Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
When a tear slips down, he pulls me into his arms. Closing my eyes, I realize I never needed much, but shaking off the burden of holding this grudge already has me feeling so much better. I lean back and use the inside of my T-shirt to wipe my face.
We start to walk side by side. The pace is slow, but it gives us time to talk. I say, “I needed to hear that, Baylor.” I glance up. “I care about you and Griffin so much, but it’s felt like I don’t even have brothers anymore.”
“I want to make it up to you.”
I playfully bump into him on purpose, breaking up our stride. “You don’t have to. Just don’t disappear on me twice.”
Pulling me in for a side hug, he says, “I won’t. You’re stuck with me now, kid.”
When we separate again, I ask, “Why did you leave?”
“Truth?”
“Of course.”
“I didn’t get to tell her how much I loved her.”
It’s tempting to roll my eyes as annoyance sets in, but he’s opening up, which is something I’ve wanted since he left. “None of us did. It was a car accident.”
“She had called, but I didn’t answer. She tried over several days. I was so busy living my big, important life in New York that I couldn’t be bothered.” I stay quiet, giving him the freedom to lighten his burden as well. “You look just like her, even the coloring of your hair and your smile . . . I looked at you, and I felt worse.” I’m told this all the time. It’s a source of pride for me and makes me feel closer to her for some reason. But I also catch the reactions people try to hide—the pity she died so young, the sympathy for her family, and me carrying her around so prevalently makes them miss her as well.
I’ve learned to embrace the similarities instead of pushing against them.
He shakes his head, and says, “That sounds terrible to admit, but you have to know it wasn’t you, never you, Pris. The guilt was eating me alive, so I avoided it. I avoided comforting you and being there for Dad. Sadness and devastation, that’s what this place had become.”
I can’t argue with him. I’ve never been able to put it into words like that before, but they fit—sad and devastating. “It’s true. Everything suffered until one day I woke up and knew I had to change it. I had to be present instead of letting my head be sucked into the memories. I had to fix the part of the farm Dad was no longer tending. I used the money from insurance to hire a crew to help me, and then I put my business degree to work as well as learning everything I could to improve the ranch.”
“You did it. You’re kind of small,” he says, nudging me with his elbow. I pretend to blow over before returning to his side under my own amusement. “But you’re so much stronger than either of your older brothers. You did all of this, Sis.”
I laugh, though I’m not sure I’m entertained. “You guys are reaping the rewards.”
“I can’t speak for Griff, but I want to sign over my share of the ranch to you.”
I stop so fast that I topple a little, then right myself. “What do you mean?”
“Dad set it up so all four of us have equal shares.”
“He did that on purpose.”
“He did that when he thought I would be contributing. I’m not. I’m only taking. It doesn’t seem fair when you’re out here working day in and day out. You took an old farm barely above red on the financials and turned it into a multimillion-dollar business. You’ve done so much for our family but deserve more.”
“I want all of us to be listed.”
“Tagger said you’d say that.”
The name has me smiling. I shrug because I’m guilty as charged. “He knows me well.”
With his eyes on me, he says, “How about this? You own the majority share and have final say. Instead of twenty-five percent, we’ll cut it in half, and I’ll retain ten.”
I laugh because that makes no sense. “That’s not half. Also, aren’t you a financial adviser?”
“Take the deal, Sis.”
I study his face, his eyes, and his tone. He’s serious. When he holds out his hand, I look at it, and ask, “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
We shake on it, setting me up as majority owner and controlling partner. I grin, feeling this is the reward for all my hard work. “Deal.”
He leans down and hugs me. “I’m proud of you and all you’ve accomplished.”
Why does this mean so much more simply because he’s my brother? “Thanks, Bay.”
“As for my best friend . . .”
“Here it comes. Go on, get it out of your system.”
Since it’s dark, we turn around and start back for the house. “I couldn’t be happier that you two found each other. You guys make a great couple.”