“Don’t worry, Peyton,” Sutton says cheerfully. “Ranch work isn’t hard and think about all the neat things you’ll be able to learn. Horse riding is one of my favorite things. I’d be happy to teach you. I grew up doing barrel competitions.”
“Yeah,” I drawl, ignoring the warning look Pace is shooting my way. “Not something I see happening.”
“You must learn to ride. All Denvers grow up in a saddle. It’s family tradition.” Sutton smiles happily unaware of the sudden awkwardness that has fallen over the table.
“Well, it’s a good thing I am a Masterson and not a Denver then, isn’t it.”
The silence is thick enough to chew on. Even the clink of cutlery pauses, suspended in the air like everyone is holding their breath.
John doesn’t react right away. He sits back in his chair and stares at me. Really stares at me. There’s something unreadable in his expression. It’s like he is biting down on words he’s not ready to spit out.
Across the table, Lee huffs a laugh, low and bitter.
“Well, ain’t that the truth,” he mutters under his breath, stabbing at his steak like it insulted his mama.
Sutton clears her throat, forcing a too-bright smile. “Names are just names,” she chirps, trying to smooth over the moment. “What matters is you’re here now. Part of the family.”
I raise a brow, letting the silence speak for me. Part of the family. She says it like she believe I can simply step into the family, like a pair of boots left by the door.
Pace nudges my elbow under the table, subtle but firm. A quiet reminder not to burn everything down yet.
I go back to my food, cutting the chicken fried steak with more force than necessary. The gravy’s rich, the potatoes buttery, comfort food designed to make you feel at home. It tastes like another life. One I don’t remember asking for.
“So,” John says finally, his voice rough as gravel. “you got any plans? After this?”
I blink, thrown off by the question. “This?”
He shrugs a shoulder. “This visit. Figured this wouldn’t exactly be permanent arrangement with the way you’re talking.”
My chest tightens, a slow, cold burn.Visit. He says it like it’s some dirty word. Like I’m some stray mutt he agreed to foster out of obligation because it is what’s expected of him. Isn’t this what I wanted though? Not to be stuck here where I am obviously not wanted? Why does it hurt to hear him call out how temporary this whole charade is?
“I haven’t made plans,” I say carefully. “Didn’t think I needed to yet since you have them all mapped out for me.”
John nods, but I don’t miss the flicker in his eyes. Disappointment? Relief? Who knows. The man’s a walking vault of emotions.
Sutton tries to salvage the mood again. “Well, you can’t go anywhere anytime soon.”
I flinch involuntarily at her unintended gut punch. Her words are a stark reminder I need them more than they need me. Without John’s assistance, I have nowhere to go. No money.No education. Even if I managed to get a job flipping burgers, it wouldn’t be enough to pay off the mass amount of debt my mother put in my name.
“There’s a summer festival next weekend in town,” Sutton continues. “It’s a big deal around here. Bonfire, live music, hayrides. It might be a good way to get to know the community. People’ll be curious about you.”
“Why?” I ask, sharper than I mean to. “Because I’m the long-lost daughter of the rancher who acts like I’m nothing but shit dropped at his doorstep?”
This time, even Sutton can’t fake a smile.
Pace shifts beside me but doesn’t say anything. Neither does Lee. John stares at his plate for a long moment before finally speaking, voice low.
“I don’t think that.”
“No,” I say softly. “But you sure as hell have been acting like it since you met me.”
Silence crashes over the table again, but this time I let it linger. I want him to feel it. Every second of it.
And beneath the stillness, a quiet truth takes root inside of me.
I am truly alone.
4
