“Alright,” I nodded, knowing it was futile to fight. “I’ll go without a fight.”
“Damn right you will,” Pete hissed.
I glanced back at the guys for a moment, a pleading look in my eyes. I didn’t dare say Ryder’s name out loud or ask favors in front of Pete. But the moment my eye met Joey’s, he nodded, understanding what I needed.
I needed him to tell Ryder goodbye for me, to tell him what had happened. As much as I wanted to fight, to run, to find Ryder and disappear, I knew I’d never be able to run fast enough. And the last thing I wanted was to get Ryder involved or in trouble on my account.
No, as much as it shattered my heart to think about, he would be better off without me. Better off without a convict for a boyfriend.
I tilted by head back as the officer led me to the truck, taking in that big endless sky one last time. I just wished I could kiss Ryder once more, to tell him I loved him. But it was all over now. I was going back to prison.
And if Pete had his way, I’d never see the light of day again.
Chapter 26
Ryder
It was one of those days when I wasn’t sure I wanted to be lying in bed feeling sorry for myself or so buried in work I couldn’t think. But the cattle made that decision for me. They didn’t take a day off and Cole needed my help to keep the place running smoothly.
So, despite the fact that my father hadcompletelydisowned me, now and forever, I still had to run chores, check fences, and help the other ranch hands do freeze-branding. Cole and Jesse had brought in a ton of new calves that spring due to their business taking off, so there was a lot that still needed to be done.
As I worked, my mind wandered of course. I couldn’t believe the things my father had said in front of the entire church congregation. Two months ago, those church people were his entire world, the people he wanted to impress more than anyone else. But last night, thanks to some whiskey and his perceptions about me and Connor, all of that went down the drain in an instant. Everyone in town now knew exactly what kind of man he was. And he deserved whatever bad things they thought of him. But it brought me no pleasure.
There was a time when I thought he might get over things, might let me come back home and pass the ranch onto me when the time came. But that was gone now. He could overlook our disagreements and our fights. And I think he might’ve even been able to forgive the fact that I was gay after a couple years. But he would never forgive me going to bed with an ex-convict. That was too far in his book.
Part of me was relieved though. I’d never have to listen to him blame me for my mother’s death again or listen to his shitty homophobic comments over breakfast. But the easy life I’d been relying on was gone. The only thing that stood in front of me now was a lot of very hard, endless work. And it didn’t sound fun. But I supposed, with Connor at my side, I could manage. Besides, did I really want to live at home for the rest of my life? Not really.
Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.
I hadn’t told Jesse or Cole about what happened with Connor yet. How could I? The words caught in my throat every time I tried. I was supposed to be focusing on my new life here, and instead I’d gone and fallen in love with an ex-con who was now... I didn’t even know where he was or what had happened after last night. I just hoped he hadn’t done anything stupid.
The uncertainty was killing me.
“Watch it, Ryder!” Jesse called out, snapping me back to reality just in time to dodge a calf that came barreling past me.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, wiping sweat from my forehead. The summer heat was brutal today, making everything ten times harder.
Jesse gave me a concerned look. “You’ve been a million miles away all morning. Everything okay?”
I nodded automatically, not ready to get into it. “Just tired.”
He didn’t believe me, which was obvious from the look on his face, but he didn’t push. That was one of the things I appreciatedmost about Jesse and Cole. They gave me space when I needed it, unlike my father who’d demand answers until I broke.
The thought of my father made my stomach twist. I wondered what he was doing right now. Probably nursing a hangover and figuring out how to make Connor’s life even more miserable.
I pulled out my phone for what felt like the hundredth time that day, checking for messages. Nothing from Evelyn, nothing from Larry, and Connor didn’t have a phone. At least there weren’t any emergencies. No news was good news, or so they said.
“If you’re waiting for that phone to sprout legs and dance, you’ll be waiting a long time,” Cole said, appearing beside me with a water jug. “Here, drink something before you pass out.”
I took the jug gratefully, gulping down water. “Thanks.”
“So,” Cole said, leaning against the fence beside me, “you gonna tell us what happened last night? Evelyn said there was some kind of scene at the church dinner.”
My heart sank. Of course Evelyn had told them. “It’s... complicated.”
“It usually is,” Cole replied with a small smile. “But we’ve got time.”
I took another long drink, stalling. “My dad showed up. He’d been drinking. He saw Connor and me coming back from...” I trailed off, my cheeks heating despite myself.
