He turned his truck toward Wolfe Mountain, dreading what to say to this little boy and seeing Leslie after all this time. First, he’d settle in at the house and wait for Elias. Then, make the drive to introduce himself to his new sibling and speak with Leslie about Conner’s future. Maybe staying with her might be the best thing for the boy. Owen brushed the thought away. With all the other issues of selling the mountain, getting it surveyed, and packing up his childhood home, he carried a full plate. Hopefully, Elias might convince the other brothers to come for the service.
An hour later, he turned onto the mountain’s access road. He went up the winding path, thankful he drove a truck. The potholes and overgrowth showed how little his father maintained it. He frowned as he hit each bump and hole. His childhood home came into view. One shutter hung loosely from Wyatt’s old bedroom. The others appeared faded from the sun. He parked his truck in front and got out, scanning the place. The porch badly needed repairing, and the glass in the front window contained a crack all the way across it. The faded front door held the Wolfe insignia Wyatt carved and designed, showing his talent for woodworking. Still there, it seemed beaten and beyond repair, reflecting Owen’s thoughts about his family.
Taking the key from the binder, he opened the door and peeked inside. His dad’s favorite recliner satin the corner of the room. A video game set lay on the table with several games. Owen assumed they must belong to Conner. A full pot of coffee sat on the kitchen counter. Someone turned it off, but it made him wonder who.
Going upstairs, he turned left to his parents’ old room. It seemed untouched, as if time stopped after his mother’s death. The same quilt still decorated the bed, her nightgown lay over her favorite rocking chair, and the photos of her children lined her dresser. He picked up one of them, recognizing the image from the state fair, one of the times his father managed to stay sober. The family huddled together while Mom held Wyatt in her arms. He stared at her as if she hung the moon. Owen, Mason, and Cade proudly showed their winnings from the games, while Dillon ate cotton candy. Elias held a giant hot dog longer than his arm, grinning. Chuckling, he set it down and picked up a picture of Mom and him in the barn with their horses. He remembered the day like yesterday and smiled at the memory.
A noise from outside jolted him from his memory, and he glanced out the window to see a woman in jeans and cowboy boots come from the barn. Her face was hidden under the cover of her hat, and a young boy followed her.
Heading downstairs, he opened the front porch door as the two of them made it around the corner of the house.
“Hello, can I help you?” he called, startling the woman. The young boy moved behind her and peered out from her side.
The woman gazed up at him as she took off her hat. His breath hitched in his throat as he saw the brilliant green eyes of the girl he loved all those years ago. Time turned her into a woman. She tied her long brown hair back in a braid with little wisps framing her face. Her arm went around the boy in a protective gesture.
“It’s all right, Conner. Your big brother, Owen, came to visit you,” she said softly. “Why don’t you introduce yourself?”
Glancing up at her, Conner shyly moved from her side and wiped his hand on his pants. He licked his lips as he climbed the porch steps and stuck out his hand. “Hello, I’m Conner. My dad told me about you. He said you can ride a horse better than anybody in this town. I’m competing in a couple of weeks in the rodeo. Leslie says it’s okay if I go even if my dad died. He doesn’t want me to stay sad forever.”
Owen shook the boy’s hand, noticing his own grey eyes staring back at him, making it clear he carried Wolfe blood. All the boys took after their father, with steel-grey eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you, Conner. Your other brother, Elias, will arrive this afternoon. I’m sorry we met under these circumstances,” Owen said, glancing at Leslie.
“Will the others come? Dad said he made you awfully angry, but I’m not supposed to hold it against you. He said it’s his fault because of the drinking,” the boy said firmly.
Owen was surprised his dad told the kid the truth. Hell, the kid seemed scrawny for his age, as if a stiff wind might blow him away. Conner appeared too fragile to handle any of his dad’s truths.
“Conner, why don’t you grab some fresh clothes from your closet while you’re here?” Leslie suggested. “And bring your backpack. I don’t want you falling behind in school.”
“All right,” he said as he turned running into the house.
“No running,” Owen and Leslie called at the same time.
Glancing at her, he saw the small smile on her face as she watched his brother disappear upstairs.
“Hello, Leslie,” he said, his voice growing husky.
“Owen. I’m caring for Conner until you make other arrangements. My number’s on the fridge. You can text me the funeral plans, and I’ll ensure he gets there in time,” she said stiffly.
Walking down the steps, he met her in the yard. She still smelled of honeysuckle and wore her hair the same way.
“I guess we need to discuss Conner. Dad said you’re willing to adopt him,” he said, watching her.
“I’ve cared for him since his mother dropped himoff. He and my son have grown up together. I don’t consider him a burden,” she said coldly.
His heart panged at the thought she moved on without him and carried another man’s child. He blamed himself. He walked away and changed his number because he knew if he heard her voice over the phone, he’d change his mind about everything. “Elias plans to arrive this afternoon. The others won’t come. Mason has twin boys. He might be able to take him in,” he suggested.
Her shoulders drew up, and her eyes shot fire at him.
“He doesn’t know any of you. Despite your dad’s drunken ways when you grew up here, he made sure not to repeat his mistakes with Conner. He doesn’t want his son growing up as a charity case. He’s known me his whole life, and I’ll take you to court if I have to,” she threatened. “You may have left all of us, but life didn’t stop because you rolled into town and decided to take your place as the eldest son. Eldest, pfft,” she said, glancing away angrily. “It doesn’t mean you’re the wisest of the bunch.”
Taking a step back, Owen stared at the spitfire in front of him. He pictured an awkward meeting, but she seemed ready to fight.
Holding out his hands, he gestured his surrender. “I only recently discovered Conner existed. I still have files to read and my dad’s last wishes. Since Elias won’t get here until later, I thought I’d spendthe morning lining up all the tasks we need to handle here before I return home after the funeral. I didn’t expect to meet Conner yet.”
“The animals still need feeding, and the stalls mucked. I fed the horses and the chickens. You can do the goats and the cows,” she informed him.
“I’m sorry, did you say cows?” he asked, surprised.
