Page 10 of Heart & Hope

I stare at her. I was accused of being too selfish. Apparently, I do everything for myself. “I don’t understand.”

“You have all these rules to follow to make sure you’re successful. But are you happy?”

Oh.

Happiness is for people with no direction.

My father’s favorite words whenever one of his daughters would complain we were miserable with the overloaded schedules the three of us had during our high school years.

“I’m happy, I think?” But the air leaves my lungs, and my grip on the glass stem tightens.

Addy puts her wine down and pulls me into a hug. I swallow past my fast-closing throat and slam my stinging eyes shut.

“You should come with me tomorrow. Stay as long as you can. See what else there is to the world, babe. And maybe you use this as a working holiday or something. Just breathe, Ruby Jane.” Addy’s words are soft, and I know she will always have my best interests at heart. Maybe I will stay longer? For a little while, anyway.

A little bit of time to breathe never killed anyone, right?

Head out the rolled down window like one of Addy’s canine patients, I close my eyes against the bright Montana sun and hold my hand up into the wind as we drive down the longest dirt road known to man. The breeze whips through my straightened hair, tossing it around. It feels like fingers running through it.

It’s been a long time since anyone has done that.

Like, areallylong time.

And if I’m honest, it was quick and shallow. No foreplay, no talking, no loving touch. Purely sex. All business. Need, not want.

“What you thinking about, hanging out the window there like Charlie?”

Huh?

Oh shit!

I pull my arm inside and straighten my hair, huffing a laugh. “Charlie, hey? At least I know I did it right.”

Addy laughs as she turns the Cherokee into a driveway. A tall sign arches across the entrance.

Rosewood Ranch

H J & L M Rawlins

The ranch is enormous. A magnificent sprawling homestead and twin red barns sit on the other side of two front white-fenced paddocks, a horse in each. This place is something else. A manrides away from us on a horse, heading toward the mountains that rise behind the barns.

Wow, this really is the west.

“You’re going to kink your neck, Rubes.”

“I can’t believe how amazing this place is.”

“You have no idea. Wait ’til you see the ranch, some of the places Hudson has taken me.”

“How have you been living here and not sent me pics? Rude, Adds. Just rude.”

Those mountains are something else. Stunning. The life they must lead living here...

Addy pulls in by the homestead at a small white gate and shuts off the engine. “I’ll introduce you to the Rawlinses. Did you want to tag along or stay at the house with Louisa?”

“I’ll tag along, if I can.”

Addy grins and pushes out the door in her jeans and long-sleeved, button-down shirt. I follow in capri-length jeans and boat-necked, ribbed white-and-navy striped top. The smile on my face is so wide it hurts. A small white dog with tan ears speeds toward her. She is crouched a heartbeat later, loving him up. He ignores me, licking her up.

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