“How bad is it, really?” Atlas asked. “With the farm.”
My jaw tightened as I recalled exactly how hard Willa was working, day in and day out. And she was mostly on her own because the only workers she could afford were high schoolers who weren’t exactly known for their reliability.
“Bad,” I said. “She’s been holding it together with sheer will alone, but she’s paying for it. I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole thing crumbled with one missed step.”
Xander’s brow furrowed. “And she won’t ask for help?”
“Fuck no.” I shook my head, jaw flexing as I thought of just how much pain she’d been in the other day. So much so, she’d taken it easy yesterday, and that had been all I needed to know. “She’d rather break her back than admit she can’t do it alone. And I’m afraid she’s actually going to.”
Atlas folded his hands together and leaned forward. “Laurel needs a fuck-ton of service hours before graduation. Helping a local business would count. She’d be a shitshow with anything public-facing, but you know she’s a good kid. And she’d show up when she’s supposed to and work hard. As long as Willa wouldn’t have a problem with a surly, sarcastic teenager who says ‘fuck’ too much.”
I pictured Laurel stomping through the fields, eyes rolling as she and Willa bitched and bonded over the idiots they didn’t have time for. “She’s going to kill one of us for this.”
“Whichsheare you talking about?” Xander asked.
I cringed, thinking of how my wife was going to respond to this. “Both of them.”
“I can’t wait to watch,” Declan said, popping another donut into his mouth.
“Separately, I think we can probably take either of them.” Atlas ran a hand over his beard, brow furrowed. “If they team up, though, we’re fucked.”
Snorts and murmurs of agreement went up all around because that much was definitely true—those two together would be a tornado of hellfire.
“We can help too, you know,” Xander said. “Dec might need any instruction spelled out in crayon so he can catch on?—”
“Oh, fuck you.” Declan kicked Xander’s chair, but there was a smirk curving his lips.
Xander’s mouth twitched before he turned serious again. “I’m just saying, we can step in. No one in the family drowns on our watch.”
I glanced at each of my brothers—Atlas, always steady. Xander, thorough and thoughtful. Declan, perpetually pretending not to care but paying attention more than anyone realized.
In the face of their unwavering support, I realized just how fiercely I’d been preparing for a pushback that never came. They weren’t just fine with me stepping back. They were ready to step up to help to make sure everything was handled. Because that was what family did.
And, whether this marriage was real or not, Willa was now included in that.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
LINCOLN
I never thoughtI’d be happily spending my mornings elbow-deep in the chicken coop, but here we were. Turned out, I liked helping my wife. Liked knowing that my helping was easing her day just a bit. Even if everything I did pissed her off.
It was worth her irritation knowing she’d get a break.
I’d just gathered the last of today’s eggs when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Probably a Mom Situation or some kind of minor catastrophe at the bar. I wiped my hands on my sweatpants and pulled out my phone, doing a double take at the incoming call.
Beau’s name flashed on the screen along with a picture of the three of us standing in front of a tractor when we were about ten years old.
“Fuck.” I stared at the screen for a solid three seconds before accepting my fate and hitting answer.
“Hey, man,” I said, keeping my tone light.
No idea what this could be about. Definitely not me marrying your sister in secret or anything.
My best friend didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Any reason Mabel’s shopping for a wedding gift on my behalf?”
Closing my eyes, I dropped my head back on my shoulders and let out a silent groan toward the sky. Fuck me, that meddling old woman was on my shit list.
I cleared my throat and played dumb. “When it comes to Mabel, really anything’s possible.”
