“I have to go,” I said blankly, turning to leave Pres and his speeches and his dumb half-drunk ass.
“Go where?”
“I’m supposed to be at the visitor’s office so Jessie’s not alone all day. And I promised Payden I’d help him load the new foal in the trailer. Vet appointment. And one of the field gates is sticking. Gotta fix it.” I scowled at Preston. “There’s a lotta work going on out there, Pres. Pretty sure you’re due at the main office in what? An hour? Mr. ‘Acting CEO’? You might wanna shower first. You effin reek.” I stomped out of the room, slamming his door behind me.
It was hard to tell what I was even the most upset about as I charged out of Preston’s wing. I was pissed he’d spoken to Anne, obviously. I was enraged that he’d encroached upon her privacy. I was murderous that his intrusion had caused her to flee.
But also... I was frustrated that he was, to some unknown degree, right.
Anne was keeping something from me.
The difference between Preston and myself, was that I was willing to wait it out. Let her come to me. No pressure, no worries.
I nearly ran into Pierce in the main hall.
“Christ! I don’t care how big this goddamn house is. There are too many of us in here!” I yelled it, but not necessarily at Pierce. It just felt good to yell.
“Wow, Penn. This is an interesting side of you,” Pierce remarked, raising his dark eyebrows and keeping his face neutral. He was already looking snazzy in nice pants and a button down, ready for a day of writing in his office.
Pierce could have been the Acting CEO of Hardick Ranch, but he’d passed the job to Preston. And now... Pierce wrote novels. All day, every day.
Unlike our father and his western romance, Pierce wrote horror novels. He was the Stephen King of our family, apparently.
He didn’t like to discuss his work. But Pierce wasn’t big on discussing much of anything since Sarah passed.
“I know, I know. I’m not acting like myself. I’ve been informed. Multiple times,” I growled, running a hand through my dark shag.
“You really care for Anne, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question, and I snapped my gaze up to meet Pierce’s dark eyes. They were kind. No judgment.
“Yeah. I do. If you’re getting ready to give me a ‘there’s something off about that girl’ speech, just save it. I’ve heard. I know.” I prepared myself for a stinging comeback.
But Pierce just shrugged and put his hands in his pant pockets.
“I’m not going to lecture you, Penn. I just have a small piece of advice from my own personal viewpoint. Can I share it with you?” He stared at me patiently.
“Go for it.” I nodded, wondering if I was seconds away from regretting agreeing to yet another Hardick opinion.
“The way I see it, it’s simple. Don’t listen to anyone else. Go for what you want.” Pierce studied my face after he spoke.
“You’re not all concerned about Anne’s background? I thought you’d be calling the private investigators by now.” I wasn’t kidding. Pierce trusted no one – especially when it came to strangers in his house.
“I’m curious. And I’m careful. But Anne didn’t set off any type of danger signal for me. She may have just had a rough life. It’s hard for us Hardicks to remember that most people don’t live... like this.” Pierce waved an arm at the monstrous interior.
“Not for me. I think about it every day. Our lives are freakishly abnormal. I hate it.” And I do. I appreciate everything my parents did to give us a good life, but the nonstop extravagance... It’s exhausting. And embarrassing.
“I know you do. That’s beside the point. I only meant to say, any mystery surrounding Anne is more than likely just her being hesitant to open up to a bunch of rich jerks like us. I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” Pierce gave me a small smile. “If you like her, don’t let her go. You have an opportunity to keep someone you care about in your life, and maybe for a very long time. Take it. Because sometimes, you won’t have any choice or chance to change the outcome at all.”
He was speaking of Sarah, I knew. She’d basically been ripped clean out of his life in the blink of an eye. Pierce hadn’t had a say in the matter whatsoever.
“Do you ever wish you’d just never met Sarah?” I blurted.
Pierce’s gaze became intense. “No. Not once.”
I sighed. “If you don’t find someone, you can’t lose them. You wouldn’t have had to go through... the loss.” It was something I’d always wanted to ask Pierce but had never felt quite able to do it.
Right now, however, the vibe between us was slightly more open than normal. It was as good a time as any to probe Pierce’s mind and heart.
“You’re right.” Pierce nodded, leaning against the elaborate railing that circled the staircase. “And I wouldn’t have Avy or Braden. I wouldn’t have all those memories with Sarah. I’d be empty.”
“Don’t you feel empty without her?” I almost didn’t ask that one. It seemed overly intrusive.
Pierce smiled – a sad smile, but maybe a bit of wistfulness in it too. “I’m never without her, Penn.” He patted my back just once. “Go get your girl.”
In unaffected Pierce fashion, he sauntered away toward his own wing’s main hallway. Off to write in his private dungeon, no doubt. Pierce was just like my father in many ways. But they were also incredibly different.
I watched him disappear down his hall and thought briefly about what he had said.
Go for what you want. If you like her, don’t let her go. You have an opportunity... take it.
Pierce was the absolute last family member that I would have expected to receive that advice from. Yet there it was.
I knew the words he’d said didn’t mean he wouldn’t check into Anne’s background eventually. But the fact that he wasn’t concerned... Pierce was always concerned. This was a good sign.
Somehow.
My brain was starting to hurt, and for very different reasons than Preston’s currently did.
I decided to shower, deal with things around the ranch, and then... I would drive to Corydon and get my girl.
I kinda wished the damn bells didn’t jangle as loudly as they did when I entered Kate’s Supplies. There was certainly no sneaking up on anybody here.
It was the afternoon, so I congratulated myself on not jumping in my truck and speeding off to find Anne earlier in the morning. I’d attempted to be mature. Level-headed. Easy going.
All of the things that I normally was before Anne.
Her facial expression when we locked eyes wasn’t exactly encouraging. No smile. No dimple. Just a blank stare.
“Hey,” I greeted, walking straight to the counter. I could beat around the bush, but that seemed ridiculous now.
We knew each other – intimately. Things were different now.
“Hey,” Anne returned, completely neutral. Her green eyes were incredibly guarded.
“You left, and I know why. I know Preston spoke with you,” I spoke directly, but quietly. I had no idea if anyone else was present in the store – shoppers, Murphy, Kate...
“Preston didn’t make me leave.” Anne shook her head severely.