Peggy consulted her tablet, scrolling through her notes. “If we start tapering immediately, you could be completely off your current medications within two to three weeks. That gives your system time to adjust gradually.”
“And if I can prove I’m taking better care of myself?”
“We’d need to see sustained changes for at least a month before considering whether to return to your current regimen. Consistent sleep schedule, regular meals, stress management techniques being implemented instead of just discussed.”
She leveled me with a look that told me she knew exactly how likely I was to follow through. “This isn’t negotiable, Alex. Your body is telling us it needs help.”
I stared at her, calculating the timeline. Two to three weeks to dump the chemical support system that had made me functional for the last five years. A month to prove I could maintain basic human needs while running a company and dealing with whatever was happening with Finn and Titan and the Jordan situation.
“I need to think about this.”
“Of course. But Alex?” Peggy’s voice softened. “The fact that Tabitha had to intervene today tells me you’re already struggling more than you realize. This isn’t punishment. It’s prevention.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice to stay steady. The weight of everything: Finn’s distance, Jordan’s betrayal, Titan’s thinly veiled threats, my mother, and now this, pressed down on me like trying to breathe underwater. I was powerless to stop the hiccupping breath that stabbed painfully inside my chest.
“Can I... can I call you in a few days? Once I figure out what I’m going to do?”
“Absolutely. But Alex, don’t wait too long. Your health isn’t something you can put off indefinitely.”
Chapter 23
I might have messed up
Finn
The rest of the day passed without drama. Dinner atthe restaurant with the family—Belle chattering about her riding classes while Jack argued with Lucas over who got the last dinner roll. I found myself checking my phone less, letting my family’s energy wash over me instead of analyzing every silent notification.
By eight-thirty, exhaustion pulled at my shoulders like lead weights. The combination of physical work, emotional processing, and family had drained whatever reserves I’d started the day with. I excused myself early, citing fatigue and collapsed onto the pullout sofa by nine o’clock while everyone chatted on the porch.
Sleep came easier than it had in months.
I woke before dawn again, dressed, grabbed some trail mix from the pantry, filled my travel mug with coffee, and walked out to the truck with Maggie. I loaded up with tools to clear the underbrush growth around the trees that were on our property. I’d made a decent dent by eight, returning to the house to join my family for a late breakfast.
My baby sister, Claire, had arrived while I was out—having driven with her two-year-old, Sarah, through the night from Denver. She sat at the counter with a giant mug of coffee, filling everyone in on the rodeo circuit and her partner, Sawyer’s, latest competition results. Sarah took everything in from her grandpa’s lap with wide eyes.
“Finn!” Claire spotted me and launched all five-foot-two of herself in my direction. “Look at you, all healthy and handsome! Dom said you’ve been hidin’ a girlfriend from us.”
“Not hidin’,” I accepted her hug. “Just being selective about information sharing.”
“Smart man. Family can be a lot,” she grinned and sat back onto her stool. “So, when do we get to meet her properly?”
“September,” Dom appeared with his own coffee. “Wedding week. Can’t escape us then.”
The certainty in his voice made my heart feel like cement.
“Sit down, sweetheart,” Mom held a plate of eggs, bacon, and thick toast made from homemade bread in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. “Why you insist on running off without eating first I’ll never know.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I kissed her cheek and did as I was told—digging into the best breakfast I’d eaten in ages.
After breakfast, I headed back out to clear more underbrush, taking Belle, Jack, and Lucas with me at their mom’s behest. She thought they could burn off the energy and build some character. I set them to work throwing dead branches and bushes on the burn pile.
By early afternoon they were dragging—admittedly I was too. Worried about pushing us all too hard, I helped them put out the fire before driving us all back to the house. I showered, changed, and wandered into the kitchen to find Elowyn and Claire making lunch. The kids were already devouring their sandwiches and apple slices.
My phone vibrated and I nearly dropped it pulling it out of my pocket.
Alex. Finally.
Alex:sry. been busy.
