“It’s on me,” Ben repeated slowly. “I didn’t speak out, and it’s not up to you to fix my mistakes.”
Adam opened his mouth to argue, seemed to think better of it, and just nodded. “Okay.”
“Thanks, Adam.” Ben found a smile somewhere. He was the one who normally made everyone else in the family get along, but he wasn’t doing it right now. “We’d better get back. Dad will be wondering what’s for dinner.”
* * *
After a hot shower and three cups of strong coffee, Ben was almost feeling like himself again. Adam had been right to point out that his attitude sucked; he just wished he knew how to change it. Ever since his mother had reappeared in their lives and everything he’d once thought true had been upended, he’d felt adrift. The last time he’d felt like that he’d done some really stupid shit, and he had no desire to repeat himself.
Adam taking control of the ranch and keeping it together for the next generation made perfect sense. Having six kids potentially dividing up a profitable ranch, and maybe fighting over it when their father died, would have destroyed their heritage. Ben didn’t want that to happen, so what did he want?
He wiped the condensation off the mirror and stared at his bearded reflection. What was he going to do? Remain at the ranch as Adam’s second-in-command, a job he was damn good at, or what? Leave? Ranching was in his blood and he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Someone banged on the bathroom door.
“Hey, you finished in there, Ben?” Kaiden shouted. “I just got back and I need a shower.”
“Yup.” Ben opened the door, allowing a cloud of steam to escape. “Sorry.”
“No problem.” Kaiden went past him, smelling like a pine forest. “That renovation in town is taking way longer than I anticipated, but it’s going to make a whole group of people a great home.”
Ben was the only brother apart from Adam who worked full-time on the ranch. Everyone else, including their sister, Daisy, had other jobs. Kaiden was a master carpenter and always busy.
Ben got dressed and wandered into the kitchen where Adam had already started cooking dinner. “Need a hand?”
“You can set the table.”
Ben completed the task and then took a moment to check his cell phone. Not that he ever got many messages, but he liked to keep on top of things.
Can you come over tonight?
Ben squinted at the text, wondering who the hell was talking to him, and scrolled back up to see he’d missed a few vital bits of information.
“I’ve got to go out,” Ben replied to the last message, and shoved his cell in the pocket of his Wranglers.
“I’m cooking dinner here,” Adam complained. “Can’t you just eat fast, and go after?”
“Nope, sorry, I’ve got to go right now. I’ll eat when I come back.”
Ben ignored Adam’s next shouted question and went into the mudroom to grab his heavy coat, boots, and his second-best Stetson that had been drying out on the heater from yesterday’s rain. It was still pouring so he took the keys to his Jeep, and ran to where he’d parked it.
It didn’t take long to drive back onto the county road and then along to the much bigger Morgan Ranch where BB, Blue Boy Morgan, lived with his wife, Jenna, and his daughter, Maria, in a newly constructed house on the family land.
Ben pulled up in the driveway behind Jenna’s truck, and got out to a cacophony of barking. Between Jenna’s veterinary business and Maria’s love of taking care of creatures, their place was like a zoo.
By the time he reached the door, it was already open, and Blue “BB” Morgan, retired Marine and all around badass, was waiting for him. He wasn’t the kind of guy who would let anyone creep up on him unawares.
“Hey, thanks for coming over.” BB patted Ben’s shoulder. “Have you eaten? Jenna made some vegetarian patties if you like that kind of thing. Me and Maria are going with the beef.”
“I’m good, thanks.” Ben ignored the low growl of his stomach. Working outside meant that he had quite an appetite and burned through a ton of calories without putting on weight.
“Well, sit down and keep me company, anyway,” BB said as they came into the open-plan kitchen and dining area. “Jenna’s got a thing about us all eating dinner together.”
“Hey again, Jenna,” Ben called out as he spotted the veterinarian. “Sorry to barge in on