18. Sorrel
SORREL
It’s been a month since the fire. Construction for the new barn started yesterday. We poured a new pad on the opposite side of the arena and the new barn will have an even bigger tack room and an office for me. It’s going to be a completely fresh start and a totally different layout.
Denton helped us design the layout. Apparently, he had taken a few architecture classes when he was in college and he still has a good eye for it. I’ve been trying to keep him busy while we recover. I can tell he’s starting to go stir crazy.
Today is Sunday so most of the hands are off and went to town.
Denton and I are the only ones left at the ranch.
Mama and Sable went home two weeks ago and Sutton finally quit mother-henning me after I begged Ryder to make her stop.
He took her and Trotter into town to go shopping and get ice cream, and Dad decided to tag along.
Denton’s voice is starting to sound a lot better and we're hopeful he’ll make a full recovery.
We were both finally feeling good enough to ride today and I planned a trail ride to show him the secret waterfall we have here at the ranch.
The waterfall is a special spot deep in the creek where, after a good rain, the water runs cool and clear, pooling just right for a swim beneath a gentle cascade.
I’ve never shown it to anyone before. It’s our family secret but I thought Denton deserved something special after everything we’ve been through.
I hesitate for a moment before knocking on the guest ranch door. The door swings open, and there he is—holding two steaming cups of coffee.
“For you,” he says, handing me a mug with that laid-back smile of his.
We walk over to the rocking chairs on the porch and settle in gently rocking back and forth. The only sound around us is the creek of the wood and birds chirping. The morning sun, warm on our faces as we sip our coffee.
“So, how are you feeling now that Kenzington is going away for a long time?”
I think on it for a minute before answering.
“I’m glad his parents finally did the right thing by not bailing him out. But we still don’t know how long he’ll get.”
“He’ll get what he deserves, Sorrel, trust me.”
“Yeah, well, I guess we’ll find out at his trial. But for now, I feel safe. Especially with you.”
He smiles softly in response, taking another sip of coffee.
“Ready to ride, cowboy?” I ask him, taking the cup from his hands.
“You know it, cowgirl,” he says with a twitchy grin.
I leave the coffee cups on the porch railing and we head over to my horse trailer. The horses are already caught and tied to the trailer waiting for us. They greet us with sweet knickers.
We saddle up and get on our mounts. I steer our horses in the direction of the creek. The sun is higher now, filtering through the towering pines and casting dappled shadows across the dusty trail.
I let Denton ride Zip today, giving him a break from his sassy mare he’s been stuck with since he first got here. It’s good to let the barrel horses be ranch horses too. It makes them that much better in the arena.
The smell of pine and fresh earth fills the air and I take in deep breaths.
It’s nice not to have the smell of smoke singeing my nostrils anymore.
The quiet around us is broken only by the soft clip-clop of hooves and the distant tinkling call of a meadowlark.
The sweet song it sings fills my ears and makes me smile.
As we ride, Denton stays close, matching my pace. It’s been weeks since I’ve felt any sort of calmness settle over me. I meant it when I said I felt safe with him. But I want to know more about him. That’s what I was trying to do before the fire—actually get to know him—who he really is.
“So, you never talk about your dad. Is he in your life?” I ask him as we ride along.
He looks away into the distance like he’s remembering something.
“No, he’s not.”
I’m not sure if I should push any further but then he continues.
“He was abusive to my mom and my sister. I fought him when I was sixteen. I’d had enough of it. Never saw him again after that.”
“I’m sorry Denton.”
“My mom and my sister are everything to me. We didn't need him,” he says and shrugs.
My heart aches for him. I can’t imagine not having my dad in my life. If I ever lost him or he had left us, there would be a gaping hole in my heart that could never be filled. I wonder if Denton feels that way, but he just doesn't want to admit it.
He goes on to tell me about how much he misses his mom and sister, and how he plans to take them skiing in Telluride this Christmas. There’s a softness to his voice, a side of him I haven't seen before when he talks about them.
“Do you want a family?” I ask nervously.
It feels like such a deep and intimate question to ask.
“I do. Do you?”
“Definitely. Sutton and Ryder are goals.”
“I agree,” he says as he starts humming and smiling.
