"Promise me you'll take care of them."

Riley sat up in bed with fresh tears in her eyes. It was the same dream that she always had around this time. Except this time it changed with her losing the twins and breaking her promise. She wiped her eyes laying back down staring at the ceiling. Only to get back up remembering today was their birthday.

She makes her way downstairs tying her robe around her body when she hears the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen. "Okay last time." Lucas tells them as he tries to flip a pancake after being unsuccessful the first ten times he did it. He hadn't plan on making breakfast but he thought he let Riley sleep in after hearing her cry softly all night.

"What's going on in here?" Riley asks watching as Lucas flips the pancake and it landing back in the pan to the delightment of the twins who clapped for him as he bowed. "Mama Riley Luke is making pancakes." Rosie cheered pulling her more in the kitchen. Lucas watched as Riley kisses both of them on the cheeks making them giggle.

"Morning." She tells him never looking his way. She had yet to actually look at him since she first saw him yesterday afternoon. "Morning I made coffee. And breakfast is almost done." He watched as she moved around the kitchen smiling when he sees she knew where everything was still. "Where's Pappy Joe?" She finally asked breaking him from his thoughts.

"Had to go in town with Cletus this morning he will be back by this afternoon." Riley bit her lip she was hoping Cletus or Pappy Joe would entertain the kids while she got in a mid morning nap she was still exhausted from last night. As if knowing what she was thinking Lucas sets the food on the table sitting down. "I can watch them while you take a nap. Sleeping in a new bed can really keep you up at night."

Riley looked up at him and she knew what he really meant. You need sleep because I could hear you crying last night. Great she thought to herself he probably was going to asks questions now. Just what she didn't need Lucas "I need to rescue you" Friar in her business. "No thank you." She pushed up from the table when she hears her phone ringing.

Lucas watches her walk upstairs wanting to chase after her and ask what was going on with her. But he turns back to the twins who were eating their pancakes except Rosie who was watching Lucas the whole time. "Mama Riley always gets sad round this time." She whispers across the table to Lucas.

Charlie shushes her and grabs her hand pulling her outside with him. Lucas wasn't sure what to make of this new piece of information. He picks up the dishes placing them in the sink. All it did was confuse him more than ever.

Riley grabbed her phone taking a deep breath before answering. "Hey aunt Morgan." She sat on her bed pulling her knees up resting her head on them as she listened to her aunt ask her how she was doing. "I'm okay just need to get through today."

She didn't want to tell her that Lucas didn't leave for the summer like he always did. She still wasn't a fan of Lucas after all the drama senior year. Morgan only tolerated Maya because she was married to Josh. Although she did make the occasional snarky remark about her.

"I'm okay Morgan honest. Yeah I talked to smackle she told me yesterday." Riley listen as Morgan tried to convince her to come back home. "Morgan you know I can't do that. I'll be fine if things get worse I'll call. I promise okay. Love you too." Riley hangs up her phone laying back down.

How could one day cause her so much pain and happiness. She sighs getting back up wiping her eyes. She needed to calm herself she could wallow later tonight after she had a little celebration for the twins like every summer. Pappy Joe had everything already ready she just needed to set it up.

Riley heard the familiar rumble of the approaching mustang and smiled. She'd recognize that sound anywhere. She knew who was coming and was glad she missed him terribly everyday she hadn't seen him. She walks to the window seeing the twins waving their little hands in the air jumping up and down waiting impatiently for their arrival.

Lucas lean on the porch railing watching as Rosie and Charlie got excited for the approaching stranger. Well stranger to him since they seemed to know who was making their way towards them. He felt his Riley wound open up at how excited they got when they parked the car and ran to the window.

And to add salt to an already open wound Riley runs passed him throwing her arms around the guy through the window. He watched as they stood there talking with Riley inspecting the car and then opening the door. Lucas let go of the breath he didn't realize he was holding when he sees it was Auggie driving.

Auggie looks his way and he's sure Riley is filling him in on his presence at the ranch. He needed to talk with Pappy Joe and find out how many people from his past came over when he was gone. He could see the anger in Auggie's eyes all the way from the porch. It was the same look he had the day he collected his things from the Matthews when they broke up.

Auggie was so upset with him he chucked his model car Lucas and him spent hours on building and painting. He rubs at the scar on his forehead where the car had cut him never forgetting the look on either of their faces. Knowing he broke Riley's heart and the promise he made to Auggie.

Auggie glares at him once he realized it was him standing on the porch. He didn't like that Lucas was there and probably trying to weasel his way back into his sister's life. He balled up his fist ready to walk over when Riley put her hand on his arm stopping him. "Don't Auggie." He looked at his sister and knew to leave well enough alone.

He sees the sadness in her eyes she always got when it was the twins birthday. He smiles at the twins and pulls out two gifts from his backpack handing it to them. They both stood with wide smiles and jumped for joy running towards the house before turning back around and hugging and thanking him.

Riley and Auggie walk back to the house and Riley was glad Lucas wasn't in sight. She knew he would try to talk to Auggie which would just piss him off and she didn't need that or want that to happen. She knew just like her Auggie had his heart broken and never really forgave Lucas or Maya for what happen.

