by M. Allen
“Ouch.” She rubbed at the stinging slap. “What if we can’t?”
“You will.” He nodded toward the front door. “Go on now.”
With her heart in her throat, she pushed through the screen door and walked out into the late day sun. Sitting on the top step was Zinnia, looking just as awful as Magnolia felt. She wore ripped jeans and an oversized sweatshirt, which was rolled up to her elbows. Like Magnolia, she too had her hair pulled into a high ponytail. Why does everyone else look cute when they do it? Dark circles marred the skin beneath her eyes, and her left eye had a purple ring around it and appeared to be a little swollen. Instant regret ran through Maggie. “Did I do that?”
Zin’s hand immediately flew up to press over her eye. She flinched with a hiss. “Yeah.”
Maggie moved to sit on the other side of the top of the stairs. She leaned against the pole at her back and rested her head against it. “I’m sorry I hit you so hard.”
“I’m not.” Zinnia tilted her head down and mumbled, “I didn’t mean what I said last night.”
“It’s been hard around here. I get that now.” Magnolia plucked at one of vines that wound through the railing.
“Maggie, when you left I thought you were goin’ to come back. And when you didn’t, I…” She let her words fall off as though she didn’t know what to say.
“When I left what?” Magnolia prompted her.
“I just thought, you know. We were like sisters. Hell, I came over every Sunday for dinner with your family, and I thought all of us…” she circled her hands as though saying everyone on the ranch, her father, her mother, Dax, “I thought we were more important to you than just a couple generic letters and text a couple times a year. I mean, being friends on Facebook doesn’t mean you’ve kept up the friendship.”
Maggie nodded, feeling as though this was the first time she’d had to face what she’d done head-on. Calla let her off the hook; even Dax was avoiding talking about it. But Zinnia needed straight-up answers. “You know, Zin, I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. And I know I messed up, in the worst kind of way. I threw away people who cared about me and needed me.”
Zinnia slid a bit closer. “You were so young… How could you have known?”
“I know, but still, you were like a sister to me. And you needed me.” Magnolia too slid a bit closer.
“My happiness wasn’t your responsibility. It was mine, and I just blamed you.” She hesitated. “I just missed you so much.”
“I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I just ran away from home, I guess, and never came back.” Before she knew it, they were in the middle of the steps, sitting knee-to-knee. “Until now.” Just thinking about Eric made her skin crawl. How could she have fallen for his line of bullshit? He promised her the world and she’d bought it hook, line and sinker.
Zinnia wrapped her hand around Magnolia’s. “Maggie, I didn’t mean to throw what happened in your face. I was angry. God, I wish I could take it back.” As Zinnia squeezed Magnolia’s hand, her nails dug in, but Maggie didn’t stop her.
“I didn’t mean what I said about you becoming your father.”
Zinnia dropped Magnolia’s hand, then looked up at her with grave blue eyes. “Maggie… about Dax.” Her voice hitched. “I swear, we didn’t plan for it to happen. I swear, Maggie.”
Silence hung between them as Maggie thought about what to say. What could she say? That Dax wasn’t hers at the time? Hoes before bros, you traitor? He’s mine? No matter how badly she wanted it, she couldn’t lay claim to him. “I know you didn’t plan it. And I’m not going to lie. It hurt to hear it.” To herself, she muttered, “It’s weird that it still bothers me.”
“You should know that after you left, he struggled the most. I mean, all of us thought y’all would last forever. You two were just…” When she glanced to the sky, a dreamy look crossed her face. “You were just perfect. Whatever direction you were goin’ in, so was he.”
“Yeah.” It was true. Magnolia and Dax were damn near symbiotic before she left for school.
Zinnia reached out and grabbed her hand once more. “What happened? Why didn’t you come back?”
“I, ah…” She’d never said the words out loud before. “When I got to school, it was a whole different world than what I was used to. I saw all the things they had up north, and the city can be intoxicating. I wanted to see if I could make it anywhere else, and to be honest I didn’t want to end up like my mom. Stuck at home, longing for more.” She shrugged. “Turns out that’s exactly what I became, just in a different place.”
