Chapter 3
It’s late, and the house is finally quiet as I walk into the living room and find Gideon sitting by the fireplace, watching the flames, a tumbler of whiskey dangling from his fingers. Aside from standing up with Willow and me to give Dad’s eulogy, he hasn’t said more than two words today.
I’ve just poured my own tumbler, and I sit across from him, take a sip of the expensive whiskey I sent Dad for Christmas—that he never opened—and then rub my fingertips over my forehead. Christ, I’m tired.
“Did the last of them leave?” Gideon asks me. He’s been in here for a while. Gideon doesn’t do well with a room full of people. It puts him on edge. He’s the strong, silent type. He’s not a talker, and definitely not a socializer. The most social this man gets is when he comes to watch me play.
We couldn’t be more different if we fucking tried.
“Yeah. It’s just us now. Willow’s finishing up in the kitchen. I offered to help, but she told me I was in her way and to get lost p>
It’s just us now.
“Sounds about right p>
I nod just as the woman herself walks into the living room and sits on the stone ledge in front of the roaring fire so she can look at both of us. She’s still in her black dress, but she’s barefoot, having shed her heels a while ago. Her blond hair is down around her shoulders, and although she looks as bone tired as I feel, she’s still gorgeous.
“I need to leave soon. I have to get Aiden p>
Willow has raised her teenage nephew, Aiden, since he was five years old and her half sister dropped the kid off on Willow’s doorstep. So much changed for our friend that day. I’ve only seen her in person a handful of times since then because I’ve been traveling for hockey, and she has a kid to raise.
Christ, I’ve missed her. Texts and calls don’t cut it like being near her does.
Have her blue eyes always shone like that?
“Is everything okay there?” Gideon asks, and I frown over at him.
“What do you mean p>
But Gid doesn’t answer—he just watches Wills, and she bites her plump lower lip and looks at the floor.
“Is Aiden giving you trouble?” he persists.
I narrow my eyes but wait for her to answer. The three of us don’t keep secrets from each other.
“He’s a teenager,” she says with a shrug and swallows hard. “Teenage boys are supposed to be trouble. You two caused your fair share, remember p>
“Yeah, and we had Dad to knock our heads together to keep us straight.” I lean forward in my chair. Gideon and I were hell on wheels when we first got here, but Dad set us straight quickly and never hesitated to remind us to keep our shit to a minimum.
She shrugs again. “I don’t know. He’s been a handful. I don’t like some of his friends. But it’ll be okay. Today isn’t for teenager drama. It’s for us, grieving the only father the three of us have known p>
I frown and drink my whiskey and then glance at Gid, who’s also frowning. Why do I get the feeling she’s evading?
My phone rings, and when I see that it’s Andy, my agent, I reject the call and set my phone aside.
“For fuck’s sake p>
“What’s wrong?” Gideon asks.
“It’s Andy. He knows that I’m in Montana for my father’s funeral, and he’s still bugging the shit out of me p>
“I’ve always hated that guy,” Wills says.
“What does he want?” Gideon’s voice is hard. It’s always hard, just like the steel in his blue eyes. The way he sets his jaw.
Gid is a badass. And he has to be. He’s in the Secret Service. He protects the most important people in our country.
“You know that my contract with the team ended at the end of the season p>
“Sure p>
“He wants me to commit to another contract. I haven’t listened to his messages, but I’ve seen the texts. It’s about the money p>
“He makes a shit ton of dough when you sign the next contract p>
“Yeah, well, that’s if I sign another p>
That has him and Willow both raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking about hanging up your skates p>
I tip my head back, rest it on the back of the chair, and sigh.
“Christ, I’m tired.” I swallow and look over at Gideon, then at Willow. If I can’t talk to these two about what’s going on, I can’t talk to anyone. “I love hockey. I’m not tired of the sport. The thought of not playing anymore, well.” I shake my head. “It’s like being told that I have to cut my own heart out p>
“Then what is it?” Willow asks.
