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I look at Emmett, and he nods with a frown. Not that I don’t believe my big brother.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“You were a little lost in Gilly Be’s world.” Emmett shrugs.
“You wouldn’t have gone had we told you. I’m fucking proud of you,” Jude says. “You did it. You made it. But when you made it, you turned your back on your family. How many holidays went by that you didn’t come home? You sent a fucking shipment of gifts one year. We didn’t want the expensive shit, we wanted you. Didn’t realize that when we sent you off into the world, you’d hardly ever come back.”
I don’t have a response. I did rarely come home, but it had more to do with not wanting to run into Gillian. And if I’m being really truthful, I didn’t want to feel the guilt that usually accompanied returning home.
“Fuck.” I tug at my hair, stepping back from my brothers.
“What’s going on here?” My dad walks Legend over to us by his reins.
Obviously all three of them were out doing something, and it makes it clear how much time they spend together.
“Nothing.” Jude turns his back to walk away, but my dad puts his hand on Jude’s chest.
“It doesn’t look like nothing.” He eyes me, but I don’t say anything. Dad shifts his attention to Emmett because everyone knows he’ll fold.
“The boiled water just spilled over the pot,” Emmett says.
I roll my eyes.
My dad nods. “Family meeting.”
Jude’s head rocks back and rolls to the side. “I have shit to do.”
“I tell you the shit you have to do. Let’s go.”
Jude goes back and grabs Titan out of his stall, Emmett gets back on Brutus, and I take Magnum. After we saddle them, Dad leads the way on Legend. We follow, and my ass instantly hurts since I’m not used to riding anymore. I’ve only ridden a couple times since I’ve been back.
Our horses climb the path up the small hill covered in a plethora of daisies. Up on top are the tombstones of generations before us. We secure our horses to the tree, and my dad approaches my mom’s grave while the three of us stay back to give him space.
“Boys are at it again, Daisy, but I’m sure you saw it comin’.” He kisses his fingers and touches the top of the tombstone.
Jude goes next because everything goes by birth order in our family. “Ben’s being an asshole, Ma.” Jude smiles back at me, then kisses his fingers and touches the top of her tombstone.
I approach, mad at myself that I haven’t come up here since returning. Daisy Noughton, loving wife and mother is etched in the gray stone.
“Jude’s been keeping secrets.” I kiss the tips of my fingers and press them to the sun-warmed stone.
We stand to the side as Emmett approaches for this turn. “They’re all crazy. I’m the only sane one.” He bends down and kisses the tombstone with his lips.
Dad shakes his head. “Now, Jude, what the hell is going on?”
“Why does Jude always get to go first?” I ask, hands on my hips.
“He’s the oldest.”
I blow out a breath.
“He’s up my ass about me joking about him not being around. Oh, and the fact that Gillian told him we helped Clayton.”
My dad looks at me.
“The Clayton thing wasn’t why we were fighting,” I say.
“I want this all behind us now,” my dad says.
