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Chapter Three

“What the hell? We were supposed to leave an hour ago. What happened to you? You look like shit!” His identical brother Luke stalked through the living room toward the kitchen. Tobias didn’t bother answering. He’d forgotten all about their planned trip to Billings to a cattle auction.

He turned the volume down on the television and sat up. “I have a lot of shit on my mind. Spent all night with a cow.”

“Mimi will be pissed if she finds out you called her a cow.” Luke’s tone was flat, but Tobias knew he was kidding.

The aroma of coffee followed the gurgling sound of the coffeemaker. He stood and went to the kitchen. “I’ll be ready to go in a bit. Let me just wash my face.”

“Nah, it’s getting late, we can go next week.” Luke watched the coffeemaker as if it would make the process go faster. “What happened?”

Tobias leaned on the counter and shrugged. “Hard birth. Poor thing was stuck badly. Didn’t think I needed to call a vet and, by the time I realized how bad it was, it was too late.”

“Lost both?”

“Just the calf.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Luke poured two cups of coffee. “I suppose it’ll be a good day to hang out and help you with stuff around here.”

Although his brother was a man of few words, he always seemed to know when Tobias needed a sounding board. And while there were times when Luke wouldn’t say a word, just being able to share things was usually more than enough.

Tobias cleared his throat. “Do you plan to stay here for the rest of your life? Let this be it? Ranching, spending every day and night with horses and cattle?”

Instead of replying right away, Luke took a long sip of his coffee and looked straight out the sliding doors. It was obvious he was considering what to say. Finally, he met Tobias’ gaze.

“There’s nothing out there that’s any better. This is where I belong.” Luke studied him. “What’s got you thinking different? You’ve always wanted to make this ranch successful and raise a family here.”

He wasn’t about to tell Luke about Mimi’s request. It would seal her fate as the most disliked member of the family. “Lately, I’ve been feeling sort of stifled. You know, like I can’t breathe fully and then there’s so much of my past here.”

“You mean Tori?”

Why the hell did he have to bring her up?

“No, not just Tori. I mean everyone trying to dictate my life. I know you all don’t like Mimi, but she’s the woman I’m going to marry. I don’t need to see disapproval and judgment everywhere I turn.”

A tennis ball rolling past his feet followed the sound of a dog’s nails on the wooden floor. One of the dogs, Duke, sat in front of him and looked up. Tobias couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ll let you out, but I’m not playing fetch right now.”

“Why not?” Luke said, bending to pick up the ball and going to the sliding doors. “The dogs stifling you, too?”

“What the fuck?” He clenched his jaw, not sure what Luke meant by the comment and followed his brother and excited dogs out to the back deck. Luke bent to pick up a second ball and threw both.

The dogs barked and raced off. His brother turned with a scowl that probably matched his own.

“If you’re not happy, it has nothing to do with Laurel Creek, the ranch or the people here. You need to ask yourself what’s really going on.”

Tobias let out a long breath. “Luke, I don’t have to figure it out. It has everything to do with this damned place. Sometimes Laurel Creek is too small. Everybody knows your business.”

The dogs returned, dropped the balls and, once again, stared up at them with expectancy. Tobias threw the balls this time.

“Sell the ranch and leave. See how happy that makes you. I’m letting you know now, I am not going to take it on. Make sure you give family the option to buy first. Oh, and fuck you.” Luke walked off toward the stables.

What the hell was happening? How did he become the bad guy all of a sudden?

“Hello?”