Page 3 of Last Chance for Her Rancher Boss

“She could always be looking into college preparation courses?—”

“Me and Nash are going to go to prom together,” Meg said, interrupting her mom. “As friends.” She tacked the last bit on quickly, not wanting her parents to get the wrong idea.

Her mom’s eyebrows twitched a bit at that. Her lips pursed just a fraction. Meg instantly geared up for a fight, and she was sure her own face bore the warning signs: a frown and narrowed eyes. A list of arguments sprang forward immediately, ready to be let loose.

She was going to prom. End of discussion.

Going to a high school party wasn’t going to retroactively ruin her perfect GPA.

Did her mom think going to prom meant that Meg would suddenly lose her mind and start doing drugs behind the schoolgym? That she’d quit everything and run away to a big city and end up homeless?

She wasgoingto prom. She just wanted to wear a pretty dress and dance, eat snacks and hang out with Nash. She just wanted a moment to breathe.

They’d already had this discussion five times. Having it a sixth time wasn’t going to change anything because she wasgoing to prom.

She already had the dress, for crying out loud.

And if she hadn’t mentioned it enough already… She was going to prom.

There was a moment of taut silence, like a tightrope stretched out between them, both of them preparing for a battle they’d already had.

Then Vic snapped the tension with a prim shake of his newspaper. “Sounds like a good idea, honey,” he said, with a pointed glance at his wife. “As long as you have your phone with you. We’re still dropping you off. However, Nash is welcome to drive you home. As long as you text, I see no problem with that. Right, Rebecca?”

Rebecca’s lips reversed position, going from a purse to a thin line. She said nothing, just tutted and continued fiddling with her breakfast instead of actually eating it.

All of the tension left Meg’s body at once, leaving her feeling like jelly. While her mom ignored them both, she gave her dad a grateful smile. He gave her a nod before shaking out his newspaper and returning to his reading, leaving Meg to finish her breakfast in peace.

Time was behaving oddly. High school was coming to an end and Meg was handing in final assignments, feeling a little lost with no more essays to research or write. Prom was speeding towards them at a ridiculous pace, her blue dress hanging in her closet, waiting patiently. The days ticked by at an alarming rate, her usual routine gone, everyone excited for the end of the school year, for summer break, for prom of course. Meg felt a bit like she was floating.

And Nash had been acting… strange. Well, not strange exactly. It was like he was just focused on Meg more than usual. Like he was looking out for her or taking care of her. Checking in at random times to see if she was okay, or if she wanted to hang out, or if her parents were being unbearable again. If it had been anyone else, she might have started wondering if he had a crush on her… But maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part.

It was getting harder and harder for Meg to convince herself that she thought of Nash as just a friend. Her heart sank whenever she couldn’t hang out with him. It soared when she received a text. When they were together, she was deliriously happy, and when they were apart, her thoughts always found their way back to him. Meg could keep Nash in the dark about her feelings, but she could no longer delude herself. Saying they were just friends wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

So she walked through her front door on Tuesday afternoon, feeling pretty aimless and confused about life in general. There was nothing left to study for, so what was she supposed to do with a full afternoon of free time? She could go hang out with Nash; that was usually what she would do. But his brother hadgotten an award from the track team, so their family was going out to dinner. When Meg opened the front door, she let out a little yelp because her parents were standing right there in the entryway, grinning like idiots.

“You good?” she asked, a hand to her chest. “Have I walked into a horror film or something? Are you actually my parents or have you been possessed by smiling ghouls?”

Rebecca’s grin dropped and she rolled her eyes at Meg’s dramatics, but Vic just kept grinning, rocking on his heels.

“We have mail for you,” he said. Meg’s stomach dropped.

Three envelopes were held out to her, and she tore through them in record time. Meg was left slightly numb with shock when all of them were acceptances, including the college three states away.

“Well, that makes that decision easy then,” Rebecca said, clapping her hands together with a pleased look on her face. “Living in Texas, won’t that be exciting, Meggy?”

Meg felt herself bristle, and her dad noticed too, holding a hand out to her like she might bite.

“It’s up to Meg,” he said. “It needs to be aninformeddecision,” he added, giving Meg a look. “You need to look at the curriculums and compare which one is going to be the best, what career avenues they have and whatnot. But Meg needs some time to think through it.”

There her mom went pursing her lips again as if the fate of the world hinged on Meg going to the most prestigious school.

“A fancy name doesn’t mean better opportunities,” Meg said, trying and failing to keep the tartness out of her voice.

“In an ideal world, no,” her mom said, folding her arms. “But we live in this world.”

“That’s enough,” her dad said, gentle but firm. “This is a celebration. And Meg has a lot to think about now, don’t you?”

He gave her another look, one that readhead to your room so I can talk to your mother.Meg was happy to comply. She’d always seen her parents as one unified being. But towards the end of high school, when things had been verging on maybe just too much to deal with, her dad had become a surprising ally, a voice of reason and a buffer between Meg and her mom. So she took his allyship without complaint and ran off to her bedroom, where even her mom didn’t dare invade.

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