Chapter 19
When Corbin got back to the ranch, he saw Hank’s truck parked just outside the barn. He’d hoped he would have a little time to deal with his emotions before he had to talk to another Holiday. But that didn’t look like it was going to happen.
And maybe it was for the best.
He needed his anger to get through the next few minutes.
As soon as he was out of his truck, Hank came out of the barn to greet him. He wasn’t a smiling guy, but he was smiling today. “Looks like you did a damn fine job of taking care of things while we were—” He stopped in front of Corbin and his eyes narrowed. “You get in a fight, son?”
A piercing pain speared through his already bruised chest at the word son. He ignored it. “I found out about your and Jesse’s plan to get me to give back the ranch.”
Hank sighed and stared down at his boots. “Ahh. So I guess you aren’t real happy with him or me.” He lifted his gaze. “And you have every right to be mad. But just so you know, Jesse really thought you weren’t cut out for ranching. I did too. In the last couple weeks, I realized our mistake. A man either has ranching in his blood, or he don’t. You have it, Corbin. You might not have all the skills, but you have a love of the land. And that’s the most important part of being a rancher.” He hesitated. “We’ll pack up tomorrow and be out of your hair by noon. I’ll go tell Darla and Mama.”
Corbin should be happy that Hank hadn’t put up a fight. But as he watched the old cowboy walk away, he didn’t feel happy. He felt sad and guilty, which made him feel even angrier. Needing an outlet for his emotions, he headed for the barn and saddled up Homer.
He didn’t think about where he was going. He just gave the horse free rein to go wherever he wanted. It turned out Homer decided to take the same path he’d taken before when Corbin got lost. Corbin didn’t realize it until he glanced up and saw the fuck-you tree.
It was almost like the entire ranch was flipping him off.
After only a slight hesitation, he guided Homer over to the tree.
The time capsule had been stuffed in a huge knothole in the hollowed-out trunk. Corbin had to dig through dead leaves and debris to get to the rusty old tackle box. He thought it would hold a collection of things that were popular when Belle and Liberty were kids. Instead, there were two envelopes. One with Belle’s name and one with Liberty’s.
He didn’t care what Liberty had written. But he did care what Belle had.
Carefully, so as not to rip it, he worked open the envelope and took out the folded piece of paper. When he opened it, his heart tightened at the neat, concise handwriting.
When I’m thirty, I will be living right here on the Holiday Ranch. I will be married to Nick Jonas—sorry, Libby, I called first dibs—and Nick and me will have twin daughters who I will name after the holiday they are born closest too because that’s our family tradition. (I hope it’s not Halloween.) I will have a tiny little wiener dog that I will name Oscar Mayer and maybe a cat that Daddy won’t make sleep out in the barn. And horses. Lots of horses. Liberty and her husband, Joe Jonas, will live here too with the rest of our family. Since that’s a lot of people, Nick will build us another house close to Cooper Springs. A cozy house—cuz I love cozy—with a garden and a front porch where I can rock my daughters to sleep and listen to my husband sing the songs he wrote for me.
Moisture collected in Corbin’s eyes and he took a moment to collect himself before he carefully folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. Once the box was hidden in the tree, he remounted and headed back to the ranch. When he got there, he expected to get the cold shoulder.
He didn’t.
As soon as he stepped in the door, Mimi yelled at him to wash up for supper. When she saw his swollen eye, she made him sit down and got him a bag of ice to hold on it while he ate. He wasn’t very hungry, but since Darla had gone to the trouble to make him his favorite chicken and dumplings, homemade dinner rolls, and cherry pie, he forced himself to eat.
During supper, Hank talked about the ranch as if he wasn’t going to lose it while Darla watched Corbin with sad eyes and Mimi cuddled Tay. When Hank ran out of conversation, Mimi finally spoke.
“I see I got some new flowers. Did something happen to the garden while I was gone?”
“Gilley.”
Mimi laughed. “I figured as much.” She stroked Tay’s head. “I knew it wasn’t my sweet girl.”
That was the final straw. Corbin had about as much of their fake kindness as he could take. “It’s not gonna work. I’m not going to let you stay. Especially after what y’all did.”
Mimi smiled softly. “I don’t blame you a bit. But I think you’ll miss us. I’m sure gonna miss you.”
Before he could figure out how to reply to that, the front door opened. His heart jumped and then settled in disappointment when it turned out to be Jesse. His brother looked wild eyed and distraught.
“Libby’s not here?”
