Page 6 of And Forever
“I want a riding ring so I can practice in the off-season. Maybe even give riding lessons when I decide to stop riding?”
“When will that be?”
“When I can’t pull myself up on a horse anymore.”
The memory floats to the surface. The two of us wrapped in each other’s arms in the quiet of the night, talking about our future. Charlotte stopped riding, and I can’t help but feel like I’m to blame.
“But she’s not happy.” Bex’s sad voice keeps me from spiraling at the Strykers’ casual admission that Charlotte upended her entire life. “Sure, she hashappiness. There are aspects of her life that bring her joy, but weknowshe needs more. She needs something to shake up what she thinks is a comfortable existence, when really, she’s allowed herself to become complacent. Charlotte’sacceptedthings for what they are. It’s killing us to watch.”
Mitch nods beside me.
“And dropping me back into her life is your way of changing that?” I can’t help the incredulous tone of my voice. No wonder these people drove Charlotte crazy as a teenager. There’s parentalguidance and then there’s this: complete interference. I might not have the right anymore, but an old protectiveness swirls inside me at the machinations being laid out in front of me. “I don’t have any guarantee that she’ll even want toseeme. I’ve more than earned her hatred.”
“She doesn’t hate you.” Mitch brokers no argument with his words. “And we’re not asking you for anything. Just stay, take the job.”
4
CHARLOTTE
EVERS RIDGE, MONTANA — APRIL
Traveling with a toddler is not for the faint of heart. We’ve been gone for a week, but it might as well have been a month for how much I’ve aged on this trip. I lean my head against the headrest of the passenger seat, closing my eyes for just a moment.
“It’s only another hour until we get to the ranch,” Ada says from the driver’s seat of my SUV. It’s just after nightfall, and we’re heading home from the airport in Bozeman. The decision seemed to be a good one when we booked the trip. Winona would fall asleep in the backseat and not have jetlag come morning. And all is going according to plan if the adorable little snores coming from the car seat are any indication, but I didn’t account for how exhaustedIwould be.
“I cannot wait to sleep in my own bed,” I admit, straightening up and giving my best friend a smile. “It was a really great trip, though. Thanks for inviting us and helping me wrangle the tiny terror.”
“She wasnotthat bad, babe,” Ada laughs quietly, and I giggle in agreement. Winona was a great intrepid traveler. She carried her own backpack, full of entertainment and snacks, andsquealed in delight when she was allowed to ride on Ada’s rolling suitcase. “Once you figured out how to keep Meehaw from going missing, it was smooth sailing.”
I groan. The first day of the trip was almost the last when Meehaw was left at security. Winona exploded in tears, and we frantically searched every carry-on piece of luggage we had before an announcement came over the public address speakers, looking for the owner of a calico cat lovey. To avoid future complications, I pulled a sippy cup strap from my diaper bag and cinched it around Meehaw, connecting the other end to Winona’s backpack.
“Should have taken your advice and bought two of them when she was a baby. Then I could just replace it.”
“Wouldn’t be the same.” Ada shakes her head. “Have you heard from your parents about the new hire?”
“Just that he’s settled in, picked up the job quickly, and refuses to be on the Instagram account.” I shrug. “I still think it’s weird that my dad hired someone without talking to me, and now he won’t tell me the guy’s name.”
“Oh, yeah. That is strange.” She glances sideways, as if checking my reaction, but I catch a flicker ofsomethingin her eyes.
“What do you know?” I jump on it. Ada’s hands grip the steering wheel a little tighter. “Ada.”
“Nope.” Ada pops the “p” and purses her lips. “I’m not telling you anything.”
“Adaline Annette Prescott, you tell me right now what you know before I kick your ass.”
“You’re not kicking my ass, I’m driving the damn car.” Ada doesn’t miss a beat. “Besides, you’re not as scary as you used to be.”
“I am plenty scary,” I counter. Ada rolls her eyes.
“You went soft the second Win came into the world, Stryker. No good lying about it.” Ada laughs through her words, and Ican’t help but agree. Although I cross my arms petulantly to show my displeasure.
The uncertainty that rooted in my belly the day my dad showed up in my kitchen to announce the new hire flares to life again. Brighter. Hotter. I haven’t been able to shake it. Even when Winona sang a horrible rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Mary at the top of her lungs and we laughed until our sides hurt, my unease drifted like a shadow.
“Please, Ada,” I try again, pleading more softly. “What do you know? Should I be concerned?”
“Cameron at the feed store texted me… He said Wilder McCoy picked up the order for Arrowroot Hills last week.”
The second cup of coffee isn’t having any more impact than the first. But I sip it methodically, letting it warm my hands as I sit at my dining table. I’ve sat here most of the night, giving up on sleep hours ago.
