Page 2 of Her Second Chance Cowboy

As she stood there, lost in thought, a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Emma turned to see another horse watching her from the adjacent stall. He was a tall, handsome gelding, with a coat the same rich chestnut as Daisy’s had once been. He regarded her with intelligent eyes, his head cocked slightly to the side.

Emma approached him slowly, marveling at the uncanny resemblance to her childhood mount. “Well, hello there,” she said softly, holding out her hand for the gelding to sniff. “Aren’t you a handsome boy?”

The horse nuzzled her palm, his soft muzzle tickling her skin. Emma smiled, feeling a strange sense of connection to this unfamiliar animal.

As she stood there, one hand on Daisy’s neck, the other stroking the gelding’s nose, Emma felt a sudden wave of exhaustion wash over her. The emotional toll of the day, combined with the daunting task ahead, seemed to press down on her like a physical weight.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath of the familiar scents – horse, hay, and leather. For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine a different life, one where she’d never left the ranch, where she’d grown up alongside Daisy and learned the ways of the land from her father.

But the moment passed, and reality came crashing back. The ranch was in disrepair, the horses needed care, and she had a job to do. Emma straightened her shoulders, pushing away the wistful thoughts. It was a silly fantasy, and her place was in the city. The sooner she could tie things up here and get back there, the better.

But in the meantime, she’d need to call a vet to check on the horses, and hire a contractor to assess the damage to the barn. There were fences to mend, pastures to clear, and a hundred other tasks that demanded her attention.

Despite the logistical nightmare running through her mind – or maybe because of it, she admitted wryly, Emma couldn’t bring herself to leave Daisy and the gelding just yet. They were a tangible connection to her past, to the life she’d left behind. And despite her determination to sell the ranch and move on, Emma couldn’t help but feel a flicker of something else – a sense of possibility, a whisper of what could be.

She shook her head, pushing the thought away. She had no time for sentimentality, no room for second guesses. Theranch was a chapter in her life that had long since closed, and it was up to her to tie up the loose ends and move on.

But she couldn’t quite silence the small, insistent voice in the back of her mind – the one that whispered of home, of family, and of a future that might just be worth fighting for.

Chapter Two

The sound offootsteps crunching on the gravel outside the barn jolted Emma from her thoughts. She tensed, her heart racing as she turned towards the entrance. A tall figure appeared in the doorway, silhouetted against the bright sunlight.

“Hello?” a deep, familiar voice called out. “Is someone in here?”

Emma’s breath caught in her throat. She knew that voice, though it had deepened over the years. “Cody?” she said, stepping out from Daisy’s stall.

The man stepped into the barn, his features coming into focus as Emma’s eyes adjusted to the light. He was taller than she remembered, his shoulders broader and his jawline more chiseled. But his eyes were the same, a striking green that had always reminded her of the lush meadow grass in spring.

“Emma?” Cody said, his voice filled with surprise and something else she couldn’t quite place. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Emma felt a pang of guilt at his words. Of course he hadn’t expected her. She’d been gone for so long, had barely kept in touch. “I’m here to settle my father’s estate,” she said, her voice sounding hollow to her own ears. “I got here this morning.”

Cody nodded, his gaze drifting to Daisy’s stall. “I see you’ve found your old friend,” he said, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Emma followed his gaze, her hand resting on the mare’s neck. “I can’t believe she’s still here,” she said softly. “I thought...”

She trailed off, unsure how to put into words the jumble of emotions that seeing Daisy had stirred up. Cody seemed tounderstand, though. He stepped closer, his own hand reaching out to stroke the horse’s nose.

“Your father took good care of her,” he said, his voice gentle. “Never would let anyone sell her, even after she retired.”

Emma swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. “I didn’t know,” she whispered.

Cody glanced at her, his eyes filled with a warmth that made her heart skip a beat. “I think he always expected you to come back one day. Even when...”

He trailed off, but Emma knew what he had been about to say. Even when she’d stopped calling, stopped visiting. Even when she had let her new life consume her, pushing thoughts of the ranch and her father to the back of her mind.

“I’m sorry,” she said, the words feeling inadequate. “I should have been here. I should have...”

Cody shook his head, cutting her off. “You’re here now,” he said simply. “That’s what matters.”

Emma met his gaze, a tentative smile tugging at her lips. “Thank you,” she said softly.

They stood there for a moment, the silence stretching between them.

“I see you’ve met Daisy’s son,” he said abruptly, nodding to the chestnut gelding.

“Her son?”

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