“That fuck got her mixed up with the fucking mafia,” I hiss. “She thinks they’re friendly. Aside from dragging her out here, she made it pretty fucking clear that she had things to do there. And don’t forget, she ran to him.”
“It’s about pride?” Rylan asks.
I snort. “Went to her, didn’t I?”
“But did you humble yourself for her?” Wyatt asks.
“Been humble for her my whole fucking life. It’s only ever been Stephanie for me. No other woman has ever compared and I expected her to feel the same way when she never has. It’s better this way. I want a family. I want someone to pass this ranch down to. I want to at least try to be happy.”
“It’s not unreasonable,” Rylan rasps.
“So, party at my place Friday, invite everyone. Beaumont is still in California.”
Turning away from them, I’m sure it’s rude, but I do it anyway and I walk into the barn and saddle up Starlight. Climbing up, I ride her far away from it all. I need to herd the cattle toward water anyway. Mostly, I need air and space to just breathe.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
FORD
The three trucks barreling down my lane honk their horns as they swerve to miss the potholes that I’ve never bothered to repair. I’m sure their alignments are completely fucked by the time they stop in front of the farmhouse.
“We’re here,” Channing calls out.
I watch as the women jump out of the trucks, then go back to the babies in their car seats. I see his flash of blond hair and brace myself as Reese sprints toward me. Reaching down, I scoop him up in my arms, spinning him around with a chuckle.
“You stock the pond for me, Unca Ford?” he asks.
“Got your gear all ready to go.” I laugh softly.
“Guess we’re goin’ fishin’,” Rylan calls out.
“After we eat?” I ask, shifting my gaze to Reese.
He tilts his head to the side, contemplating as if he has a choice. “Okay, that should be just enough time that they’re hungry for dinner too, right?”
Smiling, I nod my head. “Yeah.”
He wriggles in my arms and I let him down. He runs off to see Starlight in the barn, in plain view of us, as I greet the rest of the group. I hug all the women, tickle the babies, then shake my friends’ hands.
What I don’t do is mention Stephanie, at all. I need one night where she isn’t the only thing that I think about until I drink myself into a stupor and pass out. Tonight is about friendship, food and maybe a date.
“Let’s eat out back at the picnic table, is it clean?” Exeter asks, calling out from the kitchen.
I look back from the grill to the picnic table and cringe. “Sure,” I lie.
Louis, Rylan, and Wyatt chuckle as they start to help me clear it off. I call out to Reese to bring the water hose, because the amount of dirt and dust on this fucker is not going to come off with any kind of cleaning spray and paper towels.
It’s a joint effort that doesn’t take long. By the time the girls start bringing the food out and the meat is finished, it looks like a whole new back patio. Everyone sets the food out on the table. The plates are stacked at the end, we all grab a plate, then pile the food high before we sit down.
Reese wiggles at his seat, his gaze focused on the fishing pond, too excited to try to reel in a big one. Conversation flows freely, and once again, I just listen, not having much to add. Don’t have kids, don’t have a wife, don’t have co-workers.
It’s just me and while I like it being just me, I always kind of forget, not being reminded how much I’m really missing until I see what I could have in front of me like this.
After the food is consumed, we all lean back and continue to talk while Rylan, Wyatt, and Louis take Reese out to the pond, ditching me with the women.
I’m kind of pissed that it’s not me, because I can feel the mood shift as soon as the little ears are gone and away.
“What happened in LA, Ford?” Tulip hints.
Shaking my head, I lift my gaze to meet hers. “Doesn’t matter. You got a friend for me?” I ask, getting straight to the point.
I’m sure she doesn’t like that, but I don’t really care. I need this to move the fuck on, or at least to try.
“Ford,” Exeter whispers.
Closing my eyes, I open them and look at the three women that I love like sisters. They care, it’s obvious by the concerned look in their eyes. It’s just that I’m really fucking tired. I want what they have, even if I have to fake some of it until the day that I die, that’s fine, I can do that.
I will do that.
“We have someone. How about next weekend? Dinner in Marble Falls, at that cute little Italian place right on the highway?”
My eyes widen in surprise at Channing’s declaration. “You do?” I ask.
She nods. “I do. She’ll meet you there at seven. I’ll do a reservation so that you don’t have to try to guess who is who, okay?”
Narrowing my eyes on her, I wonder what the fuck is going on here. My gaze flicks between the women and I know without a doubt that they are scheming.
“She isn’t butt ugly, is she? This isn’t some way to fuck with me, is it?” I ask.
“Ford Matthews, how dare you accuse us of something like that,” Channing says with a gasp, attempting to sound offended.
I grunt, leaning back in my seat. “How dare I, huh? Y’all three get together and if you’ve been in talks with Hutton and her crazy friend Laurie, I have no idea what you’d all get up to. So, I’m not accusing you, but I’m also not blindly trusting y’all.”
“We already know about you and Laurie, trust me, she is not in any conversations about your love life,” Tulip points out.
My lips twitch into a grin thinking about Laurie. Smoking fucking hot Laurie, but she didn’t like the same shit that I did in bed, not that I would have wanted to date her long term anyway. She’s a little too wild for me, she found her match in Beaumont’s bandmate though and I’m truly happy for them.
“Stop thinking about sex with Laurie,” Exeter snaps.
“I can’t.” I chuckle.
“You have a date to get ready for,” Channing points out.
“Can I at least see a picture, Facebook profile, something?”
All three women press their lips together and shake their heads. Narrowing my eyes on them, I know without a doubt that they’re hiding something from me. They also aren’t going to tell me a fucking thing. Great. She’s probably ugly as fuck.
“Fine. If she gets ditched because I see her and don’t like what I see, that’s on you,” I snap.
“Don’t be superficial,” Tulip grunts.
I shrug a shoulder. “Sorry, honey. If I’m going to spend the rest of my life with someone, I need to at least be attracted to them.”
“You will be,” Channing promises.
Licking my lips, I shake my head, enjoying fucking with them. They’re way too easy. “Let’s get this place cleaned up,” Exeter sighs, refusing to continue the banter any longer.
“You girls do enough, I’ll clean it up. If you just help me take it in and put it all in the sink?”