Page 20 of One Wild Chance

Rhett smirks. “Says the man who almost got kicked by a horse because he couldn’t ask for help.”

“Ask who for help?” Ada Mae says as she sets a fresh pitcher of tea on the table.

“No one,” I mutter.

“Summer,” Wyatt answers.

“This is not about her,” I say. “It’s about the fact that she’s as stubborn as that mare.”

“That’s exactly why it’s about her,” Wyatt says.

I give him a warning.

Ada Mae looks between us. “You think Earl and I don’t argue? That man has been wrong about things for fifty years and I still haven’t left.” Then she disappears into the kitchen.

Wyatt tosses what’s left of his chicken on his plate. “Fifty years is pretty impressive, considering it’s Earl.”

Grady nearly spits out his sweet tea.

“Just so you know, Summer and I are nothing like Ada Mae and Earl.” I wipe my hands on a napkin. “She wants to live in Golden Springs for the rest of her life. I want to find a coaching position anywhere but here.”

Rhett puts down his fork. It’s the first time I’ve brought up going back into hockey in a different role.

“Do you have any leads?” Rhett asks.

“I’m waiting to hear back. But I can’t take a coaching position if I’m running a five-hundred-acre farm.”

Wyatt and Rhett don’t say anything. They know getting a coaching job is a shot in the dark. A very long shot.

“I don’t want to stay in Golden Springs.” I pick up the pitcher just to give myself something to do. “I can’t manage the horses⁠—”

“Or Summer?” Wyatt asks.

“Would you stop bringing up Summer?”

“You’re the one who keeps talking about her,” Rhett says.

Grady sets down his corn. “Can I say something?”

“You always do,” I mutter and drink my tea.

“You’ve only been home a short time and you’ve already identified all the reasons why you can’t stay.”

I shrug. “They’re legitimate reasons.”

“They’re also some of the same reasons you had at eighteen. And every other time you came home.” Grady leans back in his chair. “You’ve gotten pretty good at leaving. Probably could make a career out of it at this point.”

Wyatt snorts into his glass.

I set my glass down. “Okay. Let’s say I stay. Why couldn’t we hire the help we need?”

“You know how hard it is to find reliable farmhands around here?” Grady grabs another roll. “After the last manager got fired, Mom was reluctant to ask anyone but Earl to come back.”

“Fired?” I blink. “I thought he quit.”

Grady shakes his head. “Mom let him go after he stole money from Lucky Chance.”

“Seriously?” I stare at my brother. “And you knew about this?”