“Blood doesn’t give you the right to abuse him.” Evelyn’s voice was steel. “And he’s a grown man now. He makes his own choices.”
The implications of their conversation hit me like a physical blow. Ryder had left. He’d finally stood up to his father, and he’d left. A confusing mix of pride and panic surged through me. Pride that he’d finally found the courage to break free, panic at the thought of him out there somewhere, hurting and alone.
No, not alone. He was with Evelyn. She’d take care of him. But still, I needed to see him, to make sure he was okay.
“This isn’t over, Evelyn,” Pete growled, taking a step back. “Not by a long shot.”
“Oh, I think it is,” she replied, her voice steady despite the emotion behind it. “You’ve lost him, Pete. And deep down, I think you know it.”
Pete’s eyes darted around, landing briefly on each of us before returning to Evelyn. I could see the calculation in his gaze, the realization that this very public confrontation had cost him something precious. His reputation. In a small ranch community like Hell Creek, word would spread like wildfire. Pete McGrath, abuser of his own son.
“Get off my property,” he finally said, his voice cold. “Now.”
Evelyn didn’t budge. “I’ve got one more thing to say, and you’re going to listen.” She took a deep breath. “If you try to hurt any of these men,” she gestured toward us, “if you try to take outyour anger on them or send any of them back to prison because you’re pissed at Ryder, I will make sure every person in this county knows exactly what kind of monster you are.”
Pete’s face went white. “Are you threatening me?”
“I’m promising you,” Evelyn replied. “And if you ever raise a hand to that boy again… well… you’ll need to start talking to your men about how to survive in prison.” He raised a finger, jabbing him in the chest again. “I heard people in there don’t take kindly to men who abuse children.”
Pete’s face went pale, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Evelyn had rendered him speechless, something I’d never thought possible. The silence stretched between them, electric and dangerous, before Pete finally took a step back.
“You’ve said your piece,” he muttered, his voice barely audible across the yard. “Now get off my property.”
Evelyn stood her ground a moment longer, her small frame somehow towering over Pete’s bulky figure. Then she turned and walked back to her truck with her head held high. As she passed by our group, her eyes met mine briefly. There was a message there, something meant just for me. She was telling me to come see Ryder as soon as I could.
She climbed into her truck and slammed the door. The engine roared to life, and she spun the tires in the dirt as she pulled away, leaving Pete standing alone in a cloud of dust.
For a long moment, nobody moved. Pete stared after Evelyn’s truck, his shoulders slumped in a way I’d never seen before. Then, as if suddenly remembering we were all watching, he straightened up and turned toward us.
“What the hell are you all staring at?” he barked. “Get back to work!”
Nobody rushed to move. The power dynamic had shifted, and we all felt it. Pete’s authority had been undermined in themost public way possible. His face darkened as he registered our hesitation.
“I said get back to work!” he shouted, his voice cracking slightly. “Or I’ll have half of you back in prison by nightfall!”
That got us moving. We might have witnessed his humiliation, but he still held our freedom in his hands. I picked up my hammer, my mind racing as I tried to process what had just happened. Was Ryder okay? What happened after the wedding that led to blows?
Pete stalked back toward the house, his gait stiff and unnatural. When he was out of earshot, Joey sidled up to me.
“Jesus Christ,” he whispered. “Did you see that? Evelyn’s got more balls than all of us combined.”
I nodded, unable to form words. My chest felt tight with worry. If what Evelyn said was true, and I had no reason to doubt her, Ryder had truly stood up to his father. And it had cost him his home, his inheritance, and his future.
“You think the kid’s alright?” Greg asked, joining our huddle.
“I hope so,” I muttered, driving a staple into the fence post with more force than necessary.
Larry approached, his face grim. “Alright, that’s enough gossip. Back to work, all of you.”
“Did you know?” I asked before I could stop myself. “This morning, when you came out here all wound up. Did you know what happened? Is that why you’ve been snapping at us all damn morning?”
Larry’s eyes narrowed, but I saw the guilt there. “Not everything. Just that there’d been a... disagreement between Pete and Ryder. I… I only heard Pete’s side of it.”
“And you did nothing?”
Larry opened his mouth like he was going to yell at me for my insolence. But then he stopped, letting out a long sigh instead. Finally, he nodded, the guilt fully taking over his features.
“I’ve been doin’ nothing for a long time,” he said. He glanced up at me, setting his jaw. “But not anymore. I’ve known Ryder his whole damn life. He’s as good as my own son. And I haven’t been doin’ right by him. That stops now.”
