Page 8 of Talk About… History

“Your account is probably frozen by now,” he said quietly. Bile rose in my throat as I nodded, realizing it was true. Thank god I never got around to closing my old bank account. I might even have a bit of my savings left if I had any luck at all.

He handed over the bracelet and green juice with a wrinkle of his nose, but for once didn’t give me shit.

We joined the others in the car, climbing into the back now that Maverick and Nash were in the front seats.

“You good?” Sidney asked around a yawn.

“I will be,” I said, offering a tight smile as I buckled in. My fingers fumbled with the packaging on the bracelet and Sidney eventually just reached over and secured it on my wrist for me. It was likely going to turn me green but I couldn’t find it in me to care.

It felt like the first thing I’d put on in a while that reminded me of the old Avery. Not the version my exes had carefully shaped over the last several years.

“Does Mama know?” I asked anyone who was listening.

“I told her to expect us for breakfast but kept your name out of it,” Nash admitted.

A fresh wave of nerves hit me but I couldn’t dwell on it as I took in the landscape around us. Fall in the mountains was always gorgeous, but I also loved spring. The trees were fluffy and green, coating the rocky landscape and making it seem like another world in the early morning light.

Before I knew it, the carved wooden sign that I knew well came into view.

Rockwood Valley

Artisan Capital of the South

Maybe at one time it was. From the sound of it, and what I saw happening before I left, it wasn’t anymore.

The roads were still empty as Maverick took the main road past Main Street, then wound his way through the smaller roads until we just hit the outskirts of town.

Whitaker Ranch

It wasn’t even a ranch anymore. It was when my parents bought it, but my dads founded Whitaker Family Brewery and never looked back.

The land was intended to be split between us kids the moment we found our own packs. The land had been surveyed and split five ways. One for my parents, one each for the triplets, and the last one for me.

Something I never thought I’d reclaim. In fact, Travis tried to get me to sell and bring in the money but I outright refused to entertain that and they dropped it fairly quickly.

Right now the faded yellow farmhouse with the wraparound porch and view of the mountains was the only thing there.

My mama was rocking on her porch swing, sipping her coffee with an old crocheted blanket over her lap.

She couldn’t see me yet but a smile formed on her lips as she set her mug aside and stood, ready to greet her sons.

Sidney climbed out before me and I heard mom’s sweet southern drawl call out to her. She was family as much as the rest of us.

When I stepped out and past the open door, she let out a shriek and was a blur as she raced across the yard.

“I’m beating all of your asses for not warning me my girl was home!” she shrieked before tackling me to the ground. We both fell, hitting the soft grass. I laughed as I hugged her close, the scent of peaches and sweet florals hit me square in the chest.

“Mama,” I choked out before the sobs hit. She sat me up and pulled me right into her lap like I was a child, hugging me tight and rocking me as she soothed me.

“What happened, my girl?” she asked gently, stroking my hair. I could feel the guys’ eyes on me but I heard a car door close as Sidney took her car home to give us space.

I loved her even more for that. Though, she could have stayed.

Nash filled her in quickly, giving a full detailed rundown. I never asked them to keep quiet and we all knew our mama would find out every last detail like a hound dog on a trail.

She just held me and rocked me until my tears had dried and the story cut off.

“Well, my sweet girl, I hate that it’s under these circumstances, but your mama is sure glad to have you home,” she whispered before placing a kiss on top of my head. “Now let me feed my babies.”

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