Page 73 of Whiskey and Wildfire

I could see the threat of tears in his eyes. It made me choke up. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen that man cry.

“Now don’t you go getting yourself worked up,” I said, trying to hold back my own tears. “The doctor said you gotta take it easy for a while. Everything is fine now. You got nothing to worry about.”

Daddy nodded, his eyes drifting back to the horizon. “I know, son. I know. But I can’t help thinkin’ about how close we cameto losing it all. This land... it’s been in our family for generations. Your great-grandaddy built this house with his own two hands.”

I followed his gaze, taking in the familiar sight of rolling prairie stretching as far as the eye could see. The grass was starting to go a little dull as the cold set in for the winter. In the distance, I could see a small herd of our cattle grazing peacefully despite the chill in the air.

“We ain’t gonna lose it, Daddy,” I said firmly. “Not anymore. Dakota and I got it all figured out. The place might change a little, but it’s always gonna be in our family. That I can promise you.”

He turned to me again, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I believe you, son. But I also know it ain’t gonna be easy.”

“Don’t you worry about that,” I grinned. “Caroline and Dakota are both on board. He knows how to run the ranch and she’s gonna bring in some rodeo clients. And our investor is ready to build a training arena as soon as Caroline is ready.” I reached over, patting his hand. “Everything’s paid off. The cattle, the land, the buildings, and the equipment too. The only thing we gotta worry about is keeping the lights on. And between you and me, I don’t think we’re gonna have a problem with that.”

Daddy nodded, those tears still threatening in the corners of his eyes. He reached up, brushing them away before they could fall. “Your accent is comin’ back,” he said simply.

I leaned back in my rocking chair, tipping my hat back. “Yeah. Well, I figured it’s time to stop pretendin’ I’m someone I ain’t,” I replied in an over-exaggerated version of his own Texas drawl.

“Darn tootin’,” he grinned.

We sat in comfortable silence for a while longer, the gentle creak of the rocking chairs a soothing rhythm. The sun wasstarting to dip low on the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange and pink.

The sound of hooves in the distance caught my attention, and I squinted to see a small cloud of dust rising from the pasture. As it got closer, I could make out the shape of Sogwili with Dakota astride her back.

“Looks like Dakota’s back from checking on the herd,” I said, nodding towards the approaching horse.

Daddy grunted in acknowledgment, his eyes still fixed on the sunset. “That boy’s been a godsend,” he muttered. His eyes flicked my way. “You two an item now?”

I felt a warmth spread through my chest at Daddy’s words. It meant a lot to hear him speak so highly of Dakota. “Yeah,” I said proudly, smiling as he approached. “I couldn’t have done any of this without him.” I drew in a deep breath, my heart filling with joy. “I think he’s the one.”

Daddy just beamed. “You couldn’t have made a better catch.”

I nodded. He was right.

As Dakota drew closer, I could see the tension in his shoulders ease. He’d been worried about leaving when my father was due home at last, but I’d assured him it would be fine. Now, seeing us both sitting peacefully on the porch, I could tell he was relieved to see everything and everyone back where they belonged.

He dismounted smoothly, patting Sogwili’s neck before tying her reins to the hitching post. His long hair was windswept, and there was a smudge of dirt on his cheek. Even disheveled, he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen.

“Evening, Mr. Baker,” Dakota said, tipping his hat as he climbed the porch steps. “How are you feeling?”

“Better now that I’m home,” my father replied, his voice gruff but warm. “How’s the herd looking?”

Dakota leaned against the porch railing, crossing his arms as he settled in. “Looking good, sir. We’ve got about two hundred head grazing in the north pasture. They’re healthy and putting on good weight before winter sets in.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Daddy nodded approvingly.

I couldn’t help but smile, seeing the two most important men in my life getting along so well. Dakota caught my eye and gave me a small, private smile in return.

“Logan tells me you two have big plans for the place,” Daddy continued.

Dakota’s eyes widened slightly, darting to me. I gave him an encouraging nod.

“Yes sir,” Dakota said, straightening up. “We’ve been talking about expanding the rodeo training side of things. With Caroline’s expertise and connections, we think we could really make a name for ourselves. She’s already got a bull rider coming out this spring. Colt Dawson, she said his name was? I guess he’s pretty famous.”

Daddy considered this for a moment, rocking slowly. “Sounds like you’ve all put a lot of thought into this. I reckon it’s about time we modernized a bit. Can’t keep doing things the same old way forever.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Daddy’s approval meant everything.

“We won’t let you down, sir,” Dakota said earnestly. “Logan and I, we’re committed to making this ranch the best it can be.”

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