13. Fallon
CHAPTER 13
FALLON
That night I don't sleep. Not even a little. Instead, I sit on the bunkhouse steps with my elbows on my knees. I watch the moon drag its pale ass across the sky while Hunkleberry stretches out at my feet like he's staging an intervention.
"You mad at me, too?" I mutter.
He lifts his head and gives me a long, disappointed huff. Then he drops it again.
“That’s a yes.”
And I deserve that because I messed up, big time... again. Anny's face keeps replaying in my head. She looks wide-eyed, glassy, and wounded. It's like I tore something open that she barely managed to stitch shut the first time.
She called me a runner. And I admit that it crossed my mind to leave, but never without her. She's a part of the deal now. If I go, she goes, or we stay here together. Those are my terms. I didn't mean to hurt her. But I didn't see her.
I was caught up in the adrenaline of the offer. Being wanted on the field by a team that ruined my life the first time around was a rush. I didn't stop to think what it would sound like to someone listening from the outside.
I just impulsively... chased the dream like it was still mine to chase.
But the truth is, even when I imagined putting that helmet back on, I didn't feel the old thrill in my gut. I felt a knot tighten and grow heavy over my chest. It was a warning that I was about to lose her again.
And I did.
She walked away without asking me to stay. Just like before, because I didn't give her a single reason not to. I lean back with my hands laced behind my neck and stare up at the stars.
"I'm tired of running," I say out loud, voice rough. "Tired of chasing things that don't mean a damn thing if I lose her in the process."
Hunkleberry sighs and bumps his head against my knee. He knows what's up.
My phone buzzes to life, but none of my messages are from her. I ignore texts from Alex, Bowen, and Holden. I clear a call from Pa. Instead, I spend my night on the porch with Hunkleberry making a plan to win Anny back once and for all.
* * *
The next morning, I wake up to a text from Danner asking me if I want to, process things over breakfast quinoa . I mentally add breakfast quinoa to the list of reasons the rest of my brothers can't stand the dude. Then I ignore him, too.
I walk the perimeter of the ranch at dawn, boots crunching on frost-covered grass. The Southern Knights contract sits in my email, unanswered.
What was once so clear now feels murky.
I used to measure my worth in yards gained and plays made. But watching Alex with his family, Bowen with Priya, and hell, even Callum settling down, I've seen a different kind of victory. The sun breaks over the ridge, painting Kingridge in gold. My phone buzzes again.
This time it’s a call I can’t ignore. The name Southern Knights flashes across my screen. I stop at the fence line and stare out at the land. Football gave me purpose when I was lost, but it never gave me peace. Not like this place. Not like her.
When I picture life in South Carolina, I can see the stadium lights, hear the roar of the crowd, and feel the rush of the game. But Anny isn't there. And without her, none of it means a damn thing.
I take the call. The recruiting coach bombards me with flattery. He paints a picture of what joining the team could look like. I hear the enthusiasm in his tone. But in the end, my decision slips easily from my lips.
"I appreciate the opportunity, but I've found where I belong."
The relief is immediate. Peace washes over me. The weight lifts from my shoulders the moment I say the words.
But when I hang up, a new realization settles over me…I've got so much work to do.
I head straight into the barn, grab a toolbox, a bucket of paint, a bag of nails, and a whole shit ton of lumber. Alex is going to murder me when he finds his inventory is off. But I don't care.
Anny is worth whatever Alex is about to throw at me. I don’t waste a single minute. Every beam I reinforce and every board I lay down brings me one step closer to winning her back. It's a confession. A vow. A whole goddamn apology in wood, nails, and splinters.
Callum stumbles upon me mid-project around noon, and honestly, I'm surprised it even takes that long. When he finds me, he doesn't ask questions. Instead, he starts cutting boards right alongside of me.
Word travels fast at the ranch. Before I know it, Bowen's here with two strings of twinkle lights sent by Priya and a six-pack courtesy of himself. The rest of the Kingridge crew is quick to follow. Hell, even Danner picks up a drill and gets to work.
