by RJ Scott
Jack looked sideways at him, clearly picking up on a couple of things Riley had said. "You betrayed Steve's trust. He was your friend."
"My only real friend, apart from Eden," Riley said sadly. "And yeah, he was just another pawn. One day he might forgive me, although I'm not holding my breath. He didn't come to the hospital to see me. I know he was only there because Beth needed him."
"Doesn't it hurt that this only friend of yours hates you for what you did?"
Riley looked up sharply. What did Jack want from him? "You want me to sit and cry to show you I hurt? 'Cause I could do that for you if it would convince you. At the drop of a hat, I could show you how this is screwing with me, but I can't let myself do it. If I start to let it out, I feel like it's gonna destroy me."
Jack nodded. "So that’s how it started," he prompted carefully, leaving a silence that Riley had to fill.
"Then it changed. I don't know when or how. I wish I could go back and touch that moment, and hold it, that very minute that the real Riley started to dig for the surface. It could have been when I saw Beth so obviously pregnant, so pale, or when Steve knocked me to the floor and told me he hated me. Maybe it was just now when I hurt you so bad because I wasn't thinking. I don't know. I just know what I have with you, however you label it and however long you want it to last, it's real." Riley's voice hitched, twenty-seven years of Hayes pressure pushing down on his shoulders, forcing emotions back into his heart. "I don't know how else to say it. I don't see you as a pawn, or an asset. I see you as a person, my husband, my lover. I don't own you, and I don't want to own you. I want to take the pre-nup and tear it into pieces, I want to take that damn contract and burn it to ashes. Money shouldn't define your life, and it shouldn't define mine or what we have." He stopped, suddenly aware that he was still talking and of how silent and still Jack was. Maybe he had really fucked this up. Jack hadn't given any indication he wanted this thing to go past the year, had never said a word, and always joked about counting down the days until his freedom from Het-boy. "Jack?"
"I get that, Riley. All of that. Thing is I know. I see you changing, see that you're different. Maybe I just put too much on to you, expecting you to know what I needed, what I wanted."
"What do you want? Tell me, and if I can give it to you—"
"I want to see Beth healthy, my niece born, and Beth safe. I want a husband who's also my lover. I want Riley Campbell-Hayes in my life. I can't see past the year with him, but I know what I want now."
Riley held out his free hand, and Jack curled his fingers into it, linking them. His eyes remained steady on Riley's.
"Okay," Riley finally said. "Okay."
Chapter 29
Donna didn't seem surprised at the visitor on her doorstep. Sandra guessed she'd been expecting her arrival for a few days. "Sandra," she said politely.
"Donna," she started carefully, "I wonder if I might speak to Riley?"
"He's in the barn with Jack. They should be back soon," she said, widening the door and indicating Sandra should come in, which she did, but not before hesitating on the threshold.
Sandra followed Donna to the kitchen, her eyes widening at the sight of Jim sitting at the wooden trestle table. He immediately stood, spilling coffee over the side of his mug, an instant blush climbing his cheeks. They had seen each other on a few occasions at Hayes Oil, but never in a situation where they needed to talk. Both of them just stared, years of history separating them.
"Iced tea, Sandra, or perhaps coffee?"
"Tea would be lovely, thank you," Sandra replied, her southern politeness her armor. With that she could cope with anything.
"I want to thank you," Jim started, and Sandra blinked nervously. Please don't say anything that is going to break me. "For telling me that Riley needed me."
"You're very welcome. He did need you," she said carefully, and slid into the seat diagonally across from Jim, thanking Donna for the iced tea and sipping on it slowly.
No one spoke. It wasn't uncomfortable silence, not really. It was thoughtful and only broken when the front door opened and laughter spilled into the house. Riley and Jack appeared, holding hands and smiling at each other. Jack saw her first. He stopped in his tracks, tightened his grip on Riley's hand, and moved closer to him, protective.
"Mom," Riley said simply, waiting for Jack to release his grip and then closing the distance to draw her into a patented Riley hug "S'good to see you. We were gonna come to the house tomorrow when I got the all clear." Sandra stiffened in her son's embrace, still unnerved by his exuberant shows of affection. Then she pulled back.
