Ridin' Solo (Sisters From Hell Book 1), Marika Ray [librera reader txt] 📗

She screwed up her nose. “Because you’re so ugly.”

I cracked up and so did she, both of us walking around the gardens and talking. Emmeline could talk the ear off a dead person, but I wanted to hear it all. I wanted to make up for the time I’d lost by staying away.

When Mom called us in, fully dressed, coifed, and bedazzled with jewelry, we’d worked up quite an appetite. For the first time, a meal around our dining room wasn’t stuffy and boring. In fact, it was as lively as Amelia’s baby shower. Mom had some color back in her cheeks, and Em looked positively gleeful to have some noise back in the house.

The sun started to dip in the sky and I knew I needed to head back home. Mom and I had sat outside just reminiscing for hours. I’d forgotten so many moments with Dad until Mom brought them up. He’d been too busy with his company, but he’d loved us. That much I could tell now that I didn’t have anger coloring every memory.

When I stood up to leave, Em hugged me tight and made me promise to visit again soon or she’d come up to Auburn Hill and make my life miserable. Mom didn’t seem to want to let go of my waist as she walked me out to my truck.

I pulled her into my chest, breathing in the familiar perfume scent that was uniquely Mom.

“I’ll be back soon, I promise,” I whispered to the top of her head.

She pulled back with a watery smile. “Good, son. Maybe next time you could bring that woman you met. Your partner?”

I sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t know. I might have messed things up there.”

Mom tilted her head. “A sincere apology and showing you’re a changed man can go a long way. Trust me. I was married to your father for thirty years.”

I gave her a smile. “Tell you what. If I can make things right, you’ll be the first one to know.”

Mom patted my cheek and stepped back to hug Em to her side. “If you need us, we can come up and help convince her.”

Out of all the things that had been said here today, that was the one to hit me right between the eyes. I’d sat there at the baby shower and wished for a family like Oakley’s when I had one right below my nose this whole time. It just took some courage to say the hard things.

“I love you,” I whispered, climbing into my truck with a stranglehold around my throat.

22

Oakley

The doorbell rang, followed by banging that could only mean one thing: either the town was on fire, or Wyatt had gotten back from wherever he’d been all day. Not that I’d been keeping an eye out for him.

I pulled my grandpa sweater tighter around me and padded to the door in sweats and socks. Heartache didn’t lend itself to fashion, I discovered. All I wanted was sugar and comfy clothes lately. I pulled the door open to find Wyatt looking like a male model, one arm up high resting on the doorjamb, his other hand stroking the perpetual five o’clock shadow in the moonlight streaming through the pine trees. Heartache certainly wasn’t dictating his clothing choices. He looked ready to board a fancy cruise ship in his boat shoes, slacks, and linen shirt.

“Oakley,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.

Shit. How could my name on his lips have me ready to toss all my morals out the window and tug him into my bedroom?

“Can we talk? Just for a minute?” He straightened, his eyes looking red around the rims. Or maybe that was just a trick of the moonlight.

I pulled the door open wider and stepped back, already battling with myself over why I’d let him in. We had nothing more to say to each other. To keep having the same fight over and over again was insanity. I shut the door and turned to see him strolling right into my living room and plopping down on the couch. I took my time catching up, enjoying the sight of him in my home, but already bracing for the argument and the heartache that would follow. I sat on the other side of the couch, pulling my feet up under me.

Wyatt leaned forward, his impressive forearms on his knees. I frowned when he paused and seemed to consider his words. For just needing a minute to chat, he was putting a lot of effort into it.

“Oakley,” he started again. He ran a hand through his hair and then pinned me with an intense stare. “I think we should tell Sheriff Locke tomorrow morning. I’ll ask for a transfer to another county.”

My heart stood up and cheered before my brain could tell her to settle down. “I’m sorry, what?”

Wyatt lunged toward me, grasping my hands. “Because of you I’m having tough conversations and facing things, and I really feel like I’m ready to face whatever comes from us dating. Say you’ll give me another shot? A chance to do things right this time.”

Now my lungs were heaving, getting in on the dance with my heartbeat. My brain was having a hard time remembering why we should resist.

“Wait. Slow down. Where is this all coming from?”

Wyatt squeezed my hands so hard I almost whimpered. “I visited my sister and my mom today. We talked about my dad—who died almost two years ago, by the way. Mom was a mess, and I realized that ignoring everything wasn’t making anything better. In fact, it was killing those of us who were left. Don’t you see, Oakley? Meeting you and your family made me realize that I have a family too if I just had the hard conversations.”

This was all news to me. I had no idea Wyatt’s father had died. My heart dropped, ripping down all the reasons I’d had for