Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90164 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“The kids get out of school at 3:00. You’ll want to get in the pickup line by about 2:30.”
“Got it.” She nods and walks to the driver’s door. “I’ll be there to get them Monday afternoon. Have a good weekend.”
She waves and takes off, the car making all kinds of noises as she drives down the driveway. I absolutely do not want my kids to ride in that thing. Hell, I don’t even like Erin riding in it.
Brady will follow me into town tomorrow to drop off the Suburban and bring me back to the ranch.
“Rem hired a nanny,” Millie announces to the family at dinner later that night. We’re all seated around my big dining room table, finishing up a dinner of fried chicken with all the fixings that my mom made from scratch. “My friend, Erin. She’s the best, and she already told me that she absolutely loved meeting the kids.”
“Erin?” Chase’s head comes up at that. “I like her a lot. She’s happy and nice. And she’s hot.”
“Why don’t I take the kids outside to play with their new drones,” Dad suggests, standing from the table. “Let’s go find some cows and see if we can spot other animals, too.”
“Yay!”
Both kids run after my dad through the back door to the yard.
“Those drones were a cool gift,” Millie says to Ryan, who’s sitting right across from me. “They’re in heaven. It’ll be fun to fly them around the ranch.”
“I had to bring them something fun,” Ryan says with a shrug.
“Tell me more about the pretty Erin,” Brady says, waggling his eyebrows.
“No,” I reply curtly. “Keep your hands off my fucking nanny.”
“Well, I see that Rem is his old charming self,” Ryan says, earning a glare from me. “Last time I checked, it was still not against the law to date someone, even if they’re a nanny.”
“You’re such a fucking smart-ass,” I reply. “And how do you know if I’m charming or not? You haven’t been home in two fucking years. So, why now?”
“Just because I choose to have a job that isn’t here in Bitterroot Valley doesn’t mean that I don’t want to come see my family, you know.”
“Seems that way to me.” I’m just so fucking pissed off. I want to punch him in the face. “So what the fuck are you doing here?”
Ryan just stares at me, his face sober, and wipes his mouth with his napkin. “You know what? I think I’ll head home.”
“No.” Millie raps her fist on the table, getting all of our attention. “No. You’ll stay because, as Rem just pointed out in a really shitty way, we haven’t seen you in a long time, and we miss you. Rem, you need to chill the hell out.”
“My kids don’t even know you,” I say, my voice even now. “And they want to. They ask about you. They may enjoy your expensive gifts in the moment, but that’s not what they want from you, Ry. They just want you. So, the question stands. Why are you home now, and how long will it be before you leave, and I have to tell the kids that I don’t know when they’ll get to see you again?”
Ryan blows out a breath and digs his fingertips into his eyes. No one objects to the question this time, because I know that they’re all wondering the same thing.
“We like having you here,” Brady adds.
“I’m home indefinitely,” Ryan finally says with a weary sigh. “I can work from anywhere, and I’ve decided this needs to be my home base for a while. Why? Shit, I don’t know. It’s just my gut telling me that this is where I need to be because I miss all of you, and I want to be here. Jesus, I want to get on a horse and brand some calves.”
“That’s coming up in a couple of weeks,” Mom says, wiping a tear from her eye. “We could use your help.”
I don’t trust it. He won’t be here long.
He never is.
“I want to play with the drones,” Chase says, standing from the table. “Why should the kids have all the fun?”
“I’m with you,” Brady adds and joins Chase. Mom and Millie go out, too, leaving me here with Ryan.
For a long minute, we just watch each other over the table. Yeah, it’s good to see him. But I’m so mad at him that I want to kick his ass.
“I’ll earn it,” he says at last.
“What’s that?”
“The trust.” He blows out a breath and looks more emotional than I’ve seen him since we lost the state football championship my senior year. “I know it’ll take time, but I’ll earn it.”
“It’ll take time,” I echo with a nod. “Fuck, let’s go play with the drones.”
Ryan grins. “I have a couple more for the rest of us.”