Page 52 of Wasted

Bailey stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on our mother's arm. "He's right, Momma. She's lost everything, and now the one thing Caleb wanted to protect for her..." She paused, swallowing hard. "You ensured she lost that too."

A tear streamed down my mother's cheek, but it wasn't out of sadness; she was angry. "He was my son, and she kept him away from us while he died."

"She was following his wishes, Momma." Bailey tried to reason with her.

She shook her head. "She took him away from me."

"No," I snapped. "Cancer took him away from you. Taylor respected his wishes because he knew you wouldn't."

Bailey's shoulders slumped as she exhaled heavily. "If it had been up to him, you never would have known." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes meeting our mother's. "Taylor convinced him to tell you."

I spread my arms wide, gesturing at the tense atmosphere surrounding us. "Can you blame him?" My voice rose with eachword. "Look at what you've done. He knew you would have never respected his wishes."

Her throat flexed on a hard swallow.

"You have 48 hours to get me that money to give back to Taylor, or you will never see me, Bailey, River, or Kylie again."

She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, a humorless laugh escaping her lips. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not bluffing. We will all disappear, and I will make sure Taylor gets her money back even if I have to pay it myself."

Her eyes narrowed to slits, her voice dripping with disdain. "You've been back just a few days, and she's already got you under her spell."

Bailey stepped between us, her hands raised in a placating gesture. "Taylor's a good person." A soft, sad smile played on her lips. "Your anger is directed at the wrong person. Taylor took care of Caleb and her dying father at the same time. She made sure he was comfortable, and she was an amazing friend to him in his last few months. She stood by my side all night while I processed that I was losing my oldest brother even though she'd just buried her father. She's a good person."

"She obviously felt guilty about something. She just handed the money over."

"Because the money was never important to her," I said. "But it's hers, and Caleb wanted her to have it. He wanted her to be taken care of. You should respect that."

Her shoulders sank as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Momma, Caleb loved you, but he knew you wouldn't be able to give up on him. You would want him to go through the treatments that everyone knew weren't going to work. He didn't want us to make those tough decisions for him. He knew she would do it for us. And none of us even realize what she lost the day he passed, too."

"How could I give up on him?" she cried. "How could she? If she really loved him, how could she give up on him?"

Bailey's shoulders sagged as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "Because he asked her to." She rubbed her temples, eyes closing briefly. "The doctors all said he should enjoy the time he had left, and ultimately, it was his choice."

I leaned forward, my palms flat on the kitchen table, my voice low and intense. "You've already lost Caleb." My gaze locked with hers, unflinching. "Don't lose the rest of us too. Do the right thing and give Taylor her money back."

Her lower lip trembled as she dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her dark flannel shirt. "Okay." A quiet sniffle escaped her. "I'll have your father pull the money, and you can give it to her. You're both right. I shouldn't have taken the money, but I hope you know what you're doing, Son. She broke your heart, and we all watched it."

I couldn't tell her the truth because admitting they were married in name only would fuel the fire and give my mother a real reason to keep the money.

I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. "Taylor and I were kids, and we both did a lot of things wrong, but that's not your business." My jaw clenched, then relaxed. "Taylor and I are both adults now, and I don't know what's going to happen, but I need you to support whatever I decide." My eyes pleaded with her, silently asking for understanding.

A long sigh escaped her, and she gave a small, reluctant nod. "I'll get you that money, but I need to head out to the horses to help your dad now." She reached for her worn work jacket, hanging it on a peg by the door, her movements slow and deliberate.

Bailey and I watched as she disappeared out the front door.

Bailey's eyebrows shot up as she sank into a chair at the kitchen table. "You're not really going to let Taylor lose her house, are you?"

"I'm going to make sure she gets her money back so she has the option to save her parent's land if she wants to." Bailey narrowed her eyes and cocked her head. "What?" I shrugged.

Bailey's lips pressing into a thin line. She absently traced patterns on the table with her finger. "Oh, nothing." A beat of silence. "It's just that sounds like some kind of test."

I never could get anything over Bailey. "It's not a test, but I am hoping she will choose to move to Nashville with me."

"You're going to drag her to Nashville?" She scowled. "She'll go because she loves you, but you know she'll be miserable." I swallowed hard. "Taylor has spent her whole life doing everything for everyone else. Don't do this to her. If you love her, you'll stay here, and you'll make sure she doesn't lose her home."

---