West of Forever (Heartstone Ranch #1)(24)

Yeah, sure he did. “Whatever you say, Pop.”

“Go on and finish your chores and get out of here. Sadie and I have big plans tonight when you go out.”

I bet they do. Most likely it’ll include starting trouble and doing something that’ll piss me off. My father is her greatest ally in giving me gray hairs.





“Two beers,” Jimmy says to Debra, the bartender who terrifies me just a little. I’m pretty sure she scares everyone here, which is why the owner of the Barley Beast keeps her.

She’s a beautiful woman, but she glares at you like she could pierce your soul. She also threatens the ways she’d dismember you if you tried anything.

There’s not a person alive who will defy her.

She scoffs. “Are you going to drink light beer this time?”

Jimmy clears his throat. “No.”

“You should,” she tells him, and I fight back a laugh.

Debra gets two bottles of beer and places them on the counter, popping the tops and nodding to me. “Tristan.”

“Deb.”

“Any trouble starts tonight, and I’ll have this dimwit do his job for once. You get me?”

I’m not sure why she thinks there would be any trouble. Unless…

I look around, and sure enough the fucking Gatlin brothers—well, half of them—are here, standing against the wall, glaring right at me.

I smile, lift my beer to Ryan and Deacon, and take a drink.

Idiots.

“There won’t be any on my part,” I inform her.

Jimmy groans. “Great. There goes our night.”

“Relax, I have no desire to get in a fight tonight. We’ll sit over there.” On the complete opposite side of the bar.

The Barley Beast, better known as the Beast to locals, is the only place around here where you can get pretty much any beer made. They specialize in local brews, and it’s always packed.

“Better not, Tristan,” Deb warns. “I won’t hesitate to kick all your asses. Don’t make me go into the hunting shack and sharpen anything.”

“You have my word,” I assure her.

The last thing I want to do is fight. Or maybe that’s a lie. Maybe that would be the best damn thing I could do. Work off this excess frustration. Between my father, Sadie, Lark, and my siblings, everyone is driving me to the brink of madness.

I was hoping a night out with my boy would temper that.

Jimmy and I walk to the other side and grab a table. He lifts his bottle. “To a night without drama.”

I laugh and tap my neck to his. “To no drama.”

We both drink and I lean back, letting out a deep sigh.

Jimmy takes a glance around the room and back to me. “Things all right with your dad?”

“Yeah, he’s just fighting me at every turn about his restrictions.”

“Can’t blame the man.”

“No, I can’t,” I agree. “I just wish Harper could keep him from getting in trouble. He lies to her, so she thinks she can get work done, and then I find him on the fucking roof of the barn.”

Jimmy laughs. “Sounds like your dad.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sure he misses your mom. He loved her…you know what it’s like…”

I look up, surprised he’s bringing up Emmy Jo. Jimmy, Emmy, and I were close friends, and they even dated in high school for a week or some shit. They both laughed about it because apparently it was all a way to make me angry and finally admit that I was in love with her.

It worked.

Emmy Jo and I started dating that night, and I knew I would marry her.

Even though they never loved each other as anything more than friends, they were family too. He felt her loss as hard as I did.

“Emmy and I didn’t have sixty-three years,” I say before taking a sip.

“Doesn’t mean you don’t understand what it feels like to live in a world without her.”

I nod slowly, draining the rest of the beer. I didn’t expect this topic of conversation, but it’s not hurting like it usually does. There’s a pain in my chest, the one that I think I’ve just come to live with, but it’s not throbbing. It’s just—there.

“Emmy would slap us both for this, you know?”

Jimmy grins. “Nah, I think she’d just be impressed we’re here, having a beer, and you haven’t started a fight.”

I lift my beer. “The night is still young.”

“Great.” Jimmy puts his bottle down, looking around. After a few seconds, he looks back at me. “Try not to fuck my night up.”

“I make no promises.”

He sighs and then drains his beer. “You know, she would be proud of you, Tris.”

“What?” I ask, confused.

“Emmy.”

God, I thought we were done with this. I don’t want to sit around and talk about Emmy. I want to forget my damn problems and just have a few drinks.

He continues before I can tell him this. “The way you’re raising Sadie, taking care of the ranch, making sure that your dad and your sisters are all thriving. Emmy Jo would’ve wanted all of what you’re doing. Minus the life of crime.”

I could tell him how much I feel like I’m failing, but I don’t. Some days, it feels like I’m doing great. Other times I’m so deep in the mud I can’t see straight. Sadie is growing up way too fast, and I’m trying so hard to do right by her, but it’s hard. Then I have these idiots trying to say we’re causing trouble on their farm, like I have the damn time.