Tackling Summer (16 page)

“God, I hope they’re going to come out,” Seth said a little too loud.

“You know?” Chanel whispered, tearing her eyes from the scene in front of them.

Seth laughed but lowered his voice. “Pretty hard not to. I’ve been able to tell by the way they look at each other from the day I got here. And Maddox and I caught them one day when we were checking fences.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Chanel and Seth had always told each other everything. Why start holding back now?

Seth shrugged. “The opportunity was never there, and I didn’t think it mattered.”

Annoyed with her cousin, Chanel turned her attention back to her aunt and Fritz. Christine was giving him a wary look as he spoke softly to her. She started to shake her head, but Fritz reached out and drew her in for a kiss. Christine’s back was stiff, her hands frozen in midair.
 

A loud whistle came from beside Chanel. She reached out to smack Seth, but before she could reach him he catcalled, “Wooooo!” Maddox joined in with loud clapping. Chanel couldn’t help herself, and a huge grin took over her face, her heart felt too big for her chest. That was probably one of the most romantic things she’d ever seen.

Christine pulled back and looked around Fritz at the three young people watching them. Her cheeks turned pink, but her expression turned from embarrassed to beaming, and she rested her forehead on Fritz’s chest.

“What’s going on here?” David rounded the corner of the cabin nearest Fritz and Christine. When he saw the older cowboy holding his mother, he stopped short. “What the hell? Is she okay?”

Christine pulled back, turning within Fritz’s arms to face her eldest son. “I’m more than okay.”

Chanel held her breath as David’s face clouded. By now Mitch and Jerry had made their way over from picketing the horses. Jerry’s face was impassive. Mitch’s shoulders sagged a bit, his normally twinkling eyes dull. He stood silently beside Jerry.

“I should have guessed you were whoring around when you got that haircut,” David said.

“You listen here,” Fritz said dropping his arms from Christine and stepping toward David, but Christine stopped him with a firm hand on his chest.

In three brisk steps, she was nose to nose with her son. She struck like a snake, hand shooting out, slapping him. The pop echoed around the camp.

“Don’t you ever talk to me like that again. I raised you better. And you should think before you speak. What do you think you’re doing with Faith?”

David touched his cheek. Chanel could only see the side of his face, but could only imagine the temper storming across it. He shouldn’t have been shocked, as far as Chanel was concerned. Christine had never let them speak disrespectfully. David had it coming.
 

“You’re married,” David said.

“I was,” Christine replied, her voice firm but even. Her gaze never wavered. “Your dad died seventeen years ago. I haven’t worn a ring in a long time.”

David turned his attention to Fritz and shoved passed his mother. “You! You’ve been like a father to me, and all this time just so you can screw my—,”

Mitch rushed forward and stepped between the two men. “That’s enough, David. You need to saddle up and head back home.”

“You can’t send me home,” David said.

“Wanna bet? I’m in charge of this place, and you need to cool off. You’re out of line right now.” Mitch was a couple of inches taller than his nephew and still in solid shape, making for an intimidating form.

“You can’t spare me right now. You need everyone to bring these yearlings in.”

“There’s not anyone who can’t be replaced.”

“Jessi and I will trailer up in the morning,” Christine said. “And I’ll radio Theo and see if he wants to come out.”

David took a step back, and Chanel’s breath came a little easier.
 

“This is stupid,” David muttered and stomped toward where the horses were grazing.

Seth hurried across camp and pulled his mother close. Fritz hugged her from the other side. Despite being buried between two big bodies, Chanel could hear Christine’s sobs. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d heard her aunt cry. Mitch gave a low whistle, and he and his dogs disappeared into the trees, while Jerry stood watch to make sure David left peacefully.

Feeling a little sick and unsure of what to do, Chanel covered her hands with her face and tried to calm down. A pair of big hands removed hers, and she found Maddox kneeling in front of her.

“Let’s walk,” he said.

***

Chanel allowed him to pull her from the chair. He kept one of her hands in his own and led her from the camp into the trees, making sure to go in a different direction from Mitch and steering clear of the horses and David. They walked in silence, Soda trotting along at Chanel’s heels. Maddox wished she’d say something, so he knew what to do to make her feel better.

“I can’t believe he’s even related to us. I’ve never known such a self-centered jackass.” Chanel released Maddox’s hand and kicked a pinecone, sending it soaring between two pines in front of them.

