Page 76 of The Last One You Loved
“Y’all?” he teased with a wink. “Careful. Your Southern is going to start showing again.”
I pushed my foot into his leg, and both horses danced in place at the motion.
“It’s all due to Ryder,” Maddox said. “At first, our parents were pretty wary of the idea, but he showed them the statistics on other ranches who’d become profitable again this way, and then, he went out and got the loans to oversee the renovations.”
“And your parents? What do they think now?”
“They’re happier than they’ve ever been. Mama gets to cook and fuss over our guests, and Dad loves teaching folks how to ride and fish. We’ve kept enough of the animals and crops to sustain the restaurant during season and have some small contracts with local farm-to-table restaurants in the off-season. Plus, there’s still Mama’s pies, which make a helluvalot more than you’d expect.”
His voice was full of pride as he talked about his family. It was pride that was well earned. The Hatleys had banded together and saved their family land. What could be better than that?
“Do you still feel guilty about not working with them?” I asked quietly.
“Yes and no. I’m glad I stayed local to get my degree so I could be another pair of hands through the transition, but I don’t love the business the way Ryder does. I love chasing bad guys and putting them behind bars.”
“And chasing chickens and putting them in pens?” I teased, remembering what Amy had said the other day about Liam helping corral the escaped poultry.
He laughed. “Let’s just say growing up on the ranch has given me the right experience to wear my sheriff hat.”
“Daddy, let’s go. I want to see if there’s still a family of foxes down by the creek,” Mila said, lifting her hand to his face. He kissed the palm.
“Okay, Bug-a-Boo. Shall we see if McKenna can keep up with us?”
Mila smiled, gripping the pommel as if she knew exactly what was coming. “Yes!”
He nudged Arod, and the horse took off at a fast trot that had Mila giggling. I patted Shadowfax’s side, leaned low next to his ear, and said, “You ready to catch them, old fella?”
And then I was off, too, racing down the path after Maddox, the wind blowing through my hair, the sun shining, the air full of wet earth and grassy fields. My heart was light and happy, as if there was no weight on it at all. As if this was where I was always supposed to be.
We burst through the willow and oak trees near the top of the ridge above the hollow, slowing the horses to a walk before stopping them. Maddox slid down and then helped Mila off. I dismounted, and we left the horses to wander, knowing they wouldn’t go far. Maddox pulled a blanket and the sack lunches from his saddle bags, and then, we used the roots of the trees as steps to climb into the little circle we’d always claimed as ours.
We spread everything out before piling onto the thick plaid wool, shoulders and thighs touching, while Mila dug into the sacks.
“Did your daddy tell you how we used to play pirates down here?” I asked.
Mila shook her head, biting into her sandwich and causing egg salad to squish over her cheeks in the cutest way.
“We’d pretend the creek was the ocean and that we’d sailed our ship into this secret cove so we could hide our diamonds the evil pirates were after. We’d sneak back in behind all the roots and bury our treasures,” I said, pointing to the dark recesses of the tangled limbs.
“Are they still there?” Mila asked, eyes wide.
I chuckled but then thought of the jar full of my nightmares. It wasn’t a treasure, but it was still there. “Most of it was food, so I’m sure some wild animal found it.”
Mila pointed to the corner of the hollow near the creek. “That’s where the mama fox had her babies. We only saw her twice, and Daddy thought maybe we scared her away, but I think she knows this place is safe. That we won’t hurt her. What do you think, McKenna?”
“I think I always felt safe here,” I replied, and Maddox’s gaze locked with mine again. Heavy feelings, past and present, filled the air between us. Mila grabbed our hands and locked them together.
“You’re okay now, you know,” she said.
“Wh-what?” I asked, looking down at her.
“The pirates can’t hurt you anymore.” Then, she put down her sandwich and said, “I’m going to see if I can find any more gold in the creek!”
“One foot on the ground at all times, Bug-a-Boo,” Maddox called after her.
“I know, I know!”
We watched her grab a stick and dig around in the water.
