Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 74968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“Um. This is Grayson.” I waved him forward. Unlike Maverick, his expression was more guarded. “Otherwise known as the reason for the casserole recipes.”
“I see.” Corrine greeted him with a hug that seemed to catch him by surprise. “We’re delighted to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Grayson still didn’t smile, looking rather fierce and ready to do battle on my behalf.
“I wanna see the horses!” Brayden prompted, dancing from one booted foot to the other. He wore a tiny pair of Wranglers and a new-looking plaid shirt. I didn’t have a ton of pictures of me at that age, but I could see where Corrine found the resemblance with his riot of curly red hair and skinny build.
“Shall we start with a tour?” Maverick suggested.
“Yay!” Both boys happily bounded ahead of us. I took several deep breaths as we walked until I found my way back to host mode, showing off the tiny house cabin to much praise from Corrine.
“Tonight, you’ll have cowboy chili in front of a campfire with a s’mores bar featuring some homemade chocolate chip cookies.” As we passed the fire pit area, I gestured at the picnic tables.
“Yours?” Corinne’s eyes went wide. “Oh, how I’ve missed your cookies.”
“You remembered?” I’d honestly assumed most of my siblings had long since forgotten my cookie bribes. We’d been kids, and gratitude had been rare.
“Of course.” Corinne bumped my shoulder. “You might be one of nine kids, but you’re the only you.”
“True.” Exhaling hard, I gave my first genuine smile in what felt like hours. While a shock, this visit was a good thing. Healing in a way I hadn’t known I’d needed. My nephews darted around us. I wasn’t simply one more kid. I was an uncle now. A weighty responsibility. Time to make up for some lost years. I called ahead to the kids, “You want to meet my horse?”
The resulting cheers carried us all the way to the horse barn, where I introduced everyone to Cupid.
“Your horse is named Cupid?” Brayden shyly touched the pink sign in front of Cupid’s stall. “Isn’t that a girl name?”
“Nah. Cupid’s a boy.” My older nephew, Stephen, rolled his eyes. “He’s got a bow and arrow and everything. Pow. Pow.”
“Try not to startle the horse,” I advised before Stephen could demonstrate the bow and arrow motion again. “If you can be quiet and calm, I’ll bring Cupid out. You can help me saddle him.”
Grayson brought out Magnolia as well, so each boy would be able to ride with one of us leading the horse, and the boys watched intently as I talked through each step of saddling. We led the horses to the arena, and Brayden especially could barely contain his excitement as I lifted him up.
“I’m on a horse!” he squealed as I steadied him. Luckily, Cupid was proving to be as bomb proof as Diamond Lil, unflappable even in the face of enthusiastic kids, and he merely offered a bored snort as I helped position Brayden better.
“Shoulders back. Sit nice and tall.” My memory rushed back to when Grayson had taught me to ride the first time. So much had changed in nine months. My breath caught.
“Like a real cowboy.” Brayden beamed at me.
“Like a real cowboy.” My voice was thicker than wool socks. Somehow, in less than a year, I’d become exactly that. I belonged here, belonged in my flannel over a bad band T-shirt, belonged in my new red cowboy boots and black hat, belonged to all my ranch friends, belonged riding Cupid, and belonged to Grayson most of all.
I was glad to see Corrine and her family, but I’d never belonged in New Jersey like I belonged here. This was my home now, and I hoped for years to come. At first, after Valentine’s Day, I’d bounced between the bunkhouse and Grayson’s trailer, but more and more of my stuff had migrated to the trailer to the point that it had been weeks since I’d slept in my bunk. I had no plans to leave his bed and his life anytime soon.
As we led the boys around the arena, a deep sense of gratitude settled over me. Maybe this was closure and a new beginning at the same time. Later, after Corinne and her family had left to get settled in their cabin, I had a moment alone with Grayson at last.
“You gonna make it through dinner?” he asked as we put the horses away.
“Possibly.” I looked up from brushing Cupid. “Did you know?”
“Yeah. Maverick told me this morning.” Grayson quirked his lips, a guilty shadow to his eyes. “I said I wasn’t sure how you’d take it, but seeing as they were already on the trail so to speak, I decided to let it play out.”
“That’s why you’ve been hovering all day.” I should have known something was up because he normally left me to go about my day with Maverick, reconnecting with me over dinner. He went to great lengths to ensure he wasn’t seen as my boss, but in doing so, we usually ended up working on different tasks these days, to the point that I missed moments like these.