Darla got up, her eyes concerned. “No. Is she missing?”
Jesse flopped down in a chair and covered his face with his hands. “We got in a pretty intense argument. I was sticking up for Corbin and she was sticking up for Belle.” He paused. “She broke our engagement and left me.”
“So I heard,” Mimi said.
Jesse lowered his hands. “Libby called you?”
“No. Cloe did.”
Jesse jumped up, but Mimi stopped him from leaving. “Sit back down, Jesse. You’re not going over there tonight. Liberty needs some time to cool off or you’ll just make matters worse.” She glanced at Hank. “Hank William, grab a couple bottles of my elderberry wine and take these boys out to the barn. I figure you’ve dealt with your daughters enough that you can give some good advice.”
Hank looked surprised. “Me? I’ve never figured out how to deal with my daughters.”
“Then I guess y’all will need to figure it out together.”
The last thing Corbin wanted to do was go to the barn with Jesse and Hank. “I’m not—”
Mimi cut him off. “Don’t sass me, Corbin Whitlock. Now git!” She glanced at Jesse. “You too.”
He and Jesse got up and begrudgingly followed Hank out the door. While Hank went to the cellar to get the wine, they stood on the porch and glared at each other.
“What were you thinking seducing Belle, Whitty?” Jesse asked.
“I didn’t seduce Belle.” He glanced back at the house. “And keep your voice down.”
“Why? If you didn’t seduce her, you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“I’m not ashamed. I just don’t think Belle wants her folks and grandma knowing about her sex life.”
“And that was all it was? Sex?”
He looked away from Jesse’s penetrating gaze. “That’s what Belle said, didn’t she?”
“No. That’s what you said. What she said was she was an adult woman who could handle having sex. You were the one who said that sex was all it was.”
“What difference does it make who said what? You and I both know it was only sex to her—all part of the plan to get me to let go of the ranch.”
Jesse stared at him. “Is that what you think? You think Belle was in on—” He cut off when Hank appeared, toting three bottles of wine.
“Come on, boys. Let’s go get drunk and pretend like we understand women.”
Mimi’s elderberry wine was as strong as Corbin remembered. After drinking half a bottle, his anger dulled . . . just not the ache in his chest. Had Jesse hit him there? It certainly felt that way. The spot beneath his rib cage hurt like hell.
He glanced over at Jesse who was sitting only feet away, leaning against another bale of hay. Corbin kicked at his brother’s boot. “You sold me out, b-b-brother.” The slurring of his words made him realize how drunk he was.
Jesse took a long drink from his bottle. “I did not sell you out. You couldn’t even ride a horse and you w-w-wanted to be a ranch-her and neither Sunny or I could talk you out of it.”
“Because I wanted to give our sister a home. Not that you give a sh-sh-shit about Sunny.”
“At least I listen to her when she talks. You don’t pay a speck of attention to what she wants.” Jesse waved a hand at the hayloft. “This ranch is a per-f-f-fect example. She didn’t want it. It was just you being a controlling, arrogant ass.”
“Maybe so, but you’re a lying backstabber. You acted like you cared about me. But as soon as a beautiful woman showed up, I was chopped liver.”
“I love chopped liver.” Hank sat on a bale of hay close to the open hatch doors, staring out at the night sky. “Darla makes this chopped liver dip that you spread on Ritz crackers. Damn, it’s good.” When Jesse and Corbin didn’t say anything, he glanced at them and shrugged. “Just saying. Chopped liver’s not a bad thing. I wish I had a brother to call me chopped liver. But I’m an only child. I never had a sibling to fight with. I get it. You both think you have just cause to be pissed at each other. And maybe you do. But you’re still brothers and that means something.”
Jesse lowered the bottle he’d just taken a drink from and pointed a finger at Hank. “You’re right, Hank. Brothers do matter.” He looked at Corbin. “I’m sorry, Whitty. I just—”
“Wanted to score points with your girlfriend and her family.”
Jesse sighed. “Maybe so, but it was the right thing to do. This is their home, Whit. Not yours. Thus the name Holiday Ranch.”
Before Corbin could argue the point, Hank spoke. “That’s not true. Just because my name is on the ranch that doesn’t mean it’s not Corbin’s home. Home isn’t about having your name on the entrance of a ranch. Or on a title of a deed. I’ve learned that in the last few months. It’s about finding a place you feel comfortable. A place where you want to love your woman and raise your family. A place you want to rest your head at night . . . and if possible, for all eternity. Mrs. Fields’ Boardinghouse will always be how the townsfolk refer to the place you bought, Jesse. But that won’t make it any less your and Liberty’s home. I guess it’s true what people say. Home is where the heart is.” He looked at Corbin. “Where’s your heart, son?”
