Page 36 of Wrangled and Tangled (Raven Peak Ranch #1)

T he next morning, Spencer’s still asleep beside me, and he looks so peaceful. Deciding not to wake him, I scooch out of the bed, trying not to jostle the bed so much. He takes care of so many things, I think he deserves a day to sleep in. Plus, I think Brent can handle opening the garage.

Pulling on sweatpants and a t-shirt, I head out of the room, taking care to close the door as softly as I can.

Briar’s sitting on the couch, legs folded beneath her. A blanket’s thrown over her shoulders, and she’s staring at the blank TV.

Standing against the door, I wait like a spider looking at a human. Frozen and confused.

“Uh, Briar,” I whisper, leaning forward as if that will help my voice carry. “Are you okay?”

That's a dumb question. She’s clearly not okay, but I’m not well-versed in ‘dad-stincts’.

She turns to look at me and tilts her head, “Fine, why?”

I’m acting ridiculous. Briar’s not a fragile baby bird ready to take her first flight, she’s just missing her best friend. Moving from the door to the back of the couch, I lean my forearms on the leather. “Are you hungry?”

She lifts one shoulder and lowers it back down.

“We could go to Maxine’s? Let your dad get some sleep,” I offer, raising my brows.

She nods and unfolds her legs but doesn’t say anything.

“Only if you want to,” I test, eyeing her. I don’t want her to be uncomfortable or feel like she has to hang out with me.

“Don’t be weird,” she says, eyeing me over her shoulder. “It doesn’t suit you.”

Well, alright then. Heading back into the room, I quickly change into jeans and throw on my socks. My boots are by the front door, along with my wallet and keys. Briar comes out of her room not long after I’ve pocketed my wallet and looped my keys on my belt.

“I’m gonna leave Dad a note, you know, so he doesn’t worry,” she says, pulling open drawers to find a scrap of paper to write on.

“No need,” I tell her, waving my phone, “I sent him a text lettin’ him know where we’re going.” I made sure his phone was on silent last night, so I know the text won’t wake him.

She shrugs, “Touché.”

Following her out of the house, she turns and looks at me, “Can I drive?”

“I don’t see why not. You have your permit, right?”

“Yep,” she says, popping the ‘p.’

Tossing her the keys, she does a little dance and heads to my truck. I have a feeling I might regret my choices later.

Briar’s enthusiastic about driving, which is the most polite way I can describe it. She presses heavy on the gas and even heavier on the brakes, and I’m suddenly glad this isn’t a stick shift.

We make it to the diner in one piece, and she laughs after putting the truck in park. “Dad didn’t warn you about my drivin’ did he?”

“He did not,” I chuckle, “let’s get some grub.”

She laughs the whole way into Maxine’s and still has a big smile when we sit. She tries hiding it behind a menu as if she doesn’t know what she wants.

“Hi y’all welcome in–oh,” the waitress starts, “Briar, honey, I didn’t even notice it was you.” Then she looks at me, and I can tell she’s got questions, but Maxine walks over and winks, telling her she’ll take over from here.

“Well, look who the cat dragged in,” Maxine laughs. “Where’s my grandson?”

“Dad’s sleepin’ in. Heath asked if I was hungry, and I’ll never say no to an opportunity to see you,” Briar says, giving her Mawmaw a big smile. “Plus, Heath said I could drive.”

“Oh lordy, you let her drive?” She smirks, but tries to hide it.

“No one warned me,” I mumble, feeling like I got played.

Maxine laughs and takes our orders. Once she’s gone, I lean on my elbows with a sigh.

“Can I ask you something?” Briar says, messing with the sugar packets on the table. “Something about my dad.”

“Sure,” I’m not sure what she wants to know that she doesn’t already. Spencer seems like an open book with her.

“Is he happy?”

Her question throws me and I’m not sure how to answer. After a beat, I take a deep breath, “I think so, though no one’s happy all the time.”

“I mean when you’re together,” she says, “I know he’s told you about my mama, and that’s always a hard subject for him.”

Choosing my words carefully, I say, “Your dad is one of the most special people I’ve ever met. He’s kind and resilient, and he’s loyal to a fault. When we’re together, I like to think I make him happy.”

“Good,” she says as our plates are delivered.

Detective Royce walks into the diner and goes to the counter.

The waitress from before takes his order, and he sits, eyeing the rest of the room.

When his eyes land on mine, he nods and stands.

Watching him saunter over to me makes my stomach fall to the floor.

I don’t want him saying anything in front of Briar about this.

