Page 85 of Wright Together

“Yay!” Harley cried.

Even West grinned at that. “Congrats, man! She makes you smile. So, I like her.”

“She’s a badass,” Harley added. “I approve.”

“So glad I have your approval.”

I pulled onto the main road that led into Ransom Canyon. West Texas was shaped like the surface of a golf ball with lots of flat spots and little divots all over. It was why it flooded every time it rained and why we had these beautiful canyons just outside of town. Ransom Canyon was the closest to Lubbock with beautiful houses around a large lake. Jensen’s was on the far side of the lake, and we had to drive over a man-made dam. The house came complete with a dock with a boat and a few Jet Skis. Already, a bunch of cars lined the narrow road and covered the drive for the party.

I parked down the street and grabbed the cooler out of the back. Jensen had said we didn’t have to bring anything, but I felt weird showing up to a party empty-handed. We were almost there when my phone rang in my pocket.

I tugged it out and sawDadacross the screen. I sighed. He’d called while I was in Midland, too, but I hadn’t answered. Eve’s family was enough to deal with. I hadn’t wanted to add my own troubles to the mix. But now, I should probably figure out what the hell he wanted.

“I’m going to take this,” I said, holding up the phone.

They saw who it was, and both groaned.

“Don’t do it,” Harley said.

“Yeah. Just come enjoy the party,” West said. “He can wait.”

“He called Friday, too. I should probably take it.”

West sighed. “Fine. But be quick.”

He jerked the cooler out of my hand and nodded his head at Harley. She dragged her thumb across her throat, as if to tell me what to do to the man we all called Dad. I shook my head, and she doubled down by pretending to tie a noose around her neck and sticking her tongue out.

I pressed the green button to answer. “Hello?”

“Hey, Whitton. Good to hear your voice.”

“Yeah. You, too.”

“What’s going on over there?”

“I’m at Jensen’s for his Labor Day party.”

“Ah, Jensen. Yeah, you’ll have to tell him I said hello.”

I had no intention of doing that. Like most of my family, Jensen was hardly a fan of my father. It probably had something to do with him trying to undermine Morgan’s ascension to CEO. Or maybe having a second family. Or maybe just his existence. There was a long list of misdeeds to choose from.

Still, I was the intermediary. I was the one who kept the peace.

“What’s going on? Do you have plans?”

“Oh, just here and there,” he said. Which meant no. “I do have business in Austin next weekend though.”

Oh no.

“I thought that I could pop up to see you while I’m there.”

“Just me?” I asked even though I knew the answer.

“Well, all of you,” he said.

All of us. Jordan, Julian, me, West, and Harley. His two families, all happily together…without him.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”