there. Lettin’ the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back.”
“Tucker, we still have a rodeo to put on for the town and the show. I hope you understand we’re not in a position to let you go just yet. You’ll be expected to give two weeks' notice so we can replace you,” Clint said, leveling his gaze on Tucker. My brother lifted his beer to his lips and kept his expression stoic.
Tucker cleared his throat. “I wanted to talk to you about that.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Do you think… Well, this place is my home. Y’all are my family. And I’d really like to forget I ever resigned in the first place if you don’t mind.”
The emotion in his words had Mama’s eyes brimming with tears and my throat tight. I wrapped my arm around his waist and tightened my hold on him just enough he knew I was there for him.
Clint nodded and said, “Very well. I think we can manage that.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Clint. Of course Tucker is un-resigned or whatever you want to call it.” Tristan rolled his eyes as he strode across the kitchen and clinked his beer bottle with Tucker’s. “I knew you couldn’t quit us.”
“There’s just something about this place.” Tucker looked at me when he said the words, and I knew deep down that was directed right at me.
“Have you boys had supper?” Mama asked, eyes bright with hope. She wanted us to stay, all of us. Truthfully, Tucker and I had spent most of the early evening wrapped up together. We really hadn’t even thought about food.
“No. I’m starved,” I said.
“Good. Go sit yourselves down, and I’ll warm up a pot of chili. Won’t take but a minute. I need to talk to Tucker.”
“Mama, you don’t have to—“
“I said…” If her eyes were laser beams, I’d have been incinerated on the spot. “Sit. Down.” I opened my mouth, but thought better of it when she sucked in a sharp breath. “Don’t you backtalk me, Samuel Jay.”
“I wasn’t backtalkin’,” I muttered as Tucker laughed next to me.
“You go sit down,” he murmured in my ear. “I’ve got a few things I need to say too.”
My heart lurched. What kind of things? He must’ve seen my fear because he leaned in. “Good things. I promise.”
Tucker brushed a light kiss over my lips before leaving me and going to the counter to start helping Mama.
“Sam, go on. Tucker’s fine here.” Mama’s stern tone had me turning on my heel and heading out of the kitchen to where my brothers and Hazel sat.
I didn’t know what they were going to talk about, but I sure hoped their conversation didn’t lead to the two of them crammed on the loveseat with a photo album. If he saw the pictures of me as a toddler in the bathtub, I’d never live it down.
Tucker
I mixed up cornbread batter while Mama pulled a batch of chili from the freezer. The woman was always prepared with enough frozen homemade meals to last the whole ranch at least a week. She may have said it wouldn’t be long before the food was ready, but long for her and long for hungry cowboys were two different things.
“I’m sorry for all the trouble, Mama.”
“I already told you, he had it comin’.”
“But what if he doesn’t let it go?”
“Then he gets to deal with me.”
I looked her over. She was a small woman, but fierce. “Never corner something meaner than you,” I said, quoting her husband.
“Exactly. And when you threaten my house, you’re sure as heck trying to corner me.”
We worked side by side for a while, her breaking up the frozen chili as she heated it on the stove, then shredding some cheese as I put the finishing touches on the cornbread. It was nice being here with her. Sharing something we both liked to do.
“Sammy loves you, Tucker,” she said, her voice soft and tender. “By the way you reacted today, I expect you feel the same.”
“I do.” Damn, why was my voice so tight? I’d already told him. We’d bared our souls. It shouldn’t be hard to admit the truth to Mama. “I have for a long time.”
“Good. He needs someone like you. Someone who can make him see that just because he can’t ride anymore, that doesn’t make him less loved. Less special. Sammy is like his dad in a lot of ways. He was always chasing success. George had the ranch to ground him. He