Page 116 of Dust Storm

“Alright, go finish coloring Uncle Ray’s tattoos before supper.”

“I’m still working,” Cassandra snapped when Gracie ran back inside.

“The ranch is closed. You’re off the clock.”

“The ranch is never closed.”

“I’ll put a padlock on the office.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t.”

“You wanna try me, princess? There’s more to life than clocking forty hours a week.”

She guffawed. “Like you’re one to talk. You work twice that.”

“My job makes me happy and it puts food on the table. Your job only does one of those things. I hope your full fridge is worth it.”

“I’m happy.” She had the words, but she didn’t have the music.

“Maybe someday I’ll believe you.”

And with that, I dragged her inside.

I was right. CJ came up from the fields before the workday was done. Soon, my living room was packed as ranch hands filtered in to see Ray.

To my surprise, Cassandra didn’t hide away in her room. She made my armchair her throne, staying accessible but silent.

I wasn’t sure what had crawled up her ass, but I was done with it. This standoff would end one way or another, just as soon as I could get her alone.

When Momma called everyone up to the main house for dinner, Bree and Gracie talked Cassandra’s ear off.

She tolerated it a little more than usual.

When we shuffled through the buffet line that was spread out across the kitchen counters, Becks waddled beside Cassandra so they could catch up on some piece of gossip she had heard while in town.

When we sat down at the long row of folding tables that had been pushed against the dining room table, I made sure to take the seat beside Cassandra.

And to my surprise, she held my hand and let me lace our fingers together when my father stood and said grace.

“You and I are gonna have a conversation later,” I murmured as food was shoveled into mouths and Ray was peppered with questions about his last competition.

Cassandra, sitting prim and proper with her back straight and her napkin across her lap, cut her eyes at me. “That’s unnecessary.”

“Fine. A business meeting then.”

I was ready to haul her out like a caveman, but Becks let out a gasp that made the table go silent.

“Oh—”

Nate put his hand on her back as she hunched over. “Talk to me, Red,” he said quietly.

It had been eleven years since I’d seen a woman with that look on her face, but I remembered it like it was yesterday.

After thirty seconds of holding her breath in tense silence, Becks dropped her fork and nodded. “Time to go.”

Momma dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “Already?”

Becks’s eyes were glassy. “I’ve been having contractions since lunch.”

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