Chapter 3
THREE
Jesse
Nine weeks ago
Guests filtered in and out of the big house kitchen, piling Glad paper plates with turkey sandwiches, barbeque chips, and fruit.
On a corner table near the front door were sweating drink dispensers full of iced tea and lemonade.
Meadowbrook Ranch wasn’t a fancy destination by any stretch of the imagination, but Bea had gone out of her way to beautify each corner and make sure everyone’s needs were met.
Lynn, her mother, had been doing the same ever since she arrived from Colorado last night.
A gentle breeze moved through the covered porch, scooting my untouched napkin down the table a few inches. I set my cup on top of it as I made small talk with Jack and his wife Miranda—Randi, as Tag called her—while their son Kacey yapped Cade’s ear off about the semis and tractors on the property.
My eyes flitted toward the door of the big house when it opened, and Tag and Bea moved down the porch steps into the gravel parking lot.
Bea wore a worried look on her face, a phone pressed to her ear.
And Tag’s gaze swept over the table until it landed on me.
He beckoned with a hand, mouthing the words, “Can I get a sec?”
“If you guys will excuse me a moment.” I pushed my chair back and side stepped my way out from behind the table. Joining Tag and Bea in the driveway, I frowned as Bea paced away, speaking into the phone, “Hollie, it’s going to be okay. No one is mad at you.”
“Everything good?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Tag put his hands on his hips. “I actually might need your help. Could you run into San Antonio for our last pick up?”
“I thought the rest of Bea’s family was getting a rental car.”
Tag nodded. “Her brother Peter is driving from the airport and he was going to give their sister Hollie and her daughters a ride, too. But they were on different flights and their flight suddenly got delayed by two and a half hours. Peter could wait for them, but then—”
“Ah.” I filled in the blank. “He’d miss the trail ride.” As we spoke, Harlan, our ranch hand was rounding up horses and picking hooves, getting them all ready for Bea’s family to ride.
Tag gave a nod. “Exactly.”
When Bea hung up the phone, she shrugged and said to me, “Maybe you won’t have to get her. She said she’d try to get an Uber.”
“No.” Tag shook his head. “That’s gonna cost her a fortune.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Bea snorted with wide eyes. “Hollie’s loaded.”
“Still,” I added, “that’s a long time in an Uber. Didn’t you say she had kids?”
Tag, always hyper aware of potential danger, nodded. “I agree. Even if she could find a willin’ driver, we’re so remote out here, I don’t think that’s safe.”
I chimed in. “I can get them.” This was an opportunity if I ever saw one.
I could use a long, quiet drive away from all the matrimonial bliss.
If I stayed, I’d be forced to trail ride and small talk with all the happy couples.
An airport pick-up sounded like vacation comparatively. “I seriously don’t mind.”
Bea’s eyes bounced between Tag and me. “Dad offered to go but he was looking forward to riding, too.”
Bea had been chomping at the bit for this precious sliver of time with her family. After traveling so far, none of them should have to miss any of the festivities. “It’s settled then. I’ll go.”
Bea stepped closer and gently squeezed my forearm. “Thank you.”
“Of course. You two shouldn’t be stressing. What time do I need to leave?”
Bea fumbled with her phone for a moment. “Her flight is set to land in San Antonio at 3:30. So you’ll be back with plenty of time to get ready for the rehearsal. I’m sending you her phone number.”
My phone buzzed in my back pocket.
I pulled it out and looked at the time. 12:35 p.m. “Alright. I’ll go figure out the status with the trail horses and help saddle them up.”
“Thanks, man.”
I sauntered back up to the porch and approached the back of Cade’s chair.
As always, I would encourage him to stay behind—go on the trail ride and keep Kacey company.
But his thigh bounced beneath the table.
No matter how much I craved a few minutes alone, my son wouldn’t let me leave the ranch without him.
Funny, I had one of the most capable kids in all the world, but he was dead set and determined to never leave my side. When I’d asked my therapist if I should be concerned about that, he said, “Kids who have lost, cling. Just let him cling. He’ll stop when he’s ready.”
I tapped on Cade’s shoulder. “I’m gonna round up horses then pick someone up from the airport. You wanna go or stay with Kacey?”
He didn’t skip a beat. “Go.”
“Alright then. Come on.”
Pulling up to San Antonio International Airport, my hands fidgeted on the steering wheel.
Every part of my being dreaded the coming pleasantries with Hollie and her daughters.
As a rule of thumb, I liked meeting new people.
But right now, I wasn’t excited for small talk. I wasn’t excited for anything.
I didn’t want anyone to need me, fetch me, or call on me.
My tank inched closer to fumes the longer the day dragged on.
Usually, Cade kept pretty quiet, but even he was tapping my resources, chatting nonstop around a wad of Pro Chew gum stuck in his cheek.
