Page 37 of The Rancher's Code

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Here it comes.

Joseph was about to ask Cole to get rid of me in front of everyone. He was going to turn me into Cole’s final test, see if he were willing to play straight for the rest of his life in exchange for the job and life that he’d always wanted. And if Cole went along with it, how could I even blame him? We hadn’t known each other for that long. How could he think that I was worth throwing away his dream?—

“Cole will not only be the next CEO of Stratton Ranch. He will also be the sole successor of all of my assets and properties,” he continued. “Cole will be my sole inheritor. If and when he chooses to divide up my portfolio among the rest of you will be left up to him. I trust in his judgment, completely.”

The room was so quiet it felt like I could hear everyone breathing.

“Sole inheritor?” Amber slowly blinked. “Whoa.”

“I trust Cole to be fair with how he divides the assets.” Shane’s tone was confident. “And I couldn’t think of a better person for such a great responsibility.”

A look of concern flashed across Levi’s face, before his usual smile broke through. “You know what? Yeah. Let Cole handle all the hard stuff. I don’t need anything else on my plate, anyway.”

“Called it.” Virgil nudged me in the shoulder. “I told you. Cole’s real, just like you and me. Things couldn’t end any other way. Joseph sees it, too.”

“Cole? Did you want to say something?” Joseph moved out of the way, before he waved his son to the front of the room. “It’ll be helpful to get familiar with addressing the troops.”

“Yeah, I can say something.” Cole was calm, all of his earlier anxiety suddenly dissipated. He took his father’s place, taking a deep breath. “I just want to say… I love you. Each and every one of you. You’re all near and dear to me and it’s been an honor growing up alongside you. Getting to know you…”

Cole’s eyes cut over to me. “And… I look forward to the future. Leading this family. Growing and changing. I hope that I’m the man all of you expect me to be and more. I hope I live up to all of your expectations and you’ll stick by me even when I fall short. I hope… I hope I’ve earned your loyalty and your love, all of you. That’s… all I wanted to say.”

As soon as Cole was finished, the room erupted into applause again, this time everyone gave him a standing ovation to boot. Even as the rest of the room congratulated him, I felt stuck where I was, my brain going over every last word he’d just said.

I know that he’s talking to everyone he’s known his whole life…

So, why does it sound like he’s talking to me too?

Does Cole…

Does Cole love me?

“Doyou think Levi was a little raw about it?”

Cole and I were driving through the open pasture, the sun setting around us. It was a golden warmth I was getting used to, set against the sky as it turned purple and blue. I took in the air around us, filling my lungs with it, still loving the way it smelled out here. I looked over at Cole in the passenger seat ofhis truck, cowboy hat firmly in place, his rough hands gripping the steering wheel like he’d done it a million times before. The distant hum of crickets played in the distance, the sort of comforting symphony I’d never find in the city no matter how much I looked.

“What?” I was admittedly a little distracted by Cole, by the ranch, by everything. I was experiencing a sort of Zen I rarely got to feel, without a wedding planning worry in my head.

“Levi? Do you think he was raw about Dad leaving me everything?” Cole’s lips were pursed tight. “I’d never do wrong by him, ever.”

“I think he knows that, Cole. You’re a good person.”

“It just feels like a final test.” Cole let out a slight laugh. “But the funny part is, even if my dad’s still trying to get in my head… I don’t care anymore.”

“You don’t?”

Cole shook his head. “Nope. The only person’s opinion I have to care about from here on out is?—”

He stopped himself, his focus returning to the road.

“Is your own?” I guessed. “Because this whole thing has taught you to… trust yourself more?”

Cole let out another laugh. “Damn. That’s probably what I’m supposed to say, huh?”

“What were you going to say, Cole?”

“I was going to say that the only person’s opinion I have to care about from here on out is… yours, Dylan.”

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