Page 48 of Quintessentially

Roots.

Stopping at the convenience store, I grab a cup of hot coffee and head toward Ricky’s place as the sun begins to rise. The horizon glows with reds and purples above the green trees as the sun turns the sky to a pale blue—the color of Kandace’s eyes.

“You came back,” Ricky says as I get out of my car. The Porsche looks out of place, parked beside a line of trucks near his barn.

I look down at my hands. “I did. Do you have some gloves?”

Ricky grins. “Getting soft, Richards.”

We turn to the sound of voices coming from the barn. Mick and Justin Sheers are talking until Justin’s eyes land on me.

“The fuck?” he mumbles.

I knew this confrontation would happen. That doesn’t mean I was expecting it today before the sun is fully up. I walk toward Kandace’s brother. “I know why you’re upset. I didn’t know until the other day.”

I shuffle backward as Justin’s fist contacts my jaw. Before he can throw another punch, Mick and Ricky are on him.

With his arms restrained, he growls, “Stay the fuck away from them. Kandace doesn’t want you, and Molly doesn’t need you.”

Rubbing my jaw, I lift my hands. “I’m not fighting you, Sheers. Kandace can make her own decisions. She doesn’t need you to do that for her.”

“What are you going to do? Ride in here in your expensive car, declare that you’re Father of the Year, and leave? Great plan. This time you can leave Kandace and Molly both in tears. Don’t worry about it. They have all of us here to help them pick up the pieces—again.”

“Justin, man,” Mick says as he pats Sheers’s shoulder, “let Dax and Kandace work this out.”

Sheers glares at me and at Mick.

“Who’s ready to work?” Ricky asks.

With my jaw still aching, I nod along with everyone else.

Ricky disappears into the barn, and the silence between the three of us is deafening. Finally, I speak to Sheers. “I want to be a part of Molly’s life. Can we get along for her?”

Sheers grunts. “Don’t you dare fucking hurt her.”

“It’s the last thing I want to do.”

Ricky appears and tosses me a pair of heavy leather gloves. “Do you two think we can have a truce and get some work done?”

We both nod.

Surprisingly, the truce continues throughout the day. By the time we have two fields cleared and the hay stacked in Ricky’s barn, we’re all talking and laughing like we did when we were teenagers. We’ve talked about everything from college hoops to professional baseball to craft beer and the best whiskey. We’re also hot, sweaty, and yeah, we stink.

I wipe my brow with the dirty glove before saying my so-longs.

“Hey,” Mick says, “if you’re still in town…next weekend, we’re working at Mr. Gordon’s farm.”

If I’m still in Riverbend.

A grin comes to my lips as I lift my hands. “If I can walk.”

They laugh as I take off the gloves and give them back to Ricky. “Thanks, they helped.”

“I knew you went soft,” Sheers says.

I don’t care what he says. I’m about to go on a date with two of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever known.

ChapterNineteen

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