Damned if an image of Belle didn’t pop into his head. He didn’t want it there. But there she was . . . riding through a rainstorm into the barn. Sitting on the porch swing with her hot gaze wandering over him. Standing on a corral fence yelling out warnings for him to be careful. Lying on a rock at Cooper Springs with her mismatched eyes giving him a look that took his breath away.
Hank was right.
Damned if he wasn’t right.
Home wasn’t about owning something. It was about a feeling. Not just of comfort, but of belonging. His parents had never given him a home, but they had given him Sunny. Sunny was his home . . . and now Belle was too. She not only made him feel comfortable, she also made him feel like he belonged. She had given a home to his heart.
“Bella.” Her name came out of his lips on a whisper. Just not soft enough.
Jesse looked at Corbin with sad eyes. “She wasn’t in on the plan, Whitty. I swear she didn’t know anything about it. After you left, she wanted all the details. When I told her, she got mad as hell.”
“She got mad?”
Jesse nodded. “She said it was the worst thing Sunny and I could have done to you after what your mama did. Breaking the trust you had in us had broken your heart.” He set down the bottle and moved closer until he was leaning on the same bale of hay as Corbin. “Damn, I’m sorry, Whitty. I’m so sorry.” He put an arm around him and tugged him close. “I love you, bro. You’re my family.”
Corbin pulled him in for a tight hug. “I love you too. And I don’t want the ranch. I want Belle.”
Jesse nodded against his shoulder. “And I want Libby.”
“Wait a second,” Hank piped in. “You both want my girls?”
They drew apart and looked at Hank, speaking at the same time. “Yes, sir.”
Hank sighed. “I’m sure I’ll have a lot of questions for you in the morning, Cory, but right now I’m too drunk to deal with it.” He got up and weaved on his feet. “So I’m going to bed.”
Corbin didn’t want to go to bed. He wanted to see Belle.
But getting up wasn’t easy. Nor was getting down the ladder. Although he did a better job of it than Jesse who slipped and landed on his ass at the bottom. Which caused all three men to bust out laughing. They laughed even harder when Hank fell into Mimi’s garden on the way up the porch steps.
Mimi and Darla, who were sitting on the porch, didn’t find it so amusing.
“Hank Holiday!” Mimi hollered as both women got to their feet. “You get out of my flower bed before I switch your bee-hind.”
“I’m trying, Mama, but this soil is like quicksand.”
“We got ya, Hank!” Jesse said as he grabbed Hank’s hand. Corbin grabbed the other. But Hank was a big man and it took some hard tugging to get him up. Once he was standing, Darla scowled at him.
“Don’t you dare think that you can come into the house covered in dirt, Hank Holiday.” She hurried down the steps and started brushing him off . . . until he grabbed her around the waist and tugged her close.
“I thought you liked me being a little dirty.”
Darla blushed and swatted his shoulder. “Behave.”
“Never, woman.” Hank lifted her over his shoulder and carried her up the steps and into the house without stumbling once.
When they were gone, Jesse glanced at Corbin. “What do you say, Whitty? Shall we go get our women?”
He was about to say hell, yeah when Mimi spoke. “Absolutely not. Y’all are in no condition to drive tonight. Tomorrow morning will be soon enough to go get my granddaughters. Now get inside before I switch your bee-hinds.”
Once inside, she made them take two aspirins and drink an entire glass of water before she sent them to bed.
As soon as Corbin stepped into his room, Tay greeted him with meows and leg brushes. He scooped her up into his arms and held her close as he made his way to the bed. But before he sat down to take off his boots, he noticed the drawing propped up on the pillows.
He knew his sister’s style as soon as he saw it . . . if not the subject. It was another drawing of the Holiday Ranch. But it wasn’t one of the drawings she’d done as a teenager. This one was recent. It had all the details right down to the flowers he’d bought to replace the ones Gilley had trampled. Sunny had added a few other details as well: Mimi working in the garden. Hank coming out of the barn. The outline of Darla working in the kitchen. Tay sitting on the porch steps. Gilley racing around the yard.
In the porch swing sat two people.
A man and a woman.
The man was looking at the woman as if she hung the moon. She was looking back at him the same way.
Across the bottom of the drawing were two words.
Cory’s Dream.