Page 106 of Rocky Mountain Home

Joel reached in the fridge and pulled out another carton of eggs. “Definitely ravenous. I’ll butter this batch of toast and start another.”

They worked together in companionable silence for a few minutes. Jesse split the first set of eggs onto two plates before getting the second batch cooking and settling at the table. Joel popped down two enormous glasses of juice and turned on the coffeemaker for after.

It didn’t bother Jesse that they didn’t talk while eating—they’d always agreed in the past it was pretty much a waste of energy.

But by the time the second servings were on their plate Jesse paused for long enough to offer Joel a grin. “I’m still a better cook than you.”

Joel looked at him, one brow rising slowly. “Do you really want to start this battle again?”

Being obnoxious about each other’s cooking skills and teasing the hell out of each other was exactly where Jesse wanted to be instead of the awkward chasm and distance he’d pushed them to.

Jesse leaned back in his chair and pretended to plot. “Chili cook-off?”

A snort escaped his brother. “You did not win that one.”

Jesse displayed his best shocked expression. “I could have sworn Dad and Blake said my chili was miles better than yours.”

“Because you stole a batch of frozen chili out of Jaxi’s and Mom’s freezers and mixed them together.” But Joel was smiling. “It was damn tasty.”

“Way better than the stomped chicken.”

Joel had just put a mouthful of egg and toast in his mouth, and he barely stopped in time from spewing it over the table. He gave Jesse a dirty look as he licked egg off his fingers. “We promised to never talk about that.”

“No. We promised to not tease each other in public.” Jesse looked around. “It’s just you, me and the chickens here now.”

His brother laughed as he demolished the rest of the food on his plate. “I never did hear Mom complain that she’d found a giant snowball in her freezer.”

Sixteen-year-old hellions. In the dead of winter, they’d had the brilliant idea to save a massive chunk of snow in the freezer so that on some hot summer day they could haul it out and surprise their brothers with well-timed snowballs.

Only the specially packaged do not touch wrapped-up paper they’d hauled out of the freezer on the hottest day of the summer and then jumped on to get at the snow turned out to be not what they expected.

A soft chuckle escaped Joel.

Jesse could tell he was picturing that moment when the two of them realized that under their boots they’d been crushing not a firmly packed bundle of snow from the previous winter but one of his mom’s frozen chickens.

“Do you remember how much hell that was to buy a new chicken and sneak it back into the freezer?”

“Didn’t we have to bribe Mrs. Larsen at the Mercantile? So she didn’t spill the beans to Mom?”

Joel nodded. “I still feel guilty every time I see her. I make Vicki do the shopping there.”

Jesse didn’t answer for a moment.

It was funny how much things had changed. Oh, he felt weird around Vicki, but the last couple days with Dare at his side had been pointing out to him that life should be a whole lot more about looking forward than looking back. It was as if he was awkward because he’d felt that way for a long time, not because he had any real reason now for it.

He glanced up and caught Joel smiling. “Am I in trouble? You usually looked like that when I was finally going to get in shit for something I did.”

“Really? Huh.” Joel shook his head. “You know, you’re right. There were times it was a relief when the hammer fell on whatever nonsense we pulled, but I’m sorry if you felt like I was happy for you to take the blame. I was just thinking it feels good to have you back. Even with the lingering moments where I want to haul you up behind the barn and burn off some frustration.”

Jesse nodded. “It’s weird. There are moments when I feel as if I never left. There are times when I know I fucked up so bad it’s going to be a long hard road.”

Joel reached over and grabbed Jesse’s plate. “One good thing,” he offered, stuffing the dirty dishes into the machine. “If you’re on the right road and walking, you’ll eventually get where you want to go.”

There wasn’t much Jesse needed to say to that. Instead, he glanced at the clock. “I’ve got to get dressed and head to the hospital for a while.”

“I was going to pick up Vicki from work and take her over. You want a ride?”

Jesse shook his head. “Thanks, but Blake’s got me in the barns tonight. I should take my truck so I can go straight over after visiting hours.”