"I came to talk," she said. "Is there somewhere we can go that is a bit more… private?"
"Y'all can use the good room," Donna offered. "It's the one room we keep tidy, and there's no horse smell."
Sandra nodded her thanks, and Riley offered his arm, chatting about something to do with foals that went straight over her head. He shut the door behind them and she sat on one of the brown leather sofas, opening her purse and pulling out a brown envelope.
"I want to say something first," she began. Riley settled to sit opposite, his face an open book of worry.
"Uh huh."
"First, I want to say that I'm sorry, no, more than sorry, about the way the family has treated you over the past years, Riley. You were not a child from my marriage, but I want you to know you were a child born from love, and I never regretted the deals I made to keep you, not for one day."
"Momma?"
"I regret losing Jim. I regret what it did to him to have you taken away, and I regret that Gerald hated you every day since you were born." She stopped, her voice not quite so steady, nor forged of iron. "I want to try and make it up to you one day. I don't know how I can do that, or how I begin to win back your love and affection, but I want to try."
* * * *
Riley couldn't bear to hear any more. He rose and crossed to sit next to her, capturing her hands in his, the skin smooth under his touch. "You're my momma. I may not understand you sometimes, but I'll always love you, and you don't have to try." Sandra lifted wet eyes to his, the same hazel green as his, a look of hope in them. What else could he say? He would just sit there, take what she had to say to him, and then just go and find Jack and maybe have some more, frankly awesome, sex.
Finally Sandra lifted her hand to lay it flat on his cheek.
"I couldn't be prouder of you," she said. "Despite us, you grew up into a fine young man."
"Thank you, Momma," Riley said simply, pressing his cheek against her hand. There was hope here, and then it all came crashing down.
"The Campbells own half of what we have."
His world turned on its axis as certainly as if she'd called the Campbells in and told them to their faces. He couldn't make sense of her words.
"I don't understand," Riley said carefully as his mom handed him the folder.
"I mean it, Riley. In there is every shred of evidence. Hayes Oil should have been split fifty-fifty with Alan Campbell. It isn't all ours, half of it belongs to Donna and her family."
"Okay," he started carefully. "Then we give it to them and help them to get what is rightfully theirs." What they should do seemed simple to Riley, absolutely black and white.
"Riley, listen to me. I want that too, but I also wanted to give you the chance to bury this, to put an end to all the drama and the worry. If you show this to them, you stand to lose everything. They can wipe Hayes Oil out with one clever lawyer. You could lose it all, your money, the land, the offices, your cars—"
"Momma." Riley stood, pulling Sandra with him. "You don't understand. I don't want any of that." He placed a hand over his own heart. "I think I have everything I want or need in here."
* * * *
Donna thought it looked like a council of war. Beth had called Steve, reasoning that her fiancé should be there for it, and he now sat with Beth. She and Sandra were sitting opposite them, and Jack and Riley leaned back against the sink. Josh had arrived not lo
ng before. Anna, his wife, had settled their kids in the TV room with game controllers and snacks and was now half sitting on Josh's lap. Jim was poring over the papers, flicking from one to another, from one statement of intent to another contract, to bank statements aged with time. Finally he lifted his head to look at Sandra, his eyes sad, resigned. It was Donna he spoke to though, Donna who had supported and loved Alan Campbell in his hours of despair.
"It's true, all of it," he said warily, wondering what the Campbells were going to say now.
"How long have you known about this?" Donna asked Sandra, willing her to be honest. Sandra looked down at the table.
"I copied papers from the very start, hid them in a safety deposit box. I wanted my own leverage if he ever went back on our deal with Jim and Riley. I never really looked at them. But I know I always suspected it of him. I was just too scared to do anything about it." She looked over at Riley, who smiled encouragingly, and then back at Donna, waiting for Donna to make her decision.
