13. JW

THIRTEEN

JW

"Spill the tea, Joseph William Johnson." I'm bent over, a horse's foot between my thighs and a rasp in my hand, the file tool helps shape the hoof. The only person on this earth who would use my full name is Mom. Though Maeve is now on that list, she only uses Joseph when she's coming for me. I ignore Mom's question for a moment. I've got the horse right where I need her. One of hers, of course; she has more than anyone else does at the ranch. Between her, my brother Dean, and his wife Tully, we may as well be a shelter for animals. It's a wonder we don't have a trailer pulling up the drive as we speak. I focus on finishing my task. Mom will wait. She's aware of the position I'm in when a horse is calm. I'll just have to shoe JoJo in a little bit. By the time I finish filing, Mom will be chomping at the bit and her patience will be long gone .

"You talk to Lawson?" I ask, lifting my head from my task for a minute. The plus and minus of a big family. The plus is they're always there. Any problem, any celebration, they're right there with you. The downside is they're in your business faster than a pig in shit.

"Yes, but he evaded me, only giving me small blips. The girls don't know what's going on, and you weren't at breakfast this morning. Trey mentioned he didn't see you sitting on the back deck last night. Two and two equals four. Everyone knows you've had your eye on Maeve. I figure you spent the night there. About damn time." Mom isn't done. Barely a breath in between words, and she keeps on talking as I finish my work. I nod in response. "I drove by the bakery this morning. It was closed. Went online, and her website said her store is closed. I knew that couldn't be right, so I went to her social media pages and it seems she changed her hours. Lawson saw me get back, and he knew something had me in a tizzy. Now, don't look at me that way. He told me the basics, and now here we are."

I let go of JoJo, watching as she regains her balance. She nuzzles into my chest, demanding attention when I move away, or try to. My hand moves up to her muzzle to scratch her. JoJo is a palomino. Docile and happy, she's also more of a pet than a working horse. Well into her twenties, retirement age if you ask Mom. I'd say she could still be ridden by my nieces and nephews to keep her body in shape.

"Not sure what all is going on. Some dickhead"—she clears her throat—"Sorry. Someone is leaving scathing reviews and business has come to a halt for her, outside her regulars. Mae is worried she'll lose Whisked Away or at least have to rent out her store and go back to basics. I called Fletch, which I need to do again because like you said, her website states she's closed, and when I left her this morning, she mentioned only changing hours."

Mom's eyes are lighting up. She's got wedding bells in her eyes. And while it will eventually happen between Mae and me, I'd like to at least be more settled in our relationship before she starts planning it all out.

"When will she be over?"

"Not sure. We're playing it by ear. Right now, she's closer to Whisked Away staying at her house. I'm going to be there when Mae is. I'd rather not leave her alone with all this shit up in the air." This time, Mom only arches an eyebrow, and I'm sure she'll have me paying for it later. "Lawson is going to pick up at night if something comes up, and I'll take his shift the next time we rotate."

"Alright, well, you know we're all here for you and Maeve. I'd suggest picking up dinner for you two. Except Mae is not only an exceptional baker, she's also a great cook." Well, that's news to me. I never expected her to work all day, come home, and head right back into a kitchen. Last night, I didn't head over til after I ate. Being a single man with a home, cooking consists of meat, a starch, and on the rare occurrence, a salad. If not, I'll throw some vegetables on the side while calling it a day.

"Good to know. I'm about to head inside to make another call to Fletch and give him a few updates. I'll finish working on what's on the schedule today, then I'm packing a bag and staying in town," I reiterate where I'll be, so she doesn't worry and to spread the word to the family. Lawson isn't one to spill the tea, as Mom calls it. Trey, fuck yeah, that prick can't keep his mouth shut, which is why I threatened him myself. Dean and Lane are easygoing and busy with their own lives and busy-as-hell wives. Lawson and Juniper work within walking distance of each other, and if she so much as leaves his sight, he's right there behind her. For a while there, I didn't understand the concept or the reason. Now it's a whole different story.

"Alright, you let us know what's going on and if you need anything. I'll stop by Whisked Away since you're working, maybe sit there a bit. Will that help you from brooding all day?"

I shake my head. I'm not admitting it's been on my mind Mae would be on her own in the shop, and yesterday, she didn't even realize I'd walked through the door. My goal today was to work as much as I could, including working through lunch in order to get to her faster.

"That'd surely help. You don't have Case today?" Usually, she'll have a grandkid with her, Case more than most since Ryland is a single dad.

"I have Case. He's been asking to make cookies. Maybe Maeve wouldn't mind if we brought the cookie baking to her. She's offered it before. I think today just might be the day to make use of her offer." I'd give Mom hell if she wasn't doing me a solid. She may be a busybody with a side of attempting to matchmake her kids who don't really need her to; we only act like we do. I'm wondering if she's aware of how Trey feels about Sienna; that's a whole other can of worms. I wouldn't put it past her to know about those two, which leaves Ryland. He's yet to step foot back in the dating pool, only worried about being a great father for Case, working on the ranch, and that's about it. He rarely goes out, preferring to stay home with Case. Yeah, Mom will be scoping out her next future daughter-in-law soon enough.

"I'd appreciate that, a lot. Tomorrow, I'll have to figure something else out. Maybe Birdie wouldn't mind stopping in, or Tully on one of her routes?" I ask. Mom usually knows their schedules better than most.

"I'd call Tully. Birdie has been working on a big project." Mom takes my place in front of JoJo, petting and scratching where she likes the most, her shoulder and chest. Though she's not one to turn down any type of attention.

"Appreciate it, Mom, a lot." I reiterate so she knows how grateful I am. This shit has been eating at my gut since I caught wind of the situation yesterday. I sat on my ass for far too long when it came to Mae. Now she knows where we stand, and I've got no problem relying on family to help out until everything settles down.

"You're welcome. Now get back to work. My other babies need their feet done too, and I think your dad is looking for you." Mom moves away from JoJo, coming to stand in front of me, and I already know what she's waiting on. Our mom won't leave us without some kind of affection. She needs us to know we're loved. As if her and dad making all the sacrifices along the way didn't show us everything we needed to know. Still, Mom lifts to the tips of her toes, and I kiss her cheek. She pats my own and then heads back in the direction of the house. Mom came, got me to talk, helped me find a solution for today and tomorrow, and now she's leaving as fast as she appeared. I move back to JoJo. It's time to get back to work, and there's always plenty to do around here.