Page 133 of Heart & Hope

“Fine, let me grab my phone and change my shirt to somethin’ more respectable.”

“Sure, don’t take long.”

I jog into the house and pluck up my phone from the kitchen counter. I plug it into the power and take the stairs two at a time before swinging around the top of the banister knob and into my room. A minute later, I have a light blue checkered shirt and a fresh white t-shirt. Rolling up the sleeves, I lope down the stairs.

Swiping up the phone, I turn it on. Three more missed calls from Ma. Sliding it into the back pocket of my Wranglers, I readjust my cap and grab my coat from behind the door, walk through, and pull it shut. Charlie is sniffing around the front porch as Addy wanders the yard. She is taking in the fairy lights Ruby hung, staring into the canopy of the trees.

“Right, let’s go,” I utter, reaching the front gate.

Addy shoots me a smile and whistles for Charlie. He’s in her arms a heartbeat later. We pile into Huddo’s truck, and Addy fires her up. She doesn’t force small talk as we drive down the dirt road for Rosewood Ranch. Love her for that.

And when we pull up in front of Ma’s white gate, Addy kills the engine. But she doesn’t make a move to leave the truck.

“Ruby loves you, Reed. I know that for sure. The last few weeks haven’t been easy, I realize. But she does. So much.”

I can’t respond. The stone that has grown over my Adam’s apple is stuck tight. I nod and push the door open and climb out of the truck. Inside, Ma is fixing something in the kitchen, bent over a large steaming pot on the stove. She drops the wooden spoon to the counter when she sees me, rounding the counter to fold me into her arms.

“I was worried,” she whispers.

“Sorry, Ma.”

She hugs me tighter. Harry waltzes through the front door and I hear the words before they leave Ma’s mouth. “Boots.”

He waves her off and slips his boots off, dropping them onto the rack inside the door. The pair beside his dusty ones catches my eye. Tan bottoms, pink tops.

I push from Ma’s hold and scan the house, as if Ruby would be hiding in here somewhere. Did she leave them here last time we came over? My head is so full of running the last few weeks on repeat, I can’t even find the memory of what happened the last time Ruby and I were here.

Dumping his hat on the hook by the front table, Harry pads past. “Guests doin’ okay over there this week?”

“Fine. All three cabins booked for the entire week, trail rides and the likes scheduled for Monday and Wednesday.”

“Sounds like a well-oiled machine to me.” He winks and wanders to where Ma is now checking her whatever-it-is on the stove. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he sinks his face into her hair with a groan.

Right, I officially need to be anywhere else but here. I grab up the basket of cutlery and linen, my permanent assignment for Sunday lunches, and push through the back door.

Huddo and Addy are outside already, Addy on his lap. Hudson’s hands are in her hair as he pulls her down to him and her forehead rests against his.

Sweet Jesus, all this lovin’ could kill a heartbroken man without tryin’.

I dump the basket on the table harder than I need to. Addy jumps but chuckles as she stands to help me with the linen.

“You alright, bud?” Huddo asks.

Fuckin’ hell, not only do I feel like the world’s most heartbroken loser, now I’m back to the useless little brother.

Fuck my life.

“Fine,” I grind out, placing the cutlery around the table while Addy straightens the cloth.

“Smile, Reedsy,” Addy says. “Life is notthatbad.”

“Says you, Adds.”

“Shoot, can you grab the beers for me?” Huddo says, bending down to inspect the underside of the table. What is it like broken, or something?

“Whatever. Adds, you want one?”

“Nah, just you two.”

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