Page 15 of Lead Me Knot

“To fix up. That never happened.” I bend down to look through the driver’s window. “Ripped leather.”

“The body is the only thing that’s in great condition.”

“The body is all that matters.” I study the dashboard before stepping back to take it in again. “There was nothing practical about having this car in the country, but my mom would say what’s the fun in practicality.”

He steps back, letting me take this in. I cross my arms over my chest, wondering if I have any claims to it at all. My sister owns majority share of the property. I would assume this comes along with it. My gut twists. I don’t have much of anything from my mom except memories.

I wonder if my mom would be proud of me as well. My dad says as much on occasion. She even told me once on a quick visit when I flew her to see the city for the first time. But I can’t stop thinking about how she’d feel now.

She was too young to die, to leave us out in the world without her tether.

“Baylor?”

Pulled from my thoughts, I look over at him. “Yeah?”

He chuckles. “It’s not even eight o’clock, and your mind is wandering.”

“Not wandering but wondering.” Eyeing him, I ask, “What are you doing with the car?”

“I’m going to move it to one of the other barns to figure out the next steps. It’s not a project I’m wanting to take on?—”

“I will.”

His eyes level on me. “You’re handy with tools, but this isn’t a tune-up. This is a complete rebuild. A costly one at that.”

“I have the money, and I want to do it for my mom.”

He goes quiet. How can he argue with that? He can’t. At least, I’m hoping he won’t. I’m still unsure who has the rights to it, but he seems confident he does. Crossing his arms over his chest, he looks back at the vehicle. “It’s not mine to decide. I think you should talk to Pris and your dad, but I’ll put in a good word for you, brother.” He flips the cover over it again.

It's gutting to see it hidden away again, but more so that I have no say in the matter of ownership. “Thanks.”

I follow him back out, looking back once more before we head into the large equipment barn. I’m slow, my whole being protesting leaving that car behind.

“You’re moving slow today. You need some coffee?” he asks. “Didn’t get much sleep or what?”

In the rising sun of the new day, I reach over my shoulder and scratch the back of my neck, trying not to think about those strawberry tattoos on my Shortcake, thetaste of her sweetness, and how she sounded like an angel when she came. That’s not something I need to share with him. “No, not much.”

“The storm was bad. I was up earlier than usual to do some cleanup around the place before starting the day. We had a few downed branches by the house and some on the other side of the field near the front rail.”

I’ve known him most of my life, if not all of it, and never seen him look happier. This is despite waking up at some ungodly hour to clean up branches around the property. He probably did it with a smile as well. Tagger sure is in his element out here. “How’d you make the transition back to this life so easily?”

Climbing up on a tractor that looks brand new to me, he replies, “It’s in our blood, brother. This is what we do.”

“No, we’re both in finance. Well, you used to be.”

Chuckling, he settles in the seat. “This is more satisfying. Pris and our kids are a big part of that, too. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t fallen for her. My son is thriving here, and Pris took him under her wing like one of her own. She’s the glue that made this life possible.”

“I should be pissed that you broke your promise to me about not dating my sister, but you make it hard to be mad about when it turned out the best for both of ya.”

He looks ready to get on with his day, but before he starts the engine, he says, “We got away from this town so fast, I never had time to look back to see what I left in the rearview mirror. And don’t get me wrong, Baylor, I don’t have many regrets. But when I came back, I was ready for a change from the life I created. I needed the change and so did my son. We don’t all travel at the same pace, but if you slow down a bit, you might find that the life you were running away from might suit you best.” He starts the tractor,then yells, “You’re here now. Why don’t you go spend some time with your dad and your niece and your nephew? I’ll loop around for some beers and hoops later.” Patting the steel body of the tractor, he laughs. “I’ve been dying to get this girl out of the barn since she got her new tires.”

I walk to the side to get out of his way. This is a man who used to pay for bottle service on the regular when we first moved to Manhattan after college graduation and could drink me under the table before we turned twenty-one. I taught him the best plays on the football field. He taught me the best plays off the field. And now here he is, excited about new tires on a tractor.

I don’t know whether to shake my head in disappointment or wonder if I’m missing out. He stops just ahead of me and looks back. “You want to take her for a spin?”

“I’m good.” There’s never time to waste on the ranch, though I have to say I miss the days we used to take the trucks out muddin’ or were getting up to no good until the sun went down. “I’ll see you later.”

“Hoops.”

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