We carry on like this for two full days. I work around the clock and hardly sleep. Hunkleberry stays by my side. The guys rotate in and out, helping where they can in between their other duties.
When it's finished, I take a step back. It's a job well done. But the barn is only one part of the plan.
For the final touches, I pull on my old maroon sweatshirt. It isn't anything to look at, but it's the one she used to steal. I light the lanterns we strung along the rafters and sweep the floor again, even though it's already clean.
When everything is in place, I get ready to punch out a text to Anny. But before I can, I hear the sound of paws padding toward me, followed by bootsteps. My stomach flips like I'm back in high school and about to get benched.
I look to see Anny walking toward me with Hunkleberry at her side. The old dog must have gone to get her for me. She stops when she sees me standing in front of the old barn.
“Hey, I was just about to come find you,” I call out to her.
“I thought you might be out here, taking over my thinking spot.” Then her eyes go wide as they sweep over the space. “Wow.”
The freshly painted green exterior. The new rows of hydrangeas. The brick path. The outside of the old barn looks nothing like it did before, but it’s nothing compared to the inside. The whole place glows. It feels warm, lived-in, and intentional.
“What can I say? It’s a good place to think.”
Hunkleberry steps into the barn and makes himself comfortable in the hay-padded bench against the back wall. Anny takes one step into the doorway. Then another. Her hand drifts to her chest.
She turns to face me, arms crossed… but it's not defensive. It's protective. It's like she's bracing for the hit in the exact same spot I broke us last time. But that isn't how our story ends.
The truth pounds through me. In my head. In my chest. In every beat of my blood. I know I never should've left her. Never should've believed the lies I told myself about what she needed. About what I was capable of. Because this woman doesn't need a perfect hero, she needs me. And I need her. I'll burn the whole damn ranch to the ground before I let anyone take her from me again.
"Fallon... I can't do the back-and-forth."
"Great, me neither." I take a deep breath. "I used to think football was all I had. That being part of a team was the only thing that made me worth a damn."
She says nothing.
I step forward and close the distance between us. "But the truth is, every field I stepped on, I looked for you in the stands. I didn't even know I was doing it. But I was. Every city and every game. Part of me was always hoping I'd find my way back to you."
Her brows pinch, lips trembling just slightly.
"I didn't realize home wasn't a place. It was you. It was this ranch. This barn. Hunkleberry. Your terrible playlists. Your hair on my pillow. Your hand stealing the blankets. I left you once and I stayed gone for far too long. But I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere."
She takes a shaky breath. "What about the Knights? We'd have to try and figure things out. I never want to leave, but maybe I could. It would be hard and I?—"
"I turned them down."
Her lips part. "You what? Dammit Fallon, you shouldn't have done that for me."
"I didn't do it for you. I did it for me," I explain, holding her gaze so she can see my sincerity. "I turned them down, Anny. My heart wasn't in it the way I thought it would be. Because they might've been offering a contract... but you being here is offering me a life. After all these years of chasing the dream, I finally realized I was running in the wrong direction the whole time."
“Are you sure?”
"I don't want touchdowns," I say. "I want lazy Tuesday mornings. I want to fix fences with you. I want to lose to you at the cornhole and pretend I didn't. I want your damn greenhouse plants all over my truck seat. I want to kiss you in this barn when we're wrinkled and old and still in love."
Tears spill down her cheeks. She doesn't wipe them away. "I waited for you once," she whispers. "And it nearly broke me."
I step closer. "I'm not asking you to wait anymore. I'm asking you to build the rest of this life with me. Right here and now. I want to start today."
She stares up at me like I'm her whole world. I don't take the responsibility lightly. It's everything to me. I'll spend my whole life proving that to her.
Then Anny moves, and it's fast. She lands right into my arms. She wraps herself around me like she's trying to memorize the feel of every inch. Like she's afraid I'll disappear, but I never will. I hold her tighter than I ever have.
Her voice is a whisper. "Don't let go."
"There's not a chance in hell."
Because this time, when she falls, I'm going to be right here to catch her.