Chapter Eighteen #2
“You took the leap of faith to go and see Hunter,” Rose said. “But you need to be even braver for the next step.”
Staring at her friends, their words swirling in her head, Willow groaned out loud.
“I thought I was! After I left the jewelry store in Bozeman, I had this epiphany that I’ve been using my weirdness as a shield to protect myself.
I thought I had opened up my heart in spite of the fear of getting hurt but listening to all of you …
you’re right. I’ve made sure I have a way out if things didn’t work out. So, what do I do now?”
“It’s two days till Christmas,” Rose said. “Give yourself a chance to think of all the pros and cons. Didn’t you say he was visiting over New Years?”
“That was what he said,” Willow muttered. She would see Hunter in less than two weeks. Okay, she loved the man, but surely she could be okay without him for a few days?
“I also want to talk about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,” Laura was saying. “Shouldn’t we give Arlene a break this year and do the dinners ourselves?”
Willow wasn’t paying attention anymore. It was seventeen days before she saw him. Seventeen nights without him. Seventeen times twenty-four … Damn it, she was never good at math, but she did know seventeen days and seventeen nights were way too long to wait to see Hunter again!
Of course, she could just move to Colorado to always be with Hunter.
Could she do that, though? Just pick everything up and moved away from everything and everyone she’d ever known?
As she looked around her, her heart sighed. Of course she could. It meant she would always be with Hunter. She’d keep her house here for the times they visited her family, but they’d live on his ranch.
Hundreds of thoughts ran through her mind. How would Hunter feel about having her permanently around? It was one thing to have long-distance relationship with a weird artist, it was something entirely different to live with such a person day in and day out.
“… Willow?” Laura’s voice finally brought her back to the present.
“Sorry, what?”
As Laura repeated her questions, Willow’s mind was back to her problem. Instead of rushing back to Colorado like she wanted to do, she should maybe wait for Hunter’s visit and see how things were between them once he was here. So many things could still change.
*
Hunter put his phone back in the pocket of his jeans. Tod Styles had just phoned again about the property for sale outside Marietta, Montana. Listlessly, he kicked the bale of hay in front of him.
Why the hell did he keep answering the realtor’s calls?
It wasn’t as if he could do anything about it.
This ranch had been in his family for generations, this was where he belonged, he couldn’t just pack up and leave.
His dad was still fit, but after watching him over the last few days, Hunter knew his dad wouldn’t be able to keep managing the ranch.
His phone rang. It was his dad. Frowning, he answered. Why would his dad phone him, he knew where he was?”
“Dad?” he answered.
“Do you mind coming to the office, please, Son? We’d like to talk to you.”
Minutes later Hunter walked into the office in the homestead. His eyes widened. Both his parents were there as well as Wilder and Jade.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
His mom patted on the seat next to her. “We want to talk to you. Come and sit down.”
“About what?”
“About you and Willow,” Jade said.
“We’re fine, I’m flying to see her at the end of the month.”
“You’re unhappy, Son,” his dad said. “Everyone can see that.”
“We have a proposition for you,” Jade said. “One that should hopefully be a solution to your problem.”
Wilder cleared his throat. “We’ve been looking to expand for a while now …”
“Oh, Wilder, you’re taking too long,” Jade interrupted with a laugh.
“Wilder and I want to buy shares in our family ranch and manage it together with Wilder’s ranch.
That means you can go back to Montana to be with Willow.
You can still be involved here; fortunately, technology makes that it possible to talk every day.
Mom and Dad will stay in this house, we’ll build something else for us, and seeing that you already have plans for the house you want to build, you can go ahead and start with that. We’ll be here to oversee the process.”
Stunned, Hunter stared at his sister and her fiancé. “I … I don’t know what to say.”
“That is, of course,” Wilder said with a look in Jade’s direction. “If that’s what you also want. I don’t want you to think I’m taking over. With Jade’s help and your input we can manage both ranches. That way, this ranch stays in your family.”
“You are miserable without Willow,” his mom said. “I’ve never seen you look at any woman the way you look at her. Go make a life with her in Montana. That is where you heart is. We’re not going anywhere.”
“She doesn’t want to get married,” Hunter said.
“She’s wearing your ring, maybe she’s not so averse to the idea anymore.” Jade said. “But even if she doesn’t want to get married, you can still be together.”
“Hunter?” Wilder asked. “Is going back to Montana something you want?”
Still stunned, Hunter nodded. “I want to be with Willow and that’s where she is.
Your proposal is so surreal. You see, while I was still working on the Weston ranch and even before I knew how Willow felt about me, I spoke to a realtor to get a sense of prices of properties around the town and to see what was available.
He phoned a while ago about a property that is now available and just before you called me, Dad, he called again. ”
“Well, if that isn’t a sign that Montana is where you should be, I don’t know what is.” His dad grinned.
Hunter looked his dad in the eye. “How do you feel about it? You and I have always talked about me coming back to take over from you.”
“We want you and Jade to be happy. That is really all any parent want for their kids. I know the ranch is in good hands with Wilder and Jade. Your mom and I will have time to take all the trips we’ve been talking about and you will still be involved.”
His mom touched his hand. “One of the first trips would be a visit to Yellowstone National Park. And you’ve told us so much about Marietta, I would love to spend some time there as well.”
“Let me show you what Jade and I and your dad have discussed,” Wilder said as he took out his laptop.
Wilder had made an impressive spreadsheet and as he explained what he had in mind, Hunter tried to focus on the columns and what he was saying.
His mind, however, was reeling with so many ideas and decisions and plans, he struggled to concentrate.
“Come on, you two,” his dad said as he got up. “We have so much to celebrate, you can talk figures later.”
“Will you excuse me for a moment?” Hunter asked.
“Are you going to phone Willow?”
“Nope, but I do have other people I need to talk with.”
“The grumpy brothers?” Jade asked.
“Them, too.” Turning away, he got out his phone.