“Fat chance of it happening,” she said. “I’ve thought of a million ways under the sun and not a single one seems like a great idea.”
Garrett remained quiet. The buzzer sounded, and she turned toward the laundry room to put her dress in the dryer.
“I’m taking a shower. Then, I’ll figure out dinner,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it. Tara and I will handle it,” he assured her. “Go take your shower and enjoy yourself.”
At ten minutes to three, Julio pulled into the driveway. Riley waved goodbye to Tara and Garrett as Julio backed out and drove toward Rachel’s.
“How are you doing, Riley? It appears you’re healing nicely,” Julio said, keeping his eye on the dirt road.
“I’m doing great. Thank you for allowing me and Tara to stay here while I recover. It’s taken a load of stress off me,” she said, smiling at him.
“Pfft. I barely know you’re here. You need to stop by the house and visit Rebecca. She works at 0400 and finishes by noon to spend time with Megan or take her to doctor appointments.”
“I’m sorry she’s sick. I don’t mean to pry, but is it serious?”
Julio smiled sadly at her. “We adopted Megan. She came from an unusual situation and needs therapy among her medical stuff. Her body’s healing and doing better, but the mind takes a little longer.”
Riley sighed and frowned, thinking Megan seemed far too young to experience enough trauma to require medical intervention.
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked.
“Sure,” Julio said, glancing at her.
“Mac and Garrett take care of the ranch. What do you and Matthew do? I haven’t seen you driving to the fields, and there’s an entirely different crew working the other side of the ranch. It’s not wise to keep them separated. What if something happens on one side and you need the others to step in and fill those jobs? They won’t know where you keep everything or the rotations of the herds,” she explained.
“You make an excellent point,” he said, pulling into thedriveway. “It sounds like you’ve worked on a ranch and speak from experience.”
“Yes, I ran our family ranch. The only mistake I made was trusting my father to pay the taxes on the place. I covered all the bills and gave him the funds to cover the rest. He spent it on alcohol and who knows what else. Every time we see him, he seems skinnier than the last. I don’t know when he’s eaten a hot meal or even washed his clothes.”
“I’m sorry he failed you as a parent. He made his choices. One day, they’ll catch up to him,” he assured her. “Have a great time with the ladies.”
Riley smiled as Julio helped her out, realizing he never answered her question. She climbed the steps and rang the doorbell as Julio waited beside her. Rebecca answered the door, holding Megan’s hand, already dressed to leave.
“Hello, Rebecca,” she greeted, noticing the woman seemed shaken.
Julio took their daughter from her. “How did it go?”
“She’s tuckered out. We’ll talk about it later,” she said, her eyes glistening with tears.
Not wanting to intrude on the couple’s private moment, she took off her boots and made her way into the home.
“Hey, Riley,” Rachel said, handing a drink to a pregnant woman sitting in a leather chair. “Meet Delaney. Delaney, meet Riley. She’s staying with Garrett.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she murmured.
“What are you drinking?” Rachel asked as she entered the kitchen.
“Tea?” Riley said, cringing. She disliked hot tea, but she desperately wanted friends.
Delaney sipped her drink while she rubbed her belly. “Come sit down. Rebecca and Megan experienced a rough day, and we came to support them.”
Riley sat on the couch, and Rachel returned, handing her a glass of wine.
“Oh, I asked for tea,” she said, thinking Rachel mistook her.
“I know, dear. The only tea in this house comes from grapes and is aged in a barrel,” Rachel said, winking. “Help yourself to the snacks on the table.”
