Page 7 of Choosing Forever
I flip to the second page. “If you’re building a forever home, you should have everything you want. Doesn’t matter if it’s a need or not.”
“That’s so mature of you,” Poppy teases, flicking me in the jaw.
Swatting her away, I fix my gaze on Garrison. “I’m assuming the budget covers everything in this notebook?”
“There is no budget.”
Show-off.I’m pretty sure my sister just shivered, and now I’m grossed out.
“Alright. I’ve never worked with family before, but I’m goingto keep my process the same if that’s fine with you. I’m assuming I’ll just have you constantly calling me for updates.”
Poppy flicks me again. “Don’t make it sound like such a bad thing. I call you twice a week already.”
“That’s for Abbie, and you know it.”
“Only every two weeks it is.” She uses a long, manicured nail to tap at one of the points on the second page. “This one is really important to me. I know I didn’t initially mention it, but Wade mentioned Kip getting old . . .”
Garrison steps in to finish. “He’s not riding him enough. Old man’s got bad hips now, and Eliza gave him too much shit about hopping up on Kip all the time. Johnny’s been working him still, but it isn’t the same. Kip’s not himself.”
Wade and Eliza Steele run the biggest cattle ranch in Alberta right out of Cherry Peak. Johnny, being Wade’s officially unofficial protégé, has been floating around our friend group for a while now, but this is the first I’m hearing of Wade finally feeling his age. For a full-blooded rancher to not be able to ride his horse has got to be more painful than his hips. And knowing that Garrison’s built a bond almost as tight with the black beast of a horse as Wade has makes it easier to understand why he’d be so worried.
“So, you want a stable for him on your land,” I say, piecing it together.
“I know you don’t do ranch projects, but I was hoping you’d say yes because I’m your sister. Special family privileges, right?”
“It’s not that I don’t do ranch projects, Pops.”
“Okay, so you just don’t like them. Either way, I’m really hoping you’ll say yes to this one. It would need to be big enough for both Kip and Honey,” she says.
It’s not all that surprising that she’d want to have the horse she’s taken to bonding with too. Not to mention that I’ve heard Kip and Honey are attached at the hip now. The last time I was on Steele Ranch was for Brody Steele’s wedding, and even then, I didn’t pay much attention to the horses in the pastures.
“The Steeles are letting you take them both?” I ask.
Poppy smirks. “Of course they are. All I had to do was ask nicely.”
“Right. I’m sure that was it.”
“Well? Will you do it?” She grips my arm and widens her eyes, begging me with fluttering lashes and a pout that she still pulls off as well as back when we were kids.
“I’ll do it. But only if you don’t give me a hard time about it. The reason I don’t do ranch work is because I can’t take the barked orders and blunt answers from grumpy, stubborn old men.” I stare at Garrison, and he huffs a low laugh in response.
Knowing he’s got the point of my words, I carry on. “Before the blueprints are finalized, you’ll need to put me in contact with the builder you’re going to use. Do you have zoning markers for the property already?”
“I’ve got everything in the car. If you need anything else, I’ll get it for you,” Garrison answers.
“Thanks. Is it okay if I take this notebook home with me? I’ll go through it this week and start brainstorming.”
“Sure. Make sure to show my ideas to Abbie so she knows she can design her own room at Aunt Poppy’s.”
“You let her do that and she’ll beg me to add a waterslide and a heated pool in it.”
“My little water bug,” Poppy sings, smoothing her hand out on my arm before dropping it. “I love her.”
“She’s very loveable,” I poke.
The clouds above us break, and thunder claps above the mountains behind us before the first pelt of rain hits my nose. I stifle a groan and adjust the cap on my head, pulling the brim down to shield my face.
“Great. I’m so done with this goddamn rain,” Poppy snaps, using her arm to cover her face.