“I’m so fucking tired of being that man’s ATM machine. He’s shit when it comes to money, and he’s always sure to tell me that he needs my deal to keep him afloat p>
“What the hell?” Gideon scowls at me. “Hell no, man p>
“It’s not just that. It’s the pressure of staying on top. I’m thirty-five. I’ll never play like I did when I was twenty-five, but if I have an off game, I’m crucified p>
“Fans don’t get it.” Gideon sips his whiskey.
“Not by the fans. By the coaches, by my teammates. Then, I have the constant work of endorsements. Don’t get me wrong, the money’s great, but it’s constant. Then there’s the shit side of it. People showing up at my house. The paparazzi. Random women being obnoxious p>
“Yeah, I’m sure that fucking hot girls is a real chore for you p>
Willow scowls at something over my shoulder, and it makes my stomach clench.
I smirk at Gideon. “I don’t do that shit. No, I’m not a monk, but I don’t hook up with every chick who looks my way p>
Gideon laughs at that. “You’d have no time for hockey p>
Willow looks more uncomfortable. What’s up, Wills?
“I hate to complain because I have a life that, when I was a kid, I never would have dreamed was a possibility p>
“I get that p>
My eyes meet his again. “I know. You both do. That’s why I can say this shit to you. I think it’s time to retire and come home to the ranch p>
“Oh, Ry,” Willow whispers, shaking her head. “Don’t do something rash p>
“It’s not rash. I’ve been contemplating it anyway. This is just the catalyst to get the ball rolling p>
Blowing out a breath, Gideon looks back into the fire. “He let this place fall apart p>
We’ve spent several days wandering around the property since Dad died, and it’s evident that he did the bare minimum after Mom passed away.
“He fired Dusty p>
Gideon nods. “He told me today. I had no idea p>
“I didn’t know either,” Willow says, holding her hands up.
“Same here. I’ll hire him back, if he’ll come back. Dusty said that he still came by every day to feed the horses. Dad didn’t want to sell them to Dusty, but he wasn’t taking care of them p>
“What in the hell was he thinking?” Gideon asks.
“He wasn’t. He was sad, Gid. He missed Mom, and you and I were gone. I should have come home more to check on him p>
“I should have driven out here more,” Willow adds.
“That would have pissed him off,” he says.
“So he would have been pissed—who cares? He might be alive right now.” I push my hand through my hair in agitation.
“Don’t do that. You don’t know that, and all it’ll do is tear you up inside. What’s done is done. Dad was an adult, and he could have asked either of us, or anyone in town, for help, and he chose not to. The truth is, he missed her, man p>
“Yeah.” I finish my whiskey and set the glass on the floor by my feet. “I know. You’ll stay long enough to help me clean out this house a bit p>
“That’s the plan,” he confirms. “I have four more weeks of vacation coming before I have to get back, and I don’t have a return flight to DC until the night before I report for duty p>
“I guess it pays to be a workaholic and never take a vacation,” Willow says, and Gid grins at her. She rubs her hands up and down her thighs, as if she’s nervous. Why the fuck is she nervous? “I’ll help too p>
“Who are you guarding right now?” I ask my brother, keeping one eye on Wills.
His lips twitch in a sneer. “You know I’m not supposed to tell you that p>
I tip my head to the side and raise an eyebrow.
