The Family Weekend

ANNA

I’d just finished braiding Ella’s hair when the front door opened and in walked a man I recognized from Gavin’s family photos.

He was as tall as Gavin, with the same dark, calculating eyes. His face was serious, with the deep lines of someone who spent their days in the sun.

Despite this, under his thick, tan coat, I could tell his body was strong, and he walked with a commanding presence.

“Papa!” Ella squealed and jumped into his arms.

“Hey, Princess!” he said, twirling her around. “I’ve missed you.”

“Do you like my braids?”

“They’re beautiful, sweetheart.” He smiled at her. “Did your mama do them?”

“No. Auntie Anna did.”

Both of them turned to look at me. I offered a smile before standing and extending my arm.

“Hi, Mr. Powell. I’m Annalise Miller.”

His large hand enveloped mine. I could feel the callouses indicative of hard work on his palm as he gently shook it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said in a voice that seemed to roll like thunder. “Not every day you get to meet your son’s fiancée, I suppose.”

He was smiling, but his eyes were watchful, looking for signs of weakness. I decided not to give him any.

“I guess not,” I laughed. “Not every day you meet a real-life rancher, either.”

“Hmm, maybe not in the big city.”

“Right,” I agreed. We stared at one another, each seemingly waiting for the other to break. It reminded me of my early days spent working for Gavin.

“Richard? Is that you?” Pam swept into the room. “Oh good! You two met. Breakfast just finished up. Anna, Gavin is setting the table if you want to give him a hand.”

“Will do!” I smiled before making my way to the dining room.

Just as I rounded the corner, I heard Pam hiss, “Be nice! She’s perfectly lovely.”

I slowed my steps to listen to his response.

“I was nice,” Gavin’s father protested. “Although, I have a feeling she could hold her own even if I wasn’t.”

“Well…she is marrying your son.”

***

Breakfast with the Powells was a loud, boisterous affair. Everyone filled their plates quickly and swapped stories from the current events of their lives.

It seemed Derrick lived in a smaller house on the ranch, while Chloe and her husband had a home within city limits about forty-five minutes away.

Gavin was the only one of his siblings who didn’t attend weekly dinner. In fact, he hadn’t been to the ranch since the previous Christmas.

“Dad,” Gavin cut into the conversation, and the table fell silent. “Why are you going after a loose steer at four a.m.?”

Tension made the air thick as father and son locked eyes.

“It’s my ranch.”

“I thought we hired enough hands, and Derrick was supposed to be taking over soon.” Gavin shrugged. “I don’t see a reason—”

“I don’t tell you how to run your business. Stay out of mine.”

I squirmed under the pressure of what felt like a powder keg ready to blow.

“Dad, you can retire. You can do anything in the world.”

“This is what I love. This ranch. This home. This land—”

“What about this family?” Gavin snapped. “What about your wife and grandchildren?”

Richard’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting question coming from you, son.”

Gavin shook his head, and the muscle in his jaw tightened. “You spent my entire childhood out in that pasture. Now you’re going to waste the rest of your life out there. For what?”

“Since when do you care so goddamn much?” Richard asked. “You spend all your time pretending this isn’t where you came from—”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Pam threw her napkin down on the table. “This is the first time we are all together in months, and the two of you are choosing to argue. I won’t have it.”

“I was just pointing out—”

“I don’t care!” Pam huffed. “This is exactly why Gavin doesn’t visit, Rick. The two of you are exactly the same, and neither one of you is willing to admit it.”

She shot them both a glare when they started to protest. “There will be no further discussion about business. Rick, you will leave the ranch to the hands. Gavin, you will stay off your phone for the duration of the weekend.

“And for god’s sake, if I see one more of your personal militia on my lawn, I will shoot them myself. No one is hunting you down out here. This is family weekend at the Powells’. All of you better start acting like it.”

With that, she stood and marched her plate toward the sink. As soon as she stepped into the kitchen, a wide grin split Penny’s face.

“Ooooooo,” she teased. “Papa and Uncle Gavin are in trouble.”

“I heard that!” Pam shouted from the other room.

The entire table broke out in a giggle. Everyone got back to eating and seemed altogether unfazed by the previous argument. Apparently, there was more to the Powell family dynamic than I was aware of.

The rest of my day was spent baking bread with Pam, talking about the upcoming wedding, and playing with Gavin’s nieces.

Even Penelope seemed to be coming around to the idea of her uncle and me being together.

Of course, it helped that I promised her that she could wear a tiara during our wedding ceremony.

It had been a long time since I had spent so much time surrounded by people who considered me family.

Over the years, friends had taken me in for holidays and made it a point to celebrate birthdays.

But there was always a void where I should have had a mother to call for dating advice, or a father who could walk me through fixing a leaky faucet.

