Page 10 of Things Left Unsaid

“If you need me, I’ll be there.”

Touched despite being annoyed with her a short while ago, I pat her hand. “I’d say that the sacrifice wasn’t necessary but… home isn’t home anymore, is it?”

She bites her lip. “No. It stopped being that a long time ago.”

Ain’t that the truth.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Colton

Times Like These - Foo Fighters

“You have to be shitting me.”

Pops rocks in his seat. “You think I’m in the habit of wasting words, Colton?”

I think you’re in the habit of being an asshole.

“I’m not going to let this happen.”

I flew in a couple hours ago from Wyoming and, immediately after, was called in to help a heifer birth a calf that was breech, and this jerk-off wants to talk about?—

“You don’t have a choice. The rivers are dryer than a bone. Aren't you the one caterwauling about that all the damn time?

“You want to check how much water we have to take us through the season? You think it’s going to be enough for our cattle?”

“I told you we overexpanded,” I snarl, slamming to my feet, hands clapping against the desk as I loom over it. “But you wouldn’t listen?—”

“No, I wouldn’t listen. The bank wanted to invest in us. Why would I refuse free money?”

“It wasn’t free!Mygrandkids will be paying off the interest, you moron.”

“It’s not like we can’t afford it. It was only a loan, leaving me to diversify our capital elsewhere.”

“Why would you take a loan when we didn’t need it in the first place?” I argue, unable to understand the man’s logic.

But then, I’ve never understood how Pops’s mind works, and it’s only getting worse.

What with last year when he got it into his head that my youngest brother, Callan, wasn’t his kid, and then this loan—he’s pulling a crazy stunt once every 180 days minimum.

“It’s good business sense.”

“You wouldn’t know goodranchingbusiness if it pissed on your hand-stitched shoes, Pops. This is proof of it.”

I can see the rage licking around his pupils as if his fury is a visceral entity at my back talk, but I stopped being scared of him a lifetime ago. That rage can beat at me as if it were his fists however much he wants, but we both know that in a fight, I’d be the one taking him down.

I’m not eight anymore, pretending I have bullies in the schoolyard to explain away my bruises.

“I don’t know what made you think you can get away with talking to me like this, Colton,” is his cool warning, “but?—”

“The hot air you leak means nothing to me. I won’t be marrying Susanne McAllister for water rights.Sorry.”

“So our herd will die!" he exclaims. "That’s what you’re saying. And here I thought the ranch was your everything. When the shit hits the fan, though, you’re the first to jump off the sinking ship!”

“This is your mess,” I snap, the urge to throttle him strong. “Why am I the one who has to rectify it?”

“You think I haven't already tried to tie that girl to me? You should see the ass on that filly.” He whistles. “Almost jealous you’ll be breaking her in and not me.”

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