At one point, Emily caught his eye. When he tried to look away, she tilted her head and held his gaze. Her right eyebrow raised ever so slightly, asking him a question.
How are you doing?
It had become a silent way for him to communicate with his therapist.
If he smiled or gave a brief thumbs up, Emily knew he was okay. But if he shrugged or shook his head the slightest bit, she usually fabricated a task that she needed his help with so they could talk.
He'd never been good about seeking her out when he struggled. And he didn't know how to respond now. Having Riley home was bad enough, but every interaction with her seemed to end in disaster, and that only amplified his cravings. His non-response would probably have Emily seeking him out after dinner.
Daniel tuned into his dad's voice. "I'll take a turn at the calving sheds tonight. Daniel, can you cover tomorrow night? We have half a dozen cows and about ten heifers that have yet to deliver."
“I can take a turn at the calving sheds,” Riley said, surprising everybody.
Jake and his dad looked at each other with raised eyebrows, then finally Jake gave a small shrug.
His dad cleared his throat. “Daniel, will you and Riley work the calving sheds tomorrow night?”
Riley's eyes darted to Daniel's face, but she looked away again so fast he thought he'd imagined it.
"I can work the calving sheds by myself," Daniel said.
He was exhausted, so he shouldn't volunteer for more solo night shifts. The last thing he wanted was to spend all night with Riley while waves of animosity continued to roll off her like an avalanche barreling down the mountainside toward him. It was only a matter of time before he found himself buried, and his sobriety a casualty.
"I can too. I don't need Daniel's help." Riley's voice was defensive.
Jake and his dad locked gazes again, then Jake shook his head. "I don't know, Ri, it's been a long time since you've had to watch for the signs of a cow in distress or deliver a calf. I'd feel better if you worked with Daniel this time."
"I don't need a babysitter." Riley's words were sharp.
"I know you don't, but you've been away for a long time, and it takes a lot of strength to pull a calf."
"Are you saying I'm weak?"
There was that word again.Weak. Riley had gotten mad at him this afternoon, thinking he had called her weak.
Who called or made Riley feel weak?
"No, I don't think you're weak." The slowness with which Jake spoke showed he was trying not to lose his patience. "You just don't have any recent experience."
"So I'm incompetent?"
Jake's brow furrowed. "What? No?—"
"I'm sorry you feel saddled with me when you don't think I'm up tothe task of working on the ranch." Riley bolted to her feet. This time she didn't take the time to push her chair in or thank his mom for dinner, she simply stomped out the back door, slamming it behind her.
Silence fell around the table.
Jake hung his head and rubbed the back of his neck as though fighting a headache.
Emily stared at Riley's back through the glass door, a frown marring her face and a deep V creasing her brow.
His parents stared at each other, confusion written on their faces.
Daniel kept telling himself not to take Riley's outbursts personally. But she'd looked right at him this afternoon before she rammed her knee into him and shouted at him to never touch her again. He couldn't help thinking that maybe she'd learned the things about him that he tried to keep hidden. Things that repulsed her.
"Did...one of you..." He fiddled with his fork as he struggled to find the words to voice his thoughts. "Did one of you tell Riley about me? I mean...about the little boy and my drinking?" He looked at the faces surrounding the table, finding only puzzled looks.
"It's not our story to tell," Jake said with a shrug.
