Evelyn reached across the table and covered my injured hand with hers. Her touch was gentle, motherly in a way I’d never experienced before.
“Some men can, honey. But Pete...” She shook her head, her eyes sad but clear. “I’ve known him for over thirty years. He’s had plenty of chances to change. To heal. To be the father you deserved.”
“And instead, he became a monster,” I whispered.
“People become what they practice being,” she said simply. “Your father practiced being angry for so long it became who he is.”
I nodded, feeling the weight of her words. The kitchen was quiet except for the soft ticking of a clock on the wall. Through the window, I could see the moonlight casting long shadows across the yard where just hours earlier, people had been celebrating love and new beginnings.
“What happens now?” I asked, more to myself than to Evelyn.
“Now you get some rest,” she said firmly. “Cole and Jesse left for their honeymoon right after the reception, so you can stay in the guest room as long as you need. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out the next steps.”
“I can’t just leave,” I said, thinking of Connor. “There are people at the ranch who could get hurt if Dad decides to take his anger out on them.”
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You mean Connor?”
Heat rushed to my face. “Not just him. All the guys on parole. Dad was drunk and furious when I left. There’s no telling what he might do.”
“Pete may be a bastard, but he’s not stupid,” Evelyn said. “He knows better than to mess with that program. If he does something stupid, it could cost him a lot more than some cheap labor.”
I wasn’t convinced, but I was too exhausted to argue. My hand throbbed, and now that the adrenaline was wearing off, every muscle in my body ached with tension.
“I’ll check on them tomorrow,” Evelyn promised, seeing the worry on my face. “First thing. But right now, you need to take care of yourself.”
I nodded, suddenly overwhelmed by how much had changed in just one day. This morning, I’d woken up in my ownbed, excited about seeing Connor at the wedding. Now, I was essentially homeless, having finally stood up to my father after years of abuse.
And somewhere in the bunkhouse, Connor was sleeping, unaware that everything had shifted.
Chapter 13
Connor
Larry had been on edge since dawn, and I had no idea why. None of the boys seemed to know either. But it wasn’t like Larry to have an off day. In the two months I’d been on McGrath Ranch, he was a picture of contentment. But today something was wrong. And it seemed to have started after his morning meeting with Pete.
I tried to stay out of Larry’s way as we worked the fence line, watching from the corner of my eye as he barked orders at the other guys for the smallest infractions. Even Sam, who usually got special treatment for being the youngest, caught hell for taking too long with the post-hole digger.
“The fuck is going on with him?” Joey muttered, sidling up beside me as we collected tools from the truck.
I shrugged. “No clue. But whatever Pete said to him this morning, it’s got him wound tighter than barbed wire.”
“You think it’s about Ryder?” Joey kept his voice low. “Haven’t seen him around all morning.”
My stomach clenched at the mention of Ryder’s name. He hadn’t been at breakfast this morning. I’d assumed he was avoiding the bunkhouse because of our arrangement, keeping things discreet. But now I wasn’t so sure.
“Move your asses!” Larry shouted from across the field. “This fence ain’t gonna fix itself!”
We hustled back to work, exchanging glances with the other guys. Everyone was walking on eggshells, afraid to set Larry off again. I focused on my section of fence, driving staples with more force than necessary as worry gnawed at me. Where was Ryder? Was he okay?
Around midday, the sound of tires on gravel made us all look up. A familiar truck was barreling down the dirt road toward us, dust billowing behind it. Evelyn’s truck.
“Oh shit,” Darius whispered. “That can’t be good.”
Larry straightened up, wiping sweat from his forehead as Evelyn’s truck skidded to a halt nearby. She climbed out, slamming the door with enough force to make me wince. I’d never seen the older woman look so angry. Her face was flushed, her silver hair escaping its usual neat bun. Larry looked just as surprised and terrified to see her as well. For half a second, he looked like he was going to try to intercept her, but at the last moment he just stopped and leaned against the fence.
“Peter Matthew McGrath!” she shouted toward the main house. “Get your sorry ass out here right NOW!”
We all froze, tools forgotten in our hands. Nobody yelled for Pete like that. Nobody.
