Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
TANDY
A fter kissing Matthew goodbye, I walk back to my truck. Dallas mentioned that he’d be talking to Beau and Clint today, so I’m waiting to hear from him. And probably Beau.
I don’t want my friends to be upset, but since the idea of a ranch popped in my head, I’ve wanted Dallas to be a part of it. His mom felt stronger about family than I did. Mostly because she did all the things my parents expected, and I chose other paths.
Her ability to forgive the wrongs of our childhood amazed me, and now that I’m living life without her around, I want to hold tight to those family connections. Dallas isn’t the warmest, but he’s kind. After his engagement fell apart and his parents died, all within weeks of each other, something changed. He hasn’t been the same.
Knowing that his dedication to bachelorhood is rooted in pain, I don’t push him. I’d be tickled to see him find love, but even I know when not to push it.
I’m halfway home when Dallas calls.
“Hello?”
“I told ’em. Let them know that I’d be around a few more months, but that I’d be leaving to go be part of Matchmaker Ranch. They understood.”
“They probably hate me, but I’m so excited that you are going to run this place. And grateful. There is no way I would know what to do.”
“Matthew has run cattle. He has a ranch.”
“And Matthew is in his seventies. He’s twice your age, Dallas.”
There is a chuckle on the other end of the line. “Sometimes I forget how old he is. And you. Y’all are both pretty spry for your age.”
“It’s my stubbornness. They say that the good die young. I might live forever.” I don’t actually think that, not the live forever part, but about not being good. When I was growing up, there was a picture painted of what my life should be like, and that was labeled as good. I did not choose that life. And my parents made their disappointment very clear over the years. It kept me away from this town for a long time.
Even after they passed on, I only returned to see my sister on occasion. Being around Matthew has been good for me. I’m happy with the life I chose. I don’t have lingering regrets about not being the perfect small-town wife.
Matthew and I wouldn’t have worked back then. We wanted different things. I chased my dreams, and he lived the life he wanted.
What we have now works because he’s widowed and I’ve finally embraced this small-town life. And I appreciate that he’s now helping me make more dreams come true.
“Once they’re finished with the house, I’ll hand over the keys. You can move in whenever. And like I said, if you want to build another house somewhere on the property, I’m totally fine with that.”
“We’ll see. The house that’s being built is plenty fine. It’s just me.” He groans. “Telling them was hard, but I’m not looking forward to telling the other guys. At least I’ll be close. We still see Sutton, so maybe they will stay in contact with me too.”
“Of course they will. Y’all are good friends. And if they hire a new ranch hand, you can tell them that I’ll match him up for free.”
Dallas lets loose a belly laugh, something I haven’t heard from him in years. “Pretty sure they’ll say no to that. But I’ll let them know.”
“You never know. All the other guys have someone. The new guy might feel left out.”
“Trust me. He’ll get over it.” Dallas sighs. “I’m at the mess hall. So I’m going to let you go. And if you get blasted with texts, you’ll know why. Bye.”
I end the call, knowing I’ll be hearing from Beau at some point. And I do hope he understands.
Back at the house, I turn on music and sit down to write. I’m so behind on where I planned to be with this book, but it hasn’t been my top priority. It doesn’t rank as high as the ranch or as Matthew. And he has dominated a lot of my time recently. And that is in no way a complaint.
Lonely evenings are a thing of the past. On the nights he has other plans, he still stops by for a cup of tea before going home.
Chip stretches on my desk as I write, and Dale curls up near my feet. With as much as I’ve been gone, they seek me out when I’m home.
When I finish the chapter, I check my phone. And there is a message from Beau. It’s an angry emoji.
Now I feel bad.
So I respond.
Me: Sorry.
I don’t need to explain further. It seems obvious that the reasons for my choice are clear. And while I’m not sorry for asking Dallas, I am sorry it’s going to leave Beau short a ranch hand.
Beau: Just giving you a hard time. But please don’t steal any others.
