Page 15 of Curvy Girl and the Grumpy Cowboy

"He was kind," she continues as we climb the porch steps. "Smart. Loved his work with kids.."

"Sounds perfect," I manage to say, working to keep my voice neutral.

Sarah stops at the front door, keys in hand, and turns to face me fully. The porch light illuminates her features as she looks at me.

"He was a good man," she says quietly. "But he wasn't you."

I swallow hard, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms right there on the porch.

"What happened?" I ask instead.

She unlocks the door, pushing it open before answering. "We were talking about moving in together. Had even looked at some houses." She steps inside, flipping on lights as she goes. "Then one night we were watching some documentary about Cowboys, and I started crying. Couldn't stop. That's when I knew."

I follow her inside, taking in the half-painted walls, the boxes still stacked in corners, the furniture draped with protective cloths. Renovation chaos, but I can see the vision taking shape—warm and welcoming, just like her.

"Knew what?" I ask, shutting the door behind me.

Sarah moves into the kitchen, filling a kettle with water. "That I was still in love with a stubborn cowboy back in Cedar Falls."

I stand frozen in the kitchen doorway, staring at her back as she moves efficiently between cabinets, gathering mugs and coffee.

"You never said anything," I finally manage. "All those years. Cole never mentioned..."

She turns, leaning against the counter while the kettle heats.

"What was I supposed to say, Jackson? 'Hey, I know you chose your ranch over me, but I still love you'?" She shakes her head. "I have my pride."

"And I have my regrets," I say, stepping closer. "Too many to count."

The kettle begins to whistle, and Sarah turns to switch it off. I watch her hands—capable, steady—as she pours water over coffee grounds in a French press.

"I told you earlier that I dated someone after you left," I say, taking the mug she offers me. "What I didn't say was how much it scared me."

Her eyebrows rise slightly. "What do you mean?"

I cradle the warm mug between my palms, searching for words. "I spent my whole life knowing exactly who I was—oldest Covington son, ranch manager, my brothers' keeper. Then you came along and suddenly I wanted to be something else too. Your partner. Maybe someday your husband." I take a deep breath. "When that relationship ended after you left, I realized that losing someone you truly love changes you. Makes you question everything you thought you knew."

Sarah's eyes never leave my face, her expression soft in the kitchen's warm light. "And what did you learn from all that questioning?"

I set my untouched coffee on the counter and take a step closer to her.

"That some chances only come once in a lifetime," I say, voice rough with emotion. "And I'm damn lucky if I've been given a second one."

Sarah sets her mug down beside mine, her fingers tracing the rim absently. In the soft kitchen light, I can see the vulnerability in her eyes—a look I've seen before, seven years ago, when she asked me to follow her to Seattle.

"I'm scared, Jackson," she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. "I spent years building walls around the part of me that loved you. Learning to stand on my own. Finding strength I didn't know I had."

I nod, not daring to move closer though everything in me wants to. "You should be proud of that strength."

"I am," she says. "But that's what scares me. Last time, I was willing to compromise everything for us. I asked you to come with me, but I would have stayed if you'd asked me to." Her eyes meet mine, steady despite the emotion in them. "I'm not that woman anymore. I can't be."

"I wouldn't want you to be," I tell her honestly. "I fell in love with Sarah Matthews seven years ago, but I think I might like the woman standing in front of me now even more."

A small smile touches her lips. "Even if she's more stubborn? Less willing to bend?"

"Especially then," I say. "You deserve someone who meets you halfway, Sarah. Not someone asking you to give up parts of yourself."

She takes a shaky breath. "And what about you? The ranch has always been your world. Your brothers, your responsibilities."

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