Page 92 of Redemption

“How—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Daisy interrupted.

“The important thing is, we’re not mad you kept it from us, we just want to help,” Maddy added.

“I was thinking I could start riding lessons for kids and adults. I bet there’s a load who would love to learn,” August said, her eyes bright.

“But—” I began, my anxiety flaring at the thought of them swooping in to save me. Frustrated at the fact that I’d buried my head in the sand for so long that they’d had to step in.

“I have an idea too. Raleigh Ranch is some fancy ass spa retreat thing but there aren’t any true cowboy Dude ranches in the area, so we could be the first and bring insome tourism. That way we can put them to work and save on staffing there. Jack could help build it and—”

I cut Daisy off. “Jack?” Since when would Daisyeversuggest working with Jack? Unless…dread filled me. “Did Jack tell you about the debt? Did he put you up to this?”

Daisy shook her head. “No.”

A rushing sound filled my ears as I replayed my conversation with him. The one where I opened up to him, trusted him with the affairs of the ranch, and my feelings of inadequacy. How little I’d been doing to fix everything.

“You’ve done a great job but…” Maddy trailed off, looking to the others and thebuttwisted in my gut like a knife.

“The debt’s been paid,” Daisy spoke quietly.

“What!” I shouted, leaping up. I glanced around the table but none of them would meet my gaze. Humiliation crawled through me, the flush creeping up my neck to rest on my cheeks.

“H…how?” I stuttered, clamping my mouth shut as my stomach churned with sickness.

“It doesn’t matter,” Daisy said.

“Daisy!"

“It’s all paid. We just need to focus on making money now so we can—”

“You don’t need to focus on anything, that’s my job!” I snapped. I’d never raised my voice to my sisters and the room went silent. I couldn’t look at their disappointed faces a moment longer so I left the kitchen and ran upstairs to my room to escape.

I struggled to catch my breath as all my inaction caught up with me. I’d prided myself on being able to handle things here, setting good examples, and yet I’d done fuck-all for weeks,monthseven sinceDaddy passed. My sisters had been forced to take action when I wanted them to remain removed from the issues here, all because I couldn’t handle my shit. I was meant to be the leader. Daddy had left it all to me and I’d let the girls down. I’d lethimdown.

There was a soft knock on my door. “Kat?” August called softly.

“Leave me alone, please!” I called back. I was too hurt, too embarrassed and emotional to have a rational conversation about this. There was a beat before I heard August’s footsteps pad away.

You’ve done a great job but…

The debt’s been paid…

We’re not mad you kept it from us…

Their words played over and over in my brain until I couldn’t take it anymore and got into bed. I needed sleep, I needed this night to be over.

I slept fitfully, bad dreams of the ranch being repossessed, and the girls being kicked out on the streets tormented me.

In the morning, I awoke. My eyes were stinging from lack of sleep. I dressed slowly, my enthusiasm for a hard day’s work waning. It was only just getting light but I wanted to get out and start work, the labor would force me to focus on something other than my miserable failings.

I worked hard baling hay, tidying the stables up, and then saddled Chester to ride out to the pasture and check the fence line. But my thoughts wouldn’t leave me. How I felt ambushed by my sisters, and their disappointed expressions. But how did they know there were issues to begin with? I didn’t want to think it could be him, but it was the only way that made sense.

“Jack,” I hissed, remembering what he said the daybefore about hisbright future. He told them, he must have. How else would they know? The timing couldn’t be denied, I just happened to tell him everything and the next day I’m confronted by my sisters? Rage filled my veins at my own stupidity, letting him in and trusting him after all the red flags I so casually ignored.

Like he knew I was thinking of him, he appeared at the mouth of the pasture. And when he spotted me, he urged Pickles on.

“Here you are,” he said when he rode up to me, flashing me that big smile that made my stomach twist. Oh, how stupid I’d been. He played me to get what he wanted. Whether that was the cabin, the ranch or a contract to develop it or God knows what. He swung down off the horse and jogged over, leaning in to kiss me but I jerked away.

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