Now that I’m home, though, now that I’ve had some time to mull it over, there are a million things I wish I’d told Mr. and Mrs. Duran. Like how much I adore their daughter. That she’s one of the most capable people I’ve ever met. That they raised a brilliant, passionate woman who’s an amazing example for my kids.
Did I say any of that? No. I stumbled through a terrible description of sex, one that only confused Mila, and then hightailed it out of there. What the fuck is wrong with me?
I groan, dropping my head into my hands.
Never again. Tori deserves better.
The front door opens and shuts with a soft click. Tori drops her bag in the front hall, traipses across the living room, and plunks herself on my lap.
Before I can begin to figure out how to apologize for this morning, she beats me to it after planting a soft kiss on my lips.
“I’m so sorry you got ambushed. I didn’t realize Kat was meeting up with our parents.” She shudders. “I’d never drag you into something like that on purpose.”
Having her in my arms immediately puts me at ease. “Nothing to apologize for, honey. I’m sorry I didn’t handle it better.”
She nibbles on her bottom lip. “I feel bad. You guys have a lot going on this week. You don’t need more stress.”
Logan, who’s still on the floor, groans. “Shit. Guess I need to wear a suit on Friday, right?”
My suit is ready to go. In fact, every morning when I see it hanging in my closet, it gives me a little heartburn, knowing why I need it ready. “That’s probably a good idea. We can’t show up looking like bums.”
“Speaking of.” Tori tugs on my t-shirt. “I’ve been thinking about your situation.”
I lift an eyebrow.
“Why you don’t compete anymore in those cutting horse competitions.”
All of my muscles tense, and I lean back, trying to put some space between me and Tori even though she’s sitting on my lap. Not sure why this puts me on edge, but it does.
She must sense my anxiety because she pats my chest. “I get that there’s a cashflow problem. That the competitions are expensive. But the purses are fairly substantial, and a few years of doing the cutting circuit could get you out of debt with Allison.”
All shit I’ve debated and analyzed this summer, except I don’t see how we can make it happen.
“What’s the biggest expense if you wanted to compete?” she asks. “The guy who provides the cattle?”
I scoot out from under her and stand up. This whole discussion makes my skin itch. “Yeah. That eats up a bulk of our budget.”
“And you pay him outright?”
Nodding, I wonder where she’s headed with this.
“This morning my parents were talking about this farming collective they’d heard about from one of their friends.” Tori turns to Logan to explain her parents used to be migrant farmers. “The families all share in the cost and profits, you know, pooling their resources. It got me thinking that maybe you could ask the guy who provides the cattle to do it for a reduced rate for a cut of the profit. That way you’re offsetting the cost. And maybe, if you can get him on board, I wonder if Allison would be open to getting paid that way too. So rather than taking an immediate payout on the ranch, she could view that money as an investment with different terms, say a payout within five years or whatever you guys decide.”
Logan and I look at each other, and that glimmer in his eyes makes me want to put on the brakes.
With a sigh, I yank off my baseball cap and scrub my hand through my hair. “I’d say this plan has potential, but there’s one colossal variable.” Leaning back against the fireplace mantel, I restrain myself from listing all the ways this could go wrong.
Tori gets up and wanders over to me, beaming that luminescent smile, the one that makes me consider jumping off high dives like this one. “Yeah.” She nods, stopping right between my legs. “It assumes you win. That you go to Fort Worth and kick ass.” Her eyes cut to Logan. “Can Ethan do this? Can he go and be the best right out of the gate? Or is he just there to make his Wranglers look good?”
I chuckle and reach for her. I can’t help it. Kinda want to spank her for all that sass. Except she’d like it.
I wait for my brother to say something sarcastic, but his attention drills into me. “Ethan’s the best. I’d bet on him to win. Our daddy always said he was a natural. That he had cutting in his blood like one of the horses. Now, he’d have to qualify with enough points in earlier competitions and we’re already midway through the season, but if anyone could do it, he could.”
Aww, bro.
Feeling a little sentimental, I shrug and struggle to find something to say, but Tori fills the silence. “I wasn’t thinking that you’d have to compete right away, just set the groundwork for it this fall, get your investors on board, and then go for it in the new year so you can have a good shot at qualifying for the Futurity.”
Twisting her in my arms so I can see her face, I smile. “Have you been researching all of this?”
“Maybe.” She bats her eyelashes at me, and I belt out a laugh. “Though I might’ve fallen asleep reading the contest rulebook online.”
I kiss her forehead, feeling cautiously optimistic. But no matter what happens, I’m grateful for this girl in my arms. So fucking grateful.
Logan strides over and smacks me on the back. “Tori’s made some great points. I think we should go for it. Figure shit out along the way. She’s right—you could win the big enchilada in a year or two, and that would take our ranch to a whole new level. If you wanna do this, bro, I got your back. I know Mom will too when she gets back from Chicago.”
We grin at each other like assholes, and Tori coos at us. “You guys are adorable. I always wanted brothers to look out for me the way you two do with each other.”
With a smile on my lips, I pull her closer and whisper, “Baby, I can assure you I do not think of you as my sister.”
Not even a little bit.
Tori
“Like this?” Mila asks, her face a mask of seriousness.
“Yes, ma’am. You’re doing great.”
We’re sitting in the family room with a mountain of art and craft supplies. I’m showing her how to make dolls with some artificial flowers, wire, and yarn I found in the sewing room. I made her one the other day, and she loved it, so I thought we could do them together this afternoon to take her mind off her parents, who have that court date to settle their finances.
I didn’t think Ethan told Mila he was going before a judge again today, but when she saw him wearing a suit and tie this morning, I got the feeling she understood he was headed to another serious adult meeting. Kids are so smart. They always sense what’s going on, even if they’re not told.
Making dolls is a great distraction for me too because whenever I think about what today could mean for Ethan, I want to hurl. Ethan talked to Allison for an hour on the phone yesterday, trying to get her to consider the co-op plan I suggested. I could hear bits and pieces from the kitchen, and as much as I tried not to let it bother me, by the end of the convo when Ethan was laughing and sweet, where I could tell she had chilled out and they were getting along, a hot streak of jealousy shot through me.