Page 15 of The Little Things

Chapter Nine

Zach

Istood out on the deck, staring out into the backyard that was like a giant pasture that had been fenced in years ago. The tree fort my dad had built when Lennix was little was still there, as was the swing set and slide they’d gotten for her fifth birthday. Neither had been used in years, but they refused to get rid of either of them, stating that it was only a matter of time before we started having kids of our own, and they wanted their grandbabies to be able to enjoy those as much as my sister and I had.

I’d been too old for a fort and a swing set by the time Lennix came around, but my enjoyment came from spending time with her, reading her stories up in our special place, and pushing her on the swing. I’d been her favorite person when she was a kid, a role I’d never taken lightly.

“I was starting to worry.” At the sound of my mother’s voice, I lifted my beer and drank, waiting for her to join me at the deck railing. Lennix had nailed it again, bringing a dark, rick stout tonight specifically for me. “Glad to see it wasn’t necessary.”

“It won’t stop you. You’ll find somethin’ else to worry about eventually,” I teased.

She bumped my shoulder on a quiet chuckle then brought her wine glass to her lips. Rory might have run the Tap Room for decades, happily carrying on yet another one of our family’s legacies, but if she had to choose between beer and wine, it would be wine every time. “It’s called being a parent. I’m hoping you’ll get to experience it yourself one day.”

I let out a snort, giving my head a shake. “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that if I were you. I’m perfectly content just as I am.”

Mom leaned against me, lowering her head onto my shoulder. “There’s a big difference between content and happy, honey.”

And just like that, her worry was back. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against me. There hadn’t been much time before I outgrew her, but I could still recall when the roles were reversed and she was the one to hold me reassuringly for that short amount of time.

“I’m happy, Mom. I swear.” I waved my arm out in front of me. “I’ve got everything I could possibly need or want right here. I have you and Dad, Pop and Grandma, Lennix when she isn’t being a gigantic pain in my ass.”

She let out a long, deep breath. “We’re not always going to be here, you know,” she said, her words like a knife straight to my heart.

“Christ, don’t remind me. Talk about a downer.”

She pulled back so she could look up at me, her ebony brows furrowed. “I’m serious, sweetheart. What’s going to happen to this place when you’re too old to run it? Who’s it going to go to if you never have a family of your own?”

My heart sank into the pit of my stomach. This really wasn’t the kind of shit I wanted to be thinking about. “I’m sure Lennix will pop out a whole mess of kids eventually. She’s still got plenty of time. You don’t need to worry about the ranch. It’ll stay in the family.”

She shook her head. “That’s not what I’m talking about.” Her hand came up and rested against my cheek, twisting my face so I was looking down at her. “This ranch is yours, Zach. Forget about the Hightower name that came before. Or Paulson. It’s not that anymore, it’s Safe Haven. Your safe haven, son. It should be that very thing for the next person, and I know you’d raise your kids to look at this place like that.”

I heaved out a breath and tried to look away, but she wouldn’t let me.

“If you really and truly don’t want kids, that’s fine. I’ll respect that decision. But if you’re dragging your feet and settling for content instead of happy because you’re scared or because you think you don’t deserve it, well... that would break my heart.”

Christ, talk about a kill shot.

“When the hell did you get so good at mom-guilt, huh?” I asked, desperately needing to lighten the mood. “You been takin’ classes from Grandma when no one was lookin’?”

She pulled back and batted at my arm playfully. “I see what you’re doing, and I’ll let you get away with it this time.”

“Oh really? What am I doing?”

“Changing the subject,” she stated, hitting the nail on the head. “But I wouldn’t be doing my job as your mother if I didn’t point out that you got jealous in there when your sister mentioned Rae dating the ranch hands.”

My fingers around my beer bottle tightened dangerously, but I fought not to let anything show on my face. “You’re way off-base, Mom. I wasn’t jealous. I was annoyed. Last thing I need to deal with is fraternization between my crew.” Maybe I should write up a new rule, forbidding any of them from hooking up. The more I ran that idea through my head, the more I liked it. It was what was best for the ranch, after all. We didn’t need the drama.

“Whatever you say.” Mom didn’t bother hiding her eyeroll.

“What about the fact that she’s barely legal, huh? There’s, what... a twelve-year gap between us? She’s too damn young. Or I’m too damn old, not sure which one’s worse.”

She waved me off. “Oh, please. No one is thinking about that but you. She’s a fully grown, capable adult. Aside from the little bit of trouble she got herself into back in Los Angeles, she’s been living on her own for years. I’d say she’s more than old enough.”

I stared at her in wide-eyed bewilderment. “Christ, when did you become a matchmaker? Fine, how about this? Did you forget the little fact that she’s not from here? That when all of this is over, she’ll be going back home? To Los Angeles?”

Mom’s shoulder came up in a shrug. “This place has a habit of growing on people.” She downed the last sip of her wine before adding, “Lennix was right, you know. She’s very beautiful. Only a matter of time before someone comes in and sweeps her off her feet. Just remember that.”

She gave me a pat on my back before turning and heading back into the house, leaving me to stew at the thought of Rae getting close to any of my guys. But it wasn’t jealousy, damn it.

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