Page 46 of Spur of the Moment
Charlotte shot Lettie a wink before digging back into her plate of food.
An orange glow was casted over the table as the sun set in the west, light chatter filling the air as we enjoyed a family meal. Though Beck, Callan and Brandy weren’t sitting here with us, it felt like we were all back together again, like the good old days.
I didn’t miss the fact that Lettie was confirming her place in Bell Buckle. Deep down, I didn’t think she’d leave again, especially after our trip to Montana, but it was still in the back of my head. If she had a reason to stay, something other than me, I could expect her to be around for a long time.
God knows I wasn’t good enough to keep her around before.
25
Lettie
After pouring a cup of coffee that I desperately needed to fight off the exhaustion from our trip, I pulled the wad of cash from my back pocket and set it in front of my dad.
“What’s this?” He eyed the cash, laying down the morning paper before looking up at me.
“For the gray. I want him to stay here at the ranch.”
He took a sip of coffee. “Is this your way of saying he’s yours?”
Cradling the steaming mug in my hands, I tossed my head side to side. “Yeah, basically. But I’m going to ask Brandy to help break him and everything. I’m in no rush, just couldn’t stand to see him shipped off.”
“Bailey told me you outbid a kill buyer. Sounds like it was pretty intense.”
I rolled my eyes. “Far from it.”
He chuckled. “Well, all I can ask is that you be careful.”
“Since when have I ever not been careful?”
He frowned at me and I laughed in response, laying a hand on his shoulder before walking past him to make my way down the hall to my mom’s office.
At dinner last night, Bailey had pressed his knee up against mine as we ate and talked, but after that, he’d simply said goodnight and headed home. I couldn’t help but wonder if he regretted what happened at the hotel. As much as I felt awkward about it, I didn’t wish it never happened.
Peeking my head in the door, I knocked lightly. My mom's head popped up from behind her laptop and she smiled. “Good morning, sweetie.”
“Good morning.” I crossed the room, taking a seat opposite of her. The walls were lined with mahogany bookshelves that were passed down from my grandparents. Not an inch of space was to be found with books crammed into every nook and cranny.
“What’s on your mind?” She eyed me, closing the laptop in front of her.
“I just wanted to thank you for last night. I’ve always loved rescue work, you know that. If I had known that was your plan, I never would have left.”
“Oh, honey. I wanted to give you the chance to pave your own path in life. I didn’t want to offer it to you and make you feel like you had to say yes. Plus, you were so young.Now, you’re twenty three, you’ve held your own through college, and proved you have what it takes to learn this side of things.”
“Why didn’t you offer it to any of the guys?”
She folded her hands together on the desk. “I know my boys’ limits. They’re good at keeping their hands busy and diving into labor-intensive work, but managing a rescue? Besides Lennon, I couldn’t see any of them taking that on. They’d rather be out there,” she lifted her hand to gesture behind me, “checking fence, shoeing horses, and stacking hay. Just everyday ranch chores. That’s what they’re good at, and I wouldn’t want them to change to appease me. But you’ve always had a big heart, Lettie. You’ve worn it on your sleeve since you were little, and while that can be a dangerous thing, it can also be a really good thing. Just don’t be like me and drive your father crazy with wanting to take in every neglect case under the sun.”
A smile pulled at my lips. “It’s a good thing I don’t have anyone to make insane.”
She dipped her chin, raising an eyebrow in a knowing look.
“What?” I asked.
“Lettie Bronson, I didn’t raise you to be clueless.”
I put a hand over my heart, feigning innocence like I didn’t know what she was talking about. “Clueless?” I shook my head. “Me? Never.”
She opened her laptop, shaking the mouse on the pad beside it to wake it up. “You be nice to that boy. He didn’t mope around this ranch for five years for nothing.”