"I don't want it," Donna finally stated. Jim knew the hate and betrayal had destroyed her marriage. They had spoken of it in detail over the last few days. It had driven her husband to an early death. She had already told him she wanted no part of any battle for money.
"Mom," Josh said, exchanging a loaded look with his wife before nodding carefully. "We don't want it either." Anna smiled a soft smile at her husband. "I have what I want, a business that supports my family, a wife I love, kids I couldn't be more proud of, and a family that I'm close to. I don't want any part of Hayes Oil or the money."
"Elizabeth?" Donna prompted gently.
"I want to live to see my daughter," Beth said softly. "That's all I want."
Steve wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in close. "Fighting a war isn't going to help that," he said to everyone in the room.
"It's just you, Jack. What's your decision, son?"
Chapter 30
So many emotions flooded Jack —anger, distrust, shock— he didn't know where to start putting them in order. He turned to Riley, because what he needed to say needed to be said to his face.
"I'm right that we would be turning down fifty percent of the billions that Hayes Oil turns over, the millions in the bank, the land, the control? Not only that, but with legal moves, we could maybe have it all?"
Riley nodded. "Hayes Oil as it stands would cease to exist, I guess."
"With secrets this big hanging over your dad, surely he must have known it was really just a matter of time?"
Riley shrugged. "He probably never realized Mom had the papers. Jack, you should do this. You should fight for what is rightfully yours. If you do, then I'll back you." Riley's eyes sparked with fire and utter determination. Jack stopped him, raising a hand and laying it over the rhythm of his husband's heart, feeling the bandage that covered his upper body.
"You just told me in the barn that money shouldn't define your life, that it shouldn't define mine," Jack said gently, seeing the denial rise in Riley and then fall away just as quickly. Jack's whole world had tilted on its axis. He didn't know how to explain it to Riley except in five simple words. "I don't want it, Riley."
"Jack—"
"No. I don't want it." Jack wanted to say other things, important things, but couldn't seem to string a sentence together. He couldn't even begin to explain why he had the absolute certainty that was his decision. He just knew in his heart it was right. Instead he pulled at Riley and cradled him in a hug that was protective, gentling, safe.
Silence followed, until Beth's words took them by surprise.—
"Is now a good time for me to say Steve has asked me to marry him?" Beth looked at each member of her family in turn. "I said, yes," she added, leaning into Steve and exchanging a soft smile. No one said a word, waiting for Donna to speak first.
Donna just smiled and held out a hand to her youngest. "Oh, baby, I'm so happy for you both." Then the dam opened, and Beth was swept up in hugs from her brothers, Jim, and Anna. They all talked at the same time, asking about plans and dates, and the room was filled with happy smiles. Sandra chose that moment to make her excuses and leave. Jack released Riley's hand so that Riley could walk his mom to her car, and he saw him pulling her in for a hug.
* * * *
Riley, for his part, didn't feel right. It was all wrong. The Campbell family should benefit from Hayes Oil. It should have been Jack with the privilege and the money, and he shouldn't have to scrape to survive. It should have been Josh at an expensive law school, and Beth with the surgeries she needed without fear of bankrupting her family. He left the room, because it was all too much for him to process. He made his farewells to his momma then he found himself in their bedroom —his and Jack's room— the windows open again and the smell of impending rain heavy in the air. Dejected, worried, upset, he slumped to the bed.
He had wanted to hug Steve to congratulate his best friend. It was what Steve had talked about for so many evenings, those evenings that Riley hadn't lost to drink and women anyway. He'd met Elizabeth Campbell at the hospital, and for Steve, befriending the young patient had quickly turned into love. He'd worried over the age difference, he'd worried over his being ill, and he'd talked and talked and talked. The only thing was, Riley hadn't really listened, not like a real friend would. He'd just learned what was useful to him and turned on his best friend. And tonight, Steve couldn't even look at him, and Riley couldn't blame Steve one little bit.
The door to the room opened, and Riley didn't look around, assuming it was Jack. "Sorry," he began. "I'm just…" He couldn't form a word of what he wanted to say past the bitter irritation at feeling so damn useless.
