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Dad laughs and shakes his head. “You guys are morons.” He looks at Gillian and Ben. “You practically pushed them together. I mean, I did my job, but you two acting like they were committing incest if they got together just drove them even closer together. They probably bonded over your obsession to try to keep them apart.”
“Wait, Dad. You did your part?” My head tilts.
He laughs and claps Clayton on the back. “Briar moving in with you. Darla having Briar report for work at breakfast time when I knew you’d be there. Even Wren did her part, although she didn’t know it. She just needed to show Briar you aren’t the guy you pretend to be.”
“Why would you do that?” Briar asks quietly.
“Because my boys tend to get in their own way sometimes. Daisy was my one. She’s the only woman I’ll ever love. You boys give me hell for my Saturday night visitors, and it probably wasn’t the best example for you guys, but no one will ever replace your mom for me. That’s why I haven’t ever bothered to try. Now I look around this family meeting, and it makes me happy and proud that you’ve each found your person. My advice is to hold on tight and enjoy the ride for as long as you have one another. And stop fighting with your damn brothers.” He eyes each one of us. “Emmett, you have my vote at the meeting. You’re a different person in those videos. Scarlett talked to me earlier about the other plans you and Briar have. I think it can be profitable.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I have to swallow the lump forming in my throat.
He turns to Jude. “Emmett isn’t gonna take on more at the ranch. Train Nash. He can handle it.”
Jude nods and then looks over at me. “I’m sorry for what I said that day. I don’t think you’re stupid, or any of that other shit. I’m just stressed with the baby coming, and it’s maddening sometimes how you always seem so unstressed. I was your protector after Mom died, and pushing you and being hard on you felt like my role to get you to reach your full potential. But I see what Dad’s saying. You’re meant for a different role. I don’t want to fight with you guys. With Daisy coming soon, I want her to see healthy relationships in her family.”
“Thanks for being my protector growing up. Sometimes I’m so envious of you guys for having memories of Mom because I don’t have any.”
Briar steps closer to me. Her other hand wraps around my bicep, and she kisses my shoulder.
“We should talk about you more, Daisy,” Dad says. “I’m sorry for that. Sometimes it’s still so painful.”
“I’m sorry too,” Ben says to me. “But hey, aren’t you glad I taught you how to punch? My eye is still stinging.”
Everyone laughs.
“I love you, brother. Always,” Ben says, and I swear his eyes look kind of glossy. “Dad’s right. I should’ve known if something happened with you and Briar that you wouldn’t ever hurt her intentionally. You’re a lucky woman, Briar. I think I hopped on the crazy train with Gillian, just wanting to make sure she wasn’t upset.”
“Hey now,” Gillian says.
“Mom…” Clayton cringes as though he’s telling her to own it.
“Okay, yeah, I was a tad overprotective. But I knew someone had hurt you before you moved here, and I didn’t want someone else to have the chance to. I’m sorry, Emmett, I love you, but I knew she had that crush on you in high school, and that’s all I could think of when she was moving in with you.”
“What?” Briar asks, mouth hanging open.
“Do you think I didn’t see the notebooks? I packed that box for you to take when you left for Chicago. It wasn’t much of a secret, except maybe from Emmett.”
Briar covers her face with her hands. “This is so embarrassing.”
I tug her into my chest. “It’s okay, you scored your crush. You won.”
She shakes her head and groans.
“Us Noughton boys are hard to resist. Sadie crushed on me for years,” Jude says, puffing out his chest.
“And you me,” she says, elbowing him.
“You should all be grateful to have one another. So now that we’re all made up, the next time we come up here, it better be to celebrate something good.” Dad steps up to Mom’s tombstone.
The Noughton men circle around it, linking arms and staring at the top.
“Love you,” we say in unison.
Then, as a family, we walk back to the UTVs, all of us silent. Briar doesn’t seem upset about the deal I made with Ben, but I have a feeling I have some groveling to do when we get home. Which I’m more than happy to do between her legs. No complaints from me.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Briar
