Page 114 of Hold the Line

Phoebe hadn’t let me sit in my feelings alone. Neither had Hailey, Joy, or the Kellys.

They’d had every reason to shove me out for putting their daughter in danger, and Elena and Lock Kelly had pulled me firmly into their fold instead.

Even more surprising was my relationship with Caleb. We’d shared a trauma no one else would understand. The day Phoebe had gotten out of the hospital, he’d shown up at our door and invited me out to the ranch.

I was shit at riding, but he’d been patient.

Phoebe had spent time with her family while Caleb had taken me on long, quiet rides across the ranch. At first, there hadn’t been much talking, just me concentrating on not falling off my horse and him being lost in his thoughts.

Today wasn’t much different, though I’d gotten a little steadier.

We crested a hill and stopped. Below us, the river cut through the jagged landscape, stretching out for miles. Our horses grazed, tails flicking, their breath soft in the quiet.

“How do you wrap your head around this?” I asked. “Being out here, knowing all this is yours?”

“It’s not something I think about,” he replied honestly. “Just the way it is.”

I nodded, pulling my cap low over my eyes. I’d guessed as much. I’d grown up in a different world and had felt the same way about it. It was just the way it was.

He turned his head, shadows from his cowboy hat hiding his eyes. “I’ve been thinking a lot since I saw your family’s place. I’d heard about it—think everyone around here has—but I’d never had reason to go out that way.”

“It’s not pretty.”

“No, not pretty.” He returned his gaze to the river. “I need to remember I’ve been lucky all my life. I turned out all right because I have great parents and all this.” He gestured toward the endless stretch of land. “But you, Deke, you made yourself into a hell of a man out of pure grit.”

“Don’t know about that.”

“I do,” he said firmly. “You could’ve been Richie. Would’ve been easier for you. But you aren’t.” His next breath was deep and shuddering. “I’ll never forget the things you said to Phoebe when you thought she was gone. That—you’re the man she deserves.”

My chest twinged. I hadn’t expected to ever hear anything like that, but damn did it make me feel good.

“I’m going to marry her,” I said.

He turned to me again, tipping his hat. “Good. Don’t make her wait too long. We’ve got Hannah’s coming up, so my mother will already be in wedding planning mode. She’ll hit the ground running for yours.”

My hold on my reins tightened. “Gotta get her to say yes first.”

“She will. My sister’s smart, and she chose you. Phoebe’s kind to everyone, but she’s selective about who she lets into her heart. You’re in there, Deke, and I know without a doubt she’s deep in yours.”

“That she is,” I confirmed.

“So marry her. Give yourself the beautiful life you both deserve.”

I raised a brow. “That simple?”

He looked at me for so long, I wasn’t sure he’d answer. “You already did the hard part by getting out of hell. So yeah, that simple.”

Maybe it would be. We were due for some easy.

After a while, I asked, “Are you doing okay?”

He shrugged his huge shoulders. “I’m getting there. I won’t soon forget that sight. You understand.”

“I do.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his jaw, scanning the terrain. “We’ll get there.”

Phoebe was waiting for us at the stables. Her smile stretched wide as we drew near.

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