Page 116 of Downpour

I strangled the armrests of my wheelchair. “Will someone please tell me where Brooke is,” I gritted out.

“You’ve got the words, but you don’t have the music,” Christian said as he leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard. “Try that one more time.”

I growled. “This family drives me fucking crazy, you know that?”

Nate grinned. “Right back at you.”

I ran my hands down my face. “I need to apologize to her.”

They exchanged glances with one another.

Finally, my dad spoke up. “She’s up at the house with momma. They’re doing some baking.”

I huffed and turned to leave, but CJ quickly blocked the door. “Sit.”

“I am,” I countered.

He crossed his arms. “You know what I mean.”

“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

“That’s the spirit,” Cassandra said. “Who wants to start?” She looked around. “No one? Good. I will. What the hell is your problem?”

My fingers clenched the armrests. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Yeah, you do, son,” Dad said. “Sit still and listen before you fuck it up.”

It wasn’t often that my father swore, but when he did, I knew it was serious.

“This is not your problem. It’s mine,” I said. “Let me handle it. Y’all have enough going on.”

“Which is why you left the ranch in the first place,” Christian said.

That made me pause.

“Because we had a lot going on. So you packed up and decided to ride bulls.” Christian lifted his cowboy hat and ran his hand over his long hair. “Nate got hurt. The ranch expanded, then we started struggling. So you left.”

I knew what he was getting at. It was something I had shared with him in confidence over a decade ago.

I never wanted to burden anyone, but I did. Packing up and heading to Colorado was the solution. Bull riding was my ticket out. I didn’t want to be another mouth to feed or put more strain on the family.

I returned when I was needed.

Christian needed help with his girls and the ranch after Gretchen died. So, I came back, did what needed to be done, and then left.

Being thrown off a bull and paralyzed reset the clock. It undid everything I had been working toward. Brought me back to the place I’d been hell-bent on leaving.

I came back without any say in the matter, and now I was an even bigger burden.

“Family isn’t a burden,” Dad said. “Assholes are. Stop acting like one. You’ve got a sweet girl who loves you to pieces and you’re acting foolish. Cut it out.”

“Someone broke into my house last night, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it,” I shouted. “None of you know what that feels like.”

“Maybe not, but I know what it feels like to need help. We all do,” Christian said. Cassandra opened her mouth to object, but Christian pointed at her. “Even Cass.”

She bit her lip and glared at him.

“Why do you think Becks and I chose to live on the ranch in the middle of nowhere when she has to fly to New York or around the world every month for work?” Nate asked. “If you don’t understand how family works, then you need to figure that out before you involve Brooke. Because this family isn’t going anywhere.”

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