Page 35 of Whiskey and Wildfire

“A couple… but they can wait.”

“Caroline,” I sighed. “Don’t give up on your business before you even get started. Daddy wouldn’t want you to do that. And I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Daddy doesn’t know about my business,” she said, her voice quivering with emotion. I glanced up as tears began to fall down her face. “I couldn’t get up the courage to tell him. I… I thought he’d be mad at me for not wanting to stay on the ranch. And now… well now he might never know.”

She sobbed for a moment, her emotions getting the better of her. My heart sank, seeing her in such a state. Caroline was usually so strong and stalwart. But the past few hours had brought out more vulnerability in her than I’d seen in years. Itwas no secret she was our Daddy’s little girl, and the thought of possibly having to go on without him was tearing her apart.

“You’ll tell him,” I said softly once she calmed a bit. “And he’ll support you. In fact, he’ll probably become a client just so he can go to lunch with you every other day. You know how he is.”

“What about you?” she asked, wiping her cheeks. “You don’t want to be a rancher. You don’t even like the ranch that much.”

“You’re right,” I nodded. “But I’m gonna do it for Mama and Daddy. I’m gonna make sure their life doesn’t fall apart while he’s trying to heal. The hospital bills will be bad enough, they don’t need the place going under in the meantime.” I let out a long sigh. “But right now, as much as I want to help them, all I wanna do is go home and sleep. Dakota can tend to the cattle today. He knows what to do. Tonight, I’ll start going through things and figuring it all out.”

There was another long silence before Caroline finally spoke again.

“I’m happy for you, you know?”

“Happy for me?”

“You and Dakota I mean,” she clarified. “I think you two are good together. In an opposites attract sort of way.”

I felt a flush creep up my neck at Caroline’s words. Dakota and I had been keeping things quiet, not really sure ourselves what was developing between us. But leave it to my observant sister to pick up on it. Then again, she did find me at his cabin nearly naked, so the trail of crumbs wasn’t exactly hidden.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, keeping my eyes fixed on the road ahead. “It’s still... new. We’re taking things slow.” I paused for a moment, remembering Caroline was the one that had a crush on him. “And I’m sorry… I asked him for you but he… he wasn’t interested.”

“I figured as much,” she sighed. “You know, when you slept over at his place for the second time.”

“I didn’t steal him. I swear…”

“I know you didn’t,” she replied, shaking her head. “He’s been avoiding me for a long time. I knew he wasn’t interested, but he’s just so…”

“Handsome?”

“Sure. Rub it in,” she said, cracking a small smile.

“Sorry.” I couldn’t help but chuckle, needing the release after such a stressful night. It turned out to be contagious and within a few seconds, we were both belly laughing as the truck bounced down the road. Apparently we both needed the relief.

As our laughter subsided, I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. The adrenaline from the night was wearing off, leaving me drained. I blinked hard, trying to focus on the road ahead.

“You want me to drive?” Caroline asked, noticing my fatigue.

I shook my head. “Nah, we’re almost home. I’ll be fine.”

We lapsed into silence again as we approached the ranch. The familiar sight of the weathered wooden sign reading “Baker Ranch” came into view, and I felt a pang in my chest. It had always been Daddy’s pride and joy, and now it was up to me to keep it running.

As we pulled up to the house, I spotted Dakota near the barn, already at work. He looked up as we approached, his long dark hair catching the morning light. Even from a distance, I could see the concern in his eyes. He must have heard about what happened.

I parked the truck and we both climbed out, our boots crunching on the gravel. Dakota walked over, his gait steady and purposeful.

“How is he?” he asked, his voice low and tinged with worry.

“He made it through surgery,” I replied, running a hand through my hair. “He’s stable, but he’s gonna need a lot of recovery time. Mama will know more soon, but he’s in the ICU right now.”

Dakota nodded, his brown eyes searching my face. “And you? How are you holding up?”

I shrugged, suddenly feeling the weight of everything crashing down on me. “I’m... managing,” I said, my voice cracking slightly.

Without a word, Dakota stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. His strong arms wrapped around me, and I felt myself melting into his embrace. The warmth of his body and the familiar scent of leather, horse, and sweat enveloped me, providing a comfort I didn’t realize I desperately needed. I allowed myself to relax into him for a moment, drawing strength from his steady presence.

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