, I strode out of the only bedroom in the house, past the gigantic fireplace, to the front door. It only took one look out the window to know answering was a bad idea.
Not that I could leave my parents out on the porch all day.
“Ma,” I smiled as I swung the door open.
“You’re here!” she beamed, rushing forward to wrap me up in a hug. “You’re really here!”
I was being squeezed to death, but that didn’t surprise me. It had been years since we’d seen each other, and having video calls wasn’t nearly enough for her.
She stepped back, taking a good, long look at me, nearly in tears. “I never thought this day would come.”
“Ma—”
“Well, are you gonna leave us out on the porch all day?” Dad asked, still as grouchy as ever.
Stepping aside, I let them in, itching at the back of my neck at how uncomfortable this meeting was. Ma wouldn’t give me a hard time, but Dad…
“So, you chose to come here instead of home,” Dad said as he looked around the place, huffing in disgust. “Fancy.”
“Dad, don’t start.”
“I’m just saying, you could have come home.”
“I’m thirty years old. I’m not living with my parents.”
“You don’t have to,” he argued. “Just stay until you can find a place of your own. Hell, we could build you a place on our land. We have enough of it—”
“Dad, I’m not coming home to take over the ranch,” I said, cutting him off before he even went down that route.
The disappointment on his face wasn’t a surprise. Hell, the man hoped I would take over the ranch his whole life. With only sisters, none of them were interested in running the ranch.
“So, you still have better things to do, huh?”
“Dad—”
“You got fired from your job,” he snapped. “Word around town is that you couldn’t hack it.”
“Is that what we’re going by? The word around town?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him as my temper flared.
“Jack,” Mom whispered to my dad. “Maybe this isn’t the time.”
He huffed out a laugh. “It never is. It wasn’t the time when he threw away all that money on law school. It wasn’t the time when he decided to pack up and leave everything he knew behind. And it sure as hell isn’t the time now that he’s come crawling back with his tail between his legs!”
“And you wonder why I didn’t want to live with you?” I laughed. “You couldn’t just be proud of me, could you? I was the best in my law class. I was hired by a top firm!”
“And you’re here again, right back where you started,” he seethed. “You had a job here, a ranch that needed you!”
“You didn’t need me! You have your ranch hands for that. Jesus, Dad, the only reason you need me around is so you have a whipping boy!”
“Ryder!” Mom gasped.
“You know, maybe if just once I felt like you were actually proud of a single thing I did, I might have come home more often.”
“Don’t blame that on me,” he snapped. “You broke your mother’s heart when you refused to come home. Maybe one of these days, you’ll take some responsibility for your actions.”
“I have!” I shouted, pissed that he was bringing this up again. “I went to law school. I’m a lawyer, Dad. A damn good one!”
“And you’re out of a job,” he hissed. “Big surprise there. Couldn’t even keep the one good thing you had in your life. And what about Bella?”
“Bianca,” I said, rolling my eyes. “We broke up.”
He huffed out a laugh. I should have seen it coming. I never could do any right by him. You screw up one time, and that’s all it takes for your family to lose all faith in you.
“Why am I not surprised?”
“Look, as great as this family reunion is, maybe we can pick it up another time.”
“Ryder,” Mom whispered, her voice cracking as she stepped to me. I pulled her into my arms and held her tight. If there was one person I could never resist, it was my mom. I’d do anything for her. Even if that meant giving in when my dad was being an ass.
“I’m sorry. I just need a few days to adjust to being home.”
“Okay,” she said, stepping back with a small smile on her face. “Just let me know when you’ll be over. I’ll make a big feast.”
“You got it.”
The moment she turned around, my smile dropped. It was just Dad and me, and that was never a good thing. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything else as he walked out the door. Shutting it, I leaned back against it and sighed.
“Why did I come home?”