“I can’t really say, but she’s in critical condition. And with her dad’s accident last year, I don’t think she’ll have time to volunteer anymore.”
She never told me about her dad, so I don’t know what happened, but now I’m worried about her and afraid I’ll never get answers.
“I can’t believe I finally get to meet this girlfriend of yours,” I say, sliding my boots on.
“She was two years below us in high school, so you might recognize her once you see her, but please…” Waylon turns, his eyes pleading. “Don’t be an ass. Or hit on her. Or?—”
“Dude…why would I hit on her?”
It’s possible I did back in school, considering I dated around…a lot.
He pierces me with a look. “Because I know you.”
“I take offense to whatever the fuck that means!”
If we didn’t look alike, you’d never know we’re identical twins based on our different personalities. Waylon’s quiet and reserved, my complete opposite, but in terms of relationships, we’re pretty much the same in that we don’t have them. So for him to let me meet her after all this time must mean they’re getting serious.
“Just…don’t be obnoxious. She’s not much of a drinker and she’s been goin’ through a lot with her family the past few months.”
I stand once my boots are tied. “Me, obnoxious?”
He stares at me, and I laugh at his deadpan expression.
“It took a lot of convincin’ her to come out tonight, so don’t make her regret it.”
I snort. “Wow…she sounds like a ball of fun. No wonder she’s datin’ you.”
“And now your ass is stayin’ home.”
“Oh, relax. I’ll be nothin’ less of a gentleman to Daphne.”
“Delilah,” he corrects.
“Right. Like the flower…”
“I guess.” He shrugs, grabbing his wallet and keys. “Ready?”
Waylon drives us to the Twisted Bull. It’s the best dance bar in town, with western decor and a mechanical bull. I’ve been trying to master it ever since my twenty-first birthday and I’ve yet to make it past four seconds.
Probably because I’m always wasted when I attempt to ride it, but it’s still a fun time.
We walk in and make a beeline for the bar. Most of our high school friends who still live here also come out on the weekends—well, the ones who aren’t married or have children. Most of the crowd is college-aged, but we still enjoy coming here.
“Here ya go.” I turn around and hand Waylon his beer. We’re almost shoulder to shoulder with how packed it is. “Is Landen meetin’ us?”
“Yeah, he should be here soon,” he tells me.
Our younger brother is twenty-two and usually parties with us. He’s as wild as I am, which Waylon hates because then he’s stuck babysitting both of us.
Tripp, our youngest brother, is only twenty and can’t come out yet. Not sure he would even if he was allowed. After losing his best friend two years ago, he rarely does anything outside of work.
They both live with our parents and little sister, Noah, who’s eighteen.
Mom kicked Waylon and me out at twenty-one because she got sick of hearing us stumble into the house at three in the morning. So now we live in the ranch hand duplexes on theproperty, which is way better anyway. We get our own spaces but are still close enough to everyone and our jobs at the equine retreat that’s attached to the family horse ranch.
His gaze looks past me and his mouth twists into a wide smile. “Here she is.”
Taking a pull of my beer, I turn and watch Waylon pull a blonde into his arms. Then he kisses her cheek before whispering something in her ear.
