Wade’s head snaps toward him, his eyes narrowing. My stomach sinks.
“What?” We both gasp at the same time.
That’s not possible. I would have recognized the address. Wouldn’t I have?
No, because I didn’t look at the address. I just looked at how close it was to the ranch.
Jesus, what did I do?
Caleb nods excitedly. “Yeah! I didn’t put two and two together since the reservation was under the name of your office. But it makes sense now. You’re staying in our guest house!”
“No,” I say quickly, already pulling up the confirmation email on my phone. I show it to Caleb, hoping he’s wrong.
He grins. “That’s it! I’ll show you where it is and grab your stuff for you.”
Panic flutters in my chest. Staying at the Callahan Ranch? The universe must be playing some kind of cruel joke. This will only give my father something else to yell at me about.
“I should probably cancel the reservation,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “Our families…”
“That’s such a silly rivalry, isn’t it?” Caleb chuckles. “How can people be so angry at each other for what, fifteen years?”
“Frank Bishop caused us more financial strain than…” Wade interjects gruffly.
I suck in a breath, my fingers gripping the sample case tightly. The Callahans could complain all they wanted about financial strain, but judging by the looks of this place, they’re doing just fine. My daddy was an asshole for how he did it, but he was justified in protecting our property rather than drowning because he didn’t want to hurt feelings. A true friend would have understood that, but both men are too stubborn for that.
I understand that our dads had beef, but it hurt a lot when Wade flipped a switch and pretended he didn’t know me when it all went down. I know better than to think that Wade Callahan is a man who sticks around for the long haul, but I had fooled myself into believing that I was different, that I was someone he cared about, someone he saw as family. My immature, high school brain thought those feelings would develop into more someday. How silly was I?
“But Sutton didn’t,” Caleb adds. “Don’t you always tell me that I shouldn’t form an opinion of someone without getting to know them better first?”
Wade makes a face, and I swallow a giggle.
This kid is something else.
“It’s still probably better,” I say.
Caleb shakes his head adamantly. “You shouldn’t. It’s a great spot, and it’ll be good for you to be close to the ranches that need help. Ours and yours were the hardest hit. I’m sure you need your own personal space, though.”
More than you know, kid.
Doc Lucy steps in. “He’s right, Sutton. Being nearby will save you time and make things easier. If you’re not going to stay with your dad, this is the next best option. There’s not really anything else vacant.”
Wade doesn’t look nearly as thrilled as they do. His expression is unreadable, but there’s a tightness around his jaw that wasn’t there before.
“Why aren’t you staying with your dad?” he asks again, his voice low.
“It’s none of your business,” I snap, shouldering my bag and turning to Caleb. “Lead the way.”
Caleb flashes me a bright smile, oblivious to the tension between his dad and me. As we walk toward the guest house, he chatters on, his easy demeanor helping to ease some of my nerves.
“You’ll like it,” he says. “The guest house is small but cozy. Dad and I remodeled it. I convinced him to rent it out for extra cash instead of giving me an allowance for chores. Joke’s on him, though—I make way more with the Airbnb than he would’ve paid me.”
I laugh. “Smart move.”
He grins. “Thanks. And don’t worry about my dad. He’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s a good guy. The best, actually. Don’t tell him this, but I get why you wouldn’t want to stay at home with your dad. Ranchers are…a rare breed and best in small doses.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “You have my dad pegged.”
“Don’t get me wrong, my father is one of the best, but he doesn’t always come across that way.”
