Page 18 of Will to Run

It’s her best friend, the honorary second Wills’ daughter, and yin to my sister’s yang, Molly Carrick. Molly and Hazel had been classmates and best friends since the first day of kindergarten, when Molly cried, and Hazel stayed by her side. Now, Mol works at Heart of Will as the head of our hay operation. I laugh thinking about how Della would react to hearing that we pay someone a hefty salary to be in charge of hay. But it’s not just any hay. Our ranch produces a premium specialty blend, which we sell all around. It’s coveted, and Molly is a huge reason we are so successful with that. Her degree is in agronomy with a minor in horticulture, and she has been deeply involved in producing the best of the best. I love her like the sister she is, and appreciate the talent she brings to our ranch… everything except the fact she’s around to give me the same shit that everyone else does. I’m shocked she didn’t show up for Della’s arrival yesterday, but she doesn’t live on the property like my siblings do… yet. If she built a house on the compound one day, I wouldn’t bat an eye.

“What the hell to all of you?” I laugh.

“Do you think that seducing a runaway bride is a bit low even for you?” Molly questions.

I should pick up a handful of shit and fling it at her. “I wasn’t seducing her. For the first time, maybe ever, my heart was leading the charge, not Magnum Biggs. However, I did tell her that was the name of my elk on the wall, so that made me laugh.”

“You told her that the name of your elk was what you refer to your junk as?” Molly asks with surprise.

“You’re sick, Jaxon,” my sister says, exiting the barn, refusing to stay around for the rest of the conversation.

Cayson

I was way off. When I saw them outside watching the sunrise this morning, I didn’t think he’d make it to the barn at all.

Glad to know all of my siblings were in on this.

“I mean, she’s gone in three days. Two now. I will laugh if she says Magnum Biggs, and that’s if she even comes back to my house. She will never be any the wiser.”

“Such a child,” Molly tuts, walking away.

Grabbing the things I need to muck the stalls, I get lost in my head doing the labor. Della is right; we do have people to do this for us, but I’m no stranger to barn chores. My parents ensured we knew every part of this ranch inside and out, and basic chores were non-negotiable. Of course, we also got additional barn chores when we acted out. To no one's surprise, Cayson and I pulled the lion’s share of barn-chore mornings. Everest is the golden child, Hazel is the baby, and the girl to boot. She never had to do anything. But Cayson and I? We were Irish twins and always in trouble. Actually, besides Molly, there is another honorary adoptee in our family: Kellen Wildes. He’s even closer to us than Molly, because while she had occasional glimpses of a normal life, Kellen’s was all shit. He practically lived here before he left for college on a baseball scholarship. Now he’s a big-shot third baseman who plays for LA, but the three of us were always up to something.

When I finish the first row of stalls, I start the other and think about how I don’t particularly want Della Tatroe from Chicago to leave just yet. We are less than twenty-four hours in, and I have no business caring, but she’s piqued my interest, and I’m enjoying her company. It’s the first time in a long time someones appealed to my heart, not just my dick. Don’t get me wrong, if she wants to get Sir Magnum involved, I’ll be more than willing. But despite what my siblings have on their BINGO card, I wouldn’t initiate anything with someone in her situation.

I’m not an asshole to women; my mother would skin me alive. I’m single because I choose to be. Even though my parents were already married by twenty-seven, I still feel too young. They’re mostly quiet about their kids all being single, but I’m sure they are wondering what the hell is wrong with us. At least Cayson has given them two grandbabies to fawn over.

My chores fly by, and by ten I’m showered and in my office. With the upcoming high season, I have a shit-ton to do, the most pressing being finalizing our seasonal hires. Our roster’s full, but people always back out at the last minute. I find that if someone doesn’t confirm their payroll, that means they’re not showing up when they need to. Cayson and I usually do this together, but he’s been off lately. Things with the twins’ bio mom are getting ugly, and on top of that, he is dealing with coming to terms with Luke’s speech thing. A single time, behind a closed door, he confided to me how guilty he felt about letting it go unaddressed and how he had hoped he’d grow out of it, but it’s never been brought up again. The man carries too much on his back for his own good, but those two things have left him extra grumpy as of late. So I’m picking up the slack for him, even though what I want to do is to blow my entire morning and keep the guest in cabin three company. Around two o’clock, my curiosity gets the best of me, and I text her.

Jaxon

Checking in. It’s been way more than ninety seconds since I saw you, Tatroe. Still good and tear-free?

11

DELLA

Between Jax and Hazel encouraging me to check out the lodge’s continental breakfast, I take their advice, and am happy I do. The food is incredible, but the real surprise is exploring the inside of the lodge and seeing all it’s beauty.

The people are tittering over watching the sunrise through the bottom of the heart, and I am just as excited as all of them to have witnessed something so remarkable.

With a full belly, I head back to my cabin, flop on the couch, and take a closer look at my phone. My missed calls are in the triple digits, and I have even more text messages. I silenced many of them yesterday, not giving it any more attention than it deserved, but now I’m curious. Tripp has sent me over a hundred messages ranging from apologetic to angry to disbelief to threatening. Towards the end of the tirade, he is spiraling and just sending one-word texts. Feeling brave, I send him the last text I will ever send him.

Elizabeth

Tripp. Thank you for the barrage of messages. You texted me more in the last twenty-four hours than you have combined since we got reintroduced. I had no idea you cared so much. To just clear everything up, I left because you were taking part in a threesome on the morning of our wedding, and I heard you say that nothing was going to change, before laughing at my naivety about it. That violates a moral standard I have, and given that, I’m not going through with this anymore. It was stupid in the first place. I know you’re probably more embarrassed than concerned about me, but I’m safe. Please stop contacting me; you look pathetic. I hope Brad and his girlfriend enjoy your company… you fucking asshole.

After I hit send and block him, a massive weight slides off my shoulders, allowing something inside of me to loosen for the first time in ages. I’ve never spoken to him like that before, and I rather like it. He’s going to lose it when he realizes I’ve blocked him, too. Right now, part of me thinks I should feel distraught, but mostly I feel the kind of relief you would feel from dodging a bullet. I can’t quite bring myself to contact my father, despite his three million calls and texts, so I call Quinn instead.

“Captain’s log, day two. I like the Wild West,” I open with when Quinn answers the phone.

Hearing her laugh makes me smile. “Um, are you loving it at the ranch?” she asks.

“Well, this place is spectacular. Like, Quinn, where am I? I saw this sunrise thing too…”

“Oh my gosh,” she cuts me off. “The Amberheart Sunrise is happening right now? You lucky gal!”

“Yes! How have you never told me about this?”