Page 71 of Her Redeemed Protector

“Micah, why don’t you help Savannah settle Misty?” Mom suggests, nudging him toward the trailer.

“Sure thing.” He rounds the trailer with Savannah, clearly eager. “Oh my, she’s a beauty!”

“She sure is,” Savannah agrees as Misty steps out, her coat catching the last of the day’s fading light.

Micah admires the mare. Her steps are graceful despite the dimming light. “It’s rare to see a white gal with spots like hers.” He strokes Misty’s cheek. “You’ll love it here, promise.”

He turns to Savannah. “Let’s head on to the stable. She good with other horses?”

“Yeah, she’s quite the socialite. Likes to put the boys in their place,” Savannah quips, her voice carrying over as Ranger and Ruby trot along, clearly smitten by their newfound friendship with Micah.

Meanwhile, Mom and I head inside to settle Savannah’s things in our room. “You’ve been silent as the grave, and nowyou bring home a star?” she teases, her enthusiasm bright as ever.

“Sorry, Mom.” I wrap my arm around her and plant an apologetic kiss on her cheek. “It all happened so fast.”

“She’s a keeper, Hux. Do whatever it takes, all right?” she warns, but her smile softens the words.

“I will. It’s early days, but I’ve got it under control.”

“At this rate, I can’t rely on your brother to give me grandchildren. No pressure,” she laughs, then leans in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Between you and me, your brother had a bit of a train wreck with his last girlfriend. Don’t bring it up, okay?”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” I affirm, chuckling.

Savannah and Micah make their way to us. As they step through the doorway, Savannah’s smile breaks through the twilight shadows, radiant and wide, as if she’s just been awarded a prize far beyond her expectations. Her eyes reflect a sense of contentment and belonging that she rarely shows.

Dinner turns into a feast as Micah’s meat pie proves a smashing success. Over hearty bites, we discuss the latest updates from Starfire—new fencing, a slight redirection of the river, and the newest addition to the ranch family.

“And we’ve got sheep now,” Micah announces proudly.

“Since when did we start raising sheep?” I ask, imagining the new faces in the pasture.

“Started when Mom threw the idea out. Sheep grazing’s kinda becoming a lost art. But you know the Comettis. There ain’t a challenge we’d back down from,” my brother replies.

I nod, less at the thought of sheep grazing and more at how much he reminds me of Dad. He’s got that same convincing tone Dad used when he was set on something.

Micah continues, “They’re tough critters, can munch on just about any grass we’ve got, and it isn’t just for their meat.There’s the wool, too, if we decide to dive into that market. We’re just testing the waters, but I’m starting to take a shine to them.”

“That’s a bold move. They fetching a good price?” I ask.

Micah’s enthusiasm skyrockets. “Absolutely!”

After we polish off Mom’s fresh berries and cream, a real treat around these parts, we cap dinner with a jug of Micah’s homemade moonshine.

“Dang, that’ll knock your socks off!” I say, nearly choking on the first swig.

Micah chuckles, slapping his knee, while Mom chimes in with a sly grin, “Was just about to warn ya!”

Savannah, tough as old boots, takes a cautious sip and winces. “Feels like it’s about a hundred percent firewater!” she jokes as Micah keeps hooting with laughter.

“Here, let me fix that.” Mom intervenes, watering down our glasses with a splash of lemonade.

Micah, catching his breath, nods over at Savannah. “Hey, Sav, your dogs, Ranger and Ruby—they’re looking like they own the place out there.”

“They sure do, Micah,” Savannah replies, her voice brimming with pride.

“Might just test ‘em out. Help me herd the new flock.”

“Oh, they’ve herded more than just their share of sheep. Count us in. What time we starting?”

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