Linda Warren - Tomas - Cowboy Homecoming

“It’s time, Ace,” Colt was saying. “Midnight has healed and we need to get him on the rodeo circuit as soon as February.”

“No way. I’m not risking him getting hurt again. Breeding season is about to start and he’ll be busy.”

“Damn it. Can’t you see how restless he is? He needs the excitement of the rodeo.”

“I agree,” Tuf said before he thought it through.

His brothers swung around to stare at him. It wasn’t a good stare. His settling-in period was over.

Ace’s eyes narrowed on him. “You haven’t shown any interest in this ranch for eight years and now you think you have a say?”

“Yeah, Tuf,” Colt added. “We understand about the first six years. You were fighting a war, but where in the hell have you been for the last two?”

Ace had a lot more to say. “Do you even realize how bad it’s been around here? We had to lease a lot of our land and take out a mortgage with my vet business on the line to survive. Everyone pulled their weight to make sure Thunder Ranch didn’t go under.”

“I didn’t know.”

“No, because you never called home to find out.” Cool, collected Ace had reached a breaking point, and Tuf knew he had every right to be upset. “You never even called home to check on Mom. That I can’t forgive. Do you know she had a spell with her heart and was hospitalized for a few days? We had no way to get in touch with you.”

He felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut by the wildest bronc in Montana. He swallowed. “Mom had my cell number. I gave it to her when I called that one time.”

“No.” Ace shook his head. “Mom would have told me.”

“I had it,” their mom said from the doorway. Uncle Josh, Beau, Duke and Dinah stood behind her.

“What?” The color drained from Ace’s face. “But you asked me to call his friends to see if Tuf had contacted them.”

The group walked farther into the barn until they stood in a circle. Horses neighed, and Royce and Gracie came in through a side door. But everyone was staring at his mom.

“Yes, I did,” Sarah admitted. “I was worried and wanted to know if Tomas had reached out to some of his old buddies. They would talk to you quicker than an overprotective mother. I’m sorry, Ace. I know I lean on you too much.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” Ace assured her. “It’s not your fault. It’s Tuf’s.”

Tuf took the blow to his heart like a marine, like a cowboy, without flinching. It was his fault, and it was time to open that wound and let it bleed until he couldn’t feel the pain anymore.

Uncle Josh patted his shoulder, and Tuf hadn’t even realized he’d moved toward him. “We don’t mean to pressure you, Tuf, but you’re a part of this family and we’ve all been worried. It’s not like you to shut the family out. If you found someone and wanted to spend some time with her, we’d all understand. We just need to know why you’ve ignored us for two years.”

“There isn’t anyone,” he murmured under his breath.

“Were you injured and in a hospital?” Dinah asked.

“No. It wasn’t that.”

He looked at their expectant faces and knew he had to tell them. They deserved the truth. But once he did, they would look at him differently.

And he didn’t know if he was ready to handle different.

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