Chapter 29
“For the lady,” I hand Sadie her favorite drink from Stag and Steam, an iced peppermint mocha with marshmallows on top. A sugary payment for her to get an X-Ray this morning.
“Thank you, Cowboy.” She takes it, grinning from ear to ear, immediately popping a marshmallow in her mouth.
She thought I was being ridiculous about the whole thing, but I’m not a man to take risks regarding her well-being, and I feel much better knowing that she’s all clear.
Besides, with all of my fussing over her, or so she called it, I’m learning how to persuade her stubborn side.
Which is an important skill I need to develop for the long future I’m planning with her.
After purchasing Sadie a new phone, finally a phone that’s from the current time period, I drive down Main Street, pulling into the parking lot for our next stop. She takes a deep breath, keeping her eyes on the old courthouse.
“You ready?” I offer my hand for hers.
I know she’s worried about the repercussions of filing for divorce. Worried it’ll anger him even further. But I’d already confirmed this morning that if he ever tries to come back, he’ll never touch her again.
She smiles, taking my hand. “I’m ready.”
A few hours later, we exit the courthouse.
Sadie stops midway down the sidewalk, turning her face to the grey sky, closing her eyes as she breathes in deep. Snowflakes kiss the tip of her nose, melting as they collide with her jacket.
“Are you okay?” I gently ask, placing a hand on her arm. The process for divorce was fairly easy, but I’m sure it brought back painful memories.
Not to mention the bruising on her skin that everyone was staring at, and I know it bothered her.
“Yes,” she smiles, keeping her eyes closed. “Just remembering this moment of pure freedom.” She breathes in deep one more time, exhaling a thick cloud of vapor before turning to me. “And why I never want to get married again.”
Though I understand her feelings, it tugs at my heart, but for her, I smile. She knows I would never hurt her in that way. That I would never be like him.
One day, I’m hopeful her feelings about marriage will change. A crazy thought considering my last proposal went to fucking shit, but something about presenting Sadie with something meaningful makes my heart soar. Getting those papers for the ranch signed tomorrow would be a start.
A proposal I don’t think she’ll run from.
“I’m starving, Cowboy,” she threads her arm through mine.
We find ourselves at The Hollow Hearth, a local restaurant on Silver Lake Drive.
A popular place that serves famous farmed elk dishes.
As we enter, the aromas of rosemary, buttered biscuits, and wood-burning smoke fill my nose.
The warmth from the massive fireplace invites us to sink into the cozy booth in front of it, warming ourselves from the cold chill.
Outside, soft snow falls, covering my truck in a thin layer.
Small town, so everyone here knows who I am as soon as we walk in. Faint whispers echo around us as Sadie observes the menu. But I couldn’t care less. Let the whole damn town know that this beautiful woman is mine.
“They serve elk here?” she asks with wide eyes.
I still forget how new she is to my hometown.
“It’s a local delicacy.” Her nose twinges at my response. “I think you’d like the elk and mushroom pot pie,” I offer. “I’ve heard people refer to it as an emotional support pastry.” The buttery, melt-in-your-mouth kind.
She perks up, considering it. “Do they really?” I smile with a nod. “What do you usually get?”
“The smoked hot chili.” Made with slow-simmered elk, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a dash of cocoa. I can’t even remember the last time I had it. Would’ve been some time before I moved to San Francisco and met Dakota.
What a fool I was.
Mabel, a waitress I’ve known since I was a boy, comes up before Sadie can respond. “Kit! It’s been so long, darling. Who’s—” she gasps, taking one look at the bruises around her throat. “Oh, honey, what happened to you?”
She’s known me long enough to know I’m not responsible, but it doesn’t stop her from giving me a strange look, questioning me.
“Oh, no, no. This isn’t from him,” Sadie confirms before I can, waving her hands as if to wipe away the accusation. “This is… well, I got a divorce today. From the asshole who did this,” she gestures to the bruise on her cheekbone.
“Oh, well, thank goodness,” her face lights up in relief. “And good fucking riddance,” Mabel smiles, placing a soft, freshly manicured hand on Sadie’s shoulder. “I was about to take him outside and bury him in a snowbank.”
Sadie smiles, stifling a laugh.
“Sadie, this is Mabel, Blake’s Aunt,” I chime in.
Mabel’s eyes light up. “Sadie? Oh, I’ve heard so much about you. Blake just adores you.”
Sadie’s cheeks flush pink. “I umm… I adore him, too.” Her eyes flash to mine. “Differently, of course, I—”
“It’s okay,” I smile.
“This sounds like a call for a cinnamon hearth roll. On the house,” Mabel winks, taking off towards the kitchen.
Sadie’s eyes brighten with excitement. “That sounds like it’s my new favorite thing.”
I laugh, knowing it probably will be. There’s nothing quite like Mabel’s homemade cinnamon rolls.
“Are you sure we should be doing this?” she asks.
“Eating cinnamon rolls?”
She laughs. “No, I mean, taking today off. Indulging in sugary treats and emotional support pastries.”
I reach for her hand across the table, holding it steady. “If anyone saw you working today, they’d tell you to get lost.” She snorts. “I’m serious. You need time to get your mind off things. There’ll be plenty of work tomorrow. And you deserve days like this, Sadie.”
She wrestles with her thoughts, dropping her chin to her chest. “I hate that everyone thinks you did this. Doesn’t it bother you?”
“Everyone in this town cares about one another.” Something I’ve never truly appreciated until now. Gossip aside, we’ve always been the kind of town to stick up for one another. “You’re one of us now.”
