Page 159 of When We Were Us
Now, standing on the porch of the main ranch house, I realize I never stood a chance against Hank or this town. It took my granddad’s death and my life completely falling apart to push me back to Timber Forge. I had to leave and come back to appreciate what I was missing and to really see that this is where I belong. Here with Hank, his loud, welcoming family, the ranch, and our little cabin.
I knock on the screen door and wait. It isn’t long before Emily opens the door with a warm smile and envelopes me in a hug, then pulls me inside.
“From now on, you stop with all the knocking. My door is open to all my kids, and that includes you.” She gives me a wink and Duke comes in from the kitchen.
“Well, there’s a sight for a sore, old man's eyes,” he bellows heartily. “Glad you’re back, kiddo.” Duke wraps me in a bear hug to rival even my granddad’s and their happiness to see me makes my heart so full. “That son of mine has been an absolute bear of a man the last few weeks.”
I grimace. I’d been afraid of that. Hank tried to hide it whenever we spoke, but I’ve known him long enough to know when something is off with him.
“Thanks, Duke.” I smile over at him. “It’s good to be back. Hopefully me being back will fix that.”
“Just heard from him on the satphone. They’ll be pulling in about two o’clock.”
A little flutter of excitement takes flight in my chest and a grin spreads across my face.
Emily and Duke share a sweet look and we head into the kitchen, where Emily has made enough breakfast to feed the three of us four times over.
We sit and chat about the ranch, including what still needs to be done before the snow starts to stick. Then, we head to his office where he shows me how to get where I need to go on an honest-to-goodness paper map. I chuckle a little and make a mental note of the roads he shows me, knowing I can plug it into my navigation on my phone. Still, I know cell service can be spotty, so I’m grateful when he hands me the map.
“I’m guessing you wanna take the old Chev?”
“Can I?”
He nods with a smile. “Course you can, sweetheart. It’s yours after all.”
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
hank
Dawn comes quickly,and with it, the final push of our drive. We’ll come in from the east and drop down into the valley just above pasture. Jack is riding point with Beau, while two of our greener guys and I bring up the rear, pushing the smaller animals forward. Swing riders keep the herd together at the sides and flank riders back up those, keeping the cattle bunched and preventing the herd from fanning out at the rear.
This is one of my favorite things about ranching, both because of the challenge and knowing that, even though there will still be a lot to do come winter, it's the culmination of a year's worth of hard work.My focus is easy to maintain while we work the herd up the final incline that will carry us down to our final destination.
Even without Apollo and all the problems we had, it was still a satisfying handful of days. I can think of nothing better than a hot shower and sleeping for three days straight. Except for falling into bed with my girl. Since I’m not sure when that will be, I’ll settle for hearing her voice. The second we get these animals safely into the pasture, I’ll be making that call.
When I talked to Pop this morning on the satphone, I let him know to check Apollo’s water and hay for today, and that I'd be over first thing in the morning to check on him.
Paige had insisted someone read to Apollo at least a couple of times a week. She even left the book she said was his favorite: “Tater and Greener Pastures.” It is about a horse who escapes his paddock in search of, you guessed it…greener pastures, but eventually finds his way back to his family.
I doubt Paige understood the significance of that story to Wren’s and my situation. However, since the day Wren left, I’d stood in that damn stall for five minutes every day to read a children's book to a horse because Paige wasn’t here to do it anymore. I smile at the memory and know without a doubt that my mom has been out there daily doing the same exact thing since I’ve been gone.
Knowing we’re coming up on the final stretch, I let my mind wander a little and imagine Wren’s back at the cabin waiting for me. I imagine peeling her clothes off and taking my time with her, fisting all that hair, burying myself in her tight, wet heat. I just want to get my hands on her, period. To know she’s here for good.
We’re still a good three or four miles out, just coming down from the ridge. Most of the herd is already moving into fresh pasture below, with just thirty-odd head still straggling along in front of me.
Thomas and Rhett trail me by about three hundred yards or so, riding the drag, when I see it. A cloud of dust kicked up behind a truck a ways off. Given the distance and lack of sleep last night—hell, the last almost month—my eyes are tired and slightly blurry, but I’d recognize that truck anywhere.
My gut gives a lurch of anticipation as I track its movement. It’s making its way fast down the dirt road running the south side of the fence line. Glancing behind me, I see Rhett and Thomas closing the distance and no livestock in sight. My heart thrums in my chest, and I turn back to the scene before me.
There’s only one person who would be driving that truck. I lift my arm and raise two gloved fingers in a forward motion, indicating I’m heading up front, and press my leg into Blackjack, asking him to open up his stride. He does so quickly, as if he senses my urgency.
Between the speed of the truck and Blackjack pushing me forward, it isn’t long before I can see her. She’s grinning ear to ear as she rolls to a stop and then pushes open the door.
Her red Chucks precede her long legs. Then, she’s across the road and pulling herself up and over the top of the rail fence, her feet kicking up dirt when she drops to my side. The wind lifts her hair as the afternoon sun backlights her like something from a dream. My chest feels like it's going to explode as I bring Blackjack to a trot and then stop. I’m off the horse and to her in three long strides.
She’s wearing the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen when she tips her head back to look up at me as I approach.
“Hey, cowboy. Long time no see.”