“I’m on Blackbird duty. The First Daughter. She’s a pain in my ass p>
Now I raise both eyebrows. “Why p>
“She doesn’t do what she’s fucking told p>
“Ah.” I nod slowly, watching him. “How old is she p>
“Nineteen p>
I scoff at that. Willow laughs outright. “Come on, don’t get me started on the shit we pulled when we were nineteen. It’s a wonder Mom didn’t kill us p>
“We weren’t the kids of a president. Our lives weren’t on the line every day p>
“I don’t know, I really think Mom might have killed us if she heard about that time p>
“Yeah, yeah.” He drags his hand down his face, obviously not wanting to rehash old stories. I don’t know why not. They’re damn funny. “You need to know that I’m not moving back here, Ry p>
I frown at my brother as Willow watches us both. “I didn’t ask you to p>
“I’m just saying it, right now. I’ll be back to visit, but I don’t want to live here. I like my job in DC, and I’m not ready to retire p>
“Hey, just because I’m ready for a change of pace doesn’t mean that you are. I’m perfectly fine with that. I want to work the ranch. I have plenty of money to get things up and going again. I don’t want you to feel any kind of way about that p>
“Thanks to your finance-geek skills,” Gid says, eyeing me as he tugs his tie loose around his neck, “I have plenty of money too. I can help. But I don’t want to live here full-time p>
“Understood. We’ll take time over the next month to make plans for the ranch moving forward p>
“Are you going to renovate the house, Ry?” Willow asks.
I blow out a breath. “I hadn’t thought about it p>
“You should. Just rip the bandage off and get it over with. This is your home now, and you should make it how you want it. If we’re going to go through and clean it out, it’s a good time to do it. I’ll bring Aiden on the weekends, and we can both help. It’ll be good for him to spend time out here p>
I nod and reach over to squeeze her knee, and she stiffens.
I’ve touched this woman a million times before, and it’s never been an issue. Never even a thought.
I narrow my eyes at her, and she visibly makes herself relax, and I pull my hand away.
“You okay, Trouble?” I ask her, and she nods, but she won’t meet my gaze.
“Sorry, yeah. Just out of sorts. It’s been a rough week, you know p>
But I don’t believe her. I’ve known her forever. These are the two people I know the best in the world.
Something isn’t right.
Because although I haven’t spent time with Willow in person in years, I talk to her all the time. When life happened, and we all went our own ways, we didn’t disappear from each other’s lives.
But it’s late, it’s been a rough fucking day, and I have all the time in the world to make sure Willow’s okay. I’ll get to the bottom of it.
“When should we start on the house?” I ask the room.
“Might as well dig in tomorrow,” Gideon says, and I nod in agreement.
“I’d better go. I’ll be back before noon tomorrow.” Willow stands, and I frown at her.
“Bring a bag for you guys and stay here for a few days at a time. Don’t make that drive back and forth every day p>
She bites that lower lip, which is plumper than I remember it being before, and shakes her head.
“I’ll be working in the early mornings and evenings after we get home. Unfortunately, I still have deadlines, and Aiden has school. It’ll be fine—I can make that drive with my eyes closed p>
Wills is a voice actor and primarily works on audiobooks and video games.
She’s fucking badass, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.
But I wish I had a studio for her here so she wouldn’t have to drive back and forth to her home in Missoula, which is an hour away. The trip is dangerous, as well as exhausting.
I can tell by the way her jaw tightens that there’s no changing her mind.
Gid and I walk her to her car, and before she can get inside, she turns and hugs us both in turn. My brother whispers something in her ear, but I can’t hear what it is. Willow smiles and nods and offers him a sweet look that almost has me feeling jealous.
I need some fucking sleep.
When she turns to me, she tugs that lip between her teeth, looking uncertain.
“Get over here, Trouble.” I take her hand and tug her against me, wrap my arms around her and hug her close. She smells incredible. Like flowers and laundry soap. After a heartbeat of stiffening in my arms, she melts against me and lets out a long breath.
Maybe it’s the sadness of the day that has her acting different. I hope that’s it.
“I’m glad you’re home,” she murmurs. “Both of you p>
“I knew you missed me.” I kiss her head, and she laughs, which is exactly what I wanted, and then she pulls away, and I miss having her warmth, her softness, close to me.
This is Willow, man.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says, but she looks so damn tired.
“Are you sure you won’t stay?” Gideon asks, obviously reading my mind. “I’m sure Aiden will be fine with his friend tonight. I don’t like you making that drive either p>
“No, I need to get him.” She shakes her head, her mind obviously made up. “I’ll be okay p>
“Let us know when you get home p>
She nods, sinks into the driver’s seat, and waves before heading off down the driveway.