Page 7 of Every Single Wildflower
Cooper pulls out a toothpick and shoves it in his mouth. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m mad as fuck that you’ve not even bothered to show your face in four years, but I’m glad to see you.”
Cooper and I always had a special relationship. He had that energy about him. He was a natural peace maker. He wasn’t your stereotypical middle child. He was the life of the party, but he also had a soft side only a few got to see.
“I know y’all are angry. I didn’t visit,” I admit.
“Visit?” He scoffs. “You fell off the face of the earth, Ivy.”
I close my eyes.
“I know you had dreams to chase. Hell, I encouraged it. I just always thought you’d come back.” His eyes soften as he approaches the fence line, completely ignoring the house.
This pasture, which is no longer a beautiful green, but a black pit, borders my favorite wildflower field and I feel that heavy weight in my chest return. I know what’s next to that field. And another wave of emotion hits because the fire didn’t touch it.
“Well. I’m here,” I say simply as we stare out among the fields that still harbor a visible layer of smoke.
“How long did it take them?” I ask.
“Right before we left to come home, chief called and said they had it contained and mostly out. They had been working on it for over twenty-four hours.”
“How many acres?” I keep my eyes trained on the open range.
“About three thousand. Give or take.” He lifts a shoulder. “Some cattle got swept up in it. The hay is gone.”
Damn. That’s a big hit.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” I whisper.
He lets out a breath. “Yeah. It’s bad.”
He rests a forearm along the pipe railing. “You really like the city?” His question throws me, but I’m assuming a subject change is what he needs. This land is Cooper’s baby, and it's obvious he's struggling.
I let out a breath, letting my eyes drift over the field of flowers.
“It has its perks,” I answer.
I watch him search my face. “Come on, Ivy it’s me.”
I snort a laugh. “It’s not thishotfor one.”
We both stare out into the untouched pasture, watching the yellows and pinks sway with the light breeze. A decent breeze is a rare occasion in this part of Texas.
He doesn’t ask me anymore questions or hammer me about why I never visited. We just simply stand there, trying to grasp onto whatever this means for our family.
“You call Kota?” He asks.
“I sent her a text. I wasn’t sure if she was here or not.”
He nods. “Yeah. Her trailer is parked out by the arena.”
I lean my head down on his shoulder. “Thanks Coop.” I feel his head rest against mine. “And I’m sorry I left you,” I admit.
“I know. I forgave you a long time ago.” He brings up his palm to squeeze my shoulder. “But right now, we need you.”
I nod, knowing that this isn’t something I can just run away from. Not this time. His phone pings, and I wrap my arms around my middle.
“Ryder needs me. We have to shift the herd around. Give me a couple of hours and I can take you to town to see dad.”
“That’s fine.” I tilt my head. “I thought I’d pay Sugarfoot a visit.”
