Chapter 39
CHAPTER 39
EMERSON
Three Months Later
Whispering Willows Ranch
“The swimming hole was sheer bliss. It’s hotter’n hell out there.”
Finley slides into her seat at my left, shooting me a grin as she reaches for a bread roll.
“Finley-Rose!” Abi’s stern rebuke makes the entire gathering freeze. “How many times do I have to repeat myself? Wash your hands before you eat.”
Opposite me, Sully chokes on a laugh, turning it into some form of coughing fit before he reaches for his glass of water, and Finley rises from her seat, regarding him with slitted eyes that promise retribution even as she softly murmurs, “Sorry, Momma.”
Ford reaches for my hand, pressing a kiss to the back as he returns to his low conversation with Lissie regarding her status with North Star Records . From all accounts, she’s set to start working with some producers and songwriters in Austin, and from the sounds of things, she’s more than a little anxious about taking the next big step.
“I spoke with Faith earlier.”
My gaze finds Abi’s as she smiles at my statement. “Her internship is going really well, and she’s even had a night out at some club with Lawson?—”
Even though he’s been in deep conversation with his sister, Ford proves that he can multitask when he shoots his eyes to mine. “If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll keep his hands off my damn sister?—”
“Ford!”
I press my lips together when Abi calls him out on his cussing, struggling to maintain a clear expression when his shoulders sag as he mutters, “Sorry, Momma.”
He shifts back to me with a quirked eyebrow. “We’ll continue this conversation at home.”
Once I’ve bobbed a nod, Abi speaks up. “How are the renovations going, you two?” She shakes her head in blatant wonder. “I still can’t believe you practically demolished the entire interior.”
When we moved to Circle H two months ago, Ford had taken one step inside the front door and announced that it all needed to go.
I can feel his ghost walking the halls, Tink.
So, having made the decision to get our hands dirty, we’d quite literally taken a sledgehammer to the interior and destroyed it. And despite not being aggressive by nature, Ford had relished every moment. I could almost feel it as he physically exorcised those final demons before handing everything over to professionals.
“I’m really enjoying life in our cabin.”
“You know the offer to stay here always stands.”
Abi regards us both with kind eyes, and I smile graciously. We’re currently residing in a small cabin on the edge of the property that’s been used by patrolling ranch hands over the years. It’s small, has no air conditioning, and if I want to heat something—even water—it requires an open fire, but it’s our first home together, and that means something to me.
Ford grips my hand underneath the table as he answers for us. “We’re just fine where we are. Thank you, Momma.”
Her eyes encompass both of us, filling with something like satisfaction before she nods once and returns to her bowl of chili as her lips hook upward in a small grin.
The spoon has almost reached her mouth, when she stops suddenly. “And I meant to say, this chili is even better than my own, Emmy.” I can feel my cheeks flush as she continues. “You’ve taken to learning my family recipes like a duck to water. I think we’ll move on to baking real soon. What do you think, sweetie?”
Ford chuckles as I nod excitedly. “Oh, I’d love that, Abi. Your cake is some of the best I’ve ever tasted.”
She’s smiling with her eyes as she spoons the chili into her mouth, and I return her smile tenfold, thoroughly delighted with all I’ve learned since moving to Texas.
Cooking is something I’ve never really bothered with, but Abi reckons I have a knack for flavors, and judging by the empty bowls cluttering the table, I think she might be right.
Being taken under Abi’s tutelage has allowed me to take a step back from everything and, for the first time in my life, I get to decide what I truly want to do for myself moving forward. I’m none the wiser at present, but I’m having a ball figuring it out.
As Ford continues to hold my hand, I glance around the table, my gaze touching on each person present. I feel a deep sense of love and belonging for the family surrounding me, and I can’t help but think of my own family.
In the aftermath of Reese’s arrest, my father and I have grown so much closer – more so than we’ve been in years . As Hayley no longer had a job working with me, and Dad had relocated to the Manhattan branch in an effort to work less and be present more, I’d been thrilled when he’d asked her to take on the role of his assistant.
Their tentative steps toward supporting one another had made my decision to leave Manhattan that little bit easier, but even so, I miss them—especially my rock, Hayley—who keeps promising she’ll visit when the time is right.
My brother has attempted to reach out via Hayley several times, and as much as it pains me to admit it, there are just some wrongs that can never be made right. Some cuts that go far too deep to ever even begin to heal properly.
My eyes shift to Fallon’s empty seat, and I’m reminded of the steps toward reconciliation that both she and Ford have taken recently.
When he’d presented her with the property title for Whispering Willows, which had been transferred by both Ford and Abi into Fallon’s name, she’d gone so far as to make eye contact when she thanked him. It’s a small victory, but every single one counts.
Wanting to help encourage their relationship as best I can, I push to stand, but Ford stops me when he gently tugs my hand in silent question. I answer with a soft smile. “I’m just going to bring Fallon a bowl. Make sure she doesn’t need help, that’s all.”
