Page 33 of Savage Heart

She has dementia now, but she doesn’t seem much different than the mom I had growing up.

Chapter 8: Giddyap

Maverick

Billie’s waiting on me when I ride in from the pasture. I come to a stop when she puts her hands on her hips and glares up at me.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“Charlie says we have you to thank for Iris and Linc being around. I don’t have anything against that little boy. He seems wonderful, actually, but Iris? It’s hard enough avoiding her in town, but here, on our property? And what about Jennifer and how this affects her?”

“I don’t want to see Iris any more than you do . . . probably less. But Linc didn’t ask for any of this. That’s Lincoln’s son, Billie. I try to respect Jennifer’s feelings about all of it, but when I think about what Lincoln would say if he knew we’d treated him . . . them . . . this way . . .” I sigh and ease off of Thunder. “He wouldn’t believe who I’ve become.”

Billie gulps and looks down, rubbing Thunder’s coat absentmindedly. “Who all of us have become,” she says. “We’re not bad people. Iris just brings out the worst in us.” Her eyes are glistening with tears when she looks up at me. “I just miss him.” Her lip trembles. “And I know you must even more. You had more time with him than I did.”

Billie was only ten when he died, but she was crazy about him. He was like another big brother to her. She’d loved Iris just as much and was devastated by her betrayal.

“I miss him every day,” I say, but I’m unable to stop a small smile from forming. “You wouldn’t believe how much the kid is like Lincoln. I’ve had more one-on-one time with him this summer, feeding the horses. He’s funny, but . . .” I stop and Billie looks over.

“But what?”

“Well, he’s really smart too. Like . . . Iris was.”

She snorts. “God, she was crazy smart, wasn’t she? I remember you teasing Lincoln about his eyes glazing over when Iris would start talking facts.”

My lips twitch. “She was smarter than the two of us combined.”

My smile drops. I don’t want to think about Iris. Especially not about something that always endeared her to me.

This is just a flare-up of something long buried.

“Aw, look at that,” she says, glancing past me.

I turn to see what she’s looking at and watch Linc hop off of his horse and run over to Mom. He hugs her, and they laugh about something before he gets back on the horse.

“Wow. It’s like they’ve known each other forever,” I say.

We watch them talk for a minute or two before he rides off.

“He really is a sweet kid,” Billie says. She sighs and looks at me. “Jennifer confronted Iris. I think Mom stopped it before it got too bad.”

I tip my cowboy hat and smooth my hair back before settling it back on my head. Shit. I hate how messy this is.

“I’ll talk to her,” I tell Billie.

Billie nods. “Oh, I was supposed to tell you that Charlie’s looking for you.” She makes a face and holds up her fingers. “A little, tiny problem.”

I give her a pointed look. “On a scale of one to ten, how bad?”

“For you, I’d guess around a seven?”

“Fuck me,” I mumble, leading Thunder into the barn.

“Hey.” She follows me. “When is Colt getting in?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. Why?”

There’s a long pause, and I look at her.