that.”
“He’s an asshole,” Reece said, shouting to be heard over a sudden roar of approval from the crowd at whatever stadium she was in tonight. “It doesn’t matter that he’s great with Clementine and has mellowed out since we were kids. He’s still an asshole, his thinking is back asswards, and he doesn’t have anyone’s best interests at heart except his own.”
“He’s still charging me rent to use the barn,” Tulsi said, ignoring the voice in her head that said it was disloyal to gossip about Dad when he’d done so much for her and Clem. “And he said he’s kicking all the therapy horses out if I miss even one month because of the funding cuts.”
Reece swore colorfully, calling Daddy a few curse words Tulsi had never even heard before, proving she wasn’t the Hearst sister with the potty mouth. “He’s leaving the ranch to you when he dies, anyway. And you’ve worked your ass off breaking horses for him for free and hiring staff to keep the rest of the ranch running. What the hell is wrong with him?”
Tulsi shrugged, smiling as Mia returned with two generous slices of apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream. “I don’t know. He says he’s trying to teach me responsibility.”
“You’re plenty responsible. It’s not your fault your funding was cut all of a sudden. Do you want me to call him for you? Tell him he’s being a dick?”
Tulsi sputtered at the thought. Reece and her father hadn’t seen each other in person for nearly twelve years and only talked on the phone for a few minutes at Christmas and on Father’s Day. They preferred to communicate with passive aggressive gifts and the occasional smart-ass greeting card. “Oh my God, no. That would only make it worse. He’d know I’ve been talking about him behind his back.”
“So what? I think it’s high—” Reece broke off, her voice dropping as she spoke to someone in the background. “Listen, I’m about to ride in a few minutes. Want me to call you back later?”
“No, no, that’s okay,” Tulsi said, pulse leaping the way it always did when she thought about her big sister’s career. Bull riding was a terrifying sport, and being the only female rider in the pro circuit ensured Reece attracted more than her fair share of attention. The combination of danger and scrutiny her sister endured on a weekly basis made Tulsi positively ill with nerves, but Reece loved her job and swore she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. “You go get ready. And please be careful.”
Reece laughed. “I don’t do careful. I don’t do good girl, either, so let me know if you change your mind and want me to rip Daddy a new asshole for you.”
Tulsi’s stomach roiled. “You say that stuff just to freak me out, don’t you?”
“Sometimes,” Reece confessed. “I’m sending Dad a new horse on Friday, by the way. This one is a real pisser. No way you’re breaking him in a month.”
“Are you trying to get me killed?” Tulsi asked, rolling her eyes as she took the plate Mia offered. “I got thrown twice by the last present you sent.”
Reece was quiet for a moment, making Tulsi worry she’d made her sister—who could be as volatile as their father at times—angry. “No, T.T.…I guess I just keep thinking that if you stand up to enough horses, you’ll work up the guts to stand up to Dad. No one can give you permission to stop giving a shit about his bullshit except you, you know?”
Tulsi swallowed, but before she could think of what to say, she heard Reece’s name called on the loudspeaker on the other end of the line.
“I’ve gotta go, talk soon,” her sister said. A second later, the line went dead.
“Reece?” Mia asked, popping a bite of apple pie between her lips.
Tulsi nodded and dug her fork into the golden crust where the vanilla ice cream was just starting to melt, ignoring the churning feeling in her stomach. “She’s riding tonight and had to go.”
“She’s insane. It’s amazing
“He’s an asshole,” Reece said, shouting to be heard over a sudden roar of approval from the crowd at whatever stadium she was in tonight. “It doesn’t matter that he’s great with Clementine and has mellowed out since we were kids. He’s still an asshole, his thinking is back asswards, and he doesn’t have anyone’s best interests at heart except his own.”
“He’s still charging me rent to use the barn,” Tulsi said, ignoring the voice in her head that said it was disloyal to gossip about Dad when he’d done so much for her and Clem. “And he said he’s kicking all the therapy horses out if I miss even one month because of the funding cuts.”
Reece swore colorfully, calling Daddy a few curse words Tulsi had never even heard before, proving she wasn’t the Hearst sister with the potty mouth. “He’s leaving the ranch to you when he dies, anyway. And you’ve worked your ass off breaking horses for him for free and hiring staff to keep the rest of the ranch running. What the hell is wrong with him?”
Tulsi shrugged, smiling as Mia returned with two generous slices of apple pie topped with vanilla ice cream. “I don’t know. He says he’s trying to teach me responsibility.”
“You’re plenty responsible. It’s not your fault your funding was cut all of a sudden. Do you want me to call him for you? Tell him he’s being a dick?”
Tulsi sputtered at the thought. Reece and her father hadn’t seen each other in person for nearly twelve years and only talked on the phone for a few minutes at Christmas and on Father’s Day. They preferred to communicate with passive aggressive gifts and the occasional smart-ass greeting card. “Oh my God, no. That would only make it worse. He’d know I’ve been talking about him behind his back.”
“So what? I think it’s high—” Reece broke off, her voice dropping as she spoke to someone in the background. “Listen, I’m about to ride in a few minutes. Want me to call you back later?”
“No, no, that’s okay,” Tulsi said, pulse leaping the way it always did when she thought about her big sister’s career. Bull riding was a terrifying sport, and being the only female rider in the pro circuit ensured Reece attracted more than her fair share of attention. The combination of danger and scrutiny her sister endured on a weekly basis made Tulsi positively ill with nerves, but Reece loved her job and swore she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. “You go get ready. And please be careful.”
Reece laughed. “I don’t do careful. I don’t do good girl, either, so let me know if you change your mind and want me to rip Daddy a new asshole for you.”
Tulsi’s stomach roiled. “You say that stuff just to freak me out, don’t you?”
“Sometimes,” Reece confessed. “I’m sending Dad a new horse on Friday, by the way. This one is a real pisser. No way you’re breaking him in a month.”
“Are you trying to get me killed?” Tulsi asked, rolling her eyes as she took the plate Mia offered. “I got thrown twice by the last present you sent.”
Reece was quiet for a moment, making Tulsi worry she’d made her sister—who could be as volatile as their father at times—angry. “No, T.T.…I guess I just keep thinking that if you stand up to enough horses, you’ll work up the guts to stand up to Dad. No one can give you permission to stop giving a shit about his bullshit except you, you know?”
Tulsi swallowed, but before she could think of what to say, she heard Reece’s name called on the loudspeaker on the other end of the line.
“I’ve gotta go, talk soon,” her sister said. A second later, the line went dead.
“Reece?” Mia asked, popping a bite of apple pie between her lips.
Tulsi nodded and dug her fork into the golden crust where the vanilla ice cream was just starting to melt, ignoring the churning feeling in her stomach. “She’s riding tonight and had to go.”
“She’s insane. It’s amazing
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