Before he could stop himself, Maddox lifted his arms to signal a good field goal, wincing when his shoulder protested. “Three points!”

She shot him a withering look, and he lowered his arms and continued walking, eyes straight ahead. Didn’t she realize he was trying to be nice?

Chanel stopped and whirled on him. “Please tell me you aren’t trying to take advantage of the situation to get in my pants.”

She might as well have kicked him in the gut. “Where did that come from? You needed to get out of there. Your family just had a meltdown. I’m trying to help you.”

“You’re right. You’re right.” Chanel scrubbed her hands over her face and then met his eyes with hers. “I’m sorry.”

Maddox nodded and kept his mouth shut. He was still mad, but she’d apologized. It was more than she would’ve given him a month ago.

“Love is a weird thing around here.” She started walking again.

“How so?” Maddox fell into step beside her.

“All of us kids lost a parent really young. We didn’t have a chance to see it in action, to figure out how to have it.”

Maddox took her hand again, making her stop. “I’m sorry.”

Chanel looked up at him and shrugged. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I was ten. It was breast cancer.” Her gaze slid from his face to the ground. The words sounded so matter of fact, but her expression said something else.

Not knowing what to say, Maddox remained silent, giving her the chance to talk out whatever it was she needed to work through.

“Christine has been like a mom to me ever since. It’s not the same, though. And Dad is so lonely. Did you see his face just now?”

“Yeah.” Maddox shifted his weight, not sure what to do next. Maybe his family life where they all sorta ignored each other wasn’t so bad. He had two parents, and because they didn’t talk much, there wasn’t an opportunity for drama. Yet, he hadn’t learned to think of anyone but himself either. Being around the people at the Double O had made him aware of that. And then the lightbulb came on. These guys were a team. Chanel’s voice took him out of his own head. He’d have to sort all that out later. Chanel needed him now.

“I think Dad’s had feelings for her for a long time. Christine told me recently that years ago they kind of explored the idea, but it wasn’t meant to be. I’m thinking that meant it wasn’t right for her.”

“Are you upset about her and Fritz?” Maddox remembered what David had said about Mitch and Christine, how angry he’d been about it. Now he was thinking there was more to whatever David thought he’d seen.

“Nope, really happy, actually. They both deserve to have someone. It’s a bummer it couldn’t have been Dad. Or maybe, that would’ve been weird. Either way it means there’s someone else out there for him. I’m glad they went for it.”

Chanel glanced down at their joined hands, and her cheeks flushed. Quickly letting go, she rubbed her palms on the front of her jeans like she was wiping him from her skin.
 

“What’re your parents like?”

The table turned so fast he wasn’t ready.

“Um, well…” How did one describe his parents’ relationship? “Busy. Mom’s a doctor, an internist, and Dad’s a lawyer. You know, the typical rich kid combo. They only got around to having me, hired a nanny, and got right back to work. I was kind of something to check off the list. We had a cook and a housekeeper. Still do. I discovered I was good at football when I was six or seven. That’s pretty much all I cared about until I discovered girls.” He glanced over at Chanel, sure she’d have an eye roll or something for him, but her features were neutral as she listened, so he continued.

 
“A lot of schools recruited me. I could have gone to the Big 10. That’s what Mom and Dad wanted, so I went with Doumit. You know, just to get their attention.”

“Did it work?”

Maddox laughed remembering the brief moment of shock on his parents’ faces, but they’d quickly concealed it with their plastic smiles. “For a minute. Then they spun it like it was their idea all along. Of course a smaller school was a good idea. I’d get more playing time right from the start, get that NFL stock climbing.” It was his job to make them look good.

“Every family has their flaws. I think it’d be easier to just be a dog.” Chanel squatted and hugged Soda. The black and white dog’s tail wagged with pleasure, her pink tongue flicking out to give her owner a gentle kiss. Maddox envied the dog, wishing he could get away with giving Chanel a kiss, but he was still wary from the last time he tried.

Chanel stood and stepped in close to Maddox, wrapping her arms around his waist. She gave him a quick squeeze before backing away. “Thanks.”

“Sure.” Not sure what to do with his hands, a first for him, he stuck them in the pockets of his baggy jeans.

“I should go check on everyone.”

“Yeah.”
 

