Page 4 of Curveball

I laughed for the first time today, and it felt good. I felt the tension in my shoulders ease up a bit; my siblings always knew how to lift my spirits.

My dad was right.

Primrose Hill was where I needed to be right now.

Farrah crossed my mind before I could stop it. Going back home meant her.

I shoved the thought away. I’d dealt with enough for one day.

After punching in the code to my gate, I drove down the long, winding driveway toward my house, and immediately felt more relaxed than I had in the city. Reporters had still been set up outside my building in Austin when I’d left, forcing me to sneak out the back door to my truck like some kind of criminal.

Home was different.

All limestone and steel, my house sat tucked into the hills, tall windows pulling in sweeping views of rolling land and wildflowers. The matching guesthouse was nestled beneath old oaks and cypress trees, and just beyond it, off to the left, stood the barn. It was built from the same pale stone and accented with a dark green roof. As soon as I parked in the garage, I climbed out and headed straight there.

The barn always came first.

“Hey, Theo,” I called down the aisle, spotting my barn manager tossing hay into Tex’s stall.

“Hey, Walker. Welcome home, man,” he said, walking over to shake my hand before pulling me into a careful hug, mindful of my cast. Theo had worked for me for years, and felt more like family than staff.

“Thanks. How are the boys doing?” I asked, glancing toward my two horses, Tex and Ranger.

“They’re good. They’ll be happy you’re home for a bit,” he said, his gaze dropping to my cast. “How are you feeling?”

I shrugged. “I’m alright. Pain’s not too bad. The whole situation just sucks.” I tilted my head toward the pasture. “How are the little dudes?” Referring to my two mini-donkeys.

Theo chuckled. “Troublemakers lately. They keep trying to break into Tex and Ranger’s pasture.”

I laughed. “Little shits.”

Tex popped his head out of his stall, and I walked over, rubbing my hand along his face. “I’m going to take the guys out for a walk.”

“Sounds good,” Theo said. “Let me know if you need anything.”

I grabbed Tex’s halter, slipped it over his head, and led him outside to graze. Horses had always been my safe place. When I was a kid, I used to sneak into the barn and sit in the stalls whenever I’d had a rough day. They were calm. Steady. Honest.

My whole family rode. Horses were woven into our lives. Addison and Ava rode hunter/jumper, while Weston and I preferred western. It was just… home.

I patted Tex’s neck, his deep onyx coat gleaming in the sun. “I’m going to be around a lot more, buddy,” I murmured.

After walking him for a while and giving him a good grooming, I grabbed a bottle of water from the small fridge in the tack room before heading for Ranger’s stall. He nickered softly when he saw me, immediately digging his nose into my pockets.

“Dude,” I laughed, slipping the halter over his head. “There’s nothing in there. Chill.”

I led him outside to graze, enjoying the quiet until Ranger suddenly lifted his head, ears pricked toward the driveway.

Moments later, Addison’s SUV pulled in. She and Dean climbed out and headed straight toward me.

Addison walked up to me and pulled me into a hug. “Welcome home, big brother. You doing okay?”

I stepped out of her embrace and shrugged. “I’m alright. Just taking the boys out for a walk.”

Addison reached up to pat Ranger’s neck, all easy confidence and quiet authority—the kind you earn over years with hard work and horsemanship. She’d built Mountain Laurel Farm from the ground up and made a name for herself in the hunter/jumper world, training horses and riders with the same intensity she brought to everything else in her life.

Dean stepped up beside her, shaking my hand before pulling me into a brief hug. He was a veterinarian, calm and unflappable. Exactly the kind of man my sister needed. The two of them fit in a way that made sense. After everything Addison had poured into her career, she’d found someone who matched her stride instead of asking her to slow down. Watching them together made it obvious they’d already survived their share of hard things and come out stronger for it.

“Sorry about everything, man,” Dean said, his eyes full of genuine empathy as he squeezed my shoulder.