"So how are mom and dad?" Riley asks as they grab the party boxes Pappy Joe left in his study to set up. Auggie looked at her and knew she didn't really care she was just asking out of courtesy to him. She wasn't exactly on speaking terms with them except the occasional just calling to make sure you're still alive from her dad other than that nothing.

Her relationship with her mom was pretty much non existence since she chose Maya's side when all the drama happened senior year and the choices Riley made after just added to that. They didn't approve of the choices she made and how she threw away her life for someone she barely knew. "They're good I guess. I've been staying with Ava so I'm not sure."

Since Auggie was practically an adult already he stayed with Ava more than his own family. Riley smiled she was glad Auggie had Ava in his life still. She felt he got the short end of a bad deal when she left for college and the path she chose to take during. With her parents constantly on her they started to ignore him in the process.

She always hated that and would tell him if she could she would do everything over again. Auggie would tell her he wouldn't have it any other way. He didn't blame her for how things turn out if anything he was incredibly prove of her and she was his hero for doing something not many would do in her situation.

Riley nods and Auggie pulls her into a tight bear hug. He could hear her softly crying but trying to reign it in for the sake of the twins. "Hey if you want I'll stay for the whole summer I'll even convince Ava to skip the roadtrip?"

Riley lightly laughs pulling back looking at her little brother who towered over her now. "No you go be adventurous with Ava. She's still flying down right?" Auggie chuckled when he first started coming to Texas Ava would come with and they would try to experience something different.

Usually they fly out together but since Auggie had gotten his license and Riley gifted him the mustang he would take his car on a road trip into Texas since he couldn't really drive it in New York. "Yeah she will be here tomorrow. Her mom wanted her to do some stuff before flying out."

"okay so I think if one of us distracts them the other can haul these boxes to the barn." Auggie smiled and shook his head at his sister they both knew the twins love Auggie and he would take them for ice cream while Riley set everything up with Pappy Joe. "Okay then uncle Auggie I'm sure they already are waiting for you."

Sure enough as soon as they walk outside the twins were dressed and kicking their feet as they sat on the rocking chair jumping up smiling as soon as they saw Auggie. "My little munchkins all grown up I need a picture." Riley tells them squeezing them and pulling out her phone taking their picture.

They wave goodbye as Auggie took her car since their car seats were to hard for him to figure out which always made Riley laugh with how frustrated he got over them. She smiles looking at the photos and heads back inside grabbing a box and walking towards the barn.

She set the first one down and was on her way back to the house when Lucas pops up scaring her. "Sorry I seen you come in here and thought I asked if you need help?" Riley shook her head and started walking back when she stops and sighs with her hands on her hips.

If she was going to finish in time she was going to need his help. The decorating was more a two person job. Usually that was Pappy Joe and her or Cletus. She turns around and watches as he walked towards the horses.

"Wait!" Lucas stops with a slight smile on his face. "This requires two people and I have to still make a cake so can you help me?" He turns around still smiling and nods his head making his way towards her. Maybe spending some time with her will get her to open up. He thought.

Riley was already in the house getting ready to grab another box and decides on taking off the light sweater she had on over her tank top. She was figuring out which was easier for to carry when she hears Lucas coming in the door.

He stood in the door way watching her as she bent down to pick up a box only to mumble under her breath and stand tying up her hair. He lightly chuckle and seen she had a tattoo on her shoulder of a butterfly with the initials ER and a tiny heart underneath it. "excuse me." Lucas moves out the way watching her walk out the house wondering who the tattoo was for.

"Whose ER?" He asks setting the last box in the barn as she dug through it. She looks his way with a confused expression on her face. Lucas gestures to her shoulder and she stands holding it. "So who is it? A boyfriend?" Riley scoffed and went back to looking in the boxes pulling out decorations.

Twenty minutes go by as they work in silence and Riley hoped he would just help decorate and nothing more. But she knew better than that she still knew him pretty well after all these years. "Just tell me is the person you got the tattoo for the same person you were crying about? Because if it is Riley you shouldn't cry over someone that doesn't want to be in your life or your kids."

Rily turn around looking at him with tears in her eyes. She didn't want to react but he was opening his mouth about things he had no clue about. "Who the hell do you think you are? Don't tell me what I can or should do with my life. A life you aren't in and have no clue as to what is going on in it.

Lucas stood there shocked at how angry she got but wanted nothing more than to wipe the tears that were falling down her cheeks as she yelled at him. "Riley I just want to help you." Riley looked down shaking her head lightly chuckling. "No." She looked back up at his stunned face. "You want to help Lucas? Stay out of my life like you have for the last five years."

She storms out wiping her cheeks and Lucas runs after her seeing her being comforted by Cletus as they walk back into the house. "Just couldn't leave it alone could you boy?" Lucas turned around seeing his grandfather walking in the barn. He follows and sees him start decorating.

"Pappy Joe I'm just trying to help." Pappy Joe stops what he was doing and turns looking at him. "You want to help?" Lucas nodded walking closer to him. "Finish decorating this barn before her kids get back. That's how you help."

Lucas sighed helping him finish with the decorating in silence. If Riley or Pappy Joe wasn't going to tell him he was just going to have to find out on his own.

I know I know I said I wouldn't update until I finish other stories but just can't seem to help myself.