Page 12 of Her Second Chance Cowboy

Cody was silent for a long moment, his gaze searching her face. “Maybe it’s not about the legacy, Emma,” he said finally, his voice soft. “Maybe it’s about the journey. About learning and growing and finding out what really matters to you.”

Emma looked up at him, her heart pounding in her chest. There was something in his eyes, a depth of understanding and compassion that took her breath away.

“And what matters to you, Cody?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cody smiled, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face. “This land,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “This life. And the people who are a part of it.”

He paused, his gaze holding hers. “People like you, Emma.”

Emma felt a rush of warmth spreading through her chest, a feeling of connection and belonging that she hadn’t felt in years. She leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment.

When she opened them again, Cody was still watching her, his expression soft and tender. “I know you’re scared,Emma,” he said, his thumb brushing against her cheek. “Scared of letting yourself feel again, of opening up to the possibility of something more. But I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. And I’ll be right beside you, every step of the way.”

Emma felt tears welling up in her eyes again, but this time, they were tears of joy, of relief. She had spent so long running from her past, from the pain and the heartache, that she had forgotten what it was like to let herself be vulnerable, to trust in the goodness of others.

But here, in this moment, with Cody beside her and the stars shining down on them, she felt a sense of peace wash over her, a certainty that everything was going to be okay.

She leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “For being here, for believing in me. For everything.”

“Always,” he said, his voice filled with promise. “I’ll always be here, Emma. No matter what.”

They sat like that for a long time, listening to the sounds of the night around them. The crickets chirped in the grass, and somewhere in the distance, a coyote howled at the moon.

Emma felt a sense of belonging washing over her, a feeling of rightness that she had never experienced before. It was as if all the pieces of her life, all the scattered fragments of her heart, were finally coming together, forming a picture that was more beautiful than she ever could have imagined.

She thought back to all the years she had spent chasing her dreams in the city, all the late nights and early mornings, all the sacrifices she had made in the name of success. And while she was proud of what she had accomplished, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had been chasing the wrong things all along.

Because here, in this moment, with Cody by her side and the wide open sky above them, she felt a sense of peaceand contentment that she had never known before. It was as if everything that truly mattered was right here, within her reach, just waiting for her to grab hold and never let go.

Cody pulled back slightly, his eyes searching her face. “What are you thinking about?” he asked softly.

Emma smiled, her eyes shining with a new kind of light. “Just how lucky I am,” she said, her voice filled with wonder. “To be here, to have this place, to have a second chance at something real.”

Cody smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. And as they sat there, lost in the beauty of the night, Emma felt a sense of hope rising up inside her, a glimmer of possibility that she hadn’t dared to dream of in years.

She closed her eyes, letting the peace of the night wash over her, and for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to dream of a future that was filled with love, with laughter, and with the kind of joy that could only be found in the arms of someone who truly saw her, all of her, and loved her just the same.

Chapter Seven

The first lightof dawn was just beginning to filter through the curtains when Emma opened her eyes, the events of the previous evening rushing back to her in a flood of memory and emotion.

She sat up slowly, her heart racing as she remembered the feeling of Cody’s presence beside her, the tenderness in his eyes as he’d comforted her beneath the stars. It had been a moment of connection, a glimpse of a bond she hadn’t even known she craved until it was staring her right in the face.

But as the fog of sleep began to clear from her mind, reality came crashing back down around her, cold and harsh in the light of day. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t let herself fall for Cody, not now, not when she was so close to getting back to the life she’d worked so hard to build.

She was going back to the city, back to her job and her apartment and the world she’d left behind. The world sheloved.She was here to sell the ranch, to tie up the loose ends of her father’s life and move on. Falling for Cody, letting herself get caught up in the romance and the nostalgia of this place, would only make that harder in the end.

Besides, she told herself firmly, she didn’t even know if Cody felt the same way. Sure, he’d been kind to her, had gone out of his way to help her with the ranch and make her feel welcome. But that didn’t mean he was in love with her. He was just being a good friend, the way people in this small community were always friendly to each other, and she was reading too much into it because of their past. For all she knew, he might have someone else in his life, someone who belonged here in this world of wide open spaces and endless sky.

It would be silly to think he hadn’t moved on in the ten years since she’d last seen him. She wasn’t the same awkwardteenaged girl who’d left this place, and there was no reason to think he was the same boy she’d fallen in love with, once upon a time.

No, she decided, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing up. Whatever she might be feeling for Cody, whatever might have happened between them last night, it had to stop. She had to focus on the task at hand, on getting the ranch ready to sell and moving on with her life. Anything else was just a distraction, a fantasy that could never be real.

She dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before heading downstairs to start the coffee. She had a long day ahead of her, and she needed to be focused and clear-headed if she was going to get through it.

But as she stepped into the kitchen, she heard a commotion coming from outside, a chorus of frantic moos and bellows that sent a chill down her spine. She raced to the window, her heart in her throat as she scanned the pasture for any sign of trouble.

And there, near the far fence line, she saw it. One of the cows was down, thrashing and struggling in the grass as the rest of the herd milled around in a panic. Emma didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her boots and ran out the door, her feet pounding against the packed earth as she raced towards the fallen animal.

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