Page 251 of Lost Then Found
Her eyes shine, but her smile stays steady. “I expected you tofeelit. That’s all.”
I shake my head, the corner of my mouth twitching up. “You’re dangerous when you’re sweet, you know that?”
She pats my chest once, firm and certain. “And don’t you forget it.”
We both turn back toward the house, quiet for a beat.
“Your dad loved her too, you know, even if he never said it out loud. He’d be happy to see her here,” she says softly.
I nod. “Yeah.”
A breeze picks up, brushing through the porch railings, carrying the faint smell of hay and morning dew. She looks at me out of the corner of her eye.
“You know how you’re gonna do it?” she asks. “The proposal? Is Hudson gonna be involved?”
I smile. “Yeah. Me and Hudson got a game plan.”
It’s true. I want him in it—not just as a detail, but as the heart of it. He’s part of her, and she’s the center of everything. He deserves to feel how much that matters. How muchhematters.
This isn’t just me asking her to build a life with me—it’s the three of us, building something none of us really had before.
Mom brushes her hands off on her jeans. “Well, if you need help setting anything up—or food, decorations, moral support, whatever—you holler at me. I’d be happy to help.”
I glance at her, smile tugging at my mouth. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Of course,” she says. Then adds, casual as anything, “Also, you need to get moving on more grandchildren.”
I let out a short laugh. “Jesus. That was a sharp left.”
“I’m serious,” she says, pointing a finger at me. “I birthed four children and I’ve got one grandchild.One.That’s a terrible return on investment.”
“I don’t know,” I say, shrugging. “Maybe you just peaked early with Hudson.”
She narrows her eyes playfully. “Don’t get smart.”
“I’m just saying, you start adding more grandkids to the mix, they’re gonna have a hell of a time measuring up.”
She shakes her head, but she’s grinning now. “Even if they’re half as great as that boy, I’ll take ‘em.”
“Yeah,” I say a little quieter. “He is pretty great.”
She gives my arm a quick squeeze. “That’s because he’s got you. And her.”
“Thanks for that.”
She gives me one more squeeze. “Alright, I better head back. Got somechocolate chip pancakes to make before Hudson wakes up and starts asking why I’m slacking.”
“I want some.”
She raises a brow, already turning toward the ATV. “Too bad a ranch never quits, Mr. Foreman.”
Then she slaps my shoulder, playful but firm, and I laugh as she heads for the ATV she rode down in. She climbs in, then cranks the engine and throws me a wave as she pulls away.
I stand there for a while, watching the trail settle, thermos still warm in my hand. The house behind me is quiet. Empty, for now.
But not for long.
There’s still work to do—furniture to pick, a ring to buy. A question to ask. But for the first time in a long time, the path in front of me doesn’t feel like something I’ve been shoved down. It feels like something I chose.