Together they headed back toward the little cabin, a feeling of ease between them that hadn’t been there before.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Hot water pounded Chanel’s skin erasing the dirt and some of the physical exhaustion from the yearling drive. She hadn’t had a proper shower in two days. When the water temperature began to cool, she reluctantly turned it off and stepped into the steamy bathroom. The rest of the drive had been uneventful. Christine and Jessi joined them, along with Old Theo. David’s truck was gone when they reached headquarters with the herd. Everyone assumed he was in town with Faith, and that was just as well for the time being.

Too tired to cook, Chanel decided to dig some frozen fish sticks and tater tots from the chest freezer for dinner. As she passed the master bedroom on her way to the kitchen, she spotted Mitch standing in front of his dresser, head bowed. He was still wearing his dusty work clothes, though he’d taken off his boots in the mudroom.

“Dad?” Chanel paused in the doorway.

Mitch looked over at his daughter. His eyes were red, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t from the dust of herding several hundred head of cattle for the last couple of days.

“What’s wrong?” She entered the room and spotted the framed picture in his calloused hand. It was a candid of her mother on their wedding day. Someone had snapped it just before she left the bride’s room. She was being silly, peeking around the doorframe to make sure no one was going to spot her before her big entrance.
 

“I’m fine, Chel. Just missing her.”

Chanel put her hand on her father’s arm. “Me too. Every day.”

“I’m glad for Christine and Fritz, I really am,” Mitch said, his eyes locked on the picture again. Chanel thought the statement sounded like he was trying to convince himself that was how he really felt.

“You hoped for something else didn’t you.”

Mitch heaved a deep sigh, lowering himself onto the bench at the foot of the bed. “Seemed like it might work at one point, but I was never the right one for her. And looking back, I wonder if it was mostly loneliness and convenience talkin’ instead of love.”

Tears pricked Chanel’s eyes. Mitch had been so busy running the Double O and taking care of her, he hadn’t had time to date. Not that there were many single women to choose from in their small community.

“I might be a little jealous of them,” Mitch confessed, lifting his eyes to meet his daughter’s.
 

“Oh, Dad.” Chanel crossed the room and sat down beside Mitch, laying her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothin’ to be sorry about. It’s just the way it is. I’m a blessed man. I’ve got you, the ranch, good men working for me. Christine is a good friend, and she deserves happiness. They don’t come much better than Fritz.”

Chanel smiled for a moment and then remembered David. “What are we going to do about David?”

“What’s David going to do about David?” Mitch said. “He can decide to come back and be a part of things, or he can leave. I hate to see him go, but he can’t stay here and not respect Fritz and his mother. He’s been terrible to her for years. This might make it worse. Or, it might be just what was needed to bring him around.”

“He has a share in this place.” Chanel sat up so she could see Mitch’s face.

Her father shrugged. “I’m happy to pay him out and send him on his way. Hoping it won’t come to that. He’s young and hotheaded. We’ll give him some time to cool off and see what happens. It wouldn’t surprise me if Faith sets him straight. You girls tend to do that.”

Mitch stood and placed the picture back on the dresser. “Looks like you’ve done a little of that yourself here lately.”

Chanel raised a brow at her father. She had no idea what he was talking about.

“Maddox has settled down quite a bit.”

“That has nothing to do with me. Things started changing when Seth got here. For some reason he’s able to get through to him.” Chanel stood and headed toward the door. She was not going to talk about Maddox with her dad. Her insides were still a little squirrely after their walk up at cow camp.

“To some extent, but I’m pretty sure you’re the driving force.”

Chanel didn’t know what to say. She’d been surprised when the big oaf had taken her out of the intense situation and helped comfort her. He’d been doing good work taking care of the hay fields; in fact, he was going to start swathing the first cutting the next day. Except for when they needed an extra body to help with the cattle or repairing fence, Maddox had been quietly doing his thing. Chanel had kept a sharp eye out to make sure he was starting work on time and not knocking off early. A person could set her watch by him these days. For the most part, he’d stopped arguing with her. He even sought her out after hours to help with roping practice. And then he didn’t seem like he was trying to hit on her, which she had mixed feelings about. Despite the evidence, she wasn’t about to take the credit, so she dropped the topic. “I’m throwing some fish sticks in the oven. You better get through the shower.”