Page 35 of The Wayward Son

Jade nodded. “I did. The Three Oaks was my haven.” She looked around. “And it’s exactly like I remember it.”

Jacob moved in and took Jade by the shoulders, then hugged her. “Welcome back, Jade.”

Jade held his hug for a moment. Jacob was the grandfather she never had. “Thank you. I didn’t realize how much I missed you all.”

Jake took her bag from her. “Well, I hope you’re planning on staying a while.”

She glanced at Sawyer. “I don’t know how much he’s told you. But I’m a ship without a compass at the moment. So, yeah. You might have some trouble getting rid of me.”

Sawyer looked around. “Are Sage and J.T. coming for dinner?”

“They’ll be here anytime. They’re sure anxious to see Jade.”

“I talked to Sage for about an hour on Saturday night. It was really nice.”

Jake nodded toward the couch. “Do you want to sit?”

Sawyer sighed. “We’ve been sitting for eight hours. I think I’ll take Jade to the barn and show her the loft. We won’t be gone long. I just need to walk off some of the stiffness.”

“Of course.”

Sawyer took his bag, and they left the house, then walked to the barn. It was really cold, but it was invigorating. He breathed in the air. It smelled different at the ranch than it did in Missoula. The air was clean and easier to take in. And he could feel the snow coming. It was more than just a sense. It was something he could smell in the air.

“Snow. It’s coming.”

“You can smell it?”

“Yeah.”

When they got to the barn, Sawyer was hit with a whole new set of scents. Clean straw, hay, and the subtle musky scent of horses. He turned on the overhead lights and they both blinked for a moment as their eyes adjusted to the light. Jade went to a big black horse in the end stall. “Is this Obsidian?”

“No. Obsidian is no longer with us. That is Huston.”

“Is he yours?”

“Yeah. He looks a lot like Obsidian. But he has a much better temperament. Obsidian was always a bit of a pain in the ass.”

“He’s beautiful.” She patted Huston’s neck and rubbed his nose. “It’s so weird. It seems like I’ve been gone forever, but italso seems like I never left.” She turned toward Sawyer. “I’m so glad I came with you.”

“Good. I figured you would be. But a tiny part of me was afraid you’d be sorry you came.”

She shook her head. “When can we take a ride?”

Sawyer patted his side. “I’m going to need a few days on that. And I’m pretty sure riding a horse is on the ‘things not to do with a concussion’ list.”

“You’re probably right.”

“I’m sure Sage would take you out, though.”

“No. I want my first ride to be with you. But not until you’re better.”

She made her way down the row of stalls and Sawyer introduced her to all the horses. Some of them she knew, but most of them were new. She was especially drawn to Finn’s horse, Gilley.

“This is the cutest horse ever.”

“J.T. got it for Finn. That’s Gilley. He’s a Welsh pony and really well trained. But Finn has turned into quite a rider. Even at six, he can handle Gilley, and they’re best friends.”

“Well, that’s important. I remember how close you were to Obsidian, even though he was sometimes a pain in the ass.”

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