Epilogue
Two months later . . .
Cal rocked on Dillon’s porch in the evening air, his left arm in a sling.
He was getting stronger every day, but it would be a while before he was at a hundred percent.
Dusty stood at the grill, tapping his toes to a country song.
Dillon, his mother, and Arizona—Dusty’s latest girl—filed out of the house carrying food they set on the table.
“Is it almost ready, honey?” Arizona called to Dusty.
He glanced at them. “You can’t rush perfection.”
Everyone chuckled, including Cal. They’d all recently learned that Dusty loved to grill as much as he loved ranching, and he took both seriously. Especially with the black apron he wore with big, white letters that said: Grill Master.
Arizona strutted down the steps in her short dress to stand by Dusty. He gave her a quick kiss and wrapped his free arm around her as they talked.
Dillon came to sit beside Cal and handed him a sweet tea. “What a day.”
“You can say that again,” his mother said as she joined them.
Cal blew out a breath. “I’m glad it’s over.”
“I wouldn’t say it was over,” Dillon said.
He glanced at her and chuckled. “I still can’t believe Hank left me Ivy Ridge.”
“I’m not surprised,” Wanda said. “He thought of you like a son.”
Cal took a long drink of tea. “The whole ranch, though.”
“What are you going to do with it?” Dillon asked.
Cal felt Dillon’s and his mother’s gazes on him. He looked into the distance. Ever since he’d learned that Hank had left him the ranch, Cal had been considering what to do. “I figure there are a couple of options. I can run it while you run yours,” he told Dillon.
She nodded. “That’s an option.”
His mother snorted and looked away to take a drink of tea.
Cal shook his head at her. “I could sell it.”
“You could,” Dillon said, wrinkling her nose.
His mother snorted even louder.
“The option I’m leaning toward is dividing it. We take as much as we want and incorporate it into the Bar 4. The rest, we divide into sections and sell.”
Dillon’s eyes brightened. “I have to admit, I like that idea the most.”
Cal looked at his mother to find her smiling.
“What about the house?” Dillon asked. “It’s much bigger and nicer than mine. The location atop the hill is rather amazing.”
Cal reached for her hand with his right one. “I personally prefer your place, but I’ll live anywhere you are.”
“Really?” she asked with narrowed eyes.
He chuckled. “Really.”
“Then I’d like to stay here.”
His mother let out a big sigh. “Thank God. I don’t know if I could walk into the other house even if you two lived there. Now, tell me. When’s the wedding?”
“Mom,” Cal said with a glower. “We’re getting to that. In our own time.”
Dillon laughed and leaned forward to see Wanda. “He’s made it plain that he wants to be able to use both arms before then.”
“Oh, I see,” his mother said with a chuckle before bringing the glass to her mouth for another drink.
Cal rolled his eyes. “You two.”
“Hey,” Dusty called to them and held up his phone. “Did y’all see?”
Dillon shook her head. “See what?”
“Dates for Emmett’s trial as well as Isaac’s have been announced.”
Cal looked at Dillon. “I can’t believe both are going to leave it to a jury to determine their fate.”
“I don’t want to talk about them,” she said with a smile. “I’d rather continue talking about our future.”
He tugged her out of her chair and onto his lap. “You are one special woman.”
“I know. Aren’t you lucky to have me?” she teased with a smile as she ran her hands through his freshly cut hair.
There was no laughter in his eyes when he said, “More than you could possibly imagine. I love you, darlin’.”
“I love you, cowboy,” she whispered and placed her lips on his.
Thank you for reading THAT COWBOY OF MINE. I hope you enjoyed Cal and Dillon’s book.