“What’s everyone so glum about this morning?” he asked around a mouthful of food.
“Nothing,” Ma answered with a tight smile. “Nothing at all.”
“You guys look like someone died.”
“Did you clean out the stalls?” Pop asked.
“I did that,” I answered, knowing Pop would only get pissed if he found out how late Jeff slept this morning.
My brother’s eyes met mine in a silent thank you. Since the accident, Jeff had never been quite right. It was a tragedy, but he took the family feud on his shoulders, knowing it was all because of one stupid incident that changed the course of everything.
“I asked Jeff to take care of Maisey. She needed to be shod.”
Pop grunted, finishing up his breakfast. “Not much point in keeping her around. We’re not even a real ranch anymore.”
“She’s good for tourists,” I countered.
“One more thing to be kept up. And for what? To let families come here and pretend to be ranchers for a day.”
“Pop—”
“I’m going out to the barn.” Standing, he tossed down his napkin and stormed away from the table and out the back door.
Sighing, I leaned back in my chair, taking a sip of my coffee.
“Georgia Bennett called this morning,” Ma smiled. “It seems you were the talk of the town last night.”
“Hardly.”
“She said you knocked the socks off the town when you finally asked Bailey to dance.”
I let out a long breath, wishing I could bypass this conversation.
“Took him long enough to ask her to dance,” Jeff laughed.
“This town…” I muttered.
“Well, I think it’s nice. Bailey’s such a sweet girl.”
“I’m glad you approve, Ma.”
I shoved back from the table and grabbed my plate to escape the incoming talk about my future, the wedding she’d always wanted, and the grandkids that she longed to care for.
“Don’t you do that. I’ve been waiting a long time for one of you to get married and give me grandkids.”
Jeff snorted as if he realized exactly what I had been thinking.
“And you can wait a little longer. Call Michael. Maybe he’s met someone.”
Ma’s lighthearted demeanor shifted in an instant, replaced with a sadness we all felt whenever Michael was brought up. “Don’t tease me about your brother.”
The dirty dishes were piling up, and while I didn’t like doing dishes, it gave me something to do instead of looking at my mother and feeling the guilt pouring off her at the mention of my brother.
“Sorry, Ma.”
“All I’m saying is that Bailey would be good for you. She’d bring some life to this ranch. Maybe she’d cheer your father up a little bit.”
“I doubt anyone could cheer Pop up,” Jeff grumbled. “I doubt he even knows the meaning of happy.”
