Chapter 31
“Welcome to Orgasm Lake. Population: As many as you fucking want.”
-Flint
Celia didn’t flinch when I told her Quinn blamed me for his sister’s death. Did I leave out some relevant facts? Yes. Did I blame myself for her death? Also, yes. But talking about it wouldn’t bring her back from the dead. So, I did what I did best - compartmentalized it for another day.
After we finished breakfast, I took Celia to the barns in our utility terrain vehicle, which was like a golf cart on steroids.
The barns also received an upgrade since I left home. Mama and Jocko didn’t just raise beef cattle anymore. They also had dairy cows. A brand-new milking facility was humming away when we pulled up to the barns. Ranch hands hustled in every direction with their chores.
“Wow, this is not what I thought a ranch looked like,” Celia marveled as she got out of the UTV.
“That’s because your idea of a ranch probably came from the movies,” a gruff voice said from the shadows.
My younger brother stepped away from the side of the barn and hit Celia with his million-dollar shit-eating grin. “You must be Celia. I’m Fitch. The best-looking Mendota this side of the Mississippi River.”
Celia snorted. “And humble!”
“You dumbass. She is way too smart to fall for your pretty words,” I grabbed my brother into a bone-crushing hug. “It’s good to see you, man.”
“I couldn’t believe it when Mama said you were here,” Fitch stepped back, his green eyes flicking between Celia and me. “I thought you weren’t ever coming back.”
“Why wouldn’t you ever come home?” Celia eyed me.
I was saved from answering by another familiar voice. “Because he’s a stubborn ass.”
“Celia, this is my sister, Adlen,” I pulled her in for a side hug.
“Your Mama must have had a hard time keeping all three of you in line,” Celia mused as she shook Adlen’s hand. “Especially as pretty as you are.”
“Did you hear that, bro?” Fitch elbowed me. “She called us pretty.”
I rolled my eyes. Celia laughed in that musical way she has. I coughed.
“She calledmepretty, and she’s right,” Adlen preened. “It was hard being their younger sister. Everyone was afraid to ask me out. But, I got a break when big brother left for the Marines.”
“By then, she could handle herself,” I raised an eyebrow at her. “I believe our little sister racked a few inappropriate assholes in the nuts.”
Adlen had a growth spurt in junior high, shooting up to 5’9” almost overnight. For a few years, she had that gangly pre-teen thing going for her. Until she reached high school. She joined the volleyball team and hit puberty at the same time. The boys didn’t know what hit them. Especially when they got a little too handsy. She unleashed some moves her Marine big brother taught her.
Celia’s eyes widened. Adlen nodded.
“What are you doing here today?” I asked Adlen.
She pointed to her medical kit. “Fitch called me in to check on one of the cows. She’s not eating properly, so we’re going to run a little check.”
“Doctor Adlen Mendota is a large animal vet,” Fitch pointed out to Celia.
“And Mister Fitch Mendota runs the operations at MOM Ranch,” Adlen chimed in.
“Family business,” Celia nodded.
A pang of regret hit me in the heart as I thought for the hundredth time about how I left the family business and never came back. When I was 18, Mama remarried and had all the help she needed from Jocko.
So, I joined the Marines.
Then, I re-upped.
