Page 51 of Petals & Promises

Bailey-Rose chuckled as she took a step back. “Was she really going to punch the nurse?”

“One thousand percent yes, she was,” I stated without question. “Callie was a country girl through and through. She knew how to hold her own against just about anyone or anything that tried to get in her way. Hell, for the fun of it, she trained one of the bulls to charge up to her and tap her outstretched hand before she’d give him his grain. I about pissed myself watching it happen, but Callie simply laughed her ass off, telling me I looked as white as a ghost.”

Taking my girl’s hand, we headed back to the house. Mom would want us all to sit down together for dinner—it was her one rule. No matter what, if you were home on the ranch, dinner would be eaten together as a family. It also made me realize how lonely Mom must be out here all by herself during the week. I’d half expected her to move to the city when I left the house, but here she was, living life as she always had.

“Oh good, I was just about to send one of the others out to get you,” Mom said as we walked in. “Come on, dinner’s ready. Oh, and don’t forget to take off your boots. I hate when shavings get tracked through the house.”

The dining room was dressed to the max with candles, fine crystal goblets, and china my mother got as a wedding present from her mother. Such was the honor bestowed upon guests. Once the six of us were seated, Mom hurried back to the kitchen and helped the staff bring out the platters of food. My mouth watered at the sight of the country chicken and biscuits in the casserole dish Mom carried out. It was my favorite meal she made, and no one else could match the taste, so I gave up trying. Why mess with perfection when you can get it from the source?

“Now, I didn’t know what everyone liked so I did chicken biscuits and a beef stew,” Mom shared. “Don’t be shy about taking what you want either. I’ve never known how to cook for anything less than an army.”

Soon, the table was full of delicious-smelling food, but no one touched a thing until Yun-Sun walked around the table, filling a plate for our Omega. At least, I thought that’s what he was doing, but I noticed two plates being prepared. When he set one down in front of Bailey-Rose and the other in front of Mom, I about smacked myself. Idiot. Of course, he would do the same for my mom. She’s an Omega too, with none of her pack here to provide for her needs. I’ve lost some major favorite son points, that’s for sure.

“Thank you, Yun-Sun, but you didn’t have to do that. How precious are you,” Mom gushed.

Now that the ladies had been served, the rest of us dug in. The dining room was filled with the sounds of us men groaning over how good the food was. Bailey-Rose was doing a happy dance in her chair with each bite she took, making me want to kiss the hell out of her. Most of us went back for seconds, and I prayed there was a whole ass other dish of chicken biscuits so I could have it for lunch tomorrow.

“So, dearest, how did you enjoy feeding the horses?” Mom asked Bailey-Rose since we were useless for conversation.

Our girl scrambled to guzzle down some water to clear her mouth before answering, “It was fun. I’ve never been around horses like that. Living in the city doesn’t give you many chances to interact with animals that aren’t pigeons.”

Mom covered her mouth with her napkin, trying not to laugh, but her crinkled eyes gave it away.

“Oh, there’s no need to hold back on my account. I laugh at myself roughly ten times a day,” Bailey-Rose assured her. “You can’t take life too seriously, or else you’ll miss all the fun of living it. Something I hear Callie and I might have had in common.”

Mom’s eyes grew wide at the mention of Callie’s name. It had been an unspoken rule that once my sister’s things were boxed up, we didn’t talk about her anymore.

“Ah… Callie…” Mom paused to clear her throat and blink rapidly. “Yes, that girl certainly loved to take life by the horns, as we say. You know, I remember one time while Callie and I were out riding, we came across a hill covered in puffy white dandelions. She took off like a bat out of hell, sending Bandit up the hill, dismounted, and rolled all the way down. It almost looked like it should have been snowing the way those seeds filled the air. Then she popped up, hands on her hips…” Mom stood and replicated the stance for everyone. “Looked me dead in the eye, and said, ‘Your turn, Mom.’ ”

Everyone chuckled at that as Mom took her seat and dabbed at her eyes. “I go back every year once the dandelions change and look at that hill, remembering that day. I can’t ever bring myself to roll down the hill without her, but God, it was one of the best days.”

“I would love to see that hill so I could draw that moment for you to remember that day,” Bailey-Rose offered.

Mom clutched her napkin to her heart, lip quivering as she tried to hold it together. “I could never ask that of you, and the hill is just a hill.”

That response smacked of my father, Hank, and the way he looked at life—always practical, never sentimental. How the hell they ended up with an Omega like my mom made no sense. I knew they loved each other but were polar opposites on so many things.

“I have an idea… why don’t we all go for a ride tomorrow, and I can show you,” I volunteered.

Something in my gut told me having a painting from Bailey-Rose recreating that moment would mean the world to my mom. My fathers couldn’t tell her to get rid of it since it was a hand-crafted gift from their son’s Omega.

“One problem,” Warrick interjected. “None of us know how to ride horses.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem,” Mom assured. “We have more than enough ATVs for you all to use. There’s no training needed for that.”

Panic rolled in my gut at the thought of Bailey-Rose on an ATV. I hadn’t used one since Callie’s accident, choosing to drive a truck, walk, or take a horse. Rationally, I knew what happened to Callie was a one-in-a-million situation, but lightning could strike the same place twice if you waited long enough.

Bailey-Rose grabbed my arm, digging her nails into it, causing me to hiss in pain and yank it away. “What the hell, baby girl?”

twenty-four

Bailey-Rose

Watching as Gareth slowly became consumed by fear and being able to feel it at the same time sent my head spinning. Nugget barked and gently tugged on my jeans, trying to gain my attention. The little guy could feel my anxiety, but the truth of the matter was it wasn’t mine. Gareth was so consumed with fear it bled out of him and into me. One therapist had told me if I began to spiral, I needed to trigger my brain into focusing on something else. She’d suggested sour candy or something extremely cold placed on my stomach. Well, I didn’t have either of those things, but I had to act fast.

Praying Gareth would forgive me, I drove my nails into the soft skin of his forearm near the wrist. Seconds later, he was yanking his arm away from me. “What the hell, baby girl?”

“I can’t believe that worked,” I blurted.