Chapter 23
twenty-three
Sloane
Iwas sure this plan would work, and I was even more sure Gage would be behind it. I thought that because we’d finally learned how to work together, things would be different—even if there was no future for us.
Based on his lack of response, it feels like nothing matters to him right now—not even the ranch. I don’t understand what happened to him—or why he’s giving up so easily when this place is his whole damn life.
I want him to dig his heels in. I want him to choose us. But that’s too much to ask. I see that now.
The decision came easier once I accepted that if Gage wasn’t willing to hold the line for the ranch, then maybe I couldn’t save it the right way.
I text Roger and tell him I’m heading back to Austin. If he wants to meet at headquarters, we can sort out the details there.
Let’s be clear: I have absolutely no desire to sign the deal as is. This NDA isn’t one I’d offer to my clients, let alone my worst enemy. It’s a vile clause, and I won’t allow it to stand unless it’s fixed on my terms.
I know I’ve been on this ranch a while now, but once upon a time, I was a suit. I know my way around contracts, NDAs, and parcels worth millions, and I also know Roger has no idea of that.
He’s so focused on enriching himself that he never bothered to check who he was actually working with.
Truthfully, men like him see a woman and assume she knows less than they do—that we’re easily swindled. He has another thing coming. I read the entire deal, every clause, and it’s utter garbage.
I walk into the Horizon Group headquarters with my head held high. I’m guided into a conference room where Roger waits, along with another man—older but equally slimy-looking.
It’s easy to tell Roger isn’t thrilled to have him in the meeting, but given how long this sale has been dragging on, my guess is the higher-ups are getting frustrated with him.
Inside, both men stand to greet me.
“Miss Carter, this is Jeremy Bourgh. He’s one of our senior executives here at Horizon,” Roger explains as I shake Jeremy’s hand.
“He’ll be sitting in today to ease any concerns you may have.”
Ease. Right. This isn’t about comfort—not in the slightest. It’s about intimidation. Two men against one woman isn’t exactly even—and they know it.
“Pleased to meet you,” he says as we take our seats. Jeremy grabs the documents—the ones I’ve already read thoroughly—and slides them toward me, pen included, as if I’d sign them as is.
“I’m not signing it like this,” I reply, looking between their shocked expressions.
“These terms are not only grossly immoral, but illegal.” I take out my copy and turn it toward them, tapping the highlighted sections.
“Here, for example, where it states, ‘upon signing, you are hereby seizing rights to any and all property on the land in question.’ That implies the moment the dotted line is signed, everything becomes yours before the ink even dries. Is that correct?” I ask, and they glance at each other uneasily.
Jeremy clears his throat. “That would be correct.”
“Except that’s illegal.” I pull out a printed document and place it on the table between us. “Texas law requires up to thirty days following a land transfer. That means you must allow occupants time to vacate the premises.” I meet their eyes.
“Unless Horizon doesn’t like playing by the rules.” They sigh deeply, and suddenly I can feel their nerves tightening the room.
“We can alter this deal and the clause for you,” Jeremy finally says, and I smile a fake grin in his direction. He looks to Roger. “Get this reworked, please,” he adds as Roger nods, stepping out of the conference room to leave me with Jeremy.
“We’ll reach out to you with the finalized details,” he adds as I get up, not even bothering to shake his hand.
The likelihood I’ll sign even the revised version is slim, not because it won’t be better—it will be. They’ll make it more profitable, I’m sure. But signing the ranch away to a group that’s done nothing but cause problems, only to let them get what they want anyway, isn’t justice.
So why come all this way, then? Because I needed distance—and clarity.
The stipulations in the will never said I couldn’t leave to clear my head and come back once I’d made my decision. They only stated I couldn’t leave with the intent of never returning.
When I step into my apartment, I drop onto the couch with a huff. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed being in my own space. Five and a half months away, and everything is still neatly in its place.
The only reason I kept my rent active was because I knew there was a chance I’d come back—long before I knew Gage, or whatever this was between us.
And this is why I needed to leave Bell River and reset. Figuring out what to do now feels even harder than it did when I was still stuck on the ranch. The difference is that Gage was always there, making me melt and lose my resolve, but that can’t always be the case.
