Page 56 of Whiskey and Wildfire

He looked up at me, his eyes no longer full of anger, but sadness. “For you it is.” Then he walked around me and headed for the barn door. “As soon as your daddy is recovered, I’ll… I’ll move on. I owe him that.”

“Dakota, don’t be stupid,” I snapped.

But he just kept going.

“Dakota!”

He slipped through the door into the bright Texas afternoon, and I was left standing in the barn.

Alone.

Chapter 21

Dakota

My heart hurt more than I thought possible. Once again, I’d left the main part of the ranch and headed out into the plains. Eventually I found myself at that same quiet spot where I’d talked to my mother. That felt like a lifetime ago now. So much had changed in just a couple of days and now, once Logan accepted the investor’s contract, things would change even more.

And I’d have to find a new place to live.

The thought of leaving Baker Ranch gutted me down to my core. But somehow, the thought of leaving Logan behind hurt me even more. I sank down onto the grass, letting the tall blades brush against my arms. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink that would normally take my breath away. But tonight, I couldn’t appreciate the beauty. My mind was too full of swirling thoughts and emotions.

A gentle breeze carried the scent of sage, reminding me of all the years I’d spent here. This land was in my blood, as much a part of me as my own heartbeat. How could I leave it behind?

And Logan... God, Logan. I closed my eyes, picturing his easy smile, his kind green eyes. We’d grown so fond of one another in the past few weeks. And now that I’d allowed myself to feel forhim, I was more stuck than ever. Before him, I didn’t let anybody in. And now… well… he was everything to me.

I realized, far too late, that I was in love with him. But that didn’t matter now. Not when everything was falling apart.

It was hard to believe that a group of investors could be so callous. How they could want to use me as their token Cherokee to help them sell the place… it was just wrong. And Logan knew that too, but he never stood up to defend me or to tell them that wasn’t an option. He just stood there, letting them say and dream up whatever racist thing they wanted.

I could have stood up for myself. I knew that. But I didn’t want to hurt his chances of saving the ranch. And I guess, in the end, that’s why he stayed quiet too. It really was asking him a lot to give up his family’s legacy just because some clueless big city executive wanted to use me to make herself feel less guilty. But I still couldn’t stop being mad at him for it. It really felt like he chose them over me, and I wasn’t sure I could give my heart to someone like that.

The sun dipped below the horizon, leaving me in the growing twilight. I hugged my knees to my chest, feeling small and alone in the vastness of the Texas prairie. A coyote’s lonely howl echoed in the distance, and I felt a kinship with the wild creature.

I don’t know how long I sat there, lost in my thoughts, before I heard the soft crunch of boots on grass. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. My mother’s presence was as familiar to me as my own shadow.

“Thought I might find you out here,” she said softly, his voice tinged with concern. “Though I’m surprised you’re back here so soon.”

I didn’t respond, couldn’t bring myself to look at her. She sighed and settled down beside me, close enough that I couldfeel the warmth and concern radiating from her. We were both silent for a long time.

“So… I take it the deal didn’t go well today?” she asked tentatively.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It went great. In fact, I’m sure Logan has already signed the paperwork.”

Mom let out a long breath, her shoulder brushing against mine. “But that’s not what you wanted.”

I shook my head, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes. “No, it’s not. And I feel so selfish for even thinking that way. This deal could save the ranch, save everything Logan’s family has worked for. But the cost...”

“Tell me,” she urged gently.

I took a shaky breath. “They want to use me, Mom. As some kind of... Cherokee mascot. To make their fancy resort seem more ‘authentic.’ And Logan... he just stood there. He didn’t say anything.”

Mom was quiet for a moment, and I could feel the tension radiating off her. When she spoke, her voice was tight with anger. “That’s not right, Kota. Not at all.”

“I know,” I whispered. “And I know Logan knows it too. But he still wants to take the deal. And the worst part is… I can’t blame him.”

Mom’s arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me close. I leaned into her, grateful for her strength and warmth.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she murmured. “I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of ignorance and disrespect. I wish I could say it’s not normal, but our people have been dealing with this for a long time.”

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