When Gavin’s mom shared goofy stories about his childhood or talked about his favorite recipes, I was struck by the idea that she was giving me insight into who he was before he was the CEO of Powell Incorporated.

As dusk turned to night, the household started to trail off to bed—first Gavin’s parents and then his nieces.

I was enjoying the conversation with Gavin and his siblings, but my eyelids grew heavy fairly early.

“I think I’m going to turn in,” I told Gavin when he and Derrick started to light the fire pit on the back porch.

“You want me to come with you?” he asked.

I yawned. “Oh, no, that’s okay. Enjoy time with your family. I think I just need to get caught up with the time difference.”

He glanced between me and his siblings. “You sure?”

I pecked his lips. “Definitely. I’ll see you in a bit?”

His brow furrowed slightly, but he nodded. “Goodnight, babe.”

“’Night!” I called over my shoulder.

Almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out cold.

***

The room was still pitch-black when I woke with a start. I couldn’t remember the dream, but my cold sweat and hammering heart told me it probably wasn’t a good one.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I frantically searched the shadowy corners of the unfamiliar room.

I reached for Gavin’s side of the bed and realized it was still empty.

Disappointed that I couldn’t turn to him for comfort, I cuddled further under the duvet.

It took several minutes, but I was finally able to slow my rapid breathing.

~I need a glass of water~, I thought, refusing to admit to myself that I wanted to seek out my fiancé as well.

It was odd how quickly I’d grown to like sharing a bed with him.

Now that he was absent, I longed for his warmth.

I tiptoed down the stairs so as not to wake anyone.

As I neared the kitchen, I realized Gavin and Chloe were still talking on the patio.

When I heard my name, my ears perked up.

~I shouldn’t eavesdrop…~

Yet, I found myself slowing down in order to listen in more closely.

“All I’m saying is that I don’t know how you can be so sure when it hasn’t been very long. I hope you at least signed a prenup.”

“Not that it’s any of your goddamn business, Chloe, but yeah, I did. I’m giving her half if it doesn’t work out.” Gavin sounded annoyed. “I’ve known her for over four years—”

“~Half~?!” Chloe exclaimed. “Gavin, you’ve worked your entire life to build that company. She’s been your employee. That doesn’t mean you know her personally.”

“I know everything about her that matters,” he argued. “I’m committed to making this marriage work.”

“And I’m sure the fact that Chelsea was always jealous of her has nothing to do with it.”

A cold shiver worked its way up my spine.

“You shouldn’t jump into bed with someone just to make your ex upset, Gavin,” Chloe continued. “And you definitely shouldn’t marry them.”

There was a tense moment of silence.

In the dark kitchen, I fought to swallow the bile at the back of my throat.

“Did you ever consider that Chelsea was jealous of her because she knew I cared about Annalise more than I should have?” Gavin finally asked. “I tried to put my feelings aside, but even when Chelsea and I were great, I couldn’t get her out of my head.”

“If that’s true, then you were wrong to string Chelsea along.”

Gavin chuckled. “Let’s not pretend you give a fuck about Chelsea’s feelings. You hated her from day one.”

“Can you blame me?!” Chloe protested. “She’s such a snooty bitch. She hated it here. She hated being outdoors. She hated kids—”

Chloe cut herself off with a sharp intake of breath. “Sorry,” she murmured. “I didn’t mean to—”

“No, it’s fine,” Gavin told her, but neither one elaborated.

Chloe sighed. “Annalise is twenty-four, basically a child, Gavin. She’s more than ten years younger than you. It’s hard to imagine you have a lot in common.”

“She’s very mature.”

“Please,” Chloe snorted. “I’m sure ~maturity~ is what you find so appealing about her.”

“In my position, do you really think I have to settle? Do you ~really~ think a pretty girl is enough to turn my head, Chloe?”

“I didn’t mean—”

“Yeah, you did,” he cut her off, and they were both quiet for a moment. “I’m going to bed.”

I heard him stand and spun on my heel to take off for the stairs.

I paused when I heard Chloe’s voice again.

“I just want you to be happy,” she said quietly. “Not once have I heard you talk about how happy she makes you. Not once have I heard you tell her you love her. She walks on eggshells around you…and a part of you seems to like it.”

My heart pounded as I waited for his response.

“Maybe if you were such a good detective in your own house, your husband would be here with you this weekend. Stay out of my relationship.”

“Fuck you, G,” Chloe said softly.

“You too, Coco,” he muttered.

I fled for the stairs when I heard his footsteps on the creaky porch.

The only thing I forgot to take into account was the shoes I’d carelessly tossed on the bedroom floor.

My body slamming to the wood floor was deafening in the quiet of the sleepy house.

~Shit.~

Gavin’s face was grave when he flicked on the bedroom light.

We stared at each other for a long minute before he closed the door and ran a hand through his hair.

“How much did you hear?”