Page 37 of Where We Call Home

“What’s that goofy grin for?” she teased, her own smile lighting up her face.

“Nothing,” I said, grabbing another slice of pizza. “Just thinking of all the ways I’m going to beat you at Scrabble later.”

Theo snorted, nearly choking on her tea. She started laughing—a raw, unfiltered laugh that made my chest ache in the best way.

I missed this feeling.

Fourteen

Autumn in Texas was my favorite season. You didn’t have to deal with the unbearable summer heat, and at least you could keep your shirt on—though Boone didn’t seem to get the memo. He always found an excuse to go shirtless, probably hoping Aspen would drop by unannounced. Honestly, you’d think he’s still trying to win her over, but we all know she was hooked the moment she saw the mustache.

Today, the vet was coming to check on the ranch’s cattle, so Boone needed Logan and me there early to get things ready. One of the heifers was close to calving, and having the vet on-site was standard procedure to make sure everything went smoothly.

I tried focusing on the task at hand, but my mind kept wandering to Theo and the apartment hunt. Lately, I felt this overwhelming sense of protectiveness over her and the baby. I’d been mentally ticking off a list of requirements for her new place: ground floor for easy access, two bedrooms so she had her own space, and close enough to town for quick errands. Faircloud had options, though none seemed to check every box.

I tilted my head back, letting the sun warm my face as I shook off the thoughts. I knew it wasn’t my place to dictate where Theo should live, but I still couldn’t help but want the best for her and the baby. With each passing day, Theo was becoming more of a permanent fixture in my life, not that I was complaining.

She’d call me after work to chat about some random documentary she’d watched, asking me the most bizarre questions.

“Are you a serial killer?”

“You sure you’re not just putting on a nice-guy act to lure me in before chopping me up?”

She even joked about not having life insurance, just in case of her “accidental” demise I’d know there wouldn’t be a profit.

Boone, Logan, and I rode on horseback trying to herd cattle into the holding pen. Horses made the cattle less skittish, which made our job easier. At Cassidy Ranch, we believed in working smarter, not harder.

We were still a ways from the barn when Boone, wearing his usual khaki hat and shirt slung over his shoulder, turned to us. “You two free Halloween weekend?”

“Thinking about throwing a party?” Logan asked, riding between us.

Boone smirked. “Well, it was Aspen’s idea to get everyone together. The one rule is that you have to wear a costume.”

“I’m in,” I replied, shifting in my saddle. The crisp air carried the faint scent of earth and livestock, and the mountains loomed in the distance under a clear blue sky as the cattle walked lazily in front of us.

Logan chimed in. “How’re you and Aspen doing?”

“Better than ever,” Boone said with a grin. “Her book’s coming out in a few months, and she’s knee-deep in ‘beta edits,’ whatever that means.”

“Does it feel weird knowing the book’s about you two?” I asked, genuinely curious. I don’t know how I’d feel if someone wrote a book about my life, putting it out there for people to read like that.

Boone shrugged. “Not really.”

“From the jump, Boone was helping her with ‘inspiration.’” Logan laughed, putting air quotes around the last word. “He knew what he was getting himself into.”

I grinned, nodding. “In the name of science, right?”

Boone rolled his eyes and adjusted his hat with a smirk.

“Aspen and Boone, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I—” Logan's off-tune singing was cut short by Boone’s interjection.

“Alright, enough. What are we, twelve?” Boone smirked and swerved his horse close to Logan’s to push him off course.

Logan laughed, too; his beaming, kiddish smile was always nice to see. His messy blonde hair curved slightly around the fitted part of his cowboy hat.

Taking in the group before me, I felt like I was the only ranch hand who didn’t partake in the hat fashion choice. I understood why the guys did it, but I was more comfortable in a backward cap and less sweaty that way. Plus, there were so many styles of hats for the different seasons, and I couldn’t get behind them all.

The banter kept the work light. By the time we finished getting the cattle settled for the vet, I was ready to head out. Apartment hunting with Theo was next on the agenda, and I was running late.

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