“Dad’s not perfect,” he said. “Dad’s feelings on something don’t have to be the final say.”
“I know that.”
Poor Honey had only been a teenager when their mother had died. And Jackson felt like she had thrown herself in a relationship with their dad even deeper, trying to please him much more than she would have if that hadn’t happened. There was no gray area with Honey when it came to Cash Cooper. While Jackson’s relationship with him came with about fifty shades of it.
“Speaking of Dad,” Jackson said. “Is he around?”
“Yeah, he’s just back in the office.”
The main office for the winery was at the back of the tasting room.
“You have any groups coming today?”
“A couple. Stick around, it’s a bachelorette party.”
And he found he had no interest at all. He found he was soured on the thought of it. Maybe his reaction had something to do with a woman running flat away from him not that long ago.
Or maybe it had something to do with Cricket herself, and her deep, seeking eyes. And that pretty mouth of hers.
Well.
He waved a hand toward his sister, then walked back to the office, his boots making a hard sound against the reclaimed barn wood floor. He knocked once, then opened the door without waiting for his dad to respond.
“The prodigal has returned,” Cash said.
“Just to check in,” Jackson grunted.
“Jericho came by yesterday and made it sound like you are pretty busy with your new boss.”
“Yeah,” Jackson said. “Jericho can shut it.” Jericho was basically another brother to Jackson. They had grown up thick as thieves, and had started their own ranches about the same time. Like a brother, Jericho could also be a spectacular pain in his butt.
“Why exactly are you here?”
“I came to check in on you. I don’t like being away for so long.”
“You don’t sound happy about it.”
“What’s going on, Dad? Look, I’ve never called you out. Not once. Not in front of Creed, and not in front of Honey, and I won’t. Not even in front of Jericho. You might not be his dad, but he looks up to you. But I was closer to Mom, and I know that... I know that you’re grieving. I believe that. But I don’t get exactly what you’re grieving. Because I don’t think she was the love of your life.”
“Jackson...”
“I know that things weren’t always great with you.”
“I loved your mother.”
Jackson paused, a muscle jumping in his jaw. He wasn’t going to argue with his dad about what he felt or didn’t. “I’m sure you did. But enough that you’re still nonfunctional five years later?”
He sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“You’ve never loved a woman in all your life, Jackson, let alone two. So what would you know about the kinds of things that I’ve been through?”
Jackson’s senses sharpened. “Two?”
“I’m not going to discuss it with you. All I can tell you is nothing in my life has been right since I lost your mother. There are a variety of reasons for it. And maybe you’re right, but to me it’s not so simple. And maybe you don’t think I deserve to have the grief and regret that I do. But I do. You know what’s worse than grieving the love of your life? I think it might be grieving a person you wronged.”
“What exactly...”
“Not up for discussion. Why don’t you get on back to the Maxfield property? Used to be you were all so against them.”
“You were against them,” Jackson said.
His father cleared his throat. “Yeah. I was.”
“Not anymore?”
“James was the problem.”
“I figured as much.”
“Turns out he was a problem for everyone.”
“Again, not a surprise.”
Though, Jackson wondered if her dad’s problems had been a bigger surprise to Cricket than she let on, and if that was maybe part of her problem.
He had no idea what his problem was. Why was he overthinking every interaction with Cricket? He didn’t overthink anything. If anything, he tended to underthink. He was a man of action. If there was something to be done, he liked to get it done. But maybe that was the problem. He couldn’t quite figure out Cricket’s aim in having him work at the ranch. Yes, she needed some guidance, but she often seemed to bristle beneath it, and she seemed more interested in him as a person then she did in his ranching expertise half the time.
But then, when he’d nearly kissed her, she’d run away. He would have thought that if there was a motivation, her having a crush would make sense.
Still, he preferred to take his chances with Cricket than trying to stand here and reason with his father. Trying to understand his father. “I’ll see you around. Just... Why don’t you go to the bar tonight or something? Do something. Honey shouldn’t have to cook you dinner every night.”
“She doesn’t have to. I could easily get food from the winery.”
“She doesn’t want you to do that. She wants you to take better care of yourself. And you not doing it is keeping her here.”
“Didn’t keep you here.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t feel responsible for a stubborn old man. And she does.”
He put his hat on his head and walked out of his dad’s office. Honey was standing in the middle of the room, and Jericho was there too.
“Don’t you have your own place?” he asked his friend.
Jericho grinned. That particular grin of his, the one he got when he wasn’t being genuinely friendly. “Yeah. I do. Just came to see how everyone was faring. Saw your truck, and thought I’d see how you were doing with your life as a ranch hand.”
“What is it exactly that you find that so funny?”
“Because long as I’ve known you, you’ve never taken orders from anyone. And I hear you’re taking orders from her.”
“Not exactly.”
“And sleeping in a bunkhouse,” Honey said. “If I recall the terms of the bet correctly.”
“Turns out the bunkhouse was in disrepair. I’m sleeping inside.”
That earned him openmouthed stares from both Jericho and Honey.
“Really?” Jericho asked, a dark brow lifting.