Chapter Thirty-two
I fucking hate paperwork.
It’s necessary; I need to get all this squared up so the family solicitor can take it to Calvin’s attorneys.
The investigation thoroughly fucked him, he’s had all his assets seized, the horses are currently being housed in a government facility awaiting instruction but if I have anything to do with it, they’ll be coming here and to the other ranches in the area I’ve made arrangements with.
As a respected ranch, there’s no way they’ll reject my offer to house them here.
The cops hauled his sorry ass off my ranch hours ago. He’s in the hospital currently, recovering from the bullet I put in his arm. But from there, I doubt he’ll see outside of a cage for a long time.
Juni is free of him.
She is safe.
And she wants to stay.
I feel my mouth curve up into a smile, remembering how she looked at me when she said it. Like despite all the shit we’ve been through, all the hurt and abuse, there is a possibility of forever for us. It’s no longer right now; it’s tomorrow and the next day, the next week and month.
We thought we couldn’t have forever, but forever is starting right fucking now.
She’s sleeping in my bed, my shirt covering her body, my scent and her scent mingling together. Sugar and smoke, sunshine and storm.
I never truly understood how people refer to other people like a puzzle, like they’re a missing piece finally slotting into place, but I get it now. Juni is the last puzzle piece, the bigger picture in the chaos we call life.
She just fits.
Fits me.
Fits my kids.
This ranch.
I sign off the email and hit send, with all the documents attached, and then close the lid of my laptop before I pull my glasses off my face and place them on top. I should be in bed already, but I needed to get this done to close that chapter for her.
Hitting all the switches in the house to turn out the lights, I move toward Caleb’s room, peeking through the door to check on him.
He’s sound asleep, curled up in his bed with the stuffed bear dressed like an astronaut tucked under his arm.
I go to Rosie next, chuckling lightly at the mess she makes while she sleeps.
Arms and legs up and out at all angles, her blonde hair completely fallen out of the braid Juni put it in before she went to bed and the eye mask she insists on wearing now covering one ear instead of her eyes.
She’s surrounded by her stuffed animals, a book, and—is that a fucking half-eaten corn cob! ?
It’s far too late to be questioning the inner workings of my daughter’s mind, so I quietly shut the door, leaving the night light that throws shapes onto the ceiling switched on.
When I finally make it to my bedroom, my soul settles at the sight.
Juni is curled up, sleeping soundly despite the nightmare today gave her.
Her resilience astounds me; she just keeps getting up whenever she is knocked down.
There’s nothing dainty about her. She’s as sure as the mountains that surround us, as fierce as the storms that roll down the craggy edges, and as strong as the pines that never break during them.
I’m quiet as I enter, clicking the door closed behind me and move into the bathroom to prepare for bed. I feel whole, settled, and I’ve never felt better.
When all is done, I climb in beside Juni, wrapping my body around hers.
“Happy looks good on you, brother,” Roman slaps my shoulder where I stand at the fence watching the young filly and Loni hit it off.
It’s been days of slow introductions, but the pair didn’t need it.
Dottie had been yearning for a bond, and she’s found it in the steadfast mare and the young colt who’s watching from the sidelines.
It wasn’t too long ago we were standing right here, and he was telling me to give her a reason to stay.
“I'm not sure I deserved it.”
He scoffs, “Why’s that?”
“Clearly I fucked up somewhere with the kid’s mom to make her do what she did.”
“Fuck off,” he grumbles.
I shrug, “Can’t be helped when you’re not sure where you went wrong. I used to spend nights on end wondering what I did, how I fucked it up, but I never could figure it out.”
“You blamed yourself,” Roman shakes his head, “Not right man. Everything that happened was on her. Can’t help loving the wrong person, but guess it makes it all the more sweeter when you love the right one.”
“You been reading pop’s diary?” I joke.
“Hey, he knew his shit.” Roman shrugs, “Was under our nose all along and we didn’t even know it.”
I shake my head and change the subject, “You heard from Remy?”
My texts to the youngest of the three of us have been left unanswered and my calls ignored.
“Not since we all last spoke,” Roman rubs at the nape of his neck, “He does this from time to time.”
“Yeah,” I grunt, “gets in his own head.”
“Just hope he doesn’t come home early.”
I frown, “Why?”
“I kind of rented out his cabin.” Roman says sheepishly.
