Page 76 of The Cowgirl's Secret Love
She’d done goal setting on a regular basis, but perhaps the truth was she needed to emphasize that question slightly differently. Because everything up to now had been based on expectations of others and working toward the common good of the Whiskey Creek ranch and the Coleman clan.
What werehergoals?
She snuggled against Finn’s side, stretching her legs away from his to be sure she didn’t bump him when she moved.
His arm curled around her, drawing her to his body. Even asleep, it was clear he wanted her as close as possible.
What do I want?
What makes me happy?
When I wake up in the morning, what do I want to aim at that will bring me joy?
A snort escaped. She stilled instantly.
Finn didn’t move, which was good.
The amusing thought remained.
All she could think of was that show her cousins-in-law were obsessed with. The one about downsizing possessions where this incredibly smart woman kept asking the people she worked with, ‘does this spark joy’?
Karen had never quite understood the purpose of the question before—but then she’d never had a problem with possessions. What it seemed she did have a problem with was pickingactivities, daily and ongoing, that were truly important to her.
She was already half-asleep as the questions tumbled in her brain and images mixed with them.
The last thing she remembered on the edge of falling asleep was a dream where the tight knot in her belly was gone. She wandered through her day, picking items up one at a time and watching as some lit up hard enough to make the entire room shine.
So be it. It wasn’t quite as original as Finn’s question about endgames, but it just might work.
Tomorrow, she would start looking for sparks of joy.
17
It was like watching springtime come to the prairies. That slow change of seasons when the snow would keep trying to hang on a little longer but determined green growth insisted it was time to move on.
That’s what Finn saw as Karen slipped into the day.
She seemed slightly distracted, and she hadn’t wanted to talk about anything too serious that morning. He knew how that was. Once he’d made up his mind to try something new, he needed some time to do it before analyzing all over again.
Waking up next to her hadn’t sucked. It made it impossible for him to sneak out and grab her flowers, but she didn’t seem to mind that they weren’t there.
When they chatted over coffee, the one thing she did want to talk about was the kitten.
“We’re definitely picking up Dandelion today, but I promised to give Zach a hand this morning. Do you want to come to Silver Stone with me later? We’re not getting a lot of horses from them since you don’t need racing stock, but there’re a couple of retirees that might work well.”
Finn placed his coffee mug aside as he leaned back against the counter. “You know I trust your decisions. But if you want some company, I’d love to join you.” He tapped the cast on his thigh. “I’ll be assessing them from a distance, though.”
She slid into his arms, smiling. “No riding. Not this time. But having you with me would make me happy.”
“Good girl,” he whispered as he kissed the tip of her nose.
She swatted him lightly on the butt, winking at him as he turned to walk away.
It was a bit of a scramble, but he found time to pick her a flower so it was there when she showed up for lunch.
He was working at the table, giving his leg a rest, when she came in. She glanced at the kitchen counter and the small white offering he’d scrounged up.
Wildflowers near the cottage were in short supply.
