28. Sean

28

Sean

Snapped awake by Aubrey’s urgent shaking, I blink into the harsh reality of panic painted across her face. She’s glaring at a beer can perched innocently on the end table, her voice cutting through the haze, “Are you drunk?”

I scrub a hand over my face, trying to marshal the fuzziness into something coherent. “Nope, just one beer,” I manage to grunt out, but it’s a light one, hardly a blip on the radar.

Then it hits me—the herbal pills Sam handed me with a casual warning about their kick. Brilliant, Sean, mix that with booze, why don’t you?

Aubrey’s already yanking me to my feet before I can string together a decent explanation. There’s no time for a play-by-play of my less-than-stellar pharmacological choices. Emma rushes in, urgency etched into every feature.

“We need to find Luke,” she declares, turning our mini inquisition into a full-blown search party.

We scatter, the seriousness of the situation sobering me up faster than a cold shower. I’m still a bit wobbly, the remnants of my herbal adventure clinging stubbornly, but the surge of adrenaline helps clear the cobwebs. This isn’t the time to be the family screw-up.

As we comb through the house, calling Luke’s name, a pit forms in my stomach. This is not how the responsible father in my head plays things out. I'm supposed to be the cool, unflappable dad, not the guy causing heart palpitations because he mixed some voodoo herbs with his beer.

Every empty room we check cranks up the tension, and I can't help but promise myself, if we get out of this with Luke giggling under a bed somewhere, I'm swearing off anything stronger than espresso. No more herbal experiments, no more making Aubrey freak out.

As we continue the search, I keep up a steady stream of calls for Luke, hoping to hear his little feet pattering in response. I'm ready to turn this scare into a stern lesson on why Daddy needs to stick to coffee and the occasional light beer—without any magical enhancements.

We split up, scouring the house with a fine-tooth comb. Every second is an eternity where the only thing larger than the ranch is my growing fear. Kid-sized hideouts turn up empty, and with each call for Luke that goes unanswered, my heart sinks a little lower. The vastness of the ranch looms over us, a sprawling labyrinth where a curious toddler could easily vanish.

Just as we're about to widen the search, Pops strides in, his presence like an anchor in the storm.

"I'll keep an eye on the house. You folks check the rest of the ranch," he says, but his eyes—sharp and knowing—land on me with a weight that says he’s seen this kind of mess before.

I nod, feeling the sting of his unspoken rebuke. It’s like I’ve dropped the ball in the final seconds of the game, and he’s the coach who’s seen it all too many times. We gear up to head outside, the urgency cranking up as we prepare to tackle the expanse of the ranch.

As we step out into the wide open, I'm mentally kicking myself. How did I let this happen? The ranch, with all its nooks, crannies, and outright dangers, is no place for a toddler to explore unsupervised. The thought gnaws at me with every step we take.

"Luke!" Our calls slice through the open air, desperate and determined. The ranch is a world of its own, with barns that echo with the sounds of livestock and fields that stretch out like green oceans.

Pops’ words, though silent, ring loud in my ears, adding fuel to my frantic search. This is more than just finding Luke; it's about proving I can handle the responsibilities I've taken on. No more herbal missteps, no more lapses in judgment. This is real life, and it’s time I started playing for keeps.

The tension is razor-sharp, slicing through the ranch air as we call for Luke, when suddenly the gravel crunches under the tires of one of the ranch trucks. My heart leaps into my throat as it rolls to a stop in front of us. It's like the whole world pauses—then I see him. Luke, riding shotgun with his sidekick Pokey, both as carefree as can be. The sight nearly knocks the wind out of me.

Manuel, one of our trusted ranch hands, jumps out of the driver's side. He's quick to open the passenger door, letting Luke and Pokey out. Luke's grinning from ear to ear, utterly unaware of the chaos he's sparked, and Aubrey rushes to him, scooping him up in a hug that I can tell is as much for her comfort as it is for his.