“I understand that. My worst fear is becoming my dad.”
Magnolia wrapped her arm around Zinnia. “You won’t. I know I said it yesterday. But you said something to hurt me, and I wanted to hurt you back. But honestly, Zin, you’re so much more than your parents.”
The two sat like that for long moments until the screen door swung open with a bang. When Maggie looked over her shoulder, her father stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. “Have y’all worked out your differences?”
An ear-splitting smile covered Zinnia’s face as she popped to her feet and hugged Magnolia’s father. “Yes, I’m glad you called me.”
Magnolia raised her eyebrows. “You called her? Since when do you have Zin’s number?”
“Oh, darlin’, I’ve got secrets you don’t know about.” He winked playfully at her.
When she rose to join them, her father turned serious as he gazed at her. “Now, y’all better stop actin’ like children. It’s time to grow up, even though I’m proud my daughter knows how to throw a good right hook.”
Zin pressed her hand over her eye at the same time heat flooded Maggie’s cheeks. Yet her father continued, “Y’all can’t act like a pack of wild dogs going after each other.” He wrapped his arms around each of their shoulders. “Sometimes family isn’t about the blood running in our veins, but it’s about the people we choose to be around.” He squeezed them in closely. “You, my girls, are family, no matter how much time has passed.”
Magnolia squeezed him back. “You always know what to say?”
“No, but I’m old, so I’ve heard my fair share of bullshit.” He pressed his hand into her back, urging her forward. Beside her, Zinnia too stepped toward the front door. “Now, I know it’s not Sunday, but Friday night is just as good as any other for dinner. Don’t you think?”
Zin smiled up at him. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Confused, Magnolia looked from her father to Zinnia. “Not Sunday?”
When her father patted her on the head and smiled. “Just because you weren’t here doesn’t mean life stopped.” He waved them inside. “Now that y’all are done acting like children, let’s eat.”
Chapter 12
Magnolia’s father urged them into the house. Zinnia took the lead, followed by Magnolia then her father. They walked through the living room, past the dining room and straight into the large kitchen where the table was set for six. The kitchen was every chef’s dream, with stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, and an island big enough to seat twelve. The granite countertop ran across the back wall and sat on top of white craftman-style cabinets. At the center of the room was a long rectangular farm house table, complete with distressed wooden chairs to surround it. At one end sat her Uncle Mike; next to him was Hayden, who leaned across the table and snagged a piece of bread from her uncle’s plate. Magnolia stepped forward to chastise him. “Hayden.”
Her uncle held up his hand, stopping her words. “Shh, it’s our thing.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Your thing?”
Hayden giggled and shoved the bread in the mouth, letting crumbs fall all over his shirt. Uncle Mike just reached over and patted Hayden on the head, messing his dirty blond curls. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. Me and the boy are good.”
“I thought I was your favorite.” If ever there was someone to be replaced by in her uncle’s eye, it would be Hayden.
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br /> “The winds of change.” Her father playfully poked her in the side as he walked to the counter to grab the last dish to lay on the table. “Don’t just stand there. Y’all sit down.”
It had been ages since Magnolia had had a family style dinner. In New York, Eric often ‘worked late,’ leaving Magnolia to eat alone with Hayden. But now, standing in the doorway to her kitchen, surrounded by her family, this was where they belonged. Across from her uncle, her father moved to take his seat at the head of the table. “You gonna stand there all night or are you gonna sit down?”
Zinnia had already sat on the opposite side next to Uncle Mike. Even though Magnolia would’ve liked to sit next to her, she opted to be next to Hayden and to one side of her father. On the other side was an empty chair with a place setting in front of it. “Are we expecting someone else?”
Before anyone could answer, the back door to the kitchen creaked opened and Dax strolled through. “Sorry I’m late, y’all.”
“You’re just in time. We haven’t even said grace yet.” Her father waved him over to the table. “Wash up first.”
“Thanks, Thomas.”
