Page 57 of A Forever Kind of Rancher

Surely.

They didn’t seem to, though. It was only Wendy who was sweaty and nervous and far too hot as they drove from Boone’s ranch at one end of Lone Rock, to his family ranch all the way on the other end and out the other side of town.

She was never half so grateful for how absorbed teenagers were in their own issues than she had been these last few days. Or maybe that was simply because she was so absorbed in her own issues. Maybe it wasn’t a teenage thing. Maybe it had to do with life being exciting. New.

It was always like that for her kids. Bless them. It was like that right now for her. Bless Boone.

She looked at his strong profile as he pulled the car up into the front of his parents’ massive home. Yes, things were definitely exciting with him. But somehow, not easy. And you would think that if you had wanted a man for fifteen years, the coming together would be the easy part.

But maybe that was the problem. Something was holding him back. And she could understand there were logical things. There were things that had been holding her back.

But maybe that was the problem. Maybe she had to go all in.

You’ve done that before.

Yes. She had. She had gone all in with Daniel. But it wasn’t the same.

It just wasn’t.

Boone...

Maybe calling it love now, this early, was a little bit foolish.

But maybe she felt a little bit foolish.

Maybe she was foolish. Certainly jumping into bed with a man on the rebound was somewhat typical behavior, but falling for the idea that it might be something more? There was almost no chance of anybody making that mistake unless they were doing it willingly.

Willfully even.

But what if it wasn’t a mistake? What if it was him? What if it was always supposed to be him? Or maybe, even more beautifully, it was supposed to be him now, and the way she had felt about him up until this point was essential to being brought here to this moment.

Maybe.

But as she stared at his profile, intently, she just knew something.

She wasn’t entirely sure what. But it was certain and settled in her soul. And the one thing she couldn’t do in response was hold herself back.

She had to be all in. She had to be his.

“Let’s go in,” she said.

“Yeah,” he said, looking at her and forcing a smile.

Wendy felt heavy, but she got out of the truck, and the girls followed suit.

“Is Tansey Martin really going to be here?” Mikey asked her mom, her eyes large.

“Yes. Why would I say that if it wasn’t true?”

“To try and beat Sadie out of her room.”

“I would never try and beat Sadie with something as basic as a pop-country crossover star. Sadie is not that basic.”

“I’m basic,” said Mikey.

“Mom,” said Sadie. “You make me sound like a snob.”

“I’m not making you sound like a snob. You are a snob. But it’s okay. You’re fifteen. It’s your right.”

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