“Say what?” I stared at her. I was pretty sure no one had seen the shovel incident.
“Yeah. I had to call three times to get your attention this morning, and you were standing ten feet away.”
“Oh.” I closed my eyes and rubbed my face. “Sorry.”
John said, “I’d have told you if I knew he hadn’t. What the hell was the kid thinking?”
Tiffany grinned at me. “You should put him over your knee and spank him next time you see him.”
“Fuck you,” I told her, but her joke lightened the mood.
She asked, “Did you have a fight?”
“No. I don’t think so? He’s got an independent streak.”
“Yeah,” John agreed. “Almost freezing in his truck rather than asking for help made that pretty clear.”
I nodded. “I think he just wants to prove he can get by without help. He went straight from his father’s house to that old truck, and then here.”
“Sure.” Tiffany sat on the couch. Ramble trotted over to her and leaned against her leg for pats. “Maybe he didn’t trust you not to run down and try to save him at the first hint of trouble.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
John raised an eyebrow. “No? Seems like you were pretty protective of him.”
“Only if he asked me to help.” But I’d come close to randomly driving the roads to look for him two days ago. I’d tackled him in the barn rather than let him out into the snow. “Maybe.”Okay, I would so do that.
The warmth of John’s big hand on my shoulder was a comfort. “You’re a good man, Seth, but you do tend to take everything on yourself. Like with Miguel.”
“Huh?” I stiffened.
“Takes two to make a mistake like that. Three, if you count Zachary. You always blamed yourself, but they were responsible adults. Have you ever checked up on them?”
“Zachary’s married with a daughter,” I said, as if it was me who’d known that and not Davis.
“Yeah, I heard. Kendrick sent him a wedding present.”
My face flushed, realizing that maybe I’d been the only one who’d cut Zachary out of my life. Of course the boss had kept track of the guy injured on his ranch. Of course John had too. I was such a fool.
John gripped my shoulder, rocking me back and forth. “And Miguel?”
“No clue,” I admitted.
He let go and thumped my back. “Me either, but I’m sure the kid landed on his feet. He was a skilled rider and a decent man, even if he didn’t take things to heart like you do.”
“I know.” It hadn’t been Miguel’s fault I got so hot and bothered just watching him.
John eyed me. “You’ve been all work and no play since the accident. How many years now?”
“Eight.”
“Maybe it’s time to find Miguel and get some closure. Or maybe not. What the fuck do I know about relationships? But I like how you are with Austin, and I don’t want to see you fuck up a good thing because you’re hung up on one mistake from years ago.”
Tiffany patted the couch beside her. “You’re pretty good with relationships, honey.”
“Thanks.” John lowered himself heavily next to Tiffany and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
A pang of longing hit me, looking at them with their dogs in front of their fire, cozy together.I want that.
