Page 53 of Where We Call Home

“You climbed something, didn’t you?” he accused, his tone a mix of exasperation and amusement.

“In my defense,” I said quickly, holding up a hand, “I didn’t know you moved them. If I had, I wouldn’t have!”

“Theo, that’s not safe,” he said softly, his voice laced with concern. There wasn’t a hint of judgment, just genuine care, and it made my chest tighten. “What if you’d fallen and no one was here?”

Rhodes clicked his tongue and moved to grab utensils from the drawer.

“Nothing happened! I’m safe. See?” I gestured at myself and even spun in a slow circle to prove the point. “All in one piece.”

Then, with a teasing grin, I shot back, “What about you, oh Holy One, who does no wrong? What did you do today?”

Rhodes laughed, the sound low and rich, shaking his head. “Oh, I’m no saint, Honey.”

No kidding. This man could absolutely ruin me—split me in two, make me lose every shred of composure. I wouldn’t be praying to God; I’d be on my knees for Rhodes Dunn.

I bit back the reckless urge to say something equally unladylike and tried to focus on steadying my thoughts.

“Boone’s stepping away from the labor side of things and into his dad’s role,” Rhodes said, thankfully shifting the conversation.

“Wait—what?” I spun to face him as he settled at the small kitchen table.

“Boone’s dad is retiring, handing over the ranch. Boone asked me to take over as lead rancher.”

His grin was slow and steady, the kind of pride that shone brighter in his quiet confidence than in any words he could say.

“Rhodes!” I squealed, unable to contain my excitement. “That’s amazing!”

He nodded, his stupidly cute smile still firmly in place, and I felt an overwhelming urge to hug him, to kiss his cheek—anything to touch him.

“Who else knows?” I asked, curious who he’d already told.

“Just you... and Boone’s family, of course.”

Just me. I was the first person he told. The realization created a rush of warmth that spread through my chest, bubbling up like champagne ready to overflow. My lips curled into a wide, uncontrollable smile, my cheeks aching from the force of it.

“Well, then this is officially a celebratory dinner!” I declared, turning back to the stove to pull the glass dish from the oven. Trying my best to hide the ache I felt. “I hope it tastes good. If not, pizza’s on me.”

I set the dish on the counter.

“Ooo!” I spun around excitedly. “I can even make cookies! Premade, of course, not from scratch. But hey, a cookie’s a cookie.”

My cheeks ached from how much I’d been smiling, but it didn’t matter. Rhodes deserved every bit of joy tonight.

“I’m just happy I had someone to come home and share the news with,” he said softly, his sincerity cutting straight to my heart.

And I realized, in that moment, I was just as happy to be the one he came home to.

Twenty-One

“Why is he crying?” Rhodes asked, pointing at the TV.

I barely spared him a glance, pausing the show for what felt like the millionth time. After dinner, I’d settled in to catch up on one of my favorite reality shows, and now Rhodes had decided to join me, clearly getting invested.

“Because the judges loved his collection.”

“Okay, but... why ishemad?” He gestured toward another designer in a sequined blazer glaring daggers at the crying man.

“Because he thought the judges hatedhiscollection more,” I explained. “But instead, they called it ‘a bold take on modern fashion,’ and now he’s pissed that the crying guy stole the spotlight.”

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