Page 9 of Sweet and Wild

“Bullshit,” West growls. “You left because you couldn’t stand the sight of Colt after what happened.”

“Don’t you dare tell me what I felt. You have no idea what we went through, whatIwent through.”

“Maybe if you’d stayed, we might’ve. You broke a lot more than just Colt’s heart when you left. You broke ours too.”

“Well, there ain’t nothing to be done for it now, is there?”

“I guess not. So how long before you’re back to your rich fiancé and your fancy New York City apartment?”

“Geez, West. Why don’t you make it a little clearer that you can’t wait to be rid of me?”

“I’m just looking out for everyone. You ain’t just Winchester Wild. You leave a trail of chaos wherever you go, little sister. You always have. You’ll forgive me if I’m on damage control while you’re in this house.”

“That’s enough, West. Your daddy hasn’t even been gone a week and already you’re chasing away his only daughter.”

“I ain’t chasing anyone away.”

“No, because Lemon’s made of tougher stuff than that, but you’re trying for all you’re worth.”

“I’m just making sure we’re all—”

“Why don’t you head back to work and let me worry about this family? We certainly don’t need protecting from Lemon,” Mama says.

“Yes, ma’am.” He grabs his hat off the rack by the back door and heads out, slamming the screen back on its hinges.

I let out a sigh. “Maybe I should just stay at the cabins?”

“You’ll do no such thing.”

“They don’t want me here, Mama.”

“Then they know where the door is and how to use it.” She pats my hand and I squeeze hers back. “Now, come help me with this pie. We got a lot of baking to do for your daddy’s wake.”

“Mama, have you even stopped since you left the hospital?”

“I’ll stop when I’m …” she trails off and for a beat, I just watch her, waiting for her to finish a sentence I must have heard her utter a thousand times before.

“Mama?”

Tears form in her eyes and she wipes them away with the backs of her hands and keeps rolling out her pastry on the counter. “I’m fine. I’m fine. You know he wouldn’t want me to lie about, cryin’ over things I can’t change. This family ain’t gonna feed itself.”

“This family knows how to fix themselves a sandwich.”

She makes a tsking sound. “So, when are we getting to meet this handsome fiancé of yours? Is he flying in for the funeral?”

“Um … we broke up.” I take a bite of a potato chip and chew, thinking about how I stormed out. “Well, it wasn’t so much a breakup as it was me kicking him in the unmentionables after I found him cheating on me with my best friend.”

“Brooklyn? Oh, Lemonade. I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s only okay if you castrated him.”

I laugh. “I’m pretty sure that’s still illegal in New York, Mama.”

She shakes her head. “Well, it shouldn’t be. You want me to send your brothers after him?”

“No. He isn’t worth it.”

---