Page 85 of Falling for the Cowgirl
“You surefire do. And as your foreman, I’d rather live in a cabin come winter than in a tent.”
“Foreman?”
“Yep. And I’ll be skinned alive if I’m gonna sit back and suffer on account of you acting like a lazy cow.”
This time when she met his gaze, his eyes brimmed with love and affection that brought an ache to her throat. And she finally understood what he was telling her. He was aiming to leave Wyatt and Greta and the home he’d made at Healing Springs so he could help her get a fresh start.
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she blinked them back. She’d shed too many blasted tears in recent weeks. And she didn’t want to cry a single drop more. But Judd’s offer wassomething that went beyond the ordinary. As generous and kind as it was, she couldn’t accept it. “It’s too much, Judd. I can’t let you sacrifice like that—”
“Wyatt don’t need me no more.”
“You love being here. The kids. The family—”
“They ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
It wouldn’t be the same. But maybe with Wyatt and Greta’s plans to eventually move to the new house by the inn, he was ready for a change. “Your garden?”
“Reckon a garden can grow on your land every bit as much as on Wyatt’s.”
She couldn’t possibly take Judd up on his offer, could she? She hadn’t given the land much more than a passing thought since the day Flynn had shown her the deed. In fact, she didn’t even know where the deed was. Truth was, she didn’t want it, not when it would be a forever reminder that Jericho had bought it for her with his reward money from catching Otis, a fact Steele had let slip at baby Willa’s funeral.
“The land’s not really mine.” She rubbed at the sore spot on her backside. “It’s Jericho’s, and I ain’t taking a handout from him. No how, no way.” Especially knowing he’d used it to bribe her brothers into letting her have her own place without a fight.
Judd dug in his vest pocket and produced the deed. “Whose name is on this-here paper?”
She didn’t have to glance at it to know her name was there. “Don’t matter—”
“If that man’s gonna give himself his own hangin’, don’t mean you have to join him.”
What was Judd saying? That Jericho was hurting himself by leaving South Park? She wasn’t so sure about that. Afterall, he had a good job and a new life carved out for himself in Chicago.
But Judd was right about one thing. Just because Jericho left, didn’t mean she had to stop living.
“Fact is, we can’t build on a bog ’cause the place would sink after the first storm.” Judd held out the deed, but she had a feeling he wasn’t talking about building in the real sense of the word. “We’ve got to build on somethin’ solid if we want to make it past the rain and wind and snow.”
Her mind spun, trying to make sense of Judd’s advice. But she couldn’t wrangle the wisdom from his proverb.
As if sensing her confusion, he continued. “You get on with building your life on the good Lord ’cause He’s the only thing that ain’t gonna crumble away when the going gets rough and people leave you behind. Believe me. I oughta know.”
She had the feeling he was referring to losing his wife and kids long ago. If Judd hadn’t given up when everyone he’d loved had been brutally murdered, then how could she give up when she hadn’t lost nearly as much?
Yep, her losses and the rejection still stung something fierce. But maybe she’d been looking too much to people to make her life meaningful instead of looking to the Almighty first. Was it time to get her life squared away and solidly built upon the good Lord, who wasn’t gonna leave her even when everyone else did?
Judd waggled the deed at her.
She reached for it but hesitated. Was she really ready for this next step?
And why not? Why not move on? Why let her feelings for Jericho dictate things?
A spark flared inside. She wasn’t a weak woman. Nope, she was strong and determined and capable. She’d prove to Jericho and everyone else that she had exactly what it took to build a place and run her own ranch. And someday, if Jericho ever came back, she’d show him she’d gotten along just fine without him.
She let her fingers close around the deed. “When do we leave?”
Judd’s lips and mustache curled up into a smile. “The sooner the better.”
At the exhalation of a breath in the hallway, Ivy guessed one or more of her brothers had been listening to the entire exchange with Judd. No doubt they were relieved she was getting out of bed and living again.
It was time to forgive them for their part in sending Jericho packing. But that didn’t mean she’d forget what they’d done. Maybe not ever.
