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Tate cupped my face and stroked his thumb over my cheek. “Don’t worry. We’re going to take care of him.”

For hours after they left, I was consumed with worry for Mills. I couldn’t think of anything else. It drove me downstairs and into the kitchen to find Maxie.

“I think you and your sisters need to go check on Mills.” I bounced a cranky Lucky on my hip and chewed on my lip. “Tate and West mentioned a few things and I think they need y’all. I think Mills needs y’all.”

Maxie looked up from her slice of pie and raised her eyebrows at me.

“Sounds like you want to go yourself.”

“Please, Maxie.”

She stared at me for a few moments longer and then nodded.

“Of course. I’m going to tell him that you sent me, though.”

I didn’t care. I just wanted to know he was good.

“Tell him whatever you want. Just make sure he’s okay, please.”

After she left, I sat in my room with Lucky feeding him and waiting impatiently to hear about Mills. So much time passed I was getting ready to find a way over to the ranch myself. I couldn’t relax until I knew Mills was good.

Darkness had fallen by the time Maxie got back. I hurried down to greet her at the front door and stumbled back a step when I saw how tired she looked.

“What happened?”

She shook her head and went straight to the kitchen to fall into one of the chairs.

“Men are so dumb.”

I paced in front of her, too nervous to sit.

“Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. He’s an idiot. I had to browbeat him into talking to West and Tate. He’s been stewing inside and making himself sick instead of just talking to his brothers.” She groaned. “Talking to them is exhausting. I don’t know why you want to spend the rest of your life doing that.”

I stammered. “I-I don’t.”

She laughed.

“You just sent me over there to make sure he was okay. You can’t lie to me, Reagan. I’m not going to tell you what we talked about because I think that’s their place to do. I’ll just say that they’re all fine. They miss you. I’ve never seen them so lost before but I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing for them to suffer a little without you.”

I sank into the chair across from her.

“I don’t want them to suffer.”

“Why not? You are.”

“It was my choice to leave.” I groaned. “I’m going crazy, Maxie.”

“Go home.”

“I can’t. It’s not that easy.”

“It is. Go home, Reagan.”

“I can’t!” I stood up and sniffed. “I can’t. This all has to be for something. Thank you for checking on them. I’m going to spend some time alone with Lucky.”

Maxie sighed.