Chapter 34
“Icall.” Colt set down his hand at the same time his phone made the beeping sound that indicated Finn Ackerman had texted. He loved his ties to the other cowboys and ranch owners in Three Rivers, and all of that stemmed from Finn.
Personal news thread, Finn had said. We have a massive agenda at tomorrow’s meeting, so try to be on time, get some food, and get ready for a spring planting seminar from the agriculture professor at Baylor.
Therefore, personal news thread.
Colt frowned at his phone, because he wasn’t sure he had personal news. His mother had finally—finally—backed off on the orchard, and Colt ran it full-time now. His way.
But his personal life had been in a stagnant holding pattern for a long time. He’d finally figured out how to be there for Jonas while doing all he needed to do with the apples, and his relationship with his ex-wife was just fine.
He certainly couldn’t put I’m lonely on the personal news thread. Nor could he text his friends and ask them for advice about asking out one particular woman.
Tate: We got the last of the orchards and fields cleaned up and fixed!
Brandon: Lenore is having a baby girl, and her due date was updated to July 21.
Congratulations started flying in from other cowboys and cowgirls, and Colt let his thumbs add his own Amazing, Tate! and Congrats to you and Lenore! to the mix.
Alex: Nikki and I are thinking about fostering. Prayers appreciated, and not that it’ll happen, but that we’ll know if it’s the right thing for us and the kids.
Libby: Rusty and I are going to name our little boy Gavin. Just so I don’t have to answer the same question another 5000 times.
Mitch: I hope you actually have a boy. You might want to have at least one baby girl name as a back-up.
Wilder: Savvy and I are still getting married in three days.
Conrad: My brother Easton is going to ask his girlfriend to marry him. They’re thinking a Christmas wedding.
Colt’s heartbeat bumped strangely in his chest, and he wasn’t sure why. Fine. He knew why, one hundred percent. If the Walkers were having a holiday wedding, he’d get to see Elaine in a gorgeous, sequined dress. Probably red, he thought, and his blood ran red-hot through his veins.
He had no idea how to deal with this insane crush on his buddy’s little sister, but Elaine wasn’t much older than Fawn, and he had no idea how to ask out one of his friend’s sisters.
If only Wilder or JJ would suggest it, then Colt could seize onto it and casually shrug one shoulder to judge Conrad’s reaction.
Dawson: No news. Just trying to survive three kids with constant spring rain.
Link: Ditto. I’m really looking forward to having the llamas, I’ll admit that. My boys are super excited about them.
Wilder: I’m glad. Savannah is so grateful.
Clara Jean: Leave it to my husband to give our good news about the FARM. I told him to tell everyone that we’re expecting our first baby right after Halloween.
More congratulations poured in, and Colt glanced at Trap, then Jake. They were glued to their phones too, but their thumbs didn’t move.
“No news, boy?” Colt asked.
Trap looked up at him, his dark eyebrows drawn down. “No,” he clipped out. “What am I supposed to say?”
Elaine was Trap’s cousin, and perhaps Colt should try to bring her up with him. At the same time, Trap had been struggling to find a girlfriend too, and Colt didn’t want to rub salt in any wounds.
“How about that you now have three projects on the books?” Jake suggested.
Trap looked at him, his expression lighting up. “Okay, I can do that.”
Rock: Smiles is graduating in another couple of months and will be back at Shiloh Ridge. We’re making preparations for that.
Finn: Edith has agreed to another dog instead of another baby. I’m relieved!
Ty: Winnie’s still out of town, and I’ll be at the wedding this weekend alone. Prayers for her father would be appreciated.
Conrad: Dogs are good, Finn. Prayers coming, Ty. I’m excited to have Smiles back in town.
Rock: Oh, and by the way, Clover and I are having a baby in October too.
Henry: Leave it to Rock to casually lay down the fact that he’s going to be a first-time dad in only a few months.
Finn: Yeah, “by the way,” guys, Rock’s gonna have a baby.
Link: Congrats, Rock! Tell Clover we love her too.
Paul: Congrats on all the amazing good news, guys! Nothing much going on at Courage Reins, other than the fact that Brielle and I have decided we’re getting a puppy for Christmas.
Finn: Christmas is in eight months, brother.
Henry: Paul’s the type that commits early.
Gun: Camila is not pregnant, but the end of the school year is hard, and while you’re praying, add her to the list, if you would.
JJ: We’re doing great at Seven Sons too. Jason has himself a new girl.
“Aha!” Trap yelled, and Colt jumped in his seat. He looked at the triumphant expression on Trap’s face. “I knew he was dating someone, and he wouldn’t tell me.”
Colt grinned at Trap’s indignation. “Who do you think it is?”
“It’s one of my aunt’s new pilots,” Trap said, his attention already back on his phone. “Melissa, or Marissa, or Maggie, or something.”
Trap: I’ve got three or four projects I’m working on that I got myself, so that’s exciting.
Jake: Things are going well at Three Rivers. I finally feel like I’m settled in.
Colt started typing, his pulse pounding in the back of his throat. With the orchards humming along, I think I’m ready to try dating again. Any suggestions?
He couldn’t send the text quite yet, as more congratulations and comments came in about the most recent news that had been shared.
Then Angel sent a picture.
Angel: Trevor and Janie want to let you know that they’re going to a cutting horse show next month, and Trev’s pretty optimistic that he can win it.
Finn: Way to go, Trev!
Henry: He’s totally going to win, and any of you who haven’t seen him work with his cutting horses are MISSING. OUT.
Colt erased his text and typed a different one. When can we come watch, Trevor?
Angel: I’ll ask him.
Henry: He trains with Little Sister every morning, right after roll call.
Ty: It’s about nine by the time he’s saddled and LS is warmed up.
Mornings were rough for Colt, as he had to get his son off to his mother’s, and then get over to his orchard crews and get assignments out. Making the drive to Lone Star by nine would be hard. No, impossible.
Or, you can just take Jonas with you one morning and go.
Colt owned the orchard, and he could definitely do that.
He loved taking his son on little trips around the Texas Panhandle, and he couldn’t wait to take him to Lubbock for Texas Tech football games, or up to the Oklahoma state line to sit on the tailgate and drink root beer floats, the way Colt had done with his father.
He loved being a dad, and he wanted more kids. To do that, he needed a wife, and his thumbs flew across his phone as he re-typed his message.
This time, he sent it.