Braydon(23)

It wasn’t because he was trying to stall for time.

Not at all.

A minute later, Braydon was walking through the back door of the big two-story ranch house that he had grown up in. The updated kitchen smelled like breakfast—eggs, bacon, and homemade biscuits—but it was clear his mom and dad had already finished and even cleaned up. The counters were spotless and there was a vase of fresh flowers sitting in the middle of the four-person table his parents now ate at. It was still sometimes difficult to imagine his parents only eating in the confined area. When he’d been growing up, their meals were shared at the giant dining room table his father had bought his mother. With nine Walkers in all, the small eat-in kitchen hadn’t been big enough to contain them.

“Anyone home?” he hollered as he walked into the main living room with its comfortable couches, his dad’s worn recliner, and the picture of him and his brothers mounted above the fireplace. It was the picture they’d given their mother for Mother’s Day last year.

But other than the same old furniture, all shiny and clean, Braydon found no one there to greet him. His parents weren’t there, which surprised him.

“They’re checking on the horses.”

Braydon glanced up at the stairs to see his cousin Jared making his way down.

Jared Walker, Braydon’s cousin on his dad’s side, looked as well put together as usual. He was sporting a navy blue Walker Demo polo, Wrangler jeans, boots, and his straw hat. Typical Walker attire for a workday. Not so much for a Sunday though. Braydon was about to ask if Jared was working weekends but stopped himself. He wasn’t ready to initiate a conversation that could easily go in a direction Braydon wasn’t ready to deal with. Instead, he opted for simple. “Thanks. I’ll check there,” he replied quickly.

“Hold up,” Jared said resolutely, catching Braydon before he could turn around.

Braydon closed his eyes for a moment. This wasn’t going to be good, and he knew it.

“You back for good?”

That wasn’t the first thing he expected Jared to say, but Braydon didn’t pause before he answered. “Don’t know yet.”

Jared grunted at that, his eyes narrowing on Braydon. “If you are, are you comin’ back to work, too?”

“If I stay, then yeah,” he said simply, waiting for Jared to jump his ass for neglecting his responsibilities all these months.

Jared must’ve realized what he was waiting for because he smiled. “You’re a grown man, Bray. And I’m not your father,” his cousin began. “Yes, I’m pissed that you disappeared, but we’ve been worried. Everyone, your brothers included, wants you to come back.”

Braydon nodded. That’s it?

“Don’t worry; you’ll get your punishment when you decide. I’ll work your ass into the ground over the next few weeks. We’ve got some new jobs coming up and you’re just in time to get assigned to them.”

Of course he was. Although Braydon didn’t like the idea of putting in sixty-hour weeks just to pay Jared back for skipping out on him, he still smiled. “Thanks. I’ll let you know as soon as I know.”

“Sure you will.” Jared laughed, surprising Braydon. He hadn’t seen his cousin laugh all that much back when he first got to town. The man had some serious personal issues, and from the few details he’d heard, Braydon didn’t blame the guy for being in a perpetual state of pissed off. So his positive, upbeat attitude was new. And a little disconcerting.

“I’ll be waitin’ for that phone call,” Jared said, clapping Braydon on the back and then making his way to the kitchen.

Braydon followed his cousin, but he didn’t stop in the kitchen; he continued out the back door. Another quick drive and he was pulling up to the barn where his parents kept the few horses they owned.

He was at the main doors when a loud gasp caught his attention, and he squinted into the shadows of the barn to see his mother coming toward him.

“Please, God, tell me you’re home for good,” she said as she walked right up to him and wrapped him in her arms.

“I don’t know yet, Mom,” he told her, hugging her in return. He wouldn’t lie to his mother, so if he said he would stay, he had to stay, and at the moment, he couldn’t commit.

“Boy,” his father greeted him as he ambled his way.

“Dad,” Braydon replied when his mother released him from her death grip.

“’Bout damn time.”

That was all Curtis said, which wasn’t surprising. Braydon knew his father meant every word he spoke, even when he didn’t talk in complete sentences, and Braydon felt his father’s unspoken relief to the depths of his soul. His parents were incredibly supportive of all their boys. Always had been, even when they didn’t quite understand or agree with one of their sons’ decisions.

“Sorry,” he began to apologize.

“Don’t you dare,” his mother told him. “You don’t apologize for doing what you need to do. We just . . . We just want you back home. And don’t think we won’t make an extended trip to Devil’s Bend if it’s necessary.”

“Tessa would actually like that,” he told his mother.

“I know. I’ve talked to her every day.”

Braydon didn’t doubt that one bit. Ever since Tessa had become a part of their lives, Lorrie spent plenty of time worrying about her. If you asked his mother why, she’d tell you that’s what she did. She loved her family. It was the most important thing to her, and to have the blessing of Tessa and her brothers had put a smile on his mother’s face.