“Three and a half,” Caleb corrected.
Mack rolled his eyes. “Whatever. If I were you, I wouldn’t rub it in. I wouldn’t be surprised if any of them tried to curse you with more sleepless nights than you’re already gonna get.”
“They better not,” Caleb muttered, but the amusement danced in his eyes. Pride, love, joy—all of it could be seen there right along with that emotion.
“Congratulations,” Mack murmured.
Caleb nodded to him. And Mack took his leave.
The new housedidn’t feel the same as the one Mack had grown up in. It was nice, that much was certain. But what new thing wasn’t? It was built with his parents in mind. His aunt and uncle had known what they were doing when they’d decided to invite their families to live close.
Nothing was more important than family.
And yet, Mack had never quite felt like he’d fit the mold.
Everywhere he looked for evidence, he’d found it. He didn’t fault his parents, not really. Being a middle child came with certain caveats—mostly being overlooked. Caleb was the smart one, the one destined to succeed, the one who could do no wrong. He was the golden boy, and their parents adored him. Noah was the baby of the family. He’d been doted on, probably because their parents hadn’t thought they’d have another child after labor had been hard with Mack.
Sighing, a hand dragging through his hair, Mack kicked off his boots and moved further into the house. Pristine wood floors snaked along the high traffic areas. Plush carpet filled only the sitting room and the bedrooms. The house was decorated with tasteful neutral colors and modern touches like the console table near the front door where everyone dropped their keys.
He did just that, letting them clatter in a piece of pottery Noah had made in grade school.
“Mack? Is that you?” Tana hurried from the direction of the kitchen, a smile on her face. He loved his parents. And he knew he was loved.
But sometimes he wished they could accept him for who he was.
She fiddled with a pastel pink gift bag. “How are they? Is she beautiful?”
Mack’s father appeared from the kitchen as well, excitement in his eyes. Their first grandchild. How could they not be thrilled?
“She’s perfect,” he murmured.
His parents exchanged glances.
“Are you two headed out?”
Tana nodded, then her eyes widened, and she gasped. “I forgot something upstairs. I’ll be right back.”
Will Reese was tall and built like his brother. He was meant to work on the ranch, though he’d only just started helping out when they relocated to Sagebrush. He clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Well, now it’s your turn.”
Mack stiffened. “My turn for what?”
His father smirked. “You’re not getting any younger. I know we told you we’d give you time to think things over, but you need to commit to something. Plan for your future.”
Insides churning, Mack chuckled. “I already told you. My dream is to be a rodeo star. Has been since I was a kid." There was more truth to that statement than he cared to admit. But whenever he brought it up, all he got was laughter and his parents changing the subject.
This time, his father didn’t crack a smile. “It’s time, son. No more deflecting. You don’t have to work the ranch for the rest of your life, but you need to pick something. That being said, thereare a lot of positions you could take here. Eli and Bo have done something great here, and this place is growing.”
Just like before, he was shut down. His folks didn’t seem to like the idea of him being a professional rodeo star. Never had.
Before he could say any more, his mother returned.
“Ready?” She turned to her husband.
Mack watched them go, somehow feeling less sure of his future than he already did, and that was saying something.
CHAPTER THREE
“So. A kid.”
