Page 45 of Last Chance for Her Rancher Boss

Then her eyes would flick open, sleep would be long gone, and Meg would have nothing to do but stare at the ceiling of her childhood bedroom. And that all got old very quickly.

At four in the morning, she’d had enough of twisting both herself and the bed sheets into knots. She threw them off with a huff and sat up. The sun would rise soon enough, and she could find a million things to distract herself with. She’d been back for a few days now and part of her felt like she had never left. Mostly she’d just been sleeping, which was super out of character for her. When she would stumble out of her room with bleary eyes, Meg expected to get a scolding from her parents for wasting the day. But they just told her to go back to bed if she needed it. Meg couldn’t quite fathom where this understanding attitude had come from until she overheard them talking in quiet voices about how exhausted she looked. Years of burnout from the industrial lots was finally catching up to her… The emotional exhaustion didn’t help either.

She padded out to the kitchen, not bothering with the overhead lights. There was enough of a glow from the windows. Toast would have to do; it was all she could be bothered with. Memories of going out to Nash’s kitchen, intending to make sandwiches and finding the leftovers he had arranged for her. Dreaming or awake, it didn’t matter; she couldn’t escape him. Standing in her parents’ kitchen, all she could do was think of Nash making her bacon and eggs after they’d been up all night, a newborn foal learning to stand in the stables. Now she was eating toast by herself.

The overhead light flicked on and she nearly jumped out of her skin when her mom appeared in the kitchen, wrapped up in a dressing gown.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Rebecca said with an apologetic smile, looking uncharacteristically disheveled.

“Sorry,” Meg said, grimacing a little. “I’m clearly too used to living on my own.”

Rebecca shrugged. “And so are we, but it’s all right. I wasn’t able to sleep much. I’m guessing you were having similar troubles.”

Meg hummed a half answer and slipped bread into the toaster. “Do you want any?”

“No, not this early.”

Rebecca sat at the table, watching Meg at the counter as if she were trying to read a book with too-small print. Meg started thinking that she would have been better off tossing and turning in bed. Then she felt guilty about thinking that. Fabulous. Another thought spiral ready to consume her; that was just what she needed…

“Would you like to talk about it?” her mom asked, still watching her. Meg swallowed a sigh.

“Am I acting like something’s wrong?”

“Yes,” Rebecca said dryly. “Sulking in the kitchen in the middle of the night is one thing. But calling and asking to stay here out of the blue was rather a red flag. You’re not exactly here that often.”

The guilt in Meg’s stomach started to grow, and it must have been obvious by the look on her face. Her mom just raiseda hand with a small smile. “That’s not a bad thing, just an observation. And you’re welcome here, as long as you need. It’s no bother.”

The toast popped up with a mechanical clang, saving Meg from immediately having to think of an answer. Smearing peanut butter over her breakfast gave her another few seconds to avoid the conversation. But when she turned around, Rebecca was still there, seemingly determined to have a heart-to-heart, and Meg really didn’t know how to proceed. Had she ever sat down with her mom and justtalked? Aboutfeelings? Not one instance came to mind.

There really was no choice but to sit down at the table with her and take an awkward bite of toast. Meg wished her mom had a cup of coffee or something, anything to fill her hands. Instead, they were just folded neatly on the table in front of her as she watched Meg eat.

“Me and Nash had a falling-out,” Meg said, despite herself. “Again.”

“Ah,” Rebecca said with a nod. “Losing his friendship the first time around hit you hard. I’m sorry, Meggy.”

Meg shrugged.

“What happened?” her mom asked.

“Why do you care?”

She hadn’t meant to say it. It just kind of slipped out. Rebecca looked surprised, shaking her head a little.

“Why wouldn’t I care?”

Meg just shook her head, mortified at how petulant she was being.

“Meg,” her mom said firmly. “Why wouldn’t I care?”

“It’s just…”

“Tell me.”

“It’ll hurt your feelings. I know it will.”

“Maybe that’s why I need to hear it.”

She wasn’t going to back down. Meg knew it. Meg was just so tired of trying to keep all her thoughts and feelings in check that she surrendered and said it all out loud.

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