“Found him over by the cattle pens,” Manuel explains, a hint of a smile under his mustache. “This little guy and Pokey seemed to be on their own little adventure. Saw they were unsupervised and figured they needed to get back fast.”

I step forward, my relief morphing into profound gratitude. “Manuel, man, I can’t thank you enough,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? On me.”

He nods, tips his hat, and says he’ll just park the truck before heading home. Aubrey's holding Luke tight, her eyes closed for a moment in relief. Luke, blissfully unaware of the heart attack he nearly gave us, chats away about his ‘adventure’ with Pokey.

As they turn to head back to the house, I let out a long, slow breath. The weight of what could have happened presses down on me, but seeing Luke safe and sound with his mom, I know I’ve got to tighten up my act.

Emma, seeming to sense the tension in the air, steps forward.

“How about I take the little guy into the house for some juice? Might need a little something to drink after his big adventure.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Aubrey says. “And thanks. I’ll be in in a few.”

The moment Emma spirits Luke away, promising snacks and a fuss over Pokey, the air between Aubrey and me thickens with unspoken words. I can almost see the steam coming off her, her eyes narrow slits of controlled anger. This isn’t going to be pretty.

"Sean, how could you?" she starts off, her voice tight, controlled. "You were supposed to be watching him! How can you just get hammered and pass out?"

I raise my hands, a feeble attempt at defense. "Aubrey, listen, it was just one beer," I insist, trying to keep the frustration from my voice. But even to me, it sounds weak, insufficient.

"One beer doesn't knock you out like that, Sean," she snaps back, crossing her arms. Her stance, her tone, the set of her jaw—all of it tells me she's not buying my line. And honestly, I wouldn’t buy it either if our roles were reversed.

I run a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of her disappointment. It’s like a sucker punch to the gut, knowing I've let her down, especially when it comes to Luke.

"I know it sounds bad, but I wasn't drunk," I try again, more earnestly this time. "There was something else, something with the pain meds I took. It wasn’t smart, and I screwed up. I'm sorry, really sorry."

Her eyes soften just a bit, but the anger's still there, simmering just below the surface. She's holding the line, and damn if she isn’t right to do it. I’ve messed up, and it’s going to take more than a quick apology to make things right.

“You took pain meds and drank? You should’ve known better, Sean.”

As Aubrey's eyes drill into me, I know I've got to spill it all. "They were some herbal treatment pills," I start, watching her reaction closely. "Sam, the team's trainer, gave them to me. Said they might help with the shoulder pain."

Her brow furrows, confusion and concern mixing in equal measure. "Herbal pills? Still, Sean, you should have been more careful. Mixing those with alcohol..."

I nod, the weight of her words sinking in. "I know, I should've," I admit, feeling the guilt tightening around me. "I didn't realize they'd hit me so hard. I won't be mixing anything from now on. No pills, no booze, nothing."

She watches me, her expression softening slightly as she processes my promise. "Promise me, Sean. No more risks with Luke around."

I meet her eyes, steady and sincere. "I promise," I say, and I mean it. The fear of what could've happened today is enough to straighten me out for good.

She holds my gaze a moment longer, then nods slowly. "I'm going to go back to Luke," she says, turning to leave but pausing to look back at me. "Make sure you keep that promise."

As she walks away, relief mixes with the residual fear in my gut. I'm left standing alone, the quiet of the moment letting the reality of today's scare really sink in. I could've lost everything today—not just Aubrey's trust, but Luke's safety.

Exhaling a shaky breath, I’m about to head back inside when my phone buzzes. Another message from Yasmine lights up the screen, her words flirty, unwelcome. I stare at the text, a reminder of another complication I don't need. Ignoring it for now, I pocket my phone. My priority has to be my family—Aubrey and Luke. Everything else, including unwanted texts from past flings, can wait.

Resolute, I head back inside, determined to make good on my promise. No more half-measures, no more excuses. It’s time to be the man Aubrey and Luke need me to be.