She’s too young to hear anything about it, and I find myself wanting to protect her from the evils of the world.

“When you get a minute, I’d appreciate a word,” he says, looking at me. Nodding at Briar, he walks back to the counter, and I sigh, excusing myself to see what he wants.

“Look, if I need a lawyer–” I start when I get to him, and he laughs, cutting me off.

“No lawyer. I’ve actually got some good news for you,” he leans around me to look at Briar.

“I’m sure whatever it is, you can communicate with my publicist,” I snap, turning and walking away. I wanted to have a peaceful breakfast with Briar, maybe connect with her a little, and being ambushed about the investigation wasn’t in my plans.

After a small gap of silence, we eat, laugh, and converse as if we’ve been friends for far longer than we have. She’s funny and a lot like her dad.

I catch Maxine looking our way a few times with a faraway smile as if she’s remembering something that brings her joy.

After we’ve eaten and I’ve paid, I drive us back while Briar holds onto Spencer’s to-go plate.

She tried to convince me to let her drive again, but I like being alive too much to fall for that.

Fool me once, or whatever they say. Spencer hasn’t texted, but I can’t imagine that man’s still asleep.

He’s usually up at the ass crack of dawn for work.

“Can I show you somethin’?” Briar asks, pulling me from my thoughts of Spencer. “His food’ll be fine for a few.”

She hops out of the truck and walks around to my side, motioning for me to get out. I do, eyeing her with a little suspicion.

“Come on,” she drags out the words and me along with it.

Walking past the backyard, she keeps walking to a little white fenced-in area that I’ve never noticed before. She unlatches the gate, pulling it open and allowing me to pass. Little purple flowers dot in clusters between higher blades of green grass.

Kneeling down, she runs her fingers over the bright petals.

“Ever since I was little, Dad always told me that these flowers are called ‘fairy flowers.’ They weren’t planted here, but they grow every year nonetheless.

Even when I picked them all to put in little jars throughout the house, and sometimes Mawmaw’s. ”

Her nose turns pink, and her eyes drop. “My mama used to come out here and sit with me, sometimes for hours. I was convinced I’d see a fairy planting more seeds.”

“She seems like a great mom,” I almost choke, holding back tears. Imagining a little blonde-haired girl looking for fairies every day because these flowers grew from nothing.

“I don’t have that many memories of her,” she admits with a sigh, “but this one… This one stands out the most vivid.”

“I can see why,” getting to my knees, I pick one of the flowers and lay it in her hand. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think your world is beautiful, Briar.”

“I hope you can see beauty in a life with my dad someday. I know he’s guarded and stubborn as hell,” she smiles and wipes at her cheeks before standing up. “But he deserves to have an epic love story, too.”

Briar makes her way to the house, grabbing Spencer’s plate from the truck as I follow, thinking about her words. She spots her dad on the couch with Thelma laid out on her back in his lap. She laughs, scooping her up and nuzzling her pet.

“We brought you breakfast,” I say, pointing to the to-go plate Briar haphazardly threw on the kitchen island.

“Thanks,” he says while tossing a smile my way and clearing his throat. I may be imagining things, but I swear I saw something a lot like love in his eyes when Briar and I got home.

Pen’s been gone for about a week now, and Levi’s murderer still hasn’t been found.

I haven’t had to go into the police station, which I’m counting as a plus.

The body under my trailer was identified yesterday as Moe Callus and announced in a press release made by Detective Royce, he stated the cause of death was multiple stab wounds by an unknown blade.

That must be why he wanted to check in on me when I was at the diner with Briar, but I haven’t bothered to check in with Staci.

Things around here must be slow, considering they don’t have a forensics lab and have to send everything off to be tested.

Spencer and I still haven’t gotten farther than kissing and cuddling, and it’s about to drive me up the walls. Having him for one night wasn’t enough, and I know I promised I could go slow, but the connection we share isn’t something I can forget.

We’re all full from dinner, sitting on Maxine’s porch. Listening to nature and talking about the case. Lucy still gets a little choked up, but she keeps it together.

Briar’s falling asleep on the swing, head in Lucy’s lap.

“Hey, Flower,” Spencer says, bending down to wake her up. “You coming home or staying here?”

She mumbles, “here.”

He laughs and pats her shoulder. “Come on then, let’s get to bed.”

Slowly, she moves, trudging into the house. As she makes her way up the stairs, Spencer doesn’t follow. Instead, he listens at the bottom, and once he’s satisfied she’s settled in bed, he walks back out.