Page 73 of Filthy Twisted Devil

Reed appears before she can answer. Unlike Wade and Jasper, he’s still wearing his dusty work clothes when he takes the last empty seat. Rose scowls at him.

“I hope you’re planning to sweep up after dinner, tracking in dirt like that,” she says.

“Yes, Mom,” Reed says, grabbing the mashed potato serving spoon. Soon, his plate is piled higher than anyone’s. He asks around a mouthful of meatloaf, “Wade, did you figure out that payroll glitch?”

Wade’s face darkens. “No. I wrote out checks for the guys, but I’m not sure why they didn’t send automatically. It all looks right on the computer program.”

“I can check on that after dinner if you want,” Eden offers. “I know the software.”

“Maybe if you did ours like you were supposed to, we wouldn’t have problems,” Jasper says.

Rose glares at Jasper, and Eden’s eyes narrow. “What do you mean, like I was supposed to?”

“You did the ranch admin for years before you trotted off to the city. You know Wade’s shit with that stuff.”

Eden puts down her silverware. “I trained Wade for hours before I moved. Besides, nobody taught me. I learned by watching YouTube videos. Why can’t he do that?”

“Because Wade’s shit with computers,” Reed says. “You know that.”

“You’re not,” Eden snaps. “If he’s having such a hard time, why can’t you take over?”

“Reed’s not reliable,” Wade says. “None of the guys would want someone handling their paychecks who’ll disappear for a week and come back with a piercing and a motorcycle.”

I don’t see any piercings on Reed, and I’m not about to speculate where one might be. He doesn’t seem bothered by Wade’s comment. He just shrugs as if to say, yeah, so?

“What about Jasper, then?” Eden says. “He’s the smart one, right?”

“Because it’s not his job,” Wade says. “It’s yours. Our ranch ran well for years with you handling the admin. Things only got messy after you left.”

“And that’s my problem how? You always knew what my plan was! I didn’t make a secret of it.” She slams her hand on the table. “I went to school for event planning. I talked about it constantly. I did as much work as I could in Alberta, but it wasn’t enough!”

“Because nothing here is good enough for you,” Jasper says.

My stomach twists, because I’ve heard those words before. Not from Jasper, but from my parents. Every time I wanted something they couldn’t pay for, every time I dreamed about making a life they didn’t understand.

I have a feeling it’s not the first time Eden’s heard that either. Next to me, she goes pale. “That’s not true.”

“You always looked down on ranch life, Edie. Don’t pretend,” Jasper scoffs.

What do you need a passport for, Luke? We don’t travel abroad.

Don’t be stupid, Luke. Most new businesses fail. Just go to college.

Just because we sent you to private school doesn’t mean you’re going to live like your friends.

What’s so wrong with the life we gave you?

The memories swim in my head. All the times I told my parents about my dreams and they shut me down. Every time I wanted something they thought was ridiculous. All the times they acted hurt because I wanted something they couldn’t give me.

I didn’t fight them because I didn’t see the point. The only way to make them understand was to show them. I thought they'd come around when Twisted Devil succeeded. I fantasized about them admitting that I've been right all along.

They never did. They just stopped calling me much. They let Brinley and me grow into strangers whose lives they didn’t get.

Well, fuck that. I'm not going to let anyone talk to Eden like that.

“She wanted something different,” I growl. “A life that felt right to her. That’s not a betrayal or an insult, it’s the truth.”

Everyone whips around to stare at me. Eden’s eyes are wide with shock, while the boys’ faces glow with rage. I can’t read Rose’s expression.