Dax pulled the baseball cap from his head and placed it on the counter next to the sink. When he turned his back toward them, Magnolia watched his every move. His gray t-shirt molded to the muscles in his back and forearms. As he lathered up his hands, those tempting muscles flexed with each of his movements. Just looking at him made her realize how shitty she probably looked. Hungover, with knotted hair, an ’80s shirt and a pair of jeans that had seen better days. Dragging her eyes away from Dax, she looked around the table and realized everyone was staring at her. “What?”
In his deep timbre, her father cleared his throat. “I said, would you like to say grace?”
Damn it! She’d been caught staring at Dax, there was no denying it. Across the table, Zinnia covered her chuckle with her hands. If she was any closer, Magnolia might’ve kicked her. That man made her lose her ever-loving mind. She cleared her throat. “Of course, Dad.”
Dax took the only seat available, which was directly across from Magnolia. When she folded her hands and bowed her head, she could feel his eyes on her, as though his gaze were a touch she craved. Swallowing around the ball in her throat, she mumbled out a prayer as fast as she could. When she picked her head back up, her father gave her a stern look. “You all right?”
“Yes.” She reached across the table and plucked a roll from the bread basket. “Just fine.”
She was anything but fine. Last night she’d made a damn fool of herself in front of Dax, practically crying over him and Zinnia. Ugh, he slept with Zinnia. Though she had no right to be angry at either of them, it still hurt. As if Zin could read her mind, she met eyes with Magnolia and mouthed an I’m sorry. Magnolia gave a small shrug, trying to play it off like it didn’t bother her. When she turned back to glance at Dax once more, his eyes were boring into her, hot and needing. She reached for her water, gulping down the cool liquid. This thing between them was reaching a fever pitch, near explosive. Last night he’d railed at her, You broke me! You were it for me! His words were like a slap in the face each time she thought about them.
“Aren’t you going to eat something?” Her father’s words snapped her out of her thoughts.
Jumping to reach for the mashed potatoes, she nearly knocked over his glass. “Yes, I’m starving.”
Thomas reached out and steadied the glass before it toppled over. “Dang, girl, you’re jumpier than a jack rabbit. You sure you’re all right?”
“Just fine.” She scooped potatoes, fried chicken and honey-glazed carrots onto her plate, dutifully cutting everything into pieces and most definitely not looking up at Dax, or watching him, or wanting to watch him.
When she glanced at her father, he rolled his eyes and turned toward Dax. “Y’all ready for tomorrow?”
“Yes, sir. Got about half the herd in estrus. They’ll be ready to do tomorrow. Should take a good portion of the afternoon.” Dax reached over and grabbed the bowl of potatoes then lumped them on his plate. “In the mornin’, we’re going to work on the drain in that back patch. Gotta have it ready before winter hits, otherwise the fields will be mush come spring.”
“Sounds about right.” Her father nodded, taking a mouthful of food on his fork. Silence fell over the table. The tension between Zinnia, Dax and Magnolia was palpable. Next to Dax, Zinnia sat ramrod straight, barely eating a single bite. Her large sapphire eyes darted from Dax to Magnolia and back again. The night before had been traumatic to them all, to say the least. Between the fist fight and arguing with them both, Magnolia didn’t know what to say. Yes, she and Zinnia had made amends, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t awkward as hell sitting at a table knowing the two of them had gotten it on.
Magnolia’s stomach rolled just thinking about it. She dropped her fork on to her dinner plate, letting it land with a clang. Then she pressed her hand to her forehead, trying to rub out the thoughts of them together. How could the thought of Dax with Zinnia affect her so much when the thought of her cheating husband didn’t? Moving her hand from her forehead to her mouth, she pressed on her lips.
“Everything okay?” Her father’s gentle voice drew her from her thoughts.
Swallowing down the hurt she felt, she plastered her New York fake smile on her face. “Yes, everything is fine.”
“Oh, really?” It was the first time Dax spoke to her since their yelling match in the field the night before. He motioned to her. “Because whatever that smile is that you’ve got on doesn’t seem all right to me. Something you picked up in the big city?”
