Page 45 of Promise You Forever

“We could even offer a cattle drive experience where people join us when we move the herd to the high pasture. Maybe spend a night camping up there before coming back down.”

“Yeah.” Sam nods. “Then do it again at the end of the season when we bring them back.”

“Exactly.” I’m not surprised to see him on board so easily. “It’ll be a lot of work up front, building the cabins, and I’m sure the business end will be a lot to handle.” I look over to Eli.

“I already started doing a little research on what all I’ll need to do. There’s a lot of red tape, but nothing that should stop us.”

“So does that mean you’re staying in Colorado?” Janey asks Eli with a hopeful look on her face.

A slow smile creeps across Eli’s face as she nods. “Yes. I’m turning in my letter of resignation in November.”

Janey launches herself at Eli in happiness. “This is the best news I’ve heard in months. I’m so excited you’re home for good.”

Sam raises his bottle of beer to me in salute. We aren’t the type of friends who sit and divulge our feelings with each other, but he knows how much it means to me to have Eli back. Even if she hadn’t been in my bed last night, I’d still be over the moon. Because she’s my beacon of light in the dark. My sunbeam.

“What are you looking at?” Eli glances up at me while she cleans the pots from dinner.

Janey and Sam left just a bit ago, and Eli has been doing all the things to keep herself busy. I helped her clear the table and load the dishwasher, but then she started hand washing all the pots and pans. When I offered to do that, she tried to shoo me away. That’s when I picked up a towel and started drying everything after she finished rinsing it.

“Just reliving fond memories.” I take the pan and start drying.

“Of doing dishes?”

I look down at the counter before answering her. “No. Fond memories of things we’ve done in this kitchen together.”

A red flush works its way up her neck from her chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure, you don’t. Can I ask you a question?”

“Maybe.”

“Did you invite Sam and Janey over to be a buffer between us tonight?”

“No. I invited them because I haven’t gotten to spend much time with them since I’ve been back. I feel like I haven’t had any time to sit back and breathe yet.”

Concern bleeds through me. “You can lean on me. If you need more time before we jump into making changes around here, I can pick up the slack.”

“You’ve been picking up the slack all along.” She pulls the plug on the drain and rinses the bubbles from the sink before taking the towel from my hands and drying hers. “I have to figure this stuff out on my own.”

“Why? I’m right here.”

Her eyes narrow as she looks up at me. “Are you serious right now?”

“Dead serious.”

“I don’t know,” she says sarcastically, tapping her finger on her chin. “Maybe because I don’t trust you.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Not fair?” She backs away from me shaking her head. “A lot of things arenot fair,but this isn’t one of them.”

I wrap my fingers loosely around her bicep to stop her from walking past me. “Your lack of trust in me personally is wellfounded, but professionally I’ve never given anyone reason to doubt my loyalty. Don’t conflate the two.”

“How can I not when this ranch is you and me? Half the time I look at you and remember you standing over Amy’s grave telling me you’d never love me. That I should go back to LA and fuck all the guys. That they’d be lining up.” She presses a hand to her heart. “Do you know what that did to me? How that made me feel? Because I can’t forget.” Tears swim in her eyes.

“I regretted those words before they even came out of my mouth. It killed me to do that. I was scared.”

“Of what?” she cries out, frustration filling her voice.

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