Page 63 of Hero for the Holidays

“Why don’t you come by later? You know, when it’s time for you to drop Lila off. And then we can choose a horse together.”

“From your horses?”

“Actually, I was thinking I might call Gus. I know he’s got some great, gentle animals. I know he needs a lot of them for the equine facility, but I heard him saying something about taking on some new rescues.”

“I can call my sister about it. You know, since he’s my brother-in-law.”

Landry laughed. “Yeah. I guess he is. I can’t get over that one.”

“Why not?”

“Okay, I think at this point everybody knows we would be the most unlikely couple on Four Corners. But I think Gus and your sister would’ve been a close second.”

Fia frowned. “Because of their age difference?”

“That, and... The everything about Gus.”

“Yeah. I would’ve agreed with that. But it’s amazing how good they are for each other. He just loves her. Actually, that’s true of all my sisters’ men. Nothing could be more of a relief to me.”

“You really had to take care of them, didn’t you?”

“Yes. When everything imploded it was... We were adults when our mom left, but she had checked out way before that. And once Dad left somebody had to see to the running of the ranch. He’d left so much baggage. And so many enemies. He’s not as widely loathed as your father, but he did some shady, underhanded dealings. Levi Granger hated my family for a reason. And thankfully, my sister sorted that out by falling in love with him, but yeah. There was just a lot. It was a lot to take on when I did. I was never more grateful that I’d made the choice to give Lila up than during all of that. I couldn’t imagine trying to be a mother to her while I was trying to mother my sisters and get everything in order. Start up the collective with Sawyer, Denver, Daughtry and Gus.”

“I’m not the oldest, Fia. So the responsibility, all of that, it was never going to fall to me. I’m the youngest. I think there are some difficult things in that. The ways in which the people around you don’t include you in decision-making. We were the same age, hell, I’m a little older than you, but I wasn’t included in the making of Four Corners as it is now because everybody above me had more decision-making power in our family. I didn’t have the responsibilities that you did. That’s not an excuse. But maybe it’s part of why to me things always seemed a little bit simpler.” He blew out a breath. “My life was simpler. People don’t like admitting that. Hell, I don’t like admitting it. Because of course you feel like you work hard. Like you’re doing everything you can. To look over and see that somebody else is dealing with more, and with more grace than you manage on a given day is difficult.”

She closed her eyes. “Thanks. You are right, though. These years haven’t been nothing.”

“No. And you know what’s even better? The next years won’t be either.”

She looked out the window at Lila again, who was now dancing around the chickens looking happier than Fia had ever seen her.

“No. They won’t be.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

FIAMADEARRANGEMENTSfor them to go over to McCloud’s Landing and choose a horse for Lila. Landry felt strangely nervous, and he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Whether it was about trying to choose the best animal for his daughter, or about seeing Fia again. In which case it wasn’t nerves. It was something else entirely.

It was amazing how quickly he got back to his thoughts being consumed by that woman.

But he saw her face in his daughter every day. She was inextricably linked to the biggest thing in his life.

And she herself was quickly becoming something major in his day-to-day.

He didn’t talk on the phone. He had spent an hour on the phone with Fia earlier.

And then again later when they had discussed their plans for tonight.

Lila was with his family, and Denver was going to see her home when she was tired. But he didn’t think he would be that long at McCloud’s.

He pulled up to Fia’s house in his truck. The place really had never looked better. He stopped to admire the gorgeously manicured fenced-in gardens. A cornerstone of the farm store that the Sullivans ran.

There were flowers and fruits and vegetables. Cherry trees, apple.

He was musing on that when he walked up the front porch and knocked on the door.

“Have you ever thought about getting a greenhouse?”

She blinked. “Well. Yes. I have definitely looked at some beautiful old-fashioned-looking greenhouses online. Because who doesn’t want an orangery like a fancy Regency miss?”

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