Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
T aylor sat at the kitchen table, her hands gripping the edge of her laptop as the words of the email stared back at her. It was everything she’d worked for—her dream job, the kind of position that could redefine her career and give Liam a secure future. But her stomach churned, her excitement dulled by the weight of the decision.
Chicago.
The word loomed over her thoughts, a cold reminder of what this opportunity would mean—uprooting Liam. Leaving behind the life she’d begun to rebuild here and leaving her mother and Caleb.
They had just begun to rebuild the relationship they had lost, fragile and tentative like saplings growing in rocky soil. Taylor feared what this job offer might do to them all.
Would Caleb even consider leaving the Burnett Ranch? The thought seemed almost impossible. The ranch wasn’t just his livelihood but his identity and his family’s legacy. She couldn’t imagine him walking away from it, not even for her.
And if he stayed? What then? Could they make a long-distance relationship work? Or would the miles slowly stretch between them, fraying the delicate threads of trust and connection they had worked so hard to weave?
The uncertainty gnawed at her, twisting in her gut until she couldn’t breathe. Taylor had spent years protecting herself and Liam, building walls to keep them safe from heartbreak. Now, with Caleb in their lives, those walls had started to come down—and the vulnerability left behind terrified her.
She didn’t want to lose him. But she also couldn’t ignore the possibility that this job, this chance to provide a better life for Liam, might tear them apart.
Her gaze drifted to the living room where Liam sat cross-legged on the floor, his face scrunched in concentration as he built a tower of blocks. He hummed softly, oblivious to the storm brewing inside her.
Was moving her son miles away the best solution?
The question weighed heavily on Taylor’s mind, each word pressing down like a stone. She thought of Liam, how much he adored Caleb, how his face lit up every time they played together. He had finally started to bond with his father, to feel the warmth and security of a connection Taylor had always wished he could have.
Pulling Liam away from that felt cruel, even if the opportunity in Chicago offered stability and a brighter future. But was it stability if it meant uprooting Liam from the life he was starting to build with Caleb?
She didn’t have an easy answer, but she knew one thing—whatever decision she made had to be the right one for Liam. Not just for her career, not just for Caleb, but for her son’s happiness and well-being.
The sound of Caleb’s truck pulling into the driveway snapped her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the clock, realizing she had been sitting there for nearly an hour, lost in her head. Closing the laptop, she stood, brushing her hands against her jeans as if the motion could steady her.
Tonight, she would tell Caleb about the opportunity weighing on her mind since it landed in her lap.
They’d sit down together, talk it through, and figure out where they stood. Ultimately, the decision would be hers to make—whether to stay or take the new position.
It was a prestigious offer, promising a bright future and a salary that could give her and Liam a life of stability and comfort—a great life.
But the most prominent question in her heart was whether that life would include Caleb.
Could she have it all—a career she’d worked so hard for and the chance to build something real with him? Or would this decision, no matter how carefully made, end up pulling them apart?
When Caleb walked in, he paused, his sharp eyes catching her uneasy stance immediately.
“Hey,” he said cautiously, setting his keys on the counter. “What’s going on?”
Taylor hesitated, then motioned toward the kitchen. “We need to talk.”
His brow furrowed slightly, but he followed her, sitting across from her at the table. She swallowed hard, steeling herself before she spoke.
“I got a job offer,” she said, her voice carefully even.
Caleb’s face lit up briefly, pride flickering in his eyes. “That’s great, Taylor. Congratulations.”
“It’s in Chicago,” she added, the words dropping between them like a stone.
The warmth in his expression cooled instantly, replaced by something guarded. “Chicago,” he repeated, his tone unreadable.
She nodded, her fingers tightening on the edge of the table. “It’s a huge opportunity, Caleb. Senior Marketing Director for a major firm. It’s... everything I’ve been working toward.”
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “And you’re thinking about taking it?”
Her stomach twisted at his tone. It wasn’t accusatory, exactly, but there was an edge to it that made her heartache. “I haven’t decided yet,” she said carefully. “I wanted to talk to you first.”
Caleb’s jaw tightened, and he glanced away, his fingers tapping a restless rhythm against the table. “It sounds like a great opportunity,” he said finally, his voice low. “You should do what’s best for you and Liam.”
The casual dismissal hit her like a slap, and her breath caught in her throat. She stared at him, waiting for something more—for him to tell her he wanted her to stay, that they could figure it out together. But he didn’t.
