“Riley can’t help it,” Cameron says. “He’s defective.”
“Boys! Don’t speak to one another like that,” my mother shouts from the stove.
“Yes, Ma,” Cameron grumbles. But I can tell my brother has it out for Riley tonight, just by the gleam in his eyes. He’s not done fucking with him, and I’m going to do my best to stay out of it.
Candice and Cassandra start talking at the table and I go over to help my mom with dinner.
“Natey,” she says. “You can always be counted on to help me.”
I don’t say anything, just finish draining the potatoes and get out the milk and butter from the fridge.
“Tell me how you’ve been,” Ma says to me as I get to mashing.
“Fine,” I say. “Okay. Good? I don’t know. I like working with the rescues.”
“It sounds like you’re confused.”
“A bit.”
“I haven’t seen you confused since before you started competing. From that moment on, riding and winning were your compass and your way out of the chaos of this house.”
“It wasn’t like that,” I say quietly, though my brothers are making such a ruckus it’s not likely anyone will hear. “I loved this house but…”
“Your father made it hard for you kids,” she says, finishing my thought. “I should have made him leave sooner.”
“He left when he left. It’s okay,” I say gently. “We all did what we could.”
She stirs the huge piece of meat braising in the soup pot on the stove and then sets to taking it out to shred. I’m reminded that Candice is a vegetarian, so I grab a few extra things from thefridge, and start to make her a cheese omelet. It’s not gourmet but it will have to do.
“After we eat, you’re going to tell me what happened to have you so unsure of yourself,” she says.
I wince. “I hadn’t realized it was that obvious.”
“It’s not,” my mom says. “At least not to her.” She tips her head towards Candice. “But I’m your mother. I can tell when one of my babies is hurting.”
“Why would I care what uh, what she thinks?” I say.
“Because I see the way you two look at each other.”
“You’ve seen us interact for all of ten minutes. Don’t play matchmaker,” I say under my breath.
My mom has wanted to see me and Cassandra settled down since we were in our late twenties. Riley and Cam get less heat since they aren’t yet thirty, but Ma worries that Cass and I will never find anyone.
The thing is, Cassandra probably will find someone. She’s not nearly as allergic to relationships as I am. She just refuses to leave this damn ranch for more than a few hours, so she never meets anyone.
We bring the food over and my siblings immediately dive at it, acting like they are still fifteen. Though, they all pull long days on the ranch so I guess they’ve earned it.
Candice just puts potatoes and green beans on her plate, and my mother immediately notices and reaches for the beef.
“Oh,” Candice says. “Please don’t. I’m, um, a vegetarian.”
A hush falls over my siblings and they all turn to stare at her like she’s some sort of alien life form.
“A vegetarian? Nate, you finally bring a girl home to meet us and she’s a vegetarian?” Cam asks, seeming genuinely aghast.
“I work with animals,” Candice says by way of explanation.
“So do we,” Riley says.
