Page 69 of The Cowboy Who Came Home

“They’re easy,” Edith said. “They want to come.” She sat back on her haunches and smiled at Frankie and Otto. She looked up at Alex. “We can’t bring them? They love walking in the park.”

“Could be busy,” Alex said. “That’s all.”

“Oh, it’ll be busy,” Finn said. “But I can take one of ‘em.” He did like the bright white stars on Frankie’s bandana, and he especially liked the joy pouring from Edith. “I’m just gonna use the restroom before we go.”

“Hand me that sausage, Edee,” Alex said.

Finn left them to finish cleaning up, and he went down the hall to the bathroom. Just across from it sat that extra room, and Finn glanced over his shoulder to see if Edith had followed him. She hadn’t, and he ducked into it. The shelves hung right beside the door, and it only took a single second for him to look to his right.

Edith had spoken true. The pictures he’d seen there before had been cleared away. In fact, as Finn took in the bedroom in front of him, the whole thing had been cleaned out and turned over. A new bedspread covered the bed. The blinds sat open, not closed. The scent of oranges hung in the air, and Finn had smelled it before—in Edith’s she-shed.

His heart filled with love, and he wasn’t even sure why. Edith had said she was trying to get to where he was, but he was too fast for her. He didn’t mean to be, and he didn’t want to pressure her to go somewhere she didn’t want to go.

But seeing this room, it really felt like she’d cleared away some of the cobwebs in her past to make room for the future.

Their future together.

He ducked back across the hall, gratitude streaming through him for a loving, benevolent God who helped people heal from even the most tragic of things. Now, if He could help Finn find somewhere to start his life…. Finn would be holding the world in his hand, and he might actually feel like he could provide a good life for Edith.

A few hours later, they finally made it to the booth where Bozeman Real Estate had set up shop for the day. They’d lost Alex to Mitch and Link Glover, as the three of them were very nearly the same age. Alex and Link had graduated the same year, though in different states, with Mitch being only a year ahead of them.

Alex had said he’d catch up to them later, and Finn had enjoyed holding Edith’s hand, looking at jewelry, t-shirts, artwork, and more. He’d gotten Edith her ice cream, though he was sure they’d have a second one before they left this Boutique, and his stomach growled for lunch. They hadn’t decided where they’d eat, though, and Finn just wanted someone else to make that decision.

“Howdy,” a man wearing a big white cowboy hat said. “You two lookin’ for a realtor?”

“I am,” Finn said quickly, because while Edith definitely factored into his decisions these days, he didn’t want her to feel any pressure to be part of this excursion. “I’ve seen some of your listings, and I just wanted to talk to someone.”

“We’ve got a few things up right now, yes,” the man said.

“Are you Gary?” Finn looked up from the binder of real estate properties.

“He’s my dad.” The man smiled. “We work together though.” He glanced over to Edith, who’d moved further into the booth to look at the floor plans on a table there. “You’re looking for something?”

“I am,” Finn said. “But everything you’ve got up right now is out of my price range.” He cleared his throat and reminded himself he was a first-time home-buyer. He didn’t have to have millions in the bank, and he didn’t have to be embarrassed he couldn’t afford the one-point-three-million-dollar ranch on the east side of town.

“Sure, sure,” the man said. “I’m Jerry, and do you have a couple of minutes to tell me what you’re looking for?”

Edith twisted and looked over her shoulder. Finn met her eye, and they had a quick conversation. “Yeah,” he said.

“Come sit in my tent.” Jerry grinned and gestured Finn on back to the table at the back of the tent. Edith sat down with him, her hand in his so comforting. The dachshunds laid down, and Finn sure was glad they had a fan running in this tent.

Jerry pulled out a tablet and started tapping. “Okay, tell me your name and phone number.”

Finn gave him that information, and Jerry looked up. “You’re out at Three Rivers Ranch, right?”

“It’s my daddy’s ranch, yes,” Finn said.

“You’re not going to take it over?” Jerry seemed genuinely surprised by this, and Finn shifted in his seat.

“The plan right now is to find my own place,” he said. “Not anything big. Nothing like Three Rivers. A one-family operation. No full-time paid cowboys.” He glanced over to Edith, well-aware that he’d said the word “family.”

She said nothing as Jerry typed, and he looked up. “Housing? How many bedrooms?” He too glanced at Edith, and she looked at Finn.

“Three?” he guessed.

“Minimum,” Edith murmured. “Two bathrooms, and he wants a master suite. A lot of older places don’t have a master suite.”

“Does Coyote Pass?”

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