Chapter 50
FIFTY
Bishop
“All right. This way.”
I take Aspen’s hand in one of mine and Fallon’s in the other, checking to make sure both their blindfolds are still in place.
We’re walking from the homestead across the field to the barn.
The homestead we moved into a few months ago, and it’s become our own little sanctuary up here in the mountains.
There were just a few things still missing that I had plans to remedy, ones I made sure to have finished just in time for Aspen’s birthday.
“We don’t even get a hint, Pops?” Fallon tilts her head in my direction. Pops is my new nickname, courtesy of my daughter. It started as a joke when I told her she might have to find something else to call me besides Bishop, and it stuck sometime after I admitted to Aspen that I kind of liked it.
“No. Careful.” I pull her closer to me as we walk over some rocky ground toward the barn.
I’ve been spending a hell of a lot of time out here all summer. Whenever I wasn’t helping Ramsey with his attempt to bring cattle back onto the ranch or spending time with my family, I was here fixing it up.
The old barn is on the Fool’s Gold Homestead property that Ramsey gave me in exchange for helping him bring the ranch back to its glory, but it was so dilapidated I wasn’t sure I could salvage it.
Hundreds of hours of elbow grease and a heavy dose of blood and sweat later—plus a little help from my brothers-in-law and Anson—and she almost looks good as new.
I’ve even gotten the whole thing renovated inside.
So I thought we’d celebrate Aspen’s birthday with a gift for both her and Fallon.
“All right. Hang on for a minute. I gotta open something,” I say when we get to the doors, letting their hands go in favor of unlatching the barn door.
“Can we take the blindfold off yet?” Aspen asks.
“Not yet. You’ll ruin the surprise.” I grin at the way she tilts her head from behind the mask.
“I have theories,” Fallon tosses out as she shifts on her feet, impatiently waiting for me.
“Well, just give me a moment.” But the second I work the latch free and open the door, my surprise is determined to give me away.
Pepper whinnies loudly, and Clover sticks her head out a moment later to join in the greeting. Fallon lets out a loud squeal and rips her blindfold off.
“Oh my god! You didn’t!” She bursts through the barn door and hurries straight for Pepper, who greets her happily.
“Bishop…” Aspen kept her blindfold on, but her lips part in surprise as she turns to me.
I take her hand and pull her close, taking her to the other stall, slipping the blindfold down around her neck to show her Clover, who leans out to investigate her new owner.
“Oh my god. She even has the same coloring.” Aspen runs her hand down Clover’s gray nose that fades to a deep black.
“She’s from the same rescue organization,” I explain, grinning back at her, and her smile grows wider and wider. “It’s still around, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to see, and when I saw her…” Clover looks just like the horse Aspen had as a girl.
“You are amazing.” She looks at me, her eyes wide and bright. Her attention turns to Fallon, who is currently doting all over Pepper. “You gave her her own horse.”
“I thought she earned it. She’s been working hard helping Hazel in the barns at the main house, and I know she wants to do more than just ride the trails. Figured that would be easier to do if she had her own.” I watch as my daughter looks like she might burst from joy as Pepper nudges her.
“You’ll have to help with the chores,” Aspen reminds Fallon.
“I don’t mind!” Fallon shakes her head, still smiling at Pepper.
“Mucking the stalls. Getting up early before school to feed the horses with me.” Aspen rattles off a few of the responsibilities, and Fallon just nods along.
“Yes. I promise!” Fallon looks back at us both and then rushes me, throwing her arms around my waist and squeezing me tight. “Thank you. Thank you so, so much. You are the best!” She squeals as I squeeze her back.
“You’re welcome. But your mom is right. It’ll be more work than you’re used to.”
“I’m ready for it.” Fallon nods and looks back at Pepper just as Scout, my horse, cranes his neck out to figure out what the big commotion is today. “When can we go for a ride? Today? Now?” Fallon looks back at me wide-eyed.
“I don’t know about—” I hedge, looking back at Aspen. It’s her birthday.
“You can go today. She won’t rest if she can’t get a ride in before she leaves tomorrow.” Aspen shakes her head.
Fallon is flying out with Ethan for the week before school starts up again.
I’m not looking forward to Fallon leaving us, but I’m excited to have Aspen to myself for an entire weekend on her birthday.
She’s been gone for the last few weeks at field school and having her back home—let’s just say I have plans.
“Are you sure?” I raise a brow, skeptical that she truly wants to be alone.
