“Why?”
“Are you kidding? There are a thousand reasons.”
“Name a couple.”
“You already know the first reason. We love your designs. Apart from that, it’s girly. We’re surrounded by cowboys and rough stock. Not that we don’t love our cowboys. But investing in your line would give us a feminine outlet.”
Tristan listened intently. Liv was serious. This wasn’t a ploy to get her to stay longer, and Liv wasn’t being polite. She believed enough to want to invest. And so did the others.
“Okay. I’ll stay.”
Liv let out a whoop and danced around the kitchen. “Call the lawyers, Dottie! We’re startin’ a clothing line.”
“Let’s finish making dinner first. Then we’ll call the lawyers,” Dottie answered.
“Spoilsport,” Liv teased.
“Can I help?” Tristan asked Dottie, who put her flour-covered hand on Tristan’s shoulder.
“Do you like to cook? I’d love to have more help.” Dottie glared at Liv when she said it, but it quickly turned into a smile.
“I’m a great cook,” answered Liv.
“You’re a great baker.”
“You’re right. Ben is a better cook than I am.”
“You got that right, darlin’.” Ben walked into the kitchen, put his arms around Liv’s waist, and kissed her cheek. “But I love you anyway.”
Liv turned around and gave Ben a kiss that made Tristan blush. When she looked over at Dottie, the woman was smiling at her. Tristan’s eyes filled with tears.
Dottie pulled her over. “What’s wrong, sweet girl?”
“You remind me so much of my mother,” Tristan whispered. When Dottie hugged her tight, Tristan couldn’t stop her tears. “I miss her so much.”
“How long has it been, sweetheart?”
“She died when I was fifteen.”
Bullet turned around and went back downstairs, hoping no one saw him. Tristan lost her mama when she was a teenager? He remembered shutting her down the last time they were both in Crested Butte.
“You don’t understand anything about my life, or my son’s life,” he’d said to her that night. She was trying to tell him she understood, because she did. Grey was too young to feel the pain of losing his mama, but there would come a day when he’d feel the same way Tristan was. He may not remember Callie, but he’d feel the loss of not havin’ a mama.
His phone vibrated. Billy was calling him.
“Where the hell you at?”
“In the basement. Where are you?”
“I’ve been lookin’ for you all day.”
“You must not have been lookin’ very hard. I was talkin’ to your daddy just a bit ago.”
“Get your ass to the barn.” Billy ended the call.
Shit. What was up Billy’s ass? Just when he decided he wasn’t gonna get fired, now maybe he was.
When he walked in the barn door, he saw Billy and Jace talking to Renie. Bullet didn’t know whether he should wait until they finished.