Page 61 of A Love So Sweet
“Yeah,” Josh said. “Me too.”
“Really?” Treat asked.
Josh shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.”
“Wine, please,” Savannah called to them from the living room.
They joined the others, and for a while they sat in silence, nursing their drinks. The door opened, and Hugh started to say something, but they all turned toward him with ashushon their lips.
“Dad’s asleep,” Savannah said as she went to hug their youngest brother. “But he’s okay.”
Treat waited for Hugh to shed his leather jacket, and then he embraced him. “You okay? Your trip all right?” Hugh could easily pass for twenty-five instead of twenty-nine, with his tousled black hair that was badly in need of a trim and wearing worn Levi’s.
“It was long, but I’m here, and that’s all that matters.” Hugh greeted his other two brothers and headed to the kitchen for a drink.
“Do you want me to make you something to eat?” Savannah asked when he returned with a beer.
“Nah. I grabbed a sandwich on the way.” Hugh sat beside Savannah on the couch and kicked an ankle up onto the opposite knee. “So, Dad’s okay? What is this BHS?”
Treat explained what the doctor had told them.
“Sounds like it should be called BS to me,” Hugh joked, his brown eyes flitting from sibling to sibling.
“Hugh.” Treat used the same voice he’d relied upon when his brothers were out-of-control teenagers. It hadn’t always worked, but it did right then.
“I just mean that I don’t see why they call it that. Call it stress cardiomyopathy. Why does everything have to be aboutfeelings?”
Treat leaned forward, and Savannah put a gentle hand on his leg, silently reminding him that they were all on edge. “Leave it alone, Hugh,” Treat said. “Who cares what they call it? The point is, he needs to take it easy for a few weeks.”
“Which is precisely what I wanted to talk about,” Rex said. “I’ve been thinking. Maybe we should hire another ranch hand or two, or a manager who can do more. I’m swamped and—”
“No need,” Treat interrupted. “I’m going to stick around for a while.”
“You have your own businesses to run,” Josh said.
“Yeah, Treat. You’ve worked too hard to give them up for this,” Savannah added.
“I’m not giving them up. I’ve thought this through. Rex, you were right. I should have come home sooner. I’ll hire someone to do my overseas work and negotiating, so I’ll have to travel only a few times a year.” Just saying it aloud made him feel much better. His dad’s illness had been a wake-up call. Even though Max didn’t want him to change his business practices, that’s exactly what he needed, and wanted, to do. She wasn’t the only one haunted by her past. Treat had fled town to escape his own demons, and it was high time he faced them.
“Treat, man, you don’t have to do that. I can deal with it,” Rex assured him. His biceps twitched, much like their father’s did when he was upset. “I’ll just hire a hand or two for a few weeks. We’ll be fine.”
“I know you can. This isn’t about you versus me,” Treat said.
“Is this about your girl? Max?” Josh’s question didn’t hold an ounce of resentment, as it might have if it had come from Rex.
The truth was, this was as much about Max as it was about him. She deserved a man free from the weight of his past.
“I’d be lying if I said this has nothing to do with her. I love her.” He paused long enough for that information to sink in. “But I realized I can’t be with her, or anyone else, until I get this off my chest. To answer your question, this is really about all of you as much as it’s about me or Max. Rex, you’ve been calling me on this for years, and I’ve deflected every jab, not because they were untrue, as I claimed, but because they weretootrue, and too shameful, to admit. After Mom died, I failed you guys.” This was harder than Treat had imagined it would be.
“What are you talking about? You never failed us,” Josh said.
“Come on, Josh. I did. I know I did. When it came time for college, I was relieved to move away. As hard as that is to admit it, I need you to know the truth. The ranch was one big reminder of Mom and everything I couldn’t do.” He gripped his beer bottle tighter.
“Treat,” Savannah said, reaching out to him.
“Let him finish,” Rex said, and all their siblings’ gazes shifted to him. “He’s trying to tell us something. Let him get it off his chest.”
“Thanks, Rex.” Treat didn’t know if Rex was waiting with bated breath for him to admit his failure, or if he was being a supportive brother, but it didn’t matter which one was more accurate. He was thankful either way to have his support. “Anyway, I worked my butt off to prove that I was worth something, and I realized today that I’ll never be the man Dad is.” He pointed to his father’s bedroom. “That man in there is the best kind of man, and I’m just a regular guy who never quite measured up to him.” He’d said it aloud, and now he waited for theI knew itsand theIt’s about times.
