he’d learned any great secrets going to fairs and rodeos.
His head dropped to rest on the back of the chair. It was hard to fight off the feeling he just didn’t belong here anymore.
A shadow approached from the far side of the property. AJ sat up and squinted through the darkness. The figure was female. If Kate had come to argue some more—no, that wasn’t like her. She didn’t typically pick fights. That had all been on him.
AJ scrubbed a hand down his face. He didn’t know if he was ready to apologize just yet. What was he going to say to her?
Dakota stepped into the porch light and her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing out here? I would have thought you’d be in bed by now. Aren’t you busy tomorrow?”
He lifted his shoulder. “I don’t think I could sleep if I wanted to.”
“And you don’t want to?” She settled down in a chair beside him and cast him a sideways glance.
His feet pushed against the wood at his feet, rocking the chair beneath him. “I think I made a mistake.”
She snorted. “You’ve made a lot of those. Which one are you referring to?”
“Thanks,” he said dryly.
Dakota pushed his shoulder. “No offense, cuz.”
AJ shook his head. “With this whole inheritance thing. You don’t think I should just lie down and let my parents give the whole ranch to Kate, do you?”
Her lips twitched. “But they weren’t going to do that, AJ. They were going to make you two run it together. It’s profitable enough, it’s not like you wouldn’t be well off. And it’s a lot of work too.”
His jaw tightened. “It’s not about the money.”
“It’s not?” She grinned and rested her head back.
“Of course not. It’s the principle of the thing. Why did they think they could just bring in someone I didn’t agree to? It’s a family business, right? It would make more sense to have you be the one to run it with me.”
Dakota laughed. “I’m a vet, AJ, not a ranch owner. I can’t wrap my head around all the stuff it takes to make this place profitable. There’s too much that goes into it. Besides, Kate has been learning the ins and outs of this place since she graduated high school. It makes sense that she’d earn such a position. They didn’t just pluck her off the street. Over the years they’ve trained her little by little. I don’t know why you’re fighting this so hard.”
AJ got up from his chair and leaned against the railing. “Me neither, I guess.”
She got up to stand beside him. “Then don’t.”
“It’s too late.”
Dakota bumped her shoulder against his. “It’s never too late, cousin. You just have to humble yourself and tell everyone you’re wrong. I’m sure Kate would understand.”
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “I’m not so sure. We had a pretty nasty argument a few hours ago.”
She lifted her brows.
“Yeah,” he raked his fingers through his hair and squeezed his eyes shut. “I said some pretty mean stuff.” He turned to her and his brows pulled together as her eyes narrowed. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“What has gotten into you?” She shoved him. “You come back and expect everything to be as it was when you graduated from college when it’s not. Things are in a constant state of change, AJ. Do you even know what your parents have had to go through to get Terry Hill where it is today? What about Kate? They took her in when she really needed something stable.”
AJ froze. “What do you mean?”
Dakota placed a palm to her forehead. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s not my place to tell you.”
His stomach dropped and his blood went cold. What could be so bad that Dakota wouldn’t tell him? “You can’t just say something like that and not elaborate.”
She threw up her hands. “All I can say is that her parents aren’t around anymore.”
Just because they moved didn’t mean Kate was an orphan. He sighed. But that also didn’t mean she wasn’t feeling alone. AJ’s hands wrapped around the back of his neck and he threw his head back. “Scratch that, I made a huge mistake.”
“What do you mean?” Dakota retrieved his glass of water and took a swig.
He glanced at his cousin and away. “I don’t want to tell you.”
With a hand on her hip, she set her steel-grey eyes on him. “Arthur Johnson. What. Did. You. Do?”
A heavy breath released from his lips.