I have to make this decision for me. At the same time, how can I do that when the man doesn’t even want to fight for anything anymore?
I groan, sighing deeply. This isn’t going anywhere, especially not on my own. I reach for my phone and dial Mandy, my best friend. Whenever I’ve had an issue, I’ve always known I could go to her.
I called her a couple of times while I was on the ranch, but I never dug too deep about Gage. I didn’t want to—mostly because I didn’t want to sound stupid.
Things between us were toxic in the beginning, and now we’re back in this hot-and-cold space where I feel foolish for even considering reconciliation.
I need to know I’m not insane for wanting to blow up my life over this.
“Hey girl, you made it back to town?” she asks as I sink deeper into the couch.
“Yeah, just got back to the apartment. Thanks for checking on it while I was away,” I reply, glancing around at how eerily quiet it is. I got so used to the sound of boots and the voices of the guys out on the pasture—small breaks in the stillness—that now the silence feels unsettling.
“No worries.” She pauses. “How did the signing go?”
I bite my bottom lip. “I couldn’t do it. Honestly, I spent most of the meeting subtly threatening them with legal action, but it prompted them to leave and finalize a real offer,” I explain.
“But you’re planning to?” She doesn’t question me—not out of expectation, but because after months of phone calls back and forth, she assumed I was going to sign my portion away in a buyout. We all assumed that in six months I’d be back in Austin, but now I’m not so sure.
“I don’t think I can, Mandy,” I reply softly. “My heart and my head keep telling me this is wrong.” I close my eyes, the weight of the decision collapsing on me like a five-ton anvil.
“Is it because of the ranch or the cowboy?” she asks, and I groan, making her laugh. “Okay, well, based on that response, I’m going to say it’s both.”
“I think I love him, Mandy,” I say, admitting it out loud for the first time. My heart feels like it’s bursting, finally releasing something I’ve been holding back for far too long. I’ve known for a while, but I didn’t want to think about it.
I was scared to admit it because of how reserved Gage is. He’s a shell shaped by his past, locked into a pattern of never fully opening his heart. He’s a man of brute strength, but emotionally, he’s scared.
“So what’s the issue?”
“The issue is that he probably doesn’t feel the same way—and if he does, he’s so emotionally detached that he keeps pushing me away.”
She hums. “Well, maybe it’s time for you to step up instead,” she says, pausing before continuing. “Set your intentions, but make the first move. For all you know, he could be waiting for you.” I hadn’t considered that.
Could Gage really be waiting for me to make the move?
Then it dawns on me.
Of course he is. He didn’t want to trap me—he wanted me to choose him.
All this time, it makes complete sense—especially when he handed me the lien parcels.
He never genuinely wanted me to sell, but he never fought me on it because he wanted the decision to be mine.
He gave me an out, should I want it, because he’s so used to being abandoned and burned that protecting himself came first.
The question now is: am I too late?
I get up from the couch and grab my keys from the table. “Do you mind watching the apartment for a little longer?” I ask as I lock the door behind me.
“Yeah, sure—why?”
I smile as I reach my car. “I’m going to get my cowboy.”
The drive back is filled with anticipation and a steady sense of determination.
I’m still not sure what I’m going to say to Gage. Do I just come out and say how I feel? Do I ask him to tell me how he feels? There are too many thoughts running through my mind, and none of them give me the exact answers I need. They leave me with more questions—but strangely, no doubts.
Everything tells me to trust my gut, and my gut says he feels the same way—he’s simply scared. I know, a grown man scared of love sounds ridiculous, but after everything he’s been through, it makes sense.
The idea of letting anyone in terrifies him, and I don’t blame him. I’ve had my share of bad boyfriends, but none of them nearly bankrupted me, and none of them were dropped off at their grandparents’ house by parents who never came back.
That kind of loss would make anyone lose faith in people, which is why I need to be the one to step up and hold my ground—stand for us.
I grip the steering wheel tightly as I pass the city limits and get closer to Bell River—closer to Gage.
Every mile back feels heavier than the last—not with doubt, but with truth. I’m done waiting for certainty. Some things only become clear when you choose them.
