Page 22 of Rodeo Cowboy
“No. This isn’t about breakfast.” I wring my hands together.
“I bribed Sammy into giving me my lighter back. Don’t be hating on him,” McKenna murmurs. “I would’ve put it in the kitchen as we agreed, but I fell asleep.”
“No. What? Wait. You have your lighter. Give it to me.”
McKenna’s arm shoots in the air, and I snatch the light away.
“Bonus points for parental tone.” Willow’s voice muffles in the mattress.
“Buckets of bonus points,” McKenna agrees. “That’s some serious salt, Aunt Ayla.”
Willow pulls the pillow from under her sister's head and sticks it under hers. “How did you get Sammy to give you the lighter back?”
McKenna lifts her legs and rests her feet on the wall behind her headboard. “His brother's hog-tied him, hung him in a tree, and left him. I helped him down.”
“Last night?”
“No, Aunt Ayla, last week we were all in Arizona.” McKenna throws a ball at the wall and catches it. Then throws it again.
“Why would they do that?” Bode asks.
“Why did his brother punch him in the face?” Willow rolls on her back and catches McKenna’s ball.
“You saw that?” I ask.
“Everyone saw.” Willow throws the ball and McKenna catches it. They start a back-and-forth game of catch.
“Doesn’t Sammy’s brothers like him?” Bode’s feet dangle off the bed, and he clutches the book against his chest.
“I think they love him.”
“Why would they punch him and hog-tie him if they love him?” Bode’s legs hit the frame as he continues to unaware swing them.
“Brotherly love.” McKenna angles the ball so it glides in Bode’s direction. “Wanna try?”
I catch the ball mid-air. “There will be no hog-tying or punching between the three of you. Now, listen. I’ve never claimed to be good at this parenting thing. I’m pretty sure dragging y’all here and asking you to lie to Sammy’s family is the telltale sign to prove my statement.” I sit on the edge of Bode’s bed. “We have three options. One, we return to Arizona, rebuild the house and continue our lives at your parent's ranch.”
Their sour faces say everything.
“Two, move to California and resume the life I lived there. Or three, stay the week here and play out this charade to repay Sammy for everything he’s done at the ranch. Your decision.”
