Page 84 of No Turning Back
Sam’s face shifts. He glances at me, then out the window. I follow his gaze, see what he’s seeing, and smile before giving the smallest nod.
“Well,” Sam says, turning back to Mike, “it just so happens I’ve been thinking about opening up the ranch again. Getting some cattle, cows, horses, all that. For that, I’d need barns fixed, fences mended, ranch hands I can trust. It’s not permanent, but it comes with a room in the bunkhouse, steady pay check. It’s heavy labour, though-”
“I’ll do it,” Mike cuts in, his voice sure for the first time.
Sam studies him, arms folding across his chest. “You sure? I won’t go easy on you just ’cause you’re family.”
Mike meets his gaze without flinching, a steady nod. “That’s just what I need.”
That evening, Mike leaves looking more hopeful than when he arrived. He checked into a hotel near the airport before coming here, all his luggage already there. I’m not surprised he was unsure about me, with an upbringing like his, punished for something he never even did, it’s no wonder he sabotaged his own life.
Sam comes up behind me, sliding his arms around my waist as we watch the last streaks of sun fade over the horizon. I lean back into him, cozying into his warmth. “That was amazing, what you did for him.”
He squeezes me tighter. “I’ve been there. Lost and alone.”
Before I can answer, his phone buzzes in his pocket. He groans.
“Another one?” I ask, amused.
“Yeah,” he admits, shaking his head. “Didn’t have this many clients even when I was working full-time.”
I turn in his arms, looping mine around his neck with a grin. “Well, you’re mine now.”
He slips his phone back into his pocket and presses his forehead to mine, smiling.
“We’re opening the ranch, Mike’s moving here, and Boise is all set to arrive tomorrow.” I glance up at Sam, worry tugging at my chest. “You think we’re taking on too much?”
Boise. The foster kid is arriving tomorrow. The social worker, hadn’t said much, just that her mom’s in jail and her dad isn’t in the picture. Poor kid.
Sam shakes his head, calm and certain. “Nah. This’ll be good for us. Mike can help with the barn repairs, and Boise… well, if I remember foster care right, she’ll just be happy to have her own room.”
“Speaking of,” I say, chewing my lip. “What do we tell her about us?”
“Boise?” he asks.
I shrug. “Well, yeah, but I mean Angela, too. We signed up as roommates, and now we’re not.”
He nods after a moment, steady as always. “We’ll tell her tomorrow.”
I let out a breathless laugh, shaking my head. “You know, just six months ago I was miserable and alone. Now I’ve got a boyfriend, a brother, and a kid.”
Sam chuckles, pulling me closer until my front is plastered fully against his chest. “You were never alone, baby. But yeah…” His lips brush the top of my head, voice low and certain. “Now you’ve got all of us.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sam
Life can change so much in a year. This time last year, I was fixing this house to sell it. I had no intention of staying. Then I got a call, and suddenly my life had purpose again.
We didn’t jump in headfirst. We built our friendship, our trust, before taking the next step forward. And now.
I take a deep breath, staring at the small velvet box in my hand. The back door creaks open and I scramble to shove it in my pocket, only it slips, skids across the counter, and lands on the floor.
Fleur, our seven-year-old foster daughter, scoops it up like she’s been waiting her whole life for this moment. She holds the box up high and deadpans, “Really?”
This kid has more attitude at seven than her fifteen-year-old brother Aaron ever dreamed of.
I take the box from her outstretched hand, cracking it open just enough to make sure the ring’s still inside, then slip it into my pocket much slower this time. “Don’t you have chores?”
