Page 15 of Her Second Chance Cowboy

She turned back to the stall, where Cody was kneeling beside the calf, murmuring softly to her as he stroked her neck. Emma’s heart swelled at the sight, at the tenderness and care in his every movement.

She walked over to join him, sinking down onto the straw beside him. For a long moment, they just sat there, watching the calf as she dozed fitfully in the fading light.

Finally, Emma took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she needed to say. “Cody,” she began, her voice soft. “I’ve been thinking...”

He turned to look at her, his eyes questioning. “About what?”

Emma swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. “About the festival,” she said, her words coming out in a rush. “The one my father used to hold every year. I think... I think I want to do it one last time, in his memory. Before I sell the ranch.”

Cody’s face softened, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I think that’s a beautiful idea, Emma,” he said, his voice warm with approval. “Your father would have loved that.”

Emma felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back, forcing a smile. “I know it’s a lot of work,” she said, her voice wavering slightly. “But it feels right,somehow. Like a way to honor him, and everything he built here.”

“I’ll help you,” Cody said, his voice filled with quiet conviction. “In any way I can. You know that, right?”

Emma’s heart swelled with gratitude, but it was tempered by a sudden pang of guilt. She’d been taking up so much of Cody’s time lately, relying on him for everything from moral support to manual labor. It wasn’t fair to him, especially if he had someone else in his life who needed him.

“Cody,” she said softly, her voice hesitant. “I feel like I’ve been monopolizing your time lately. Don’t you have a girlfriend who needs to see you?”

Cody stilled, and Emma felt a sudden rush of regret. She hadn’t meant to pry, to intrude on his personal life. But the question had been burning in the back of her mind for days now, a nagging worry that she couldn’t seem to shake.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to... it’s none of my business.”

Cody was quiet for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the sleeping calf. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft and distant, as if he were speaking from a place far away.

“I was engaged, once,” he said, his words slow and measured. “Her name was Sarah. We were supposed to get married three years ago, but... she died. Cancer.”

Emma’s heart clenched in her chest, a wave of sorrow and sympathy washing over her. “Oh, Cody,” she whispered, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

Cody shook his head, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “It was a long time ago. But it’s still hard, sometimes. To talk about her, to think about the life we were supposed to have together.”

Emma’s heart ached for him, for the pain and the loss that he carried with him every day. She wanted to reach out to him, to offer him comfort in some way. But she knew that there were no words that could ease the ache of a lost love, no gesture that could fill the void that Sarah had left behind.

So instead, she simply sat with him, their shoulders almost touching as they watched the calf sleep in the gathering darkness. It was a small thing, a moment of quiet companionship in the midst of the chaos and the heartache that seemed to swirl around them. But somehow, it felt like enough.

Emma took a deep breath, pushing herself up from the straw and brushing off her jeans. “Well,” she said, her voice determined, “if we’re going to do this festival, we’d better get started.”

Cody grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he stood up beside her. “Lead the way, boss,” he said, gesturing towards the barn door.

They walked out into the evening air, the sun just beginning to dip below the horizon. Emma squinted against the fading light, her gaze sweeping over the rolling hills and the sprawling fields of the ranch.

“I was thinking we could have the festival over there,” she said, pointing to a wide, flat area near the edge of the property. “It’s where my dad always used to set up the tents and the stage.”

Cody nodded, his expression thoughtful. “That’s a good spot,” he agreed. “Plenty of room for everything, and it’s close enough to the barn that we can run power and water out there.”

They set off towards the area, their boots crunching on the dry grass. As they walked, Emma’s mind was already racing ahead, making mental notes of everything they would need to do to get the space ready.

“We’ll need to mow the grass,” she said, her brow furrowing. “And probably level out some of those bumps anddips. And we’ll need to set up the tents and the stage, and figure out where to put the food and the games and everything else...”

She trailed off, feeling a sudden wave of doubt washing over her. It was so much work, so many details to take care of. How was she ever going to pull this off?

But then she felt Cody’s hand on her shoulder, warm and reassuring. “Hey,” he said softly, his voice cutting through her spiraling thoughts. “You’re not doing this alone, remember? I’m here to help, and so is everyone else in town.”

Emma took a deep breath, letting his words sink in. He was right. She had a whole community behind her, people who loved her father and wanted to honor his memory just as much as she did.

“You’re right,” she said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I just... I want to make sure everything is perfect, you know? I want to do my dad proud.”

Cody’s expression softened, his eyes filled with understanding. “You will, Emma,” he said, his voice filled with quiet conviction. “Your dad was so proud of you, and he would be even more proud of you now, seeing you take on this festival and make it your own.”

---