"Just what?" Riley twisted. Steve and Josh were in the room. Josh closed the door behind him and leaned on the door. What the hell?
"Just—" The words still wouldn't come, still wouldn't push through the self-pity he was heaping on himself.
It was Josh who started the conversation, pushing himself away from the door, and standing feet firmly apart and fists buried deep in his jean pockets. "Did you use Beth's pregnancy to get Jack to marry you? Just so you could get what you felt you were owed from Hayes Oil? All so you could fuck with your father?"
Riley looked at Steve and then Josh, and then back again. He sighed inwardly, the guilt spiraling out of control inside him, and he knew he just wanted a clean slate. He needed for everyone to know what he was, so that he could maybe make himself a better person.
"Yes." Riley flinched as he said it, waiting for Steve to hold him whilst Josh whaled on him, knowing he wouldn't put up a fight, knowing he deserved it. Josh closed his eyes, hunching his shoulders. Riley thought he could see grief in Josh's face, read sadness as he opened his eyes again. "I'm sorry. I wasn't the person then that I am now. How can I…?" How can I get my friend back? How can I say sorry to Beth? Should I tell Beth?
"You and Jack seem kind of friendly, despite the start," Steve commented drily.
Riley felt himself blush at that. What could he say? Steve was asking him to be honest, demanding honesty where none had been before. Josh tilted his head, patiently waiting for Riley to speak.
"I think I love him," Riley said quietly. It was simple in the end. So very simple.
Josh nodded, seeming to come to some sort of big brother decision in his head, and held out his hand towards Riley, which Riley took pathetically quickly.
"Okay," was all Josh said, and then turning on his heel, he left the room and pulled the door shut again.
"Steve—"
"Like Josh said," Steve interrupted swiftly. "You did what you did, for reasons I will never understand, because of a father I will never understand. It's come right in the end, and I won't hold a grudge against my best friend."
"I haven't been a very good friend," Riley offered sadly, an apology in quiet words.
"You only ever see the bad stuff in yourself, Riley. Without your encouragement, I would have given up on Beth a long time ago." Riley felt his throat tighten with emotion. It was ov
erwhelming that Steve saw this good in him, that Steve wasn't focusing on the bad stuff that had happened. "So, we're cool?"
Riley nodded and crossed to pull Steve into a manly back-slapping hug. "We will be."
"Kitchen. Beer." Steve moved back and opened the door, waiting for Riley to follow, that stupid, inane, mischievous Steve-smile on his face, the smile that Riley had missed. Without hesitation Riley went into the kitchen after his friend, catching the tail end of an embarrassing story about Josh and a pair of red silk panties. Jack took his hand, pulled him in for a hug. He glanced at Josh and Steve and then up at his husband.
"Okay?" he asked quietly.
"Okay," Riley replied, leaning down to kiss full lips gently, pulling back and smiling. "Okay."
The conversation turned to celebrating, with Beth demanding a dinner out. Riley instantly offered to take everyone to the best restaurant in Dallas on him, and Beth quietly refusing.
"I just want to go The Rusty Nail. It's a bit of a dive but has the best steaks in town. I just want simple, just us, no fuss. I wanna call Eden, so she can meet us there."
They went in two trucks, Steve the designated driver in one with Beth curled next to him, and Josh with Anna on his lap in the back. Donna drove the second with Jim. Riley and Jack squeezed in the back, talking about what had been happening. Between them, Josh's kids chattered excitedly about what they were going to do at the babysitters.
It was just what everyone needed— air, escape, normalcy, beer. No one spoke about the decisions they'd made, just focusing on the proposal. The bar's restaurant was busy. Friday seemed to be a popular night for everyone, from couples to groups. Music was drifting from strategically placed speakers and the smell of steak and potatoes permeated the air. Josh ordered various beers, whisky chasers and wine with a softly spoken and sarcastic, "Your round, Richie Rich" in Riley's ear. He smirked, and Riley half smiled back, kind of uneasily, given he didn't know Josh all that well yet, despite their discussion earlier.