“I’m sure. I’ll spend a little more time with Clover here, and then when she’s tired of me, I’ll get a little reading in on the porch.” Aspen grins. “I could use a little read and nap before we go meet the family for dinner tonight.”
“You don’t want to come with us?” Fallon rolls her lip in a pout.
“Nah. I think it’s you and your father’s turn for a little alone time.” Aspen shakes her head.
“Can we ride to the lookout?” Fallon looks to me.
The lookout is just around the mountain, and it has a spectacular view of my family’s ranch, but it’s a bit of a ride from here. I glance down at my watch.
“You should have time if you hurry.” Aspen reads my mind.
“All right. Let’s get them ready. I got the tack over here.” I nod over my shoulder for Fallon to follow me.
“See you later.” Aspen kisses my cheek. “Thank you. Truly. I love her.” Aspen grins back at her horse and then glances back at me. “I love you.”
“I love you too, honey.”
As we ride out around the ridge to the lookout, the Bradford ranch comes into full view.
A scattering of rolling clouds flows over the landscape around it, which makes it look like it could be something from a painting.
From up here, you’d never know it was anything but picturesque.
It still holds all the memories it used to for me, but in light of the present, they seem distant enough now that I have a plan to turn it into something productive.
I’ve been hatching a plan for the last month with Aspen.
One we started dreaming about when we opened the safe deposit boxes with the keys she found in the mine.
There was a hell of a lot more than we bargained for—several million dollars in gold bars.
Ones her grandfather had put there. The gold was divided equally.
Each box was left with a note that said “for a rainy day” in her grandmother’s handwriting and addressed to each of her sons: Kip, Creighton, and Jay.
Jay’s portion was given to his surviving daughter.
Creighton’s money has been set aside as the foundation for a new nonprofit dedicated to the repatriation of artifacts and the prosecution of black-market trade.
An organization headed up by Zephyrine and Charlotte.
Kip’s portion was intended to be divided amongst all the siblings, but Grant, Levi, and Ramsey all refused to take their share, insisting that they all had more than enough money and property for a lifetime.
So Aspen and I promised to make sure that we created a legacy that would make a difference in his name.
“What’s all that down there?” Fallon asks as she notices all of the construction equipment that’s made its way onto the ranch property.
“That’s our future.” I glance over at her.
“What are you building?”
“A place where kids who have it hard at home can get away for a bit. We figure that we’ll start with a summer camp or two. Maybe have some weekend classes. They can learn to ride. Spend some time with the horses.”
“Really?” Fallon looks back at me in surprise, shielding her eyes from the sun.
I nod. “That’s why I thought you might want to have Pepper. Learn the ins and outs so you might get to a place where you can teach some other kids eventually.”
“That sounds fun.” She grins. “Maybe barrel racing too?”
“Maybe.” I laugh. “If that’s what you want to do. We’ll see what we can make happen.”
Her lips press together, and her eyes dip down to the ground for a moment in thought before they meet mine again.
“I’m sorry for the things I said when you first came back. I know I didn’t make it easy on you.”
“You’re all right.”
“No. I mean it. You’ve made Mom happier than I think I’ve ever seen her. I understand now why she was so excited that I’d get to know you.”
“Are you happy? I know you miss your dad, and this transition hasn’t been easy on you.”
“More than happy. I do miss Dad. I’m excited I get to see him this week.
But I’ll miss you and Mom while I’m gone, you know.
He’s my dad, but you’re my pops.” She grins brightly at me, and I shake my head in amusement.
“And I don’t know how we made it without you around all this time.
I can’t imagine you not being here now.”
“This is because I got you a pony, isn’t it?” I try to deflect with a joke because her sentiments have my chest swelling with emotion I wasn’t ready for out here in the bright light of day.
“No. This is because you’re you.” She gives me a meaningful look. “But the pony doesn’t hurt.” She brushes her hand over Pepper and flashes another smile in my direction.
“I love you, Fallon. I know we lost a lot of time. But I’m grateful for every second we get now.”
“I love you too.” Fallon looks out across the ranch.
“I can’t wait to help with everything. I thought I’d never stop missing Boston, but this summer…
” She takes a breath and closes her eyes, letting the sun hit her face.
“I don’t know. It’s felt like this was always home, and I just didn’t know it yet.
Like I’d miss it even if I never got to see it. ”
“That’s because you’re your mother’s daughter.” She looks so much like her now.
“And my father’s.” She grins again. I see it light her eyes the same way it does mine, and my heart is full with a mix of pride and love that I’m not sure I’ll ever get enough of.