Page 13 of We Redeemed the Rain

“Yep. Heard him going ‘round 2 a.m.”

“Did you try to stop him?”

“Of course I did.”

“I’m guessing that didn’t go too well.”

I took another long draw, deep and burning. Smoke lifted around my face as I answered. “Yeah, he had some words for me.”

“Not too nice, I’m sure.”

“Just airin’ his lungs, mostly.”

Jesse stepped closer and reached for my cigarette, plucking it out of my hand. He held it between us. “Where’d you get this?”

“Coop left them.” I snorted. “Nicest thing he’s ever done for me.”

I went to take it back, but Jesse moved away. He tapped the light out on the railing and flipped the butt into the garden bed below.

I stared at it, surprised by the strong irritation coursing through my veins. “Really, man?”

“Well, let me see. If I recall correctly, you told me approximately three and a half years ago, ‘don’t let me do anything stupid and I won’t let you do anything stupid.’ Starting that back up”—he pointed into the bushes—“qualifies as stupid.” He lifted his hands to the side of his face to look innocent. “Just upholding my end of the bargain.”

“So you let me pay Cooper’s bail, but take my cigarette? That ain’t logic.”

Jesse gave a humorless chuckle. “You know I did my best to talk you out of it. But you’re as stubborn as JoJo.”

I shook my head. “No human’s that stubborn.”

“I’m sorry, Tag. I figured things would work out this way, but that doesn’t change that I hate it for you.”

“It’s my own fault.”

“No.” Jesse shook his head. “Caring for someone isn’t a fault.”

I nodded, wishing those words would do more to quell the unease in my chest and calm the storm that had raged within me ever since I received a phone call from the San Antonio Police Department. Like an idiot, I thought maybe this would be Cooper’s wake up call, and he would want to stay home. I hoped he’d realize drugs, women, carousing, and carrying on wasn’t a way to live.

He was arrested for petty theft and simple assault. Bail was only a few thousand. Granted, I didn’t have a few thousand to spare. But I made it work, because when Cooper asked me to pay, I remembered his tiny face, peeking out from under the covers and his hand in mine as we walked to the store for bread. Bailing him out was as much a part of my nature as breathing.

Regardless of Jesse’s opinion, itwasmy fault. Not that I expected anyone to understand.

I crossed my arms across my chest, determined to light up another cigarette when Jesse and I parted ways. Cooper had the power to stir up unrest in me like nothing else in my life. I deserved a smoke for dealing with it.

Soft shuffling turned Jesse and I toward the side of the house. Eight-year-old Cade sauntered up, kicking dust under his boots. His hands were buried in his pockets, a mirror of his father, and the frown on his face shouted his disdain for mornings. Cade’s scowl deepened as he mumbled something and stumbled up onto the porch. Jesse ruffled his boy’s auburn hair and draped an arm around his shoulders.

“Alright. Agenda for the day.” I looked at the ancient beams above us and closed my eyes, forcing my brain out of dreamland and into the present moment. I quickly ran through a mental checklist. “Penny’s comin’ around noon to check on Tillie. Walkin’ horses get vaccines, so let’s gather ‘em all in the holding pen. The sheep and short-go horses are leavin’ tomorrow, so don’t run any of them too hard in the hot walker. Rain will be in by nine-ish. Supposed to storm off and on allday. Once it starts up, keep Tillie in her stall. I’ll run to San Antonio to pick up a part for the baler then I gotta prep the semi. At end of day we need to pick up the Chevrolet. If we don’t get that far, we can grab it early tomorrow.”

When I stopped for a breath, Jesse piped up. “Did you say the sheep go to the rodeo tomorrow?”

“Yeah. The subcontractor who was bringin’ them had a problem come up last minute so Billy called me to fill in.”

Jesse’s fingers, laced through the loop of the mug handle, tapped uncomfortably. “Uh, who—who’s driving the trailer?”

Immediately, my head tipped forward in defeat. “Ah,shit.”

“You forgot, didn’t you?”

I pulled the hat off my head and plunged my fingers into my hair. Of all the stupid, empty-brained things I could’ve screwed myself over with. This was why I needed to write things down in a calendar.

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