Page 76 of Before You Can Blink
When I shot him a side-eye, he shrugged. “What?”
I arched an eyebrow. “You sure as shit didn’t keep it in your pants until twenty-one.”
He chuffed. “Yeah, well. It’s different when we’re talking about my baby girl.”
Rolling my eyes, I blew out an exasperated breath. They were holding onto this fantasy way too tight. “Everyone’s gonna end up mighty disappointed when those two don’t ride off into the sunset together.”
Ma hummed. “I’ve been around a long time. Long enough to recognize when a couple is a good match. And those two?” She jerked her chin toward where Tripp and Penny were now playing together. “They’re not just a good match, Jett. They’re a perfect match.”
Folding my arms, I challenged, “Okay, since you know everything. Who’s Aspen going to end up with, then?”
All eyes turned to my mother as she pursed her lips in thought. Her gaze easily tracked my daughter among the ranks of screaming children, our girl’s red hair acting like a beacon.
After several minutes of silence, Ma declared, “To be determined.”
I didn’t bother to contain my snort. “I rest my case.”
She held up a hand, indicating she had more to say and to let her finish. “The only reason I don’t know who she’s going to end up with is because he’s not here.”
My brows drew down. “What do you mean, he’s not here?”
“Our Aspen’s partner isn’t going to be from Rust Canyon. No one here suits her.”
I had my doubts about that. Sure, I’d married someone from outside the community, but that was a stroke of luck or perhaps fate; I wasn’t sure which. Our quiet country town was off the beaten path, isolated. It was rare to find someone residing in Rust Canyon who hadn’t grown up here. And it was just as uncommon for one of our locals to leave the comfort our hometown provided to explore what lay beyond it.
“She’s too strait-laced, always follows the rules,” Ma continued. “She needs someone who’s gonna shake up everything she knows, someone who’s going to make her laugh when the weight of the world gets too heavy, someone who will challenge her to test the boundaries of what she thinks she’s capable of.”
“Pretty deep assessment of an eight-year-old,” I remarked. “But I guess only time will tell.”
Ma wagged a finger in my direction. “Just you wait and see. I’m never wrong about these things.”
Daisy leaned into my side, her head dropping onto my shoulder as she sighed dreamily. “Aspen would be lucky to find a guy like that, Betsy.”
This time, I kept my mouth shut. There was no use in arguing with a bunch of romantics who were more than happy to marry off our kids in their minds.
Guess I was the bad guy for wanting to grant them the freedom to enjoy their childhood. It would be over before they knew it.
March
Draining the last of my coffee before heading out for the day, I stood to place my mug in the sink. I was halfway out the door when the rush of footfalls racing down the steps gave me pause. They were too heavy to belong to one of the kids, and I couldn’t help but be concerned as to why Daisy might be in such a hurry.
As I walked back into the kitchen, my wife came into view. She was panting heavily, her wide eyes searching, and when they landed on me, she became nearly frantic, asking, “Is Tripp down here with you?”
“No.” I drew the word out slowly while shaking my head. “Is he supposed to be?”
Both hands flying to her head, Daisy choked out, “I don’t know, Jett. He’s not in his bed, and if he’s not down here with you, I-I-I—” That’s when she broke down, tears breaking free and rolling down her face as giant heaving sobs rattled her chest.
Closing the distance between us, I hauled her into my arms. “We’re gonna find him. He couldn’t have gone far.”
My brain began listing all the places on the ranch where our son might have gone, but I prayed there was no need for our search to extend beyond the house. Most likely, he’d gotten up in the middle of the night for a glass of water and had fallen asleep on his way back to bed.
“I’m gonna go double-check upstairs. Why don’t you look around down here?” I instructed Daisy.
Hiccupping, she managed a nod, and we split up in our quest to locate our missing son.
I bounded up the steps, my deep voice booming, “Tripp! Son, if you can hear me, you need to come out! You’ve given your mama quite a fright,and she’s worried about you.” Mentioning Daisy was no mistake; that boy would do just about anything to avoid upsetting his mother.
Moving methodically from room to room, I came up empty. By the time I made it back downstairs, Daisy was outside, cupping her hands near her mouth to project her voice as she cried our son’s name on repeat.
