Page 59 of A Forever Kind of Rancher

“I don’t think I’m woke,” said Flint. “I just like women.”

Wendy couldn’t help but smile at the exchange.

They were a good family. Everybody involved was just... They cared about each other. And it didn’t matter if they disagreed about things or saw things differently, they cared about each other. It felt different than what she’d imagined family might be. It had just been her and her mother after all.

And now it was her and the girls.

But even though she had a good relationship with Sadie and Mikey, it hadn’t quite been this. Or at least, it had never quite been this between herself and Daniel. Because one thing she noticed was the way Abe and his wife interacted with each other.

There was an ease to them. And she didn’t think she and Daniel had ever had that ease.

She looked at Boone. She wanted to feel it with him.

But she had a feeling if she put her hand on his, he would pull away, and she didn’t want that.

She felt like they could have something easy and wonderful.

If only they were brave enough to take the chance.

So she got up from her position on the couch and moved over to him, sitting next to him. It was a fairly unambiguous move.

No one said anything, but they all looked.

The other reason she couldn’t go putting her hand on him just yet was the girls.

She needed to talk to them. At least, it felt like she should.

Not to get their permission, just to give them a warning. A heads-up. Her mother had never dated when Wendy was growing up, because her father had done such a number on her she had never wanted a man in her life again. It made Wendy sad, in hindsight.

And maybe the only way Sadie and Mikey would ever be able to understand Wendy wanting to be with somebody else was going to be in hindsight. Or maybe that assumption wasn’t fair to them.

“We should go shooting,” said Jace.

“What in the redneck?” Cara asked.

“It’s a Carson family tradition. We love a good target practice.”

Callie looked at her husband. “Will you stay with the baby?”

“Sure,” he said.

“I’ll stay with the baby,” said Callie’s mother. “You can all go shoot. I don’t mind.”

“Can I watch?” Mikey asked.

“Sure,” said Wendy.

She had a feeling they were all going out for target practice.

“I guess I’ll go,” said Sadie, keeping an eye on Tansey, obviously curious about whether or not her new best friend was going.

“Sounds great,” said Tansey brightly.

And so with that, they all trooped outside.

“We like to shoot up this way near this big gravel pit. It’s got good secure backings so the bullets don’t go drifting off anywhere they shouldn’t.”

“Good to know.”

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