Birdie, Blair and Isla all exchange bright, approving looks. “That’sexactlywhat you should do,” Blair says. “Now, how can we make that happen?”
“We?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes and waves her hand in the air to signal the room. “I mean all of us. How can we help?”
“Do you know her address?” Case asks, pulling out his phone. “I can look up and see how long it would take to get there.”
I look to Will, finding him watching me closely. “I know we’re in the middle of preppin’ for winter. I can probably finish up most of it by the end of the week and?—”
He shoots me a weird look like I’m not making any sense. I run through what I said but can’t work out what I did wrong. “Jude, take a breath.” Doing what I’m told, I close my eyes and inhale slowly before letting it out again. “Listen to me carefully. This is more important than the ranch and chores. This isyourfuture, Jude. Em’s too.” He looks around the room. “We all know you’ve been sufferin’ of late. Am I right?”
My brows furrow. “How did you…?”
Will rolls his eyes. “You’ve been quiet and keepin’ to yourself.”
“And Wy told us how you’ve been strugglin’ to do the heavy grunt work we all know you could do with your eyes closed and no sleep,” Sutton adds, sounding concerned.
My best friend is lucky he’s visiting his family at Bull Mountain Ranch right now otherwise he’d be getting an earful about ratting me out to my brothers.
“It’s the Call, right? You’re missin’ Em,” Case asks.
“I was doin’ OK, I swear. But over the last week or so it's like there’s a part of me missin’.” I shake my head. “Or out of place, maybe.”
The couples in the room exchange a knowing look. “What?”
Isla sighs. “The mountain can get a little?—”
“Impatient?” Blair adds.
“Determined?” Birdie replies.
“All of the above,” Will says, “and that can show itself through the recipients feelin’ sick, tired, and?—”
‘Achin’?” I ask.
All of my brothers look at me with understanding. “Yeah. Have you been feelin’ any of that?” Sutton asks.
I nod. “Em said she’s been off kilter since the funeral. Said it’s like nothing seems to fit right.”
“Like clothes? Or life?” Birdie asks, brows furrowed.
“I don’t know. But we both thought it was just part of her grief.”
Sutton nods. "Remember what I told you about that? Grief—even when it’s expected—doesn’t have a time limit. It lasts as long as it lasts. There’s no rushin’ it. You can think you’re handlin’ everythin’ OK and then somethin’ will happen and you’ll find yourself drownin’ all over again.”
“Findin’ out we’re legally married is thelastthing she needs,” I surmise. “I have to tell her. I want to. She deserves to know and have a say in where we go from here.”
Looking around the room, I’m met with looks of pride and agreement from my family.
“You’re doin’ the right thing, Jude,” Will says. “It may be hard, and it might complicate a lot of things, but Em’s in this as much as you are.”
“I really am sorry,” Pete says again.
“I know, Pete. It’s not your fault, not really. This is just a consequence that we now have to face. Maybe the mountain thought I wasn’t takin’ her seriously.”
“Em’s your One. You know that—” Birdie says.
I look my sister-in-law in the eye. “But she doesn’t.”