Page 25 of Her Second Chance Cowboy

Emma felt a jolt of panic, her heart racing as she tried to process his words. The end of the week? That was only three days away, hardly enough time to make a decision that would affect the rest of her life.

“I... I understand,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “I’ll do my best to give you an answer by then.”

“See that you do, Ms. Brooks,” Alexander said, his voice filled with a cold finality. “I’ll expect to hear from you soon.”

With that, he hung up, leaving Emma sitting in stunned silence, the weight of his ultimatum hanging heavy in the air.

She knew that she needed to talk to someone, needed to get some perspective on the impossible choice that lay ahead of her. With a heavy sigh, she reached for her phone again, scrolling through her contacts until she found the one she was looking for.

Her mother.

Emma hesitated for a moment, her thumb hovering over the call button. She and her mother had always had a complicated relationship, with Emma often feeling like she could never quite measure up to her mother’s expectations. But she also knew that her mother loved her, and wanted what was best for her, even if they didn’t always see eye to eye.

With a deep breath, Emma hit the call button, her heart pounding as she waited for her mother to pick up.

“Emma?” her mother’s voice was warm and familiar, with a note of concern that made Emma’s throat tighten with emotion. “Is everything okay?”

“Hi, Mom,” Emma said, her voice wavering slightly. “I’m sorry to call so early, but I... I really need to talk to you about something.”

“Of course, honey,” her mother replied, her tone softening with understanding. “What’s going on?”

Emma took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she began to explain the situation with the ranch, with Alexander’s offer and the deadline he had given her. She told her mother about the work they had been doing to rebuild the barn, about the community that had rallied around her in the wake of the fire.

And she told her about Cody, about the connection that had been growing between them, the feelings that she couldn’t quite put into words.

Her mother was quiet for a long moment, and Emma could practically hear the wheels turning in her head as she processed everything that Emma had said.

“Oh, Emma,” she said at last, her voice filled with a mixture of sympathy and concern. “I know how much the ranch means to you, how much your father loved that place. But you have to think about your future, too. About the life you’ve built for yourself in the city, the career you’ve worked so hard to establish.”

Emma felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back, taking a shaky breath. “I know, Mom,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But being here, working alongside these people, it’s made me realize that maybe... maybe there’s more to life than just my career, my apartment in the city. Maybe there’s something else out there for me, something that I never even knew I was missing.”

Her mother sighed, and Emma could almost see the expression on her face, the worry lines creasing her forehead. “I understand, honey,” she said, her voice gentle and reassuring. “But you have to be realistic, too. Running a ranch is a lot of work, a lot of responsibility. And it’s not just about you anymore, either. You have to think about the people who are counting on you, the clients and colleagues who depend on your expertise and your dedication.”

Emma nodded, even though her mother couldn’t see her. She knew that her mother was right, that she couldn’t just abandon the life she had built for herself in the city, the people who had supported her and believed in her all these years.

But she also knew that she couldn’t ignore the pull of the ranch, the sense of belonging and purpose that she had found here, in this place that had once been her home.

“I know, Mom,” she said, her voice filled with a quiet determination. “And I promise, I’m not going to make any rash decisions. But I need to figure this out for myself, need to listen to my heart and my gut and see where they lead me. Even if it’s not the path that everyone expects me to take.”

Her mother was quiet for a moment, and then Emma heard her take a deep breath, as if steeling herself for what she was about to say.

“I trust you, Emma,” she said at last, her voice filled with a fierce love and pride. “I know that you’ll make the right choice, whatever that may be. And no matter what happens, no matter where you end up, I will always be here for you, and love you and support you in whatever way I can.”

Emma felt tears streaming down her face, but for once, they were tears of joy, of gratitude for the incredible woman who had raised her, who had always been her rock and her guiding light.

“Thanks, Mom,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I love you, too. More than you could ever know.”

They talked for a few more minutes, about everything and nothing, about the little details of their lives that somehow seemed to matter more than ever in that moment. And when they finally said their goodbyes, Emma felt a sense of peace and clarity settling over her, a knowledge that no matter what happened, she had the love and support of the people who mattered most.

But as she hung up the phone, Emma knew that she couldn’t put off the inevitable forever. She needed to talk to Cody, needed to hear his perspective on the impossible choice that lay ahead of her.

With a heavy sigh, she climbed out of bed and got dressed, her mind racing with a million different thoughts and emotions as she made her way out to the barn, where she knew Cody would be working on the repairs.

She found him perched on a ladder, a hammer in one hand and a mouthful of nails in the other as he worked to secure a new beam in place. He looked up as she approached, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw the expression on her face.

“Emma?” he said, climbing down from the ladder and wiping his hands on his jeans. “Is everything okay?”

She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up at him, at the man who had become such an integral part of her life, her heart, in such a short time.

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