Page 30 of Firefly Embers

Having the horses housed here allowed us the opportunity to keep an eye on them for changes in gait, any shoeing issues, or signs that they may need veterinary care before their issues became unfixable.

Truthfully, the horses of rodeo riders were taken better care of than the riders themselves.

As I was checking one last thing, a soft knock came from the doorway. I expected to see Ray standing there after the night we had shared, but instead I was greeted with the soft features and emerald eyes of my new sister-in-law.

“Got a sec?” Stella asked hesitantly, refusing to step foot into the office without implicit permission. I held out a hand, signaling for her to sit in the one chair I kept on the opposite side of my desk.

It seemed formal, but I truthfully didn’t know how to act around her since the incident or my subsequent freak-out at Jack’s.

“Max was going to come down here and invite you, but I thought it would be better for us to chat a bit without an audience.”

Stella wasn’t meek by nature. The woman was a godforsaken tornado in human form and had barreled into our lives without an ounce of remorse. Seeing the dejected look on her face should have made me feel bad.

As much as I wanted to feel some semblance of remorse for the wedge that had been thrust into our relationship, I couldn’t find any response other than seething hatred for the woman.

Getting the hint that I wasn’t too keen on talking, she continued. “Max and I are having dinner and a game night on Friday. I know you technically live in the house and don’t need to be invited, but⁠—”

“I don’t technically live there. I live there, point-blank.”

Though my harsh tone made her wince, she didn’t let it stop her from saying what she felt we needed to discuss. “We wanted to make sure you were aware that we wanted you to be there for dinner at the least. You don’t have to stay and play games; I know that’s not really your speed, but it would mean a lot to your brother if you were there.”

I mulled over the invite, not missing the fact that she hadn’t said it would mean a lot to her if I were there.

Things between Max and me had been strained since he and Stella had announced their quick engagement and wedding, but he was still my brother, and I needed to make an effort to be present in his life.

I stuck my hands in my back pockets, continuing to process Stella’s words. When my fingers touched the crumpled business card I’d slid in there earlier, I knew I could do this.

How hard could it be to have dinner with my brother, his new wife, and my adorable niece?

WADE

I severely underestimated how hard it would be to sit down and have a civil dinner with my brother, Stella, and Charlie. They had also invited Pops and Ray, so it was a bona fide family fucking dinner—trauma, resentment, and all.

Ray and I hadn’t had a chance to talk all week. She had taken on a couple of new clients at her virtual design firm and was in and out of meetings in the evenings when I was available after training sessions.

Working virtually meant that she was at the mercy of whatever time zone her client was in, and that often left her working late since we were on the East Coast.

During the day, when she didn’t have client meetings, she watched Charlie so Stella and Max could go to work, and I could bust my ass to keep the ranch running.

Sitting around the dinner table, everyone except me laughing at something Pops said, I couldn’t have felt more out of place. It seemed as though all of their lives had moved on, but I was still stuck in the same rut of anger and exhaustion I had been in since the moment I was shot.

I picked at my chicken and moved the mashed potatoes around my plate to make it look like I had eaten. I didn’t miss the side-eyes I was getting from Ray, who seemingly never missed a beat. I swear, sometimes that woman scared me straight more times than my own mother had.

She didn’t need words to convey the disappointment coursing through her at my lack of enthusiasm for this dinner; I could feel her staring into my soul from across the table.

As everyone started to clear the plates from the table, I noticed the way Max gently took Stella’s hand beneath it, their fingers laced together tenderly.

The pair looked nervous as they darted their eyes around at each of us. Like a storm brewing in the distance, I could feel the pressure shifting, and I knew that something big was about to happen.

Max cleared his throat, a subtle signal for everyone to give him their attention, and looked lovingly down at Stella before addressing the rest of us. “Thank you, guys, so much for coming tonight. Stella and I wanted to get all of our family together for a little announcement.”

I watched as he slowly slid his hand from where it was tangled with hers and rested it on the barely perceptible swell of her lower belly. As if all the air had been sucked out of the room, I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“Stella and I are promoting Charlie to big sister in the new year. It’s still early, but we wanted everyone to know, and keeping it a secret when she’s been constantly puking her guts up has been a challenge.”

Ray’s squeal of excitement could have been heard four counties over as she pushed out of her chair and rushed to Stella, pulling her in for a big hug. I could hear her gushing over all the baby things she was going to buy for their new little one and how amazing a big sister Charlie was going to be.

Pops stood, shaking Max’s hand and pulling him in for a back-slapping hug, congratulating him as well. I felt as if I had melted directly into my dining room chair.