Chapter 3
3
Sofia
Everything in my life had changed in such a short amount of time. When I got married, as like any other woman, I thought it was my happily ever after, but soon after Max was born, things changed. The man I married wasn’t the same. He didn’t want anything to do with us. A career was more important than his family. After several years, I had enough and made the decision that Max deserved to grow up seeing me happy. My ex-husband didn’t even contest the divorce or ask for any kind of rights toward Max. Not even a month after the divorce, I got the call that my mother passed away.
After lots of crying and regrets fumbling to the surface, Max and I made the move back to Lawson Ridge to take over the ranch. It might not be what I had in mind, but it was my family’s legacy. I wanted to make my mother proud.
Being a single mother was as hard of a job as any and I had to deal with the pressure of the ranch on top of it. Max had been adjusting pretty well to the change of scenery thankfully.
I walked around the property, hair tucked beneath a wide-brimmed hat. Eyes surveyed the vast expanse of land. The soft rustle of leaves in the breeze and the distant lowing of cattle provided a familiar soundtrack to my thoughts. Dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, with worn leather boots treading through the tall grass, my strong-willed nature was evident in my determined stride.
As I rounded a corner near the old barn, my gaze fell upon a scene that left me momentarily breathless. There was Brett Johnson, my former high school sweetheart. It made me laugh a bit. After everything that happened, he was probably nervous to see me again. His muscular arms strained against the weight of hay bales he was stacking, his short blond hair damp with sweat, and his blue eyes focused intently on his task.
“Momma, who's that?”
“Uh, that's just one of our workers, sweetie,” I replied, as my mind raced with memories of our past together.
“Is he nice?”
“Very nice,” I said, absently tousling his hair, gaze still fixed on Brett. I took a deep breath, attempting to steady myself before making my presence known. “Why don't you head back to the house? I'll catch up with you in a bit.”
“Okay, Momma,” Max skipped off towards the main house, oblivious to the emotional storm brewing within me.
I hesitated, heart pounding, before finally summoning the courage to approach Brett. As I drew closer, he straightened up, sensing my presence and wiping the sweat from his brow.
“Hey there.”
“Hi,” I managed to say, swallowing the lump in my throat. I studied his face, searching for any hint of the boy I once loved so fiercely. “It's been a long time.”
“Sure has,” he replied, his blue eyes meeting mine with an unexpected intensity that sent shivers down my spine. “I hope you don't mind me working here. Your mother hired me, but I wasn’t sure if you’d want to keep me on.”
“Of course,” I said, forcing a smile while my pulse raced. “We can always use a hard worker around here.”
Our eyes held each other's gaze for a moment longer, the unsaid words hanging heavily in the air between us. Despite the years that passed, the connection we once shared seemed to defy the passage of time. The arrival of Brett Johnson would change everything. Our past was dangling above our heads.
With a deep breath, I tried to steady the nerves as I stood there, face-to-face with Brett. My heart raced and palms grew clammy in his presence. As much as I wished I could, I couldn't deny the wave of emotions that came crashing down.
“Y’know,” Brett began, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, “I never thought I'd set foot on this ranch again.”
“Neither did I,” I admitted, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.
“Life sure has a funny way of working out, doesn't it?” he said, offering a small smile. “Back in high school, all I ever wanted was to play professional baseball. I was so close, too. Just about to sign when…” He trailed off, looking away.
My heart ached for him – I remembered how passionate he had been about becoming a pitcher, and how his dreams were cut short at just twenty-two when he tore his rotator cuff during a college game. The injury had been severe enough to end his career before it even started.
“…When you got injured,” I finished. “I remember.”
A shadow crossed his face as the painful memories resurfaced. For a moment, he seemed lost in the past. Then he shook his head, forcing a smile. “Yeah, well. That's life, right?”
I nodded, my own thoughts turning bittersweet. Our shared history was filled with both love and heartache, and seeing Brett again brought it all rushing back: the stolen kisses behind the bleachers, the whispered promises beneath the stars, and the tearful goodbyes as we went our separate ways.
“Speaking of the past,” Brett continued, his voice low and hesitant, “I heard about… I know what happened with your husband.”
“Ex-husband,” I corrected automatically, chest tightening at the mention of him. I didn't want to think about how my marriage crumbled, leaving me to pick up the pieces alone. Max and I deserved better.
“Right,” he said, looking down at his worn boots. “I’m sorry, Sofia. And plus, that guy is a real idiot to take you for granted.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, touched by his concern. It was surreal, standing here with Brett after all these years, our lives having taken such unexpected turns. And yet, despite everything, part of me felt as if no time passed at all – as if we were still those two starry-eyed teenagers, dreaming of a future together.
“Listen, if there's anything I can do for you, or for the ranch, just let me know. I may not have made it in the big leagues, but I'm still useful around here.”
I smiled, feeling both grateful and conflicted. My heart longed for the familiarity and comfort of our past, yet my mind warned me against opening old wounds. For now, I chose to focus on the present, knowing that the future remained uncertain.
“Thank you, I appreciate that. Now, we should probably get back to work.”
“Of course,” he agreed, his eyes lingering on mine for a moment longer before he turned away.
I wondered what fate had in store for us. Would our paths continue to intertwine, or would we drift apart once more? Only time would tell, but one thing was certain: seeing Brett again stirred something deep within, reawakening feelings I thought I buried long ago.
I’m most definitely in trouble.