He sends a smiley, letting me know we’re good.
Beau: Lilith and I are excited about your new endeavor. And I can’t wait to see Dallas helping match couples.
He follows that message with a laughing emoji.
And I send the same. The idea is funny. But I’m hoping that one day Dallas will meet someone who helps him find that spark and give up his chokehold grip on singlehood.
After dinner, Matthew and I opt to sit on the couch instead of outside. He waits on the sofa while I make our tea. And when I walk into the living room, his head is tipped back, and he’s sound asleep, sitting up.
I set the tea on the table and add an extra throw pillow to one end of the couch. “Matthew, sweetie, lie down.”
He opens his eyes. “Sorry. Do you need help with the tea?”
“It’s right there. But you look exhausted. Skip the tea and sleep.” I point down the hall. “You can stay the night.”
He stares at me for several heartbeats before sliding his hand behind my neck and pulling me to his lips. “As much as I’d like to stay, I can’t.” He taps the seat beside him. “And I’ll elaborate on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You have to keep this a secret… for now.”
“A secret from whom?” I need to know what I’m getting myself into.
He releases a slow breath, then rubs his face. “Everyone.”
Several possible ideas pop into my head, all of them horrible. “Please tell me that you haven’t been given a terminal diagnosis. I can’t keep that kind of secret, Matthew. Not only would I be a mess, but I also couldn’t face Haley or Zach. I’d have to stop going into Delaney’s shop.”
“And that would be a real shame.” He drapes an arm around me. “Next time you shop, can I see what you bought?”
I give him a good-natured elbow to the ribs. His attempts to steer the conversation in a different direction will not work.
He laughs. “It’s not a diagnosis. And it’s not terminal.”
“Whew. Then talk away, and it’ll stay between us.”
“Actually, it’s best if I don’t say anything. But I’m sorry for falling asleep on you.”
If I had the agility, I’d straddle his lap and lecture him face-to-face. But I only write scenes like that these days, I don’t live them.
So I do the next best thing. I grab a fistful of his shirt. “No, sir, you cannot change your mind now. Uh-uh. Tell me what’s going on.”
“If I do, the work we are doing on the ranch will continue as normal. Nothing will change. Promise me.”
“Okay, fine. Just tell me. Because all this pre-telling is making me nervous.”
“Pre-telling?”
“Now you’re just stalling.” I release my grip on his shirt but keep my hand on his chest. “Please, Matthew.”
“My foreman, Mario, gave notice. He’s out of town this week, so I’m handling all the stuff on my ranch. But he moves away in three weeks. When the whole family is in town, I’ll bring it up. But until then, I’m covering the chores. And it’s wearing me out.”
“Your son lives not far from here. You have two strong grandsons close by. Ask for help. And I can get Colt to help me with some of the ranch list?—”
Matthew touches a finger to my lips. “You promised. I love what we are doing on the ranch, and I want to be a part of it. And I may end up getting help from my family, but I need to give it some thought. Decide what I want for the future. David still works a full-time job. He doesn’t have the time to be out there working on the ranch. Zach and Eli work and have small children. I don’t want to burden them before I’ve made some decisions.” He laces his fingers with mine. “For now, let’s keep this just between us. Please.”
I nod. “But this is what we’re going to do.”
Chuckling, he raises an eyebrow. “What’s that, Lucy?”
“Stop with the Lucy. I’m giving advice because I care about you. We are going to pause our morning walks. Instead, I’ll drive out to your place and help with chores.”
His chuckle morphs into a belly laugh. “Seriously? You are going to feed and water horses? Muck stalls?”
“You betcha, cowboy. And at the end of the day, we’ll have dinner at your place on the nights you’re free. Unless you don’t want me using your kitchen. If it’s too weird…”
He brushes a finger along my cheek. “I like your plan. And I’d love to have you in my kitchen.”
Our tea is cold by the time we finally get around to taking sips.