Page 12 of Every Single Wildflower
“I watched out the window mostly. Maddox ran into the house. Got your dad out.”
My heart drops. “He ran inside?”
She nods. “Yeah. Carried him out over his shoulder. It was wild.”
He saved my father?
Emotion hits me again; the reality he could have been hurt triggers feelings that I had hoped to compress.
“I’m just glad everyone is ok.” Laiken reaches across the table to grip my hand and for a second I almost flinch, remembering the fact that I was naked in front of her brother less than two hours ago.The one I didn’t date. “And I’m glad you’re home. We missed you, Ives.”
“I missed you too.” I smile.
The door to the kitchen swings open, showcasing my aunt Penelope with hands planted on her curvy hips.
“Ivy Ruth Mayson.” Her tone is scolding, but a smile is fixated on her face. “You come into my restaurant and not even hug my neck?”
Slipping from my seat, I meet her halfway, tossing my arms around my mother’s younger sister.
“It’s good to see you baby girl.” She squeezes me tight. “How’s your mama?”
I pull back. “She’s ok. Tired. Worried.”
Her hands rub up and down my arms. “I’ll get Kenny to make you girls the special, and I’ll make to go plates for your mom and Emmett. We all know that hospital food is hog wash.”
I chuckle. “That sounds great.”
She glances over my shoulder and winks, her fake lashes fluttering as she does. “Fire chief just walked in.” She wags her brows. “He just hit the six month post-divorce mark. Time to put the new girls to work.”
Most would think she meanswaitresses.But this is Penelope, so she discreetly shimmies her very new and very large breast implants at me. A laugh bubbles from my throat.
I guess some things never change.
Chapter eight
Maddox
I brace my hands on the fence as Ryder approaches me on horseback.
“How many?" I ask.
He maneuvers his old bay horse parallel to the railing, then removes the bandana from over his mouth.
“We’ve lost thirty head so far.”
“Fuck," I hiss. “Yeah. We got Clyde, Farley, and Aiden coming from the back side. Hoss and Waylon are on the east end trying to get a head count and see the damage.”
I remove my sunglasses, squinting as Cooper comes riding in from the right. “The pasture bordering the Bernard’s is clear.”
Ryder leans his forearm down on his saddle horn. “We still have over a thousand acres to check.”
“Shit.” Cooper fishes his phone out of his pocket. “I thought we’d cover more ground quicker. Ivy went to breakfast with Kota. I told her I’d take her to the hospital.”
“Can’t she just uber? Isn’t that what they do in the city?” Ryder mutters under his breath.
“You’re a dick, you know that?” Cooper nudges his horse closer to Ryder. “She’s your sister. Get your panties out of your ass and forgive her. She’s not Hadley.”
Ryder’s jaw clenches and with one swift kick of his boot he takes off.
