Page 63 of A Forever Kind of Rancher

It was Sunday, but he still had ranch work to do. He wondered if Wendy...

Yesterday with his family had been a whole trip. He had been so close to pulling her into his arms on multiple occasions, and yet he had known he couldn’t. Because what was the point of it? But she was here today.

He walked downstairs, and there she was in the kitchen.

“Good morning.”

“What are you doing over here?”

“I decided to make you breakfast.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Do the girls think you’re having an early shift?”

“You’re hilarious. It’s the weekend. The girls aren’t going to know anything until sometime after 10 a.m. But, anyway, I’m not worried about it. I told them.”

“You told them?”

“Yes.”

“What did you tell them?”

“Not that we were banging on every surface in the house, but that I liked you.”

“That you liked me.”

“Yes. That I like you like you.”

“And how did that go?”

“Fifty-fifty. But I wasn’t asking anybody’s permission.”

“Okay...”

She held up a hand. “You don’t have to say anything.”

“I figure I probably should.”

“There’s not much to say.”

“Well. The thing is... I thought you were leaving in a month.” He’d reminded himself of it every day. The reality of it. Of the situation.

She was still married.

She had kids.

She was leaving.

“I keep telling you, I’m not necessarily leaving. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. What do you need?”

He looked at her dumbfounded. “What?”

“Boone, what do you need? You’re retiring, you’re starting this ranch. Do you want to take over the commission?”

“I told you, it doesn’t really matter what I want—”

---