Now that I’ve figured out what I have to do, the next question is what my life looks like if he decides we’re worth showing up for. Do I stay and work on the ranch like I have for the past six months?
My life has always revolved around the city—helping landowners outside the limits get the most out of their property by providing resources, strategy, and guidance to expand crop production.
I hum thoughtfully as the sky darkens the longer I drive. Can I really be a business owner in Bell River while also managing the ranch?
I never considered the possibilities outside of Austin; everything I knew was centralized there—but the longer I spent in Bell River, surrounded by the people and the ranch, the more I realized I could truly be happy there.
The problem was that I was never asked to stay, and it felt like I’d been reaching for something that didn’t want me back.
Realizing that I need to give Gage grace is the fuel I need to know this is the right move. It will take work—nothing between us has ever been easy.
There’s been stress, toxicity, and pent-up aggression, but out of that came something bigger than either of us expected.
A future with Gage—on the ranch, in Bell River—feels possible, but not if I’m the only one still trying.
My phone rings from a number I don’t recognize. I know it’s Bell River, but it isn’t Gage’s—of that, I’m certain.
I answer. “This is Sloane.”
“Hey, Miss Carter, it’s Sheriff Riggins with the Bell River Sheriff’s Office. I tried reaching Gage, but he doesn’t seem to be pickin’ up.”
Dread settles in. Gage always picks up his phone.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, pressing my foot harder on the gas—still within the speed limit, but barely. If something happened to him…
“Oh, yeah—everything’s fine from what I know.” I breathe out, easing up on the gas. “I actually wanted to tell you both some good news,” he says, pausing just long enough to make sure I’m listening. “We got him.”
“The contractor?” I ask, remembering how Gage mentioned the man who worked all over town—and how he went down there himself, stubborn and furious, determined to confront him face-to-face.
“Yup, he sang like a canary once we caught him. Confessed about the break-in, too. Claimed your friend Horizon put him up to it. Needless to say, I’ll be visiting them as well,” he says, and it makes me even more glad—relieved, really—that I didn’t sign their contract.
From what it sounds like, the entire county could sue them. That, on top of the individual suits against them, they’d be looking at paying hefty settlements, or worse, bankruptcy.
That would be some poetic justice, and being able to watch the condos either be demolished or taken over by a legitimate company, all from the comfort of the ranch, would be bittersweet in the best possible way.
“Well, that’s great news. I actually just left them and had a pretty interesting conversation with them, so if you need a statement, I’ll happily provide it,” I offer, hoping I’ll never have to hear or see the name Horizon Group again.
“I’ll be looking forward to it, Miss Carter. Be sure to tell Gage the good news when you see him,” he says, and I promise him I will.
Well, that’s a new development—but a good one. Gage will be happy to know that the thorn in his side, that is, all the sabotage, is finally behind him.
Even if nothing comes out of my coming back and confessing my feelings, even if telling him I’m ready to jump all in changes nothing, at least I can leave knowing they will never have to worry about this company ever infringing on the land again.
The town limits come into view, and suddenly I’m nervous again. Things can go south quickly if I don’t do this right, but at the same time, the fear of not knowing is what keeps me moving forward.
Our last argument didn’t feel final; it just felt like disappointment. I didn’t really listen to him, and it didn’t seem like he trusted me either.
Even if we work things out, there are things we need to talk about before taking this any further, but right now, it’s simply a matter of getting there and finally speaking to each other.
I pass through Bell River and continue onward to Hollis Ranch.
Knowing I’m only minutes away sets my nerves alight, and the feelings I’ve been carrying for a while now are bubbling inside me, waiting to spill out.
I force myself to refrain from panicking prematurely, never having felt like this for any guy I’ve ever cared about—but Gage isn’t just any other guy. He’s so much more than that.
I turn onto the dirt road.
Just a few more paces and I’ll be back at the ranch. This time, I’m not coming back to wait. I’m coming back to choose.
Whatever that costs us—at least it will be honest. If he won’t choose us, I will still choose the truth.
I’ll say it out loud. I’ll stand my ground.
And when I see him, everything changes.
I just hope I can do this.