“Hello?”

I was stunned at how loud the background noise was. “Gunner? Where are you? Are you still with the client and Bill?”

“Hey, sweetheart. Yeah, I am. I was just getting ready to leave. Bill, Karen, and I were about to walk out of the bar.”

I didn’t know what to be more shocked by—the fact that he was at a bar or that his client’s name was Karen. I’d never even thought to ask for the name. It turned out the client I’d assumed was a he was really a she.

Karen?

“Did y’all eat at a bar?”

“What? I can’t hear you. It’s loud. Let me walk outside. Hold on.”

I slowly started counting to ten.

One. Two. Three.

I’m so going to kill him.

Four. Five. Six.

Karen. Love how he failed to mention the client he’s been meeting for lunches and dinners is a damn woman.

Seven. Eight. Nine.

“Ells, can you hear me now?”

“Yep. I asked, did you eat at the bar?”

He let out a chuckle. “Nah. Bill wanted to bring Karen to the brewery, so we walked over. I’m on my way.”

“Well, I’m on my way to bed.”

Silence.

“Ellie, are you upset?”

Stupid men. “Am I upset? Am I upset that you called me hours ago and said you would be late but not too late? Am I upset that you missed baseball and soccer practice—again? Am I upset that I had to shave our son’s hair because your daughter decided to dye it with a color Luke had concocted, and then she cut chunks out of it? Am I upset that I had to sit with Colt while he cried for two hours before I put the kids to bed? Am I upset that I had to call my mother because I felt like I was having a nervous breakdown? And guess what? That’s because my fucking husband is never home! Ever! He’s out having lunch and dinner with Karen.”

“I’m going to go ahead and say you’re upset.”

I pulled the phone away and took a deep breath. “I’m going to bed. Be careful driving.”

I hung up and slowly made my way to our bed. I stripped out of my clothes and put on one of Gunner’s T-shirts. I crawled into bed and pulled my pillow next to my body.

Then, I cried until I fell asleep.

I pulled up behind Jeff’s truck and put my truck in park. I dropped my head back against the seat and sat there for a minute.

Ellie had been asleep when I got home, and by the time I’d woken up, she had already been up and out of the house. When I’d walked into the kitchen, I’d seen Sharon sitting at the kitchen table, and I’d panicked. She’d informed me that Ellie had gone into Mason, and she would be home in a few hours.

I closed my eyes and tried to understand why Ellie was so angry.

The knock on the window caused me to quickly open my eyes. Jeff was standing there, staring at me.

I opened the truck door and smiled as I got out and made my way over to Jeff. “Shit, dude. Sorry you and Dad had to fix that pump without me. I got home late last night.”

He nodded his head. “So I hear.”

“What do you mean by that?”

He gave me a funny look and jerked his head slightly. “I mean just what I said. So I hear. Ari said Ellie is on a rampage because you’ve been staying out late, and she just found out the client you’ve been meeting with is a girl.”

“So? What does that have to do with anything?”

Jeff placed the fence pullers on the bottom wire. He stopped and looked up at me. “Really, Mathews? Telling Ellie that your client is a female didn’t seem important to you?”

I shook my head. “No, it didn’t, and I still don’t think it’s important. I’m designing her home, and that’s it. She’s a very picky person, and I’ve had to meet her a few times to make changes. I’ve told Ellie this.”

“Well, if you don’t see anything wrong with it…”

I walked by him and grabbed the hooks for the fence. “I don’t. I think Ellie is behaving like a spoiled brat.”

He laughed. “Can I please be there when you tell her that? Please!”

I rolled my eyes and began working on the fence.

Jeff didn’t say anything else to me until we were getting ready to head back to the house. He walked up to me, and I could see the concern on his face.

“Gunner, all I’m gonna say is that Ellie stays home with the kids day after day. She works her ass off, helping out with running this cattle ranch and with Ari’s breeding business. When was the last time you took your wife out on a date?”

I shook my head as I felt the anger building inside me. “What are you saying, Jeff? I’m a shitty husband? When was the last time you took your wife out on a date?”

He gave me a shit-eating grin. “Don’t push this back on me, dude. I’m actually taking Ari with me to Kentucky in a few weeks. It’ll be just her and me for five days. I know we both need time to be alone together.”

I let out a sigh and turned to get into my truck.

“Gunner, is everything okay with you and Ellie?”

I stopped dead in my tracks. I quickly spun around and stared at him. “Yes. Why would you even ask me that?”

He took a few steps back and gave me a look. “Because the guy who married my sister would never go to the bars and hang out with another woman while missing his kids’ events, and I know for fucking sure, he would never call his wife a spoiled brat.”

I stood there and took in Jeff’s words. The more I thought about it, the more pissed off I got. “Ellie must be filling Ari in on everything.” I wasn’t sure why I’d said that. I was angry with myself more than anyone else.

For Jeff to think something was wrong between Ellie and me must mean that Ellie thought something was wrong.

“You know what? I’m walking away from this conversation, Gunner. For your sake, I really hope you don’t ever do something you will regret. Ellie is my sister, but she is the best fucking thing to ever happen to you. If you hurt her in any way, dude, it’s not going to be a happy ending for any of us.”

He turned and walked to his truck. Before jumping in, he gave me one last look. Then, he peeled off and headed back to the main barn.

“Fuck.” I got into my truck and headed in the same direction.

I watched as Jeff’s truck turned and headed to the barn. I pulled up and parked outside of Gram and Gramp’s house. I got out and made my way up the stairs.

Gramps stepped out the screen door and gave me one look. He shook his head. “Am I going to have to kick your ass?”