Both Ford and Sully begin to stand, clearly offering to go in my stead, but I stop them both with a quiet but firm, “I’ll go.”
I can feel Abi’s approving eyes on me, and I can’t help but glow under her silent praise. To say I’m more than a little in awe of the woman who reared the most wonderful man I know would be an understatement.
Once I’ve put a bowl of steaming chili, a bread roll, and a cool bottle of water onto a tray, I slip out the back door and stride across the yard toward the main stable.
Fallon’s favorite mare started to foal before we arrived for supper, and she refused to leave her side. Even though I have yet to form much of a relationship with Ford’s eldest sister, I’m determined to grow one.
As I walk into the stable, I hear Fallon’s voice as she murmurs soothingly, “It’s okay, Tilly girl. It’s okay. You’ve got this.” I round the corner into the stall, coming to a rapid halt when I see Fallon pacing, a worried expression pinching her brow.
She stops when she sees me, glancing at the food in my hands before resuming her pacing. I step closer, placing the tray on a high shelf before plucking the water from it, and passing it to Fallon. She accepts the offering without a word, draining it in two long gulps.
“This part is taking too long.” She screws the lid back on the empty bottle, worried eyes fixed on Tilly’s slick black coat. “I don’t wanna intervene, but I’m concerned at this point…”
As she trails off, I ask, “Should I run for Sully?”
Her eyes shoot to mine with a frown before she shakes her head succinctly. “No.” As she regards me, her voice is firm. “ You can help me.”
FORD
As Lissie and Fin move off to help Momma clear the table, I glance out the window in the direction of the stable. There’s no sign of Emmy returning, and frankly, considering how volatile Fallon can be, I’m getting a little concerned.
“Wanna go check on ’em?” I look over my shoulder to find Sully’s knowing eyes filled with laughter. “I mean, it’s not like Fal has made an effort with y’all, so what on earth could be takin’ Emerson this long, right?”
Without even answering, I stride toward the back door with a chuckling Sully hot on my heels. “Back in five, Momma.”
My feet eat the ground, getting me to the stable in less than twenty seconds despite the distance, and when I step inside, I stop so quickly that Sully runs into me.
“ Oof !” He starts to complain, but I shoot him a quelling glare and we both stop to listen.
“Oh my God, he’s going to stand, isn’t he? Isn’t he ?”
My sister chuckles indulgently. “Watch, Em. Once he’s upright, he’ll wanna nurse, too.”
Emmy’s gasp of delight is followed by the rustling of straw before she laughs, clapping her hands with delight. “You’re right. Aww, he’s so precious!”
I exchange a quick look with Sully before we slip from the stable, a broad smile on my face. And as we slowly walk back to the house, Sully sends me a grin.
“Who knew Emerson Hart would be the one to make it behind those sky-high walls of your downright cantankerous sister before either of us!”
Having returned to the house alone, Emmy didn’t mention anything about what passed between her and Fallon in the stable. Neither me nor Sully made a mention either, content enough in the knowledge that inroads were being made.
“Same time tomorrow, okay, you two?”
Momma’s voice is gentle but brooks no argument as I slip into the driver’s seat of my brand-new truck. Emmy slides in beside me, grinning broadly as she answers. “You’re stuck with us now, Abi.”
As a smile spreads across her face, Momma nods enthusiastically. “Makes my heart happy to hear it.” She leans over, slapping her palm off the hood of the truck as she sobers. “Now, safe home. Text me when you get there. Feels like rain.”
I nod fondly as I put the truck in drive and make our way off Whispering Willows property out onto the main road that leads to Circle H. Emmy is quiet, eyes fixed on the gathering clouds in the dusky late evening sky.
The silence between us is comfortable, and I reach for her hand as I take the turn onto the dirt track between Whispering Willows and Circle H that will bring us to the cabin, when suddenly the heavens open. A torrential rain pours down onto the window of the truck, making visibility almost zero, and I’m glad when the cabin finally comes into view, putting the truck into park just outside the door.
Emmy’s eyes are laughing when I turn to face her. “How your mom knew it was going to rain is beyond me.”
I chuckle as I shrug. “I swear, she’s psychic sometimes. Let’s just wait it out, baby. Shouldn’t be more’n a couple of minutes.”
As she peers out the window, the rain eases slightly, even as thunder rumbles in the distance, and Emmy turns to me with a grin.
“After the heat of today, it would be blasphemous to ignore the gift we’ve just been given.”
And with that, she ducks out of the truck with a peal of laughter, leaving me to watch as she extends her arms and spins in circles. Within seconds, her clothes are drenched through, but still, she spins, her lips spread in a blissed-out smile.
Every single time I look at Emerson, I’m convinced I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight in all my life, and this time is no exception. It’s as though she’s lit up from within, and every part of her calls to me, beckoning me closer, desperate to be near her.
“Fuck it.”
I’m out of the cab and by her side in half a heartbeat, and when I pull her against my body, her gaze clashes with mine before I close the gap to seal my mouth over hers, suddenly seized by the need to sink into her sweet body. To lose myself inside of her.