Page 7 of Rancher's Strength

“Now isn’t a great time for me to be away from the ranch for a year, but if you want to be in Bozeman, I can make it work,” Ryder said, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up at him.

“I can move back to Weston Gap. There’s nothing in Bozeman for me. The law office I’m at isn’t what I thought it would be, and I can help Mom and Lydia with Dad and the bar. Later, I can hang out my shingle and practice there.” The words that came out of my mouth would have stunned most people, but I had already been considering moving back home.

“My place isn’t big enough for the four of us.” He ran his hands through his hair—his tell when he was feeling anxious. Making sure the kids had the space they needed would bring up things from his past he’d done his best to push aside.

“We could move to Mom and Dad’s place. Could that be close enough to the Diamond for you?”

“Yeah, I could make that work.” He nodded.

It had always been the plan: once my mom and dad were ready to move away, Ryder and I would move into the big, old, rambling farmhouse. I never dreamed we’d be moving in thereafter all these years apart, but nothing would make me break the last request my best friend would ever have of me.

“In the morning, I’ll call the ranch and have them prepare the plots in the ranch cemetery.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk.

“Will the guys be okay with that?”

“Of course they will be.” His answer was quick, and he nodded slowly.

“I shouldn’t have even asked. That’s just who they are.” I smiled at him, knowing it was the truth. Ruby and Swayer might have lost their parents, but today they gained four uncles.

“The girls will also be happy to help with the kids.”

“Girls?”

“Kipp, Nash, and Griff are married. Well, Griff just today, but still, he counts.” He smiled, and I looked at the man across from me. “Nora used to work at Fred’s Cafe. Anyway, she married Kipp, and she has a son, Cooper. Fallon came home with Josie and then had a baby as soon as she walked in the door. Now there’s Lottie, so Nash is a girl dad.”

I couldn’t help but smile. I knew Nora from popping into Fred’s café now and again. I could see Nash being a great girl dad, but also maybe terrifying when it came time for them to start dating. “Elle has Parker, and Griff is over the moon. Parker’s deaf, so we all learned ASL. We don’t use it often, but if he has issues with his implant, we don’t have any barrier to talk to him.” Ryder smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and I knew it had nothing to do with the situation we were in right now. He wanted to be that man, and I wasn’t able to make that happen for him.

“Wow, it seems a lot has changed around there.” I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair. I’d made it a point not to ask about what was happening on the Diamond, and my family knew better than to volunteer that information. Additionally, Ihad limited my visits to just Mom and Dad’s place to avoid the town and all the gossip.

“Julie’s seeing Phil.” The corner of his mouth turned up, and he shook his head.

“Phil? Like Phil the PI, Phil?” I asked, sitting up a little straighter.

“One and the same. They were even sneaking around for a while.” He laughed, and I felt the tension in the room lift slightly.

“That’s good. Julie deserves to be happy.” She’d loved her first husband so fiercely that I’d looked up to her and the relationship she’d had with Miller.

“Griff’s parents bought the old Christmas tree farm.” A genuine smile crossed his face when he brought up Griff’s mom and dad.

“I did know that. Griff asked me to draw up the title changes. It’s nice they’re closer for you guys.” Griff’s parents had basically made Ryder their unofficial son. Sometimes, I wondered if they’d wanted to adopt him and make him a Harp, but it seemed ridiculous to do that as an adult. Part of me wished they had, because then maybe the boy who’d never belonged anywhere could be the man who did.

“I don’t need to tell you about Linc and Kristin. I’m sure you’re up on all that.” Ryder shook his head, and I could tell what he was thinking without him saying it. My cousin Kristin and Lincoln Felder had been on and off for years. They were like oil and water, but they didn’t seem to be one without the other. He was right. Linc was the only one of the five I got updates about because of Kristin.

I had so much I wanted to say to him, but I didn’t know where to begin.

Chapter Four

RYDER

My back ached, and there was a crick in my neck that felt like it might last a lifetime. I shifted on the bed, trying to ease the discomfort. Something was cuddled up right next to my side. I pried open my eyes and looked around, momentarily lost, unable to remember where I’d fallen asleep. Then it all came flooding back.

Sawyer was cuddled into my side, and I gently placed my hand on his back, hoping for maybe a brief moment that the boy wouldn’t remember what had happened yesterday. While he was sleeping, his world was right, but that would all change the moment he opened his eyes. To my left, Lexie had her arms around Ruby, and a tear rolled down my ex-wife’s cheek. She wasn’t asleep, but she was trying desperately to be.

I didn’t move, I just stared up at the ceiling, letting my thoughts roll through my head and making a list of the things that would need to be done. The last time this had happened, it was Kipp’s dad, Miller, and Lexie had been by my side that time too.

There were more calls to make and funeral arrangements to handle. Even though Anita and Hank were organized, someone still had to carry out their wishes, and that would be me. I wasn’tgoing to put it on Lexie; she would need to stay with the kids. A warm hand moved over my arm, and I looked into Lexie’s tear-filled brown eyes.

“Morning, sweetheart.” There was no reason to add good to the start, as there would be nothing good about today. I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to call her sweetheart. It just rolled off my tongue easier than her name. When we were married, she joked she might as well change her name legally, since I never used her actual name. I only called her Lexie if I needed her attention quickly, or if she was at work. Alexandra was reserved for when I was exasperated or wanted to get a rise out of her.

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