Xander pushed a hand through his hair, his movements rigid. “Look. King Oil did everything Dad wanted for us. Beyond that, you don’t owe it anything.” His tone grew heated. “Not a damn thing. Look what it did to Grams and DB’s relationship with the Cartwrights.” They’d all been friends before Grams and DB had gotten greedy. “Yeah, Mama and Dad could build a nice house. Mama could stay at home and raise us, but we don’t know that she wouldn’t have chosen something else. Dad might’ve been able to ranch and be home more too. But he had to work at the company. Then you. You gave it half your life, Aiden. You almost lost your wife. Don’t let it keep taking. It’s just a company. You still have your health. You have Kate. You have money. A shit ton of money that was meant to give us the freedom Mama and Dad gave up.”

My skin tightened. What he said resonated so soundly it took me a moment to realize that my younger brother was giving me advice. He was looking out for me. Our roles had reversed. The kid I had always been a little bit envious of because he could just leave when he was upset? He wasn’t going anywhere now. He’d changed. He’d grown up. He was no longer stuck in the past and letting it decide his future. And he was telling me it was time I did the same.

CHAPTER 18

Kate

Violet hopped on the sidewalk. I opened my front door and she continued hopping like a bunny inside.

“Hey there, sweetie.”

“Hi, Aunt Kate.” She grinned at me and kicked her boots off. Bits of snow flew around her feet and a chunk landed on top of my socks.

Matt handed over a backpack emblazoned with a yellow My Little Pony. He would head to his job delivering furniture after this. “Thanks, Katie. Telling her that she could hang with you all day helped her get over how upset she was that she couldn’t do the wrestling tournament this week.”

“She told me she wished she could practice more.”

Matt rolled his eyes and yanked his gloves out of his pockets. “She’s been bugging Randall. I’ve asked her to lay off. He’s exhausted after work and a week of running practices.”

“I’ll wear her out.” I would be the one worn out, but I’d looked forward to today as much as Violet. Once wrestling season and the endless tournaments were done, I would have the boys over. Then all three. I had lost time to make up for.