She smiles at that, deciding to try the elk and mushroom pot pie. Devouring it shortly after it arrives, licking off every golden flaky crumb that sticks to her fingers. She bravely wants to try a spoonful of my chili, but the moment the spices sink into her tongue, she instantly regrets it.
“Damn, Cowboy! How do you eat that?” She desperately gulps down her glass of water, pouring another. “That tastes like fire!”
“I like things hot,” I smirk at her.
After ordering Sadie a glass of milk to quench the flames, we laugh and talk like this is something we’ve done for years.
I used to fear having dates in town, wanting to steer clear of gossip and avoid boring conversations with people I didn’t particularly feel like talking to.
But now I can’t wait to show Sadie more of what Aspen Hollow has to offer.
To have more days just like this that make her smile.
Something I’ll have to make a point to do when I become the new ranch owner.
A familiar figure in my peripheral vision startles me.
My cousin Cash Harlow walks through the door with a smile before heading to the bar, gesturing for me to come over. Sadie hasn’t noticed, so I excuse myself to pay the bill, not wanting to cause her any stress.
Whatever he wants from me wouldn’t be any good.
“Don’t you have better things to do than hang out in Aspen Hollow?” I glare at him as he downs a shot, placing money on the counter for the bill.
He turns to me with a smile, licking his lips. “So that’s why you wouldn’t let me dance with her,” he nods to Sadie, still blissfully unaware. “Didn’t know you two were a thing.”
“We weren’t—we are now. Look, is there some kind of reason you’re still here?” And not far away in New York, wasting someone else’s time.
“My dad has cancer. I’m visiting,” he smiles.
“Bullshit.” He wouldn’t care if Cole was run over in the street. In fact, he’d probably do it himself. “What’s the real reason?”
Cash leans casually against the bar, letting out a sigh. “Well, I was here to see Cole. Make sure the old man is still breathing. But then I saw your truck and remembered that we still had things to talk about,” he smiles with the corner of his mouth.
“We haven’t had things to talk about in twenty years.”
He chuckles, running a hand through his golden hair. Hair just like Annie used to have before it went white. “Yeah, maybe, but we definitely do now.” He stands up straighter, adjusting his suit jacket. “I’m here to make a deal with you. One you’re going to like.”
“Like I’d make a deal with you,” I scoff.
“I want Lone Pine.”
Predictable spoiled rotten bastard. “Of course, you do,” I sigh. “But you can’t just—”
“I’m willing to give you half,” he interrupts. “You sign the ranch over to me, and I’ll give you half of what it sells for.”
I blink, caught off guard by his proposal. “You’ll give me half?” That’s an extremely generous offer coming from him.
He nods. “Just think of what you could do with all that money.” He gestures to Sadie. “You could give her anything she wants.” My eyes follow his gaze to her, still enjoying her dessert. “The sky would be the limit.”
A ranch like Lone Pine would be worth more money than I’d know what to do with. “You think money will persuade me?”
He steps closer, desperation clinging to his voice. “Come on. We both know you don’t want it. You never wanted it. Your whole life, Cole has been using you. Training you to uphold some stupid family legacy, but you don’t need to play his games. I’m offering you an out.”
An offer I might’ve taken weeks ago.
He points to Sadie. “I mean, isn’t that girl’s happiness what you truly want?”
Of course it is. Protecting her and making her happy has been my number one priority since my heart spoke her name. Since the day she became mine. But I loved this ranch as much as I loved Sadie, and no offer in the world would be good enough for me to let them go.
The ranch is our home.
“You’re right,” I start, and his face lights up. “I never wanted the ranch.”
“So, make a deal with me,” he smiles.
“Why do you want the ranch?” He laughs like my question is ridiculous. “No, seriously. Why do you really want it? Is it truly money? Pride?”
“I’m Cole’s son,” he says, like I’ve forgotten that fact.
So pride, then. “Yeah, I know.”
“Then you know that it should be mine,” he pierces his blue eyes into mine.
“You’ve had so many chances to earn the ranch, Cash. Cole gave you every opportunity.”
He laughs, disbelieving my words.
I place a firm hand on his shoulder, saying words I should’ve said years ago.
“Look, I’m sorry you’ve hated me for all these years for being what you couldn’t be.
I swear to you that it was never intentional.
But the ranch is not for sale, Cash. I love Lone Pine in a way that you never will, and that’s—” I push a finger into his chest, “Why Cole chose me. You can hate me for it, but I think it’s time you moved on.
I’m handing in the papers tomorrow. It’s already done. ”
His eyes darken, lips forming a tight line.
“Kit,” Sadie grabs my forearm, coming up behind me. “Is everything alright?”
“This is your last chance,” Cash says through clenched teeth, balling his fists at his sides.
“Good. We’re finally on the same page, then.” With that, I pat his shoulder and take Sadie’s hand, leaving him in the restaurant with an expression of rage branded into his face.
“What was that all about?” Sadie asks as we exit.
“Family drama,” I smile at her. “Nothing to worry about, though.”
The last thing I want is for Cash’s sudden appearance to ruin my surprise tomorrow. A gift I can’t wait to give her.
Safety. Stability.
Sure, I’m scared as hell to submit those documents, to make a mistake that could ruin over a hundred years of Harlow tradition.
To be responsible for everyone and everything that comes with owning a cattle ranch.
But with her hand in mine, I feel I can conquer the world and every obstacle that comes our way.
I press a kiss to the top of her hand, keeping one hand on the steering wheel and the other in hers as we weave through the forests, heading home.
Sadie sings along to my music, shimmying in her seat to the blended genres of rock, metal, country, and folk music.
Accepting every part of my personality with open arms, just as she has since the start.