“It wasn't easy for them though. I admire them for making it. They’ve been through a lot.”
“Like what?”
“All of it. Their relationship, marriage and then once they finally figured all that out and were ready to start a family, they struggled with infertility. It was hard on their marriage and even harder on Sutton. I was worried about her for a while.”
“That’s awful. I know people really struggle with that. It’s cruel to want something so bad. More than anything in the world and not be able to have it.”
“It is, but they fought and fought and now they have our boy, Trotter. I’m so proud of Sutton. She kept her faith and prayed for that little boy. She never gave up.”
He listens, really listens, like every word matters. There’s something so easy about talking to Denton—like I could sit here every morning, riding side by side, just the two of us. No pressure. No past hanging over us. Just two people sharing pieces of their lives, one ride at a time.
The waterfall comes into view now. There’s a narrow ribbon of water flowing over moss-covered rocks into a clear blue pool. The world seems to hold its breath here, as if time slows just enough for us to catch it.
Denton dismounts and stretches, running a hand through his hair. “This is something else,” he says, eyes bright.
I nod, feeling nervous and excited all at the same time to show him my special place.
We tie up our horses to a nearby tree. He turns his back as I shimmy out of my jeans and unbutton my shirt.
I’m in nothing but my bikini now, feeling so vulnerable.
I chose a pink two-piece set with little flowers all over the top and bottoms. They’re cheeky and show a bit more than I’d like but it seems like that’s how they make them now days.
Denton slides off his boots and pulls his T-shirt over his head.
I admire his muscular back for a moment before he turns back to me.
His green eyes go dark and a look of hunger and desire spread across his face.
I smile shyly, taking him in too. His build is lean and abs ripple across his tan stomach.
Warmth fills my core and I move quickly toward the creek—needing to cool off.
We settle onto a sun-warmed rock at the edge of the pool, dipping our fingers into the water. Denton glances over at me, his expression softer than before.
“You know I didn’t come here to cause trouble. If I would have known what it could stir up, I never would have put you through any of it,” he says quietly. “I just wanted to find a little peace. Maybe…maybe find something—I don't know…,” he trails off.
I look at him then—a man who carries the weight of fame and expectation, who somehow made space for me in his busy world.
I shake my head. “None of it is your fault, Denton. I’d go through it all again just to be here with you.”
He looks surprised. Like maybe this is the start of something neither of us expected.
Denton leans back on the rock, letting out a slow breath. “You know, I always thought this kind of quiet was boring. But here? It feels like the only place I can really hear myself think.”
I smile, tracing circles in the water with my fingertips. “It’s easy to forget how loud the world gets. Out here, it’s just the land and the animals. I love being here after the hustle and bustle of rodeo season. There’s nothing like being home after being on the road. I’m sure you know that.”
“Kind of,” he says, his voice unsteady. “I don’t really have a home the way you do. I’ve got an apartment in Nashville I share with my band, but it’s just a place to crash between shows. It’s not the same as your home. I wish I had what you have.”
His words land heavy. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He isn’t smiling now; he’s staring at the water like it’s holding something he can’t say out loud.
I wonder how it would feel to never really belong anywhere. To always be packing up, leaving, chasing another crowd. I feel a twinge of pain in my chest for him—for the boy behind the microphone, the one who maybe just wants a place to call his own—somewhere that isn’t temporary.
“Home’s not just a place,” I say quietly. “It’s people. It’s roots. It’s knowing you can come back.”
He gives me a small, almost grateful smile.
“I guess that’s what I’m still looking for.”
He turns to me, eyes serious. “Sorrel, I know I’m just passing through your world, and you’ve got your own battles. But I want you to know—what I feel for you. I want more than the spotlight and the noise—the feelings I have for you are so much more real than all of it.”
I swallow, the knot in my chest tightening.
“Denton…I want to believe that. I really do. But what about the tour, your dreams? I can’t let you give up on it all to chase me around this ranch and the rodeo circuit.
I’m tied to this life, to this land. Rodeo, the ranch…
.it’s all I know. What if you get bored here and grow to resent me for not chasing your dreams?
And what happens when you’re gone and I’m left behind. ”