“You did what?” I grimace. Remy’s cabin is sacred to him, a space he’s carved out for himself here on the ranch.
As the youngest, he’s always felt a little left out, unable to find his place, and that cabin was something he built from the ground up by himself.
I’m shocked Roman even entertained the idea of letting someone else use it, let alone going through with it.
“Ada,” he shakes his head, “the bunkhouses are all male.”
Ah, now it makes sense.
“We didn’t have space anywhere else and seemed hardly fair to shove her in with all the guys.”
“I get it, but you’re going to need to explain that to him, not me.”
“He’s gonna be pissed.”
I grunt my agreement.
That’s a problem for another time. I’ll call him again today.
I know he’s good; I’ve been catching him on TV, a smile plastered on his face, but I see it in his eyes.
The haunted look. It’s been there ever since we proved our father murdered our own mother.
We knew it all along, but having the confirmation changes things.
Makes fiction reality and sometimes, even when we think we are prepared for it, it still knocks us on our asses.
Remy was young when our mother died, but it hit him hard and emotionally; he shut down.
He’s been that way ever since. He ran off to join the rodeo the moment he was old enough.
Granted, it’s worked in his favor, with his awards and trophies and titles, but there’s a reason they call him Nine Lives.
He rides like he’s got them, and eventually it will catch up with him. It terrifies the shit out of both me and Roman.
But there’s no stopping Remy Knight; the more you push, the harder he’ll dig his heels in. We just have to be there and hope when his decisions catch up to him, they don’t kill him.
“Any updates on the horses?” Roman asks.
“Waiting to hear back from the lawyers, but if all goes well, we can transport them here next week. Darcy will have her work cut out for her.”
Roman nods, “Alright, well keep me updated but I’ve gotta go meet Niamh at the bar. It’s date night.”
I chuckle at the giddy look on his face. He is utterly devoted to his wife, and, much like he told me, happy looks good on him too.
I keep watching the two horses until I hear the sound of tires behind me. Turning, I spot the flash of blonde hair through the windshield of my truck, and then she lifts her hand and waves, a smile splitting her pretty face.
From the back, the doors swing open, and I spot my daughter first, a little backpack bouncing as she sprints and launches herself at me.
I catch her, lifting until I can secure her on my hip.
Caleb walks beside Juni, his mouth moving quickly as they continue whatever conversation they were having in the car.
Juni had taken a shift at the bar and then offered to grab the kids since she was already that way.
Summer break will be over in a few weeks, and the two of them will go back to school.
“Can I ride Mars?” Rosie asks, blinking at me with her wide eyes.
“Not Loni?” I frown. She loves Mars, but when riding, she’s always preferred the mare.
“No, Mars today,” she confirms. “He’s lonely.”
I chuckle, “How do you figure that? I rode him yesterday.”
“Not today,” she rolls her eyes, “but I’ll do it. And Juni can ride Ginger, and she can take me to the falls.”
Both my kids have been obsessed with the waterfalls that sit in the forest on the ranch ever since they found out Niamh goes swimming out there.
“No swimming.” I quirk a brow.
“Why not?” She grumbles.
“Because you can’t swim strongly enough.”
“No fair!” Her voice takes on that high pitch that suggests an argument is about to come.
“If you can’t promise no swimming, then no riding.”
She scrunches up her face, but concedes, so I get Mars ready while Juni deals with Ginger. Caleb has chosen a spot by the fence to read instead of riding with the girls.
“Be back before sundown?” I gently circle my hand around Juni’s ankle where she rests her foot in the stirrup.
She nods, “Anywhere we shouldn’t go?” She asks.
“Follow this trail,” I point to the path carved into the earth that leads towards the forest. “Swing left at the split and then just follow it all the way to the falls. You’ll hear them before you see them.”
“Sure you don’t want to come?”
“Come on, Miss Juni!” Rosie presses her heels in, spurring Mars to move.
“Got some training I want to do with Dottie.”
She gives me a smile and steals a glance toward my daughter before she leans down toward me.
I press up to meet her, peace washing over me when our mouths touch.
We haven’t told the kids yet. They weren’t here when all the shit went down with Cal, so they didn’t see what everyone else saw, and we haven’t discussed talking to them about it yet.
I want them to know. Caleb already has an idea, but Rosie doesn’t.
“See you later,” she whispers before she rights herself and coaxes Ginger to follow after Mars. I watch them go, unable to take my eyes off her.