Page 128 of Reins

Silence invades the spacious room again.

Mason raises his head, looking slowly from Wade, to me, then to Oliver. “They need to check out the east pasture.”

Oliver rolls back in his seat, then nods.

Wade holds out his arm and gestures to his wife with two fingers.

She leaves the group, moving to his side. “Yes, daddy?” she whispers with her lips near his ear.

I feel like I’m invading a moment being close enough to hear.

“Rosalyn is outside in Cade’s truck. Can you hang out with her while Cade and I go with them?” He nods towards Mason who’s stuffing his feet in his boots.

“I’ll go with you to talk with her.” I know Rosalyn will follow my instructions implicitly.

Elena isn’t me or Wade.

“Wait, your wife is here?” Mason pauses as he drops his hat on his head. “Bring her in.”

I throw a slow look around the room.

There’s confusion, pain, anger, sadness, and even some hatred still scattered on their faces.

“No.” I’m not opening her up to the kind of questions I know she’d be asked. One on one? Maybe.

I’d never throw her into a pack of wolves like this.

Mason’s stare narrows but his chin drops. “Fair.”

He’s gotten older since the last time I was this close to him. Yet there’s a sense of calm he never had when we were younger.

It’s only when I step outside that I feel like I can breathe again.

I have all of my limbs still attached, with no new holes.

I’ll call that a win.

I motion for Rosalyn to drop her window. The tinted glass lowers to reveal her tear stained cheek.

“You’re okay?” She reaches for me, then glances at Elena and smiles.

“I am. Elena’s gonna sit with you while I ride up with Wade. Or do you want to go with?” I lean in, covering her fingers with mine.

“Where?” she whispers.

“East pasture.” I’m not sure if it’s the expression on my face or the way I say it but all of the color drains from her skin.

“Can we, um, follow and then sit where, um, we can’t see?” Her lip rolls between her teeth.

“I think that’s a fine idea.” I press a kiss to her forehead, then turn to Elena. “Does that sound okay?”

“Let me see if they’ll watch Boone for me.” Elena gives us a thumb’s up. “I think it’ll be fine.”

“Cade?” Mason stands on the porch, no longer surrounded by the rest of the household. “A second?”

The agony he’s carrying bleeds off him when I nod and follow him away from the building.

“None of it?” he husks. “You didn’t have anything to do with the attacks? The—” His voice cracks. “—accident?”