I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat. I felt Brocks hand on my back, attempting to comfort me.
"Hey momma." His voice made me flinch.
"Roy, what the heck are you doin here?! I told you they were comin…" It sounded like they were hugging, I wouldn't know, I was too scared to look up.
"Hey ma…" Now my head snapped up to glare. Ma? She sounded so sincere over the phone, then she has the nerve to call my mother 'ma'?! I cleared my throat, obnoxiously and stood from my chair.
"Hey brother… and wife of my brother. Or should I call you my sister now, since we share a mom?" I asked with a sarcastic smile. Now Brock stood and squeezed my hand.
"Well, maybe if you wouldn't have run off with 'Mr. Perfect' I wouldn't have to play your role…" She spoke in a calm voice which made me even more mad. I stared at her perfect, long, bleach blonde hair and her stupid hour-glass body in her Daisy Dukes and one of Roys old t-shirts that she cut up and made cling to her body. I'd be caught dead before going out in public like that.
"Do you, even to this day, know why I left?"
"Why does it matter?"
"Because you make it sound like we just took off."
"That's what you did!" My brother butt in.
"No, Roy. We went to get an education. A life. Theres no way I'd be doing anything if I stayed here."
"I don't see how you could just up and leave one day. You and Steve." I rolled my eyes.
"It was years ago, you and I didn't talk because you married… ditzo over here, and I knew momma and daddy had each other. They wanted me to go. It was better. Now would you get your head out of your ass and see that it was the best thing for me? I already said you and Melissa get the house and everything. I'm not askin for one little piece of land, nothin."
"Lets change the subject."
"Thank you…"
"So Brock…" I sighed and rolled my eyes. "How's life in Houston?"
"Busy."
"Alright, could you guys actually talk instead of acting life nothing happened? And don't fight, just talk. Melissa, that's what I had you call her for, so do it." Momma said.
"You made her call me?" I asked her.
"I just couldn't stand this, I hate seeing my children fighting and I think it's went on long enough. 6 years is too long." I felt my heartbreak at the sight of my sad mom, then glared at Roy.
"Lets take a walk." I said to Roy as I walked past him and out the door. I waited for him on the porch, it took him a few long seconds to come out, but he did. He opened his mouth to talk but I put my hand up to stop him. "I'm done fightin with you. We're talkin, and if at the end of this talk we're still not wanting to get along, then we just decide we're not talkin and we go back to how things were."
"And keep hurtin our mom?"
"I'm not gonna lie to her and pretend like things are fine…"
"Yeah, you've never been that great of a liar…" We started walking towards the huge barn where we spent most of our childhood.
"Well, I guess I'll be the adult here, as usual, and be the first to speak up." I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. "What I said at memaws funeral was terrible. And I didn't mean it, but your girlfriend-"
"Wife."
"Wife." I corrected, through my teeth. "Had no right to say what she said… and you know, my anger gets the best of me, sometimes." he raised his eyebrows.
"Sometimes?" I rolled my eyes.
"I've seen you get pretty angry too, buddy."
"Yeah, except I don't talk, I break. It's better to waste money then lose family." I bit my lip and thought about it.
"Do you not remember what she said?"
"Yes, Reba, I remember. And you're right, she shouldn't have been disrespectful to you at our grandmothers funeral, but you didn't have to go as far as you did with the name calling and such. Yes, she has a past with men, but she's different now."
"Okay… Is she worth losing your sister? I heard some words come out of your mouth that I would've never, in a million years, thought I'd hear you say… but you did, to me. So, is she worth it? Are you happy you did it?"
"That's not fair… You'd chose Brock over me in a heartbeat." I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest. "And no, of course I'm not happy with what I did to you. You're my baby sister and everybody's emotions were a little… messed up." I nodded and we walked in silence for a few minutes.
"Is she really replacing me?" He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged.
"If I say yes will you move back home?" I shook my head. "Why..? Whats so good in Texas?"
"My husband…" He sighed.
"I cant believe you're married… When you guys came up for the funeral I thought he was just a little boyfriend."
"Kinda like Melissa was your one-night-stand?" I saw him roll his eyes and I smirked. "And no, we had been together for over a year when memaw died."
