The Ranch (A Second Chance Romance)

“I guess I should take comfort in that,” she deadpanned. “Eventually.”

“You guys,” Prue looked around self-consciously. “You aren’t seriously gonna fight right here in the middle of town, are you?”

“We aren’t fighting,” Mom and I said at the same time. It was our practiced, go-to response after so many years of these awkward conversations.

Whether we would argue was totally up to her, though. I didn’t want to. I never wanted to. But I wasn’t going to stand by and let her berate me for daring to be seen in public with Cooper and Nolan.

Not today. Not anymore.

“Have you been with them this whole time?” My mom’s tone was quiet, but still no mistaking the question was more of an accusation than anything else.

“Yes,” I answered simply. “That’s where I’ve been.”

“Both of them?”

“Yes. Both of them.”

She turned back to help where they had left off with the sandbags, but that wouldn’t be the end of our conversation.

Just as I started to help her lift one, she continued. “I never understood that friendship.”

I wasn’t sure if she was deliberately baiting me to say something else or genuinely curious. I also wasn’t sure if she was talking about Cooper and Nolan’s friendship or the relationship the three of us shared.

Because if it was the latter? I doubted she was ready for that conversation. Especially not right there in front of God and everybody.

“Which part doesn’t make sense to you?” I asked, choosing my words carefully. If she wanted to go there, I would. But she would have to go first.

Her eyes narrowed as if with suspicion. “They always seemed to care for you a little too much. More than a mere friend might. And yet, now, from what I hear, the two of them live together.”

Okay. Strange comment, Mom.

I snapped back instantly, “They live on a ranch, Mom. People often live where they work, that’s not strange.”

Even though I’d felt it building up, I was more than a little surprised at hearing her say—or very nearly say—she thought they both wanted me. But did she also wondering if they were gay? Because I had never considered that angle before, but then, I knew for a fact that they were both as straight as arrows.

“Would it be so wrong if they cared about me?” I scrambled for the right words, and I genuinely wanted to avoid a tense confrontation, but I wasn’t sure where she wanted to take the conversation.

I couldn’t imagine she was about to give me her blessing to be in a relationship with both men at the same time, but it didn’t seem like she’d prepared to damn me to hell, either.

“No, of course, it wouldn’t be wrong,” she sighed. “But I think you know what I mean, Penelope.”

Oh, God.

I didn’t know what she meant. But I heard her pull out the big guns.

I was only Penelope when shit got real. And it was starting to get really real where I was standing.

“Anyway,” she continued. “I always thought it would ruin their friendship. In the back of my mind, I always waited for the day when they would make you choose between them, but that day never came, not yet.”

“I could never choose between them,” I said truthfully. “I don’t ever need to try.” Then, because I was inspired—or because a glutton for punishment, I boldly asked, “Why? What would you think about that? If I went on without picking either of them?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I feared I’d gone too far. It was that sense of despair when I wished more than anything I could’ve turned back the clock for the past sixty seconds and pretend like I hadn’t said anything at all.

God.

Sometimes I did envy people who went through life keeping their dumb mouths shut. It was a skill I’d never been good at, unfortunately.

“You mean if you went on doing the same thing you’re doing now?” The corners of her mouth twitched as she raised a perfectly sculpted brow. “It doesn’t seem to have affected much, does it? Not nearly as much as that cheating business. If anything could have kept the three of you apart, I’d have thought that would have done it.”

Wow.

She didn’t act upset. Or shocked. Or anything bad, really. In fact, she was so calm that it kind of freaked me out.

It seemed like she understood that I wanted to be with both of them and I wanted the three of us to be more than just friends. But did she understand? I still couldn’t tell for sure, in spite of what seemed to be obvious hints.

I wasn’t ready to come out and say it, though. Not until I could tell both of my parents at once. Because having that ridiculously awkward conversation more than once made me seriously want to throw up.