Page 49 of Loved By Tandy

“We’ll see. The house that’s being built is plenty fine. It’s just me.” He groans. “Telling them was hard, but I’m not looking forward to telling the other guys. At least I’ll be close. We still see Sutton, so maybe they will stay in contact with me too.”

“Of course they will. Y’all are good friends. And if they hire a new ranch hand, you can tell them that I’ll match him up for free.”

Dallas lets loose a belly laugh, something I haven’t heard from him in years. “Pretty sure they’ll say no to that. But I’ll let them know.”

“You never know. All the other guys have someone. The new guy might feel left out.”

“Trust me. He’ll get over it.” Dallas sighs. “I’m at the mess hall. So I’m going to let you go. And if you get blasted with texts, you’ll know why. Bye.”

I end the call, knowing I’ll be hearing from Beau at some point. And I do hope he understands.

Back at the house, I turn on music and sit down to write. I’m so behind on where I planned to be with this book, but it hasn’t been my top priority. It doesn’t rank as high as the ranch or as Matthew. And he has dominated a lot of my time recently. And that is in no way a complaint.

Lonely evenings are a thing of the past. On the nights he has other plans, he still stops by for a cup of tea before going home.

Chip stretches on my desk as I write, and Dale curls up near my feet. With as much as I’ve been gone, they seek me out when I’m home.

When I finish the chapter, I check my phone. And there is a message from Beau. It’s an angry emoji.

Now I feel bad.

So I respond.

Me:Sorry.

I don’t need to explain further. It seems obvious that the reasons for my choice are clear. And while I’m not sorry for asking Dallas, I am sorry it’s going to leave Beau short a ranch hand.

Beau:Just giving you a hard time. But please don’t steal any others.

He sends a smiley, letting me know we’re good.

Beau:Lilith and I are excited about your new endeavor. And I can’t wait to see Dallas helping match couples.

He follows that message with a laughing emoji.

And I send the same. The idea is funny. But I’m hoping that one day Dallas will meet someone who helps him find that spark and give up his chokehold grip on singlehood.

After dinner,Matthew and I opt to sit on the couch instead of outside. He waits on the sofa while I make our tea. And when I walk into the living room, his head is tipped back, and he’s sound asleep, sitting up.

I set the tea on the table and add an extra throw pillow to one end of the couch. “Matthew, sweetie, lie down.”

He opens his eyes. “Sorry. Do you need help with the tea?”

“It’s right there. But you look exhausted. Skip the tea and sleep.” I point down the hall. “You can stay the night.”

He stares at me for several heartbeats before sliding his hand behind my neck and pulling me to his lips. “As much as I’d like to stay, I can’t.” He taps the seat beside him. “And I’ll elaborate on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You have to keep this a secret… for now.”

“A secret from whom?” I need to know what I’m getting myself into.

He releases a slow breath, then rubs his face. “Everyone.”

Several possible ideas pop into my head, all of them horrible. “Please tell me that you haven’t been given a terminal diagnosis. I can’t keep that kind of secret, Matthew. Not only would I be a mess, but I also couldn’t face Haley or Zach. I’d have to stop going into Delaney’s shop.”

“And that would be a real shame.” He drapes an arm around me. “Next time you shop, can I see what you bought?”

---