Holy shit! Had he just called her on her New York smile? No one ever did, not even Eric could tell it was fake. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”
“Don’t you?” he leaned back in his chair. “There’s a difference between a Magnolia smile and that look you’ve got on your face now. Am I right, Thomas?”
Her father sat up straight, staring at her. Under his direct gaze, her smile faltered. Why was everyone staring at her? It wasn’t like she was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. “Y’all need to stop looking at me like that. I’m fine.”
“Yep, sure you are.” Her father took up another scoop of vegetables and took a bite.
Again, that silence filled the air. Thomas slammed his hand down on the table. “Damn it. This is more awkward than walkin’ through cow shit all day.”
“Shit, shit, shit,” Hayden chanted while bouncing in his chair.
“Ugh, Dad, really?” She reached over and stilled Hayden. She placed her finger over his mouth. “That’s a bad word, and we don’t say it.”
When she lifted her finger from his lips he smiled. “Ssshhhhhh.”
“You heard your mother,” Dax chastised across from them. “Don’t you be sayin’ those words.”
With a single nod, Hayden shoved another roll in his mouth and didn’t dare say another word. Wordlessly Magnolia mouthed thank you to Dax. It wasn’t that she couldn’t parent on her own, but it was nice to have backup once in a while.
Her father held up his hand. “Now, I’m sorry. But come on.” He pointed at Magnolia. “You left for way too long. And you did it poorly.”
“Da—”
“I’m not finished.” He pointed at Dax and Zinnia. “And when she was gone, y’all went red neck wild child for a spell. No one is perfect at this table. We all have made mistakes. But we are a family. We forgive each other, and we move on.” He pointed at Magnolia again. “Except your ass of a husband. There is no forgivin’ him. You just need to divorce his good-for-nothin’ behind.”
Fits of laughter broke out around the table, and in that moment, the thick tension lifted that had plagued the beginning of their meal. Tears of laughter ran down Magnolia’s face. “You know what, Dad? You’re absolutely right.”
Thomas Reed might have bad timing and was a little too honest at times. But he was completely and utterly right. Eric didn’t deserve a place in her life, n
ot after he treated her and Hayden like they mattered so little to him. Dax’s head snapped up. “Do you mean that, Maggie?”
Swallowing down her laughter, she nodded. “Yeah, I think I do.”
In the pit of her stomach, she knew things between her and Eric were over. Her trust had been broken, and to a Reed, if you don’t have trust, you don’t have anything. For a split second, she could’ve sworn she saw relief cross his features, but in the next, it was gone, and he was back to being serious. “Good. You deserve better than that.”
Zinnia sat smiling, watching the exchange between the two of them like it was a tennis match. No matter how long they’d been apart, it was as though Zinnia still sensed the underlying current between Dax and Magnolia. She wagged her eyebrows at Magnolia. If this had been high school, that one look would’ve been the equivalent of telling her to ask him out or get his number. Thank goodness this wasn’t high school; they were adults now. They could control their feelings… completely. Magnolia glanced at Dax, stifling a sigh. Yes, completely in control of everything she felt for him. “Thanks, Dax.”
Her father sat back in his chair, dabbing at his mouth with his napkin. “Maggie, now that you’re staying on for a while, why don’t you give the boys a hand inseminating the herd?”
“Me?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Yeah, you. You went to that big fancy college of yours to get that vet degree.”
“I know, Daddy, but—”
He gave her a hard look. “But what?”
What could she say? That her confidence was shaken? She’d never worked on a ranch as a vet before? “But I haven’t practiced in a long time. I wouldn’t want to mess anything up. And I’m not licensed in Tennessee.”
“Darlin’, you know full well you don’t need a license to inseminate the herd. Ranchers been doing it for years just fine. You couldn’t mess anything up. You need to get your bearings now and do what you’ve always wanted. Plus, Dax will be there. I know it’ll be fine.” He drummed his fingers on the table top, the way he always did when he waited for an answer.