His tone, his body language—it all screamed retreat. Every carefully built bridge between them seemed to teeter as if the ground beneath had shifted. This news, the possibility of her moving, had set them back in a way Taylor hadn’t anticipated.
And he wouldn’t even discuss it with her.
Caleb’s shoulders stiffened, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, and his gaze flicked away whenever she tried to meet it—it was all too familiar. He was withdrawing faster than a tornado skipping across town, leaving behind a trail of uncertainty and frustration.
Taylor’s heart ached as she watched him pull away. She wanted to reach out, to grab hold of him and make him stay in the moment with her, but he was already slipping through her fingers.
“That’s it?” she said, her voice sharp with disbelief. “That’s all you have to say?”
He met her gaze then, his expression conflicted. “What do you want me to say, Taylor? It’s your career, your decision. I don’t want to hold you back.”
Her lungs tightened, the hurt rising so fast, she could barely contain it. “Hold me back?” she repeated, her voice trembling with anger. “Do you honestly think this is about me wanting to leave? Do you think I want to start again in a new place with Liam?”
Caleb flinched, but his silence only fueled her frustration.
“This isn’t just about me,” she continued, her voice rising. “It’s about us. About Liam. About what we’ve been building here, Caleb.”
He looked away, his jaw tightening again. “I don’t want to stand in your way,” he said quietly. “You deserve what makes you happy. You deserve more than I can give you.”
Didn’t the idiot realize he made her happy?
Taylor’s fingers curled into fists at her sides as she fought the urge to yell at him, to shake some sense into him. She was torn, teetering on the edge of a life-changing decision, and all she wanted—all she needed —was for Caleb to meet her halfway.
She wanted him to look her in the eye and ask her not to go. To tell her to stay, to promise they could build something real, something lasting, together.
But instead, he said nothing.
He sat there, silent and stiff as if this wasn’t tearing her apart. As if she wasn’t silently begging him to step up and show her that what they had—what they could have—was worth fighting for.
There was so much she wanted him to say, words that would make her feel like staying was the only option. But he wasn’t saying any of it. And it broke her heart.
The finality in his tone created a sharp pang inside her. She stared at him, her mind reeling. After everything they’d been through—after everything he’d said about wanting to be there for her and Liam—this was how it ended?
All she wanted was for Caleb to talk to her about this decision. To sit down, listen, and help her figure it out. To fight for what they’d started to build together.
But instead, he was pulling away. With every passing moment, it felt like he was withdrawing further, retreating into himself, and it was breaking her heart.
It was like he’d already given up on them. Like he’d decided that if this were what she wanted, he wouldn’t stand in her way.
Except it wasn’t what she wanted—not at all. She wanted him to care, to throw up a huge roadblock and say, Don’t go. Stay with me. Let’s build a life together.
But instead, he was saying the exact opposite: If you want to leave, I won’t stop you.
Ugh! The frustration bubbled up inside her, threatening to overwhelm her. Couldn’t he see? Couldn’t he understand that all she needed was a reason to stay—and that reason was him ?
“Maybe you’re right,” she said, her voice trembling despite her efforts to stay composed. “Maybe I do deserve more.”
She abruptly pushed back her chair, the scrape of wood against the tile echoing in the tense silence. Without another word, she left the kitchen, her hands shaking as she entered the living room.
“Mommy, look!” Liam called, holding up his towering block creation, his face glowing with pride.
Taylor forced a smile, kneeling beside him. “It’s amazing, sweetheart,” she said softly, brushing a strand of hair from his face.
As Liam continued to play, her thoughts churned relentlessly. Caleb had been right about one thing—she did have to think about what was best for Liam. But that didn’t make his reaction any less devastating.
He hadn’t even tried to fight for them.
That night, as Taylor lay in bed, the weight of the decision pressed down on her. The excitement she had felt when she first read the job offer had been replaced by an ache she couldn’t shake.
She rolled onto her side, staring at the faint glow of the streetlights filtering through the curtains. For so long, she had dreamed of finding stability for her and Liam, of having the kind of life she could be proud of. And for a brief moment, she had thought Caleb might be part of that dream.
But now?
Tears pricked her eyes as she thought of how he had pulled away, his words echoing in her mind: “You deserve more than I can give you.”
Maybe he was right.
But if he couldn’t see that she didn’t need perfection, that she didn’t need him to have all the answers—if he couldn’t see that all she wanted was for him to show up and try—then maybe it was time for her to move forward without him.
For Liam. And for herself.