He popped it as he talked every so often and an artificial grape scent overpowered the leather air freshener hanging over the rearview mirror.
My mind wandered as he filled me in on a 4H calf competition.
Escaping this weekend was impossible. Every second was going to hurt no matter which way I sliced it. My chest would bleed until the light chased away my memories again.
I drove up the pick up lane, easing my boot onto the brake.
Smack, smack. “I think that’s them.” Cade pointed out the window at a trio of matching pink and brown. Two little girls stood by a bench with magenta pink jumpsuits and chocolate braided hair. You’d think they were twins, except for size.
The woman had dark wavy hair cascading down her back, a cream blouse, and pink denim-clad legs. One glance proved she was a Thompson. Bea couldn’t deny her siblings—they all shared features. Dark eyes, dark hair, high cheekbones, slim shoulders.
Her eyes scanned the traffic until they landed on the Meadowbrook Ranch etched alongside the passenger’s door.
A smile lighted her features as she waved.
The little girls started bouncing up and down and the smaller one twirled circles so quickly her braids flew out like helicopter blades.
Despite my bad attitude, a smile pulled into my unwilling cheeks.
I threw the gear stick into park. “Let’s help them load up their stuff.”
Pop. “Yessir.”
Cade put his hand on the door handle before I stopped him. “Son.”
His eyes darted to mine.
I nodded toward the trash can by the sliding airport doors. “Throw that out so they don’t have to listen to you smack.”
“Oh. I’m smacking?”
“Chomping, more like.”
A soft laugh escaped with his smile. “Sorry.”
I tossed him a grin as I rustled the top of his hair. “Remember your manners.”
I hopped out and made my way around to the curb where Hollie and her daughters approached, a rolling suitcase thump-thumping over the cracks on the sidewalk behind them.
I lifted my hand. “Hey, you must be Hollie. I’m Jesse.”
Even though she looked tired, her expression shimmered with warmth as she extended her hand. Her fingers were slight and soft, her shake firm. “Jesse, I’m so sorry about the delay. Thank you for coming to get us.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble. I’m sure you guys are ready to be out of the airport though.”
Her head tipped back with exasperation. “Beyond ready.”
“I can take that.” As I reached for the handle of their suitcase, the younger girl pressed forward, standing directly in front of me with a look of awe on her face.
“Wow.” She breathed and held out the word. “That is so pretty.”
Before I realized what she was staring at, she tapped my belt buckle.
The older girl gasped. “Nora! No!”
Hollie sucked a loud breath and slipped her arms down around the girl’s shoulders, pulling her back before she could tap it again. “No, ma’am.” She murmured over her daughter’s ear. “Nora, that was very rude.”
A laugh bubbled out of my throat.
Nora whispered, still pointing, completely undeterred by the scolding. “But, Mommy, there’s a horsey on it.”
Cade sputtered a laugh, blocking it with the back of his hand.
Hollie looked up at me, one hand reaching up to clasp her burning cheek. Her brown eyes were wide with horror. “I’m so sorry.”
I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face if I tried. “Are you kidding? That made my entire day.” I grabbed the sides of my bronze buckle and looked down at Nora. “My grandpa made this buckle and he would be very glad to hear that you liked it.”
“He made it?”
“Yep.” My gaze flicked back to Hollie, whose cheeks were now a furious shade of red, accentuating the color of her embarrassed smile.
Hollie bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “Well, these are my daughters, Izzy and Nora. We clearly need to work on our introductions.”
“Nice to meet you guys.” I placed my hand on Cade’s shoulder.
“This is Cade.” I grabbed their suitcase handle again, lifting the wheels off the concrete.
The girls scurried behind me, following Cade’s lead when he opened the right rear door and waved them in.
Without hesitation, they piled into the back seat, Nora leading the way.
A smile pulled at my cheeks. I’d met them all of thirty seconds ago and already knew exactly who the pistol in the family was—Nora.
Her cheeks and eyes burned with a zeal for life and mischief.
I pulled open the front passenger’s door for Hollie.
She gave a soft “thank you” in reply and just before Cade got in, I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Gum, Cade.”
“Oh, right!” He turned on the ball of his foot and tore off toward the trash can. I made my way around the truck bed and slipped into the driver’s seat.
Hollie pulled her seat belt as her eyes roamed out the window. I threw the truck into drive but held the brake as we waited for Cade to return.
Every moment after followed in slow motion.
Long seconds dragged out—a chaotic mesh of light and sound.
Cade tripped over the curb, his arms flailing to stay upright.
When he righted himself on the sidewalk, his spine snapped ramrod straight and his hands flew to his face.
A warning sounded deep in my gut before I even knew why.
Hollie released her seatbelt, letting it recoil.
Before I’d made heads or tails of what was happening, her hand had moved to the door handle.
Because my son had turned to face us.
His hands wrapped around his throat, his crimson face twisted in terror.