“Could be. I’m really sorry about your dad and how stubborn he is. No kid deserves that treatment; you didn’t, especially. You left to better yourself and the ranch, it’s a shame that he was too blind to see that.”
“Maybe I realize that now, but…back then, it was the worst thing you could say to an eighteen-year-old girl, you know? I mean, spite has always been my biggest motivator, so maybe it’s because of him that I am doing as good as I am.”
“Don’t give him that much credit.”
“Man,” she giggles as she leans back into the booth and looks around for a second. “It’s like Hicks Creek, especially this restaurant, is stuck in a time warp. I’m not saying that in a derogatory way, either. It’s…comforting.”
“Different than Montana?”
“Yeah, but only because I didn’t spend my formative years there to know if anything has changed, I guess. College Station, on the other hand—eight years of my life there.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Yes and…” She smiles. “I learned how to be an adult there, learned a lot about myself because I didn’t feel like I had a safetynet. I learned to have a really good work ethic because of the ranch, and that spilled over to school. Perfect 4.0 GPA.”
“Damn, that’s impressive. What made you choose Montana?”
“Dr. Jameson. He was an advisor at A&M. He was impressed with my work ethic and grades, and he told us about his company and the work they were doing. He was an incredible mentor and very knowledgeable. When I learned that he was one of the top leaders in bovine medicine and disease control and he offered me a job, I knew it was where I needed to be.”
“Oh, is that…”
She puts a hand up to stop me. “Ronnie is his son, yes. Ronnie and I were in a relationship for about two years, and he wasn’t my boss until the last six months of it. I realized what type of person he really was then and ended it.”
“Yeah, he’s pleasant.”
She giggles and shakes her head. “Pleasant is the exact opposite word to use.”
“I was trying to be nice,” I chuckle.
“No need for that. Call it as you see it.”
“I like that about you. You’re very honest and accept the same from those around you. It’s nice.”
“Thanks for suggesting this,” she says softly.
“I really had a hidden agenda.”
She cocks an eyebrow and looks back at me suspiciously. “What’s that?”
“I just want to spend as much time with you as possible. We need to make up for the last ten years, because despite how I acted when you first got here…I haven’t been able to get that night out of my head.”
She doesn’t reply, but her face turns bright red. She ducks her head and focuses on eating.
So she’s going to play a little shy, I’m okay with that. As long as she knows how I feel, that’s all that matters. Maybe, I can get her to stay in Hicks Creek for good.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sutton
When I was a teenager, I dreamed of a moment like this. I had such a crush on Wade but didn’t think he saw me as more than an annoying teenage girl. I also just never thought I’d have a chance with Wade Callahan.
I can feel my cheeks are flushed and that my entire body is responding to him with warmth. It feels…nice to have him be honest with me about his intentions.
The two of us finish eating, and the waitress adds another few boxes to the table after he pays.
“Caleb needs to eat,” he chuckles as he gestures with the boxes. “Sometimes I think he has a tapeworm.”
“I could see that. He was practically inhaling the snacks that your mom sent.”
