“You’ve known Bella for your entire life. She is the one we all wanted. She’s the one who will take our family and the business into the next generation. She’s the one we trust. Lacy is practically a stranger.”
“I know her, and I trust her. That’s what matters—not to mention the fact that I don’t want Bella,” Anton said. “I’m in love with Lacy.”
I raised my eyebrows and gestured with my head that maybe we should head inside. This seemed like a positive note on which to end our eavesdropping, but Lacy, her expression wounded, didn’t budge. I followed her gaze and realized that my eyes had adjusted to the darkness. I could see Anton and his mother clearly now, standing only a couple of feet from one another, engaged in a verbal sparring match.
“We had hoped for better things for you,” Patty said.
“Who is ‘we’? You and Dad? He’s not even here, so I doubt he cares one way or another about who I marry.”
The voices went quiet, presumably as Patty collected her thoughts. “Your father had a large shipment that he needed to get to a client.”
Puzzled, I glanced at Lacy. She seemed just as confused. After all, Anton’s family were ranchers, right? One didn’t exactly ship cattle, and even if they did, surely the boss wouldn’t need to travel with the cows.
“What does that even mean?” Anton asked, his voice tiring now.
“It means that your inheritance is at stake.”
“I don’t want to inherit the ranch, Mother. I told you both a long time ago that ranching isn’t in my blood.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” Patty sighed.
Did Anton know it? He seemed as oblivious as us.
“Regardless, you don’t get to choose what is or is not in your blood, Anthony Swanson. You come from a long line of Texasentrepreneurs. They worked hard to get you to the place where you could choose your life’s direction. That’s a privilege that you shouldn’t squander.”
“Mother, do you hear yourself? Talk about privilege to choose! You left your husband and you’re dating a man half your age.”
“He’s not half my age, and your father was the one who first decided to have a dalliance outside of our bed,” Patty Swanson responded as adamantly. “Besides, we are making it work. He stays in his half of the house, and I stay in mine.”
“With a priest?” Anton’s voice was high-pitched, as if he couldn’t stress the strange fact any further.
“I’m in love with Todd,” Patty said.
“Love?” Anton laughed then. “That man-child is obviously after your money. It’s…” Anton struggled for the word before spitting out, “It’s inappropriate.”
“And you’re one to talk about inappropriate?” Patty threw back at him.
“What the hell does that mean?” Anton shouted.
I shivered and put an arm around Lacy, whose skin was cold to the touch. She shuddered, though I wasn’t sure if it was from the night air or from the conversation we were overhearing.
“Lacy seems like a lovely girl, she really does,” Patty said, her voice not nearly as loud but still carrying across the garden. “But, Anton, you’re our only child. Things are expected of you.”
“This isn’t the 1800s, Mother.”
“I’m aware,” Patty said, with a sigh.
I hoped to God that the next words out of her mouth weren’t something about how Lacy wasn’t a fitting partner, a good woman for the role of Anton’s wife, because I was ready to barge in on their conversation and slap Patty Swanson across her lifted face, mother of the groom or not.
Lacy was the best person I knew. She was loyal and kind. She had business acumen, the ability to laugh at herself and with others, as well as a natural sense of decency that let her know when to speak and when to simply sit and be with someone. Lacy hadalways been the best of friends to me, and a stalwart in the year after Momma died. Though I wanted to remember that Anton’s mother didn’t know all of these wonderful things about my friend firsthand, fury was rising in my chest. If I had my way, Patty and the priest—along with the rest of the Texas party—would leave tonight and never return.
When voices rose above the garden again, they were heading toward us, and instinctively, Lacy and I crouched behind the stone balustrade.
“We were fine with you gallivanting off to find yourself, taking menial jobs at restaurants and bars,” Patty said, less aggressively but still as eager. “We were even fine when you moved halfway across the country and started working at a little stable even though you always said you didn’t want to be a rancher. But, my dear boy, it’s been long enough. We need you back home. We need you to help with our new direction.” Patty’s voice grew quieter. “Have you even asked Lacy if she’s willing to move back to Texas? If she’s willing to give herself to our community? Hundreds—no, thousands—of people depend on our family for their livelihood, and if you throw all of that away for a pretty face… then you’re not the son I raised.”
“I’m not throwing anything away,” Anton said. “I could give you a list of people who can take over, and I know Dad has a dozen hired guys who would love to be in charge.”
“They aren’tfamily. We can’t trust them with our next steps. Your wedding was supposed to be you and Bella tying the knot, starting a life together, coming home to run things. It was always supposed to be the two of you.” Patty paused for a beat. “Tomorrow, when everyone arrives, you’ll see. You’ll understand how beloved you are in Swanson, how much people want you to come back and be one of them.”
