L.T. falls silent.
“What, buddy?” I meet his eyes in the rearview mirror.
“What if she doesn’t like me?”
I should have had this talk with him as soon as I got back from St. Thomas. “Why would you think she wouldn’t like you?”
“Jessamine says she’s from the city. And that she probably looks down on ranch kids.”
I glance over at Colt, who shrugs. “What the hell?” I ask him. He spends more time with Jess than I do. They hang around gabbing while I’m holed up in the office at night.
Which reminds me, I need to place some orders tonight. Check some prices. But I need to nip the notion of Isa not liking ranch kids in the bud right now.
“Why don’t you try giving her a chance? I’m pretty sure Isabella doesn’t feel that way. Do you think I’d marry somebody who looks down on ranch kids? I’m the biggest ranch kid there ever was.”
I pull up close along an older section of fencing, and Colt’s and my eyes automatically follow the lines. Looks good.
“Maybe you just like her ’cause she’s pretty. Maybe you made a mistake.”
“Maybe you need to stop listening to hogwash,” I interject.
L.T. doesn’t answer me.
“Ya hear me?” I watch him in the mirror until he nods. “You talk to her about Tinker, all right?”
L.T. nods again but then clears his throat. “Yes, sir.”
“She can ride Frosty.” Leeland offers up his mount.
“Frosty might be too little for her, Lee.” My youngest never fails to make me smile. I swear, if everyone could see the world through his eyes…
Colt and Imake fast work of the problem areas and then head back early. The boys are tired. I try to keep them busy with small tasks, but they get bored pretty quick. Our work today involves doing the same thing over and over again. Damn fences go on for miles.
My mom once told me keeping fences up was like doing laundry. Something you never finish.
I park the truck and fish Leeland out of his car seat. He’s fast asleep, so I carry him to the door while L.T. rushes ahead and takes off for his room. I imagine he’s missing some of his toys by now. My mom meets us at the door alone. The house feels quiet.
“Where’s Isabella?” She would have heard us coming. I hope she hasn’t been holed up in my room all day.
“She wanted to meet up with you but Cassidy left without her.” My mom’s lips are pinched. Hmm. Had Cassidy been lying to me? My mom doesn’t explain though. “Levi drove her into town.”
“Into town?” What the hell? Panic leaps into my throat. “Denver?”
“Buena Vista.” Her eyes watch me warily. “They should be back any time now.”
I glance around. Damn Cassidy. Hearing she pulled a stunt like this doesn’t surprise me though.
Things are gonna have to change around here.
“You have a few minutes?”
She’s my mom. She always has time for me. She nods and takes a few steps toward the fridge. “You want a beer?”
God, a beer sounds perfect right now. “Yeah.” I settle Leeland on the couch and cover him with a throw. He stirs and his thumb makes its way into his little mouth, but he doesn’t wake up.
Back in the kitchen, my mom pops the top off a Bud Lite and hands it to me. “I take it you have a problem.” My mom and I have always been able to talk. We have the unlikely connection of both having lost our spouses within a year of each other. Only she’d been married to my dad for about forty years, and my marriage had been on the rocks.
Even though I never told her, I’m sure she figured it out.