"Whats so great about this guy?"
"I don't know, Roy… He's about the only guy who can stand to be around me and put up with my ridiculous attitude and fights." I heard him laugh and it made me want to cry. I hadn't heard him laugh in over 6 years…
"Yeah, I remember having to deal with it."
"Except you had to… he just chooses to. He… makes me so mad, but always finds a way to make me smile again. We fight like cats and dogs, but we're so crazy about each other at the same time. We pick on each other, but can be serious. He's my best friend…" I trailed off. I looked up to see my brother smile at me.
"You really love this kid, huh?" I nodded.
"He's a good guy… You'd like him if you actually got to know him."
"I don't know, Red… I'll consider it if you can manage to talk to Melissa."
"That's not very fair, Brock hasn't done anything to you." He shrugged.
"I guess I don't feel very comfortable, I'm sure he hates me."
"Pretty close." We stopped at the fence that goes around the barn and I smiled when I saw my horse make her way out.
"There she is…"
"God, I've missed her…"
"Take her for a ride! I know she's missed you too… she heard your voice and came out." I smiled, then sighed and shook my head.
"Shes just not in shape, and shes gettin so old…"
"Oh, shes fine! She's a tough girl… You know how they start to develop their owners personality… take her." I bit my lip and thought about it, it was so tempting. "C'mon, forget how er somethin?" I looked up at him and glared.
"No." I said, sternly.
"Prove it." He knew the right buttons to press, just like Brock. I shook my head and rolled my eyes, then hopped over the fence. I heard him laugh and hop over it right behind me.
"You're an ass…"
"I know." I heard the proudness in his voice and I rolled my eyes again. We got her all ready to ride, then I slowly got on. "Look'it you. Got the right shoes on and everything…" He said, grinning.
"Just cuz I moved to Texas doesn't mean I wasn't raised in Oklahoma, doin this everyday…" I smirked at the memories. "Hi baby…" I whispered and stroked the side of her neck. Her ears relaxed a little and I heard her scuff. "You comin?" He looked at me, confused, but ran back to his horse and quickly got him ready, then he rode up next to us.
"You can't be a cowgirl without your hat…" He took his hat off and leaned over to set it on my head. It was a little too big, but I took it anyway. "There, that looks more familiar." I adjusted it, then gently kicked her side twice.
"Alright, Dolly, take me wherever you wanna go…" We went around to the back of the barn and onto the trail I used to always take her on, Roy and Elvis were right behind us.
"I cant believe you named him Elvis…" I mumbled.
"Uh, okay Dolly!"
"That was before Dolly Parton was even big! Besides, I was just a little girl."
"And I was a 10 year old kid who thought rock and roll was the coolest thing on Earth…"
"Oh yeah, I remember…" I smiled and rolled my eyes. "Do you know how many times I fell off this dang horse?"
"I lost track." I laughed and shook my head. "You always got back on though…"
"Yeah, a scrape never stopped me."
"You always made dad so proud."
"Did I?"
"Oh yeah… He'd just come out here and watch you ride." I smiled to myself.
"I never knew that."
"It's true. And you cook, so you're automatically his favorite." I chuckled.
"I was his favorite before I knew how to cook."
"I ain't arguin, it's true. You were such a daddy's girl…"
"It's cuz I always found house chores boring, helpin daddy out was so much more fun."
"Yeah? How're the house chores for you comin along now, wife?" I rolled my eyes.
"It's my life. It's like as soon as we say 'I do' its just like sayin 'I promise to always stay home, cook, clean, and make sure you're happy when you come home.'" He laughed.
"So no job?"
"Nope. I've been lookin everywhere. I might have a temporary one when we get back, an English teacher will be on maternity leave."
"English, huh?"
"Yep."
"Hmm… 'Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo?'." I snorted at his bad accent.
"Yeah… somethin like that."
"How's Steve and Nancy?"
"Good. We talk almost everyday… Nancy's pregnant…"
"Wow! Guess I've missed a lot..."
"Yeah, you could come visit sometime. I'm sure if you guys talked and worked everything out they'd love to have you see the baby and everything."
"I don't know, Reba… It'd be easier said than done."
