when Noah and Nat turned six, but she quit when she married Declan. Then she homeschooled all six of us. We’re just too far back in the hills to commute into town every day for school.”
“That explains Declan, but it doesn’t explain your mom.”
Adam cast his mind into the past. “She’s never given me a solid answer, honestly. She used to tell me she’d done it for the best, but I don’t think she could say that with a straight face anymore.”
“Running a ranch by herself and teaching full-time must have been a lot, though. Especially when she was mourning.”
Adam scowled. “I was twelve when Dad died. The twins were nine. Between the three of us, we were the equivalent of one adult man.”
Riley’s mouth lifted in a grin.
“What, you don’t think so? Ranch kids take responsibility young. I’d been riding beside my dad for years, ever since I’d stopped sitting in the saddle in front of him. I’d have quit school to do a man’s work any time if Mom would have allowed it. She insisted on me finishing high school.”
“Smart woman.”
“Yeah, maybe. Except for the part where she married Declan.” Adam glanced in his rearview mirror. His stepfather’s truck rumbled along right behind his as though urging Adam to greater speed. Thing was, if he did go faster, he’d never hear the end of it. All applicable sins would be laid at his door, from breaking the speed limit to stirring up dust to creating potholes in the road.
“When I get married, it will be for love.” Riley settled back into her seat and crossed her arms.
Adam flashed her a glance but couldn’t resist the dig. “Being engaged doesn’t count?”
“Fake, fake, fake.” She rolled her eyes but didn’t look his way. “When it’s the real thing, yes, it will be for love.”
She’d worn jeans and a flowered top that peeked from her down parka today. But she’d created a bun from her long curly hair, exposing her neck. She hadn’t worn makeup around the ranch — at least, not that he’d noticed — but she’d applied some with care this morning.
She was pretty. Too bad they hadn’t met under different circumstances, because she was a girl he could see the new Adam dating. Maybe even falling for.
What if it had been Travis in the Golden Grill last Monday evening? What if Riley’d demanded a kiss from him? Travis would have brought her home, too, mostly to make Dakota jealous.
Was Adam any better? He was also using Riley, but at least she knew it.
“What’re you thinking?” Riley’s brows had drawn together as she watched him.
“Thinking I’m glad it was me standing in the restaurant lobby on Monday night.”
Her face flushed. “I can’t believe I did that to you. I’m not usually nearly that forward.”
“It was cute.”
“Just what every girl wants to hear. You threw yourself at me, and it was cute.”
Adam laughed. “Truth, though. And seeing Scotty come in after you sealed the deal. He’s a dirt bag.”
“Agreed. Is Dakota any nicer?”
The truck bounced over a cattleguard before Adam glanced over again. “You’ve met her, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, she told me to keep my claws out of Travis, because he belongs to her.”
A snort erupted before Adam could stop it. “They might deserve each other.”
“But they’re not together, right?”
“On and off, from what Nathaniel tells me. Mostly off.”
“Poor Toby.”
“Yeah, it’s a rough way to grow up, but he loves it at the ranch. And Trav seems to like having his kid around. Who knew?”
“Dakota seems to be a good mom, too. She was a little snarky to me — she’d gotten the scoop from Scotty, so she was biased — but she’s great with Toby.”
“Good to know. I’d hate to hear his life was miserable when he wasn’t at Rockstead.”
“Any of your other brothers dating anyone right now?”
He flashed her a grin. “You looking?”
“As if.” Riley rolled her eyes. “Just trying to figure out the things I should know about your family.”
Adam thought back to the conversation he’d overheard between Nathaniel and Blake. “I think Nat’s coming off a relationship. His girlfriend ghosted him. He thought they were serious — he’d even bought a ring — and then she vanished before he could propose.”
Riley fidgeted and looked out the window.
He scowled. What on earth? “Ry, honey...”
“There’s no need to honey me when no one’s around, Adam.” Her chin came up. “Maybe she’d learned something about Nathaniel that made her doubt him. Or maybe she’d already doubted him and learned something