Grabbing a beer from the refrigerator, I popped the cap off and took a drink.
“What about you? Liking life on the ranch? Working your ass off from sunup to sundown to please dear old Dad.”
My smile grew as I watched my father walk into the kitchen; his eyes were already burning a hole into Nate.
“Don’t know how you do it … I like city life so much better. No getting up at the crack of dawn, no freezing-cold Montana weather. The endless pussy alone is enough to make me never want to mend a fucking fence again in my life.”
This just kept getting better.
“Endless pussy, huh?”
Nate grabbed himself a beer. “Hell yes. You do remember those days before you turned into a pansy ass, right? What is it about this mountain air that turns Montgomery men into being pussy whipped?”
He turned and came to a stop the moment he saw our father. “Hey, Dad.” You could see panic filling his eyes and he did the only thing he knew to do. He blurted out his good news. “I got the McMurphy Ranch in New Mexico.”
Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. My father had always known Nate was never going to stay in Montana. When I moved to Austin, I knew he was upset. He couldn’t figure out why we had to move to a big city when most of our job was traveling to cattle ranches to convince them to go organic.
My father took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Nate, I knew early on you were going to be one of … those kids.”
“Those kids?” Nate asked.
“Yes … the kind who were never going to be happy following in their parents’ footsteps. The kind who would move to the city for better … opportunities if you will.”
“You have to admit, there are more girls in the city than there are here,” Nate spit out quickly.
Holding up his hand, my father shook his head. “I can’t argue with you there, but some day, son, when you’ve exhausted yourself, you’re going to regret those words ever came out of your mouth because your brother here will have inherited everything.”
I let out a laugh as Nate shot me a dirty look. “So, I’m going to be cut out because I don’t want to ride around on a horse all day and check fences, feed cows, and all that fun stuff I did growing up. I’m working for the family, Dad, just in a different way.”
“I know that … but don’t put your brother down for wanting to follow his heart. I’m proud of you both, no matter what roads you travel down. Now as far as being pussy whipped…”
Nate pointed to me. “That was all geared toward Ryder.”
My father lifted his eyebrows and nodded. “I thought so.”
THE MOMENT I walked into the house, Ava jumped up … well at least she tried to the best she could.
“Oh my gosh, you won’t believe what I found! The picture fell and the light pointed me to the Bible!”
“The Bible?” I asked with a confused look on my face.
“Yes! The Bible. I’m pretty sure someone’s spirit is here in this house and they helped me to find it all. After I found The Bible, I found the letters and then the secret door. I haven’t found Lizzy’s journal yet so I’m pretty sure Kate either hid it or your mother found it and put it somewhere. Oh and do you have any idea where Kate’s drawings are? I really don’t want to ask your mother, because I’m not sure how she would feel if she knew I was looking for them.”
Ava placed her hands on her hips and looked up. “Although, I wonder if she told your mom about the journal seeing as she hid her journal. But then again, she wouldn’t want your mom finding out she slept with Jackson upstairs.”
My mouth dropped. “What?”
“I’m curious if the spirit is Lizzy or Kate’s.”
Spirit? What in the hell? She took too many pills!
Holding my hands up, I shook my head. “Wait. What in the hell are you talking about?”
Ava stared at me like I had grown two heads. “What’s wrong?”
Maybe Nate was right. Ava needed out of this house.
I shook my head as something hit me. “Did you say Kate slept with Jackson in this house?”