"It's always easier said than done, but you gotta do it."
"He hates me, it'd be throwin gas on the fire."
"No, it'd be throwin water on it. He'd love for you guys to talk…"
"I've messed everything up with everybody. He made it very clear that he didn't want to ever talk to me again after hearing what I said to you."
"He was just mad…"
"No, he was being the…" he hesitated and took a deep breath. "the overprotective big brother that you didn't have until he came along." I sighed.
"That's not true…"
"Yes, it is. He fit in better with my family than I did!"
"You were just never around… That's no ones fault but yours."
"Thank you…" He said, sarcastically. We stayed quiet for a few, long minutes as the sun began to set.
"You guys havin any kids?" I asked.
"I want to, but Melissa don't." I rolled my eyes.
"She really seems like a family kinda girl."
"She uh… She likes it just the way it is. Just us."
"But you don't."
"Well, I can live without kids."
"You get one life, Roy. One. You've always wanted kids, especially a son that you could teach everything to. You're givin your life away to someone that doesn't deserve it."
"I love her, Reba." I laughed a fake laugh.
"No, I saw the way you loved Chassidy, you even looked at her differently!"
"I was 16 and thought I was in love! Now I know what love really is."
"Givin up what you want to make her happy is not love. Love is compromising."
"Is my baby sister givin me a lecture about love?"
"Yes, because you're too stupid to figure it out yourself!" I heard him sigh.
"I think I'm gonna head back."
"I'll be back in a few…" I didn't turn around, but I heard him turn Elvis around and start heading back to the house. I rode all the way to the creek and hopped down, giving Dolly a break. I found an old log and sat down, 10 short minutes later I heard foot steps and saw Brock come down the path.
"Hey. She ain't gonna run off?" He asked, pointing to Dolly. I shook my head and smiled the tiniest smile.
"She knows better." I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye. He came and squatted by me, taking my hand in his.
"How'd it go? I was starting to worry one of you was killing the other." I breathed a laugh.
"No, but I sure thought about it." He smirked. "It was okay, we didn't really fight, we just talked. I apologized, he apologized, but I really don't think I can fully have him back in my life until he gets rid of that sack of stupid he carry's around and calls his wife." He chuckled and shook his head.
"Now, what would you do if he asked you to get rid of me?"
"I'd tell him no. But we actually love each other. She uses him, and he's brainwashed. That man is not my brother." He smiled sadly and stood, kissing my cheek on his way up.
"Thought you weren't gonna ride her." He stated, changing the subject.
"Yeah, but Roy definitely knows that I cant turn down a challenge."
"A challenge?"
"He tried sayin I forgot how to ride… it ain't easy to forget. It's like ridin a bike…" He chuckled.
"He knew it'd get you to ride her, I would've done it too…"
"I know!" I said, throwing my arms in the air. "You guys are butts… So what'd you do while I was gone?" He shrugged.
"Watched your mom and Melissa cook and stuff." I raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Talked to Melissa a little. She really doesn't seem like all the bad of a person, y'know?" I glared at him.
"Come again?" He put his hands in his pocket and shrugged again.
"She just doesn't seem as bad as you make her out to me. She seemed pretty sweet."
"To you…" I said with angry laughter in my voice. "Because shes a slut! And she'd do anything to piss me off, even if it was as far as to flirt with my husband!"
"Woah… Nobody said anything about flirting…" I stood and smiled sarcastically.
"That's because you don't seem to know when other women flirt with you, and sometimes you even flirt back…" He brought his eyebrows together.
"I'm not good at flirting…" I smiled again.
"Yeah, you're right. It was your golf stroke that won me over." He laughed.
"I knew it…" I rolled my eyes.
"Flirting just comes natural to you, dumbie."
"Oh…" He said, clearly happy with himself. We started walking back to the house, I was pulling on Dolly's rein with my left hand, my right hand in Brocks. "So, what really did win you over about me?" I rolled my eyes again.
"We've been over this…"
"I know, I just like to hear. So remind me." I smiled, but didn't say anything. I let go of his hand and squeezed his butt. "Oh yeah. I remember now… 'specially when I was playin football." I smiled and nodded.
"Oh yeah..."