Somehow, telling them about Olli was just as hard.
“I have a couple of things,” he said slowly. “First is Olli. I lied to you this morning, Ma, just to get you to stop bugging me.”
“I was not bugging—”
“Let the man talk, honeybear,” Daddy said, putting his hand on Mom’s leg. She looked at him, surprise running through her expression. She nodded and took another gulp of her tea.
“You do bug me about women, Ma,” Spur said quietly. “It doesn’t help. It just pushes me further away and honestly, because of the Chappell stubborn streak, it makes me not want to date.” He looked at her, hoping she’d see his love for her despite the hard things he was saying. “I’m not the only one who feels that way. Ian hasn’t been out with anyone in five years, Ma. Cayden laughs when you say he let a good woman get away, but it cuts him all the way to the core.”
No, none of his brothers had said much to him about this, but Spur had eyes. He knew what it was like to be the son of his mother and father. Actions always spoke louder than words anyway.
“Alex isn’t a good woman, Ma,” he said next. “Blaine hasn’t told you the truth about why he ended their engagement, and if you were more approachable, he would.”
She opened her mouth but promptly shut it again. She swiped at her eyes quickly and looked toward the big trees to her left.
“I’m sorry,” Spur said, regret and true pain lancing through him. “I can be done.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I’ve heard this before from your father.”
Spur met his father’s eye, and he nodded a couple of times. His jaw was set, and Spur didn’t expect him to say anything. He obviously had eyes too.
“Raising eight sons made your mother tough,” Daddy said. “She’s forgotten that she doesn’t have eight rambunctious, naughty boys under age twelve anymore.”
“I’m working on it,” she said, still refusing to look at Spur.
“That’s all we want, Ma,” Spur said. “I’m forty-six years old, and yes, I’m dating Olivia Hudson. She’s been right there all this time, and I guess I just didn’t realize how I felt about her until we started seeing more of each other.”
“That’s great,” Daddy said.
“I don’t want to bring her to dinner until I’m more sure about things between us,” he said, though he was pretty dang sure. “I sure do like her, and she seems to like me, but the fact is, it’s been a week.”
His mother nodded, and Spur added, “It’s not a fling, and it’s not me just having a good time. We’re not just friends.”
“I understand,” she said, finally flicking a glance in his direction. “I won’t ask you about her again. You can tell me what you want, when you want.”
“Sounds good,” Spur said, relief flooding him. “If you really mean that.”
“I really mean it,” she said.
“You won’t press me for more details?” he asked. “You won’t try to give me unsolicited advice?”
She looked at Daddy, and he squeezed her hand. She met Spur’s eye again, and she seemed one breath away from complete collapse. “Yes,” she said. “I won’t do either of those things.”
Spur wasn’t sure he believed her, but he supposed he could give her another chance. “Okay, great,” he said. “Thanks, Mom.”
“What’s the second thing?” Daddy asked.
Spur frowned. “I think I said them both, all wrapped up in there. First, I wanted to set the record straight about me and Olli. And I wanted you guys to know that we love you, but man, you’re hard to be around sometimes.” He watched them for their reaction, gutted when his father dropped his eyes to his lap.
“You’re both amazing parents,” Spur said. “I know we weren’t easy to raise, and Daddy, you ran the whole ranch too. I know you had to be tough and rough and never let anything slide more than a millimeter. But we really aren’t invalids. We’re not stupid. And we’re not children anymore.”
“I know,” Daddy said. “I’m sorry I laughed when you said you were dating Olli. I was just surprised.”
Spur nodded. “I get it. I haven’t dated in years either.” He didn’t look at his mom. “I guess I just didn’t realize how lonely I am.”
“Spur,” his mother said, her voice cracking.
“Don’t cry, Ma,” he said, getting up and bending down to hug her. “It’s okay, I swear. I’ll tell the others what you’re trying to do, okay?”
She nodded against his shoulder and pulled back. She wiped her eyes quickly and set her shoulders to a perfect square. She really was tough. “Let them know we’d love to see them too,” she said. “Anytime they want to come by the house.”
Spur cocked his head. “They don’t come by?” Spur made it point to come every week, usually on Sundays.
“Not very often,” Daddy said quietly. “We know we’re not perfect, and we know the distance between us and you boys is our fault.”
“It’ll take all of us to heal the rift,” Spur said. “I’ll talk to them.” He offered his parents a smile, and gave them each another hug before he said, “I have to go. I’m supposed to check in with Blaine before the sun sets.”
He waved goodbye to them and headed out, his heart heavy with his father’s regret, and filled with his mother’s tears.
“Dear Lord,” he said as he walked away from their house. “Bless us all to find the path toward a better time, with stronger family bonds.” He didn’t want to address this issue with his brothers, but he would, because he was the oldest, and he didn’t want the cracks and fissures in his family to continue to widen.