Chapter One
The familiar scent of old leather, paper, and their father’s cologne should have felt like coming home. Instead, leaning against the doorframe of the study, to Kade Sweet it felt like visiting a museum of a life that was no longer his. The chaotic, sprawling family of his youth had now settled into smaller, tighter pairings of two. Carson’s hand rested on Jess’s knee, an easy, possessive gesture. Across the room, Preston murmured something to Sarah Sue, and the private smile they shared was a conversation all its own. Garret and Jackie sat on the floor, their easy affection a comfortable fixture in the room now. Even Rachel and Jim, his free-spirited sister and her childhood-friend-turned-husband, seemed to share a quiet, solid understanding. And then there was Jillian, his youngest sister, radiating a new, confident happiness as she leaned against the rock star who had somehow become her husband.
Kade felt relegated to little more than an observer. A low, contented sigh from his side was his only anchor. Kade looked down at Brady, the big German Shepherd’s head resting on his boot. The dog, at least, was a constant.
“All right,” Preston’s voice cut through the low chatter, pulling Kade’s attention from his thoughts to the laptop open on their father’s desk. “Time for the state of the union.”
A collective settling fell over the room. This was the new normal—the family pow-wow, the mission briefing for the ongoing campaign to save the Sweet Ranch.
“Good news first,” Preston continued, a rare, unforced smile touching his lips. “Thanks to the initial payments and everyone’s hard work, we’re holding the line. The operating budget is stable, if not exactly comfortable. We’re meeting the monthly payments.”
A collective, quiet sigh of relief went through the room. It wasn’t a victory, not yet, but it was a far sight better than the desperate freefall they’d been in when he’d first heard of their not-so-trusted foreman’s thievery.
“The real light at the end of the tunnel is still the anniversary payouts,” Carson added, his voice steady. “Only a few more months to go and the first anniversary stipend will hit. From there, we can easily pay off the biggest of Dad’s loans. Give us some real breathing room.”
“In other words, by the time they all roll in, we’ll be in the clear?” Garret squeezed his wife’s hand.
The plan was working. The insane, beautiful, ridiculous plan had actually worked. Kade felt a surge of pride for his siblings, for the incredible new spouses who had stepped up to join their fight. For the homes they’d created.
Preston lifted his chin to his older brother. “I’m not making any promises yet, but, if all continues to go well, you, brother Kade, may very well be off the hook. We might be able to hold the fort down until the big payments start rolling in.”
It was Jillian who turned her gaze on him, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes that he remembered all too well from their childhood. “Of course,” she said, her voice laced with theatrical innocence, “now that Blake and I are moving into our own place, the master bedroom will be free again so… if you happened tofall in love in the next few months, it certainly wouldn’t hurt the budget.”
The room erupted in easy laughter. Kade felt the corner of his own mouth twitch. “Noted.” He held back a chuckle, shaking his head. Though lord knows why he was laughing. Perhaps because, for everyone, the guillotine of foreclosure was no longer hanging over their necks.
As the conversation shifted to a brief, if uneventful update on the still-missing Ray and the two ranch hands caught in Wyoming, Kade’s mind drifted again. He looked at his brothers, men who were now husbands and fathers, their lives intricately woven into the fabric of this land. He had always defined himself by his service, his duty to his country. It was a clear, honorable path. But for the first time, watching the life his family was building, a life of shared burdens and quiet joys, he questioned his own future. Was a career spent thousands of miles away truly the best thing for him, or for them? What was his legacy beyond a distinguished service record?
The sharp ring of his phone cut through his thoughts, a jarring intrusion from the outside world. He glanced at the caller ID—Sully, his best friend from his unit. Frowning, he pushed off the doorframe. “Excuse me a second.”
He stepped into the hallway, the murmur of his family’s voices fading behind him. “Sully. What’s up?”
“Hey, I was hoping I’d catch you.”
Kade smiled despite his exhaustion. Dan “Sully” Sullivan had been in his unit three deployments ago, a solid soldier and an even better friend. “What’s all that racket? Where the heck are you?”
“Vegas. That’s, uh, actually why I’m calling.” Sully’s laugh sounded forced. “I’m getting married. Tomorrow night. I know it’s short notice, but I need a best man, and you’re the only guy I trust not to let me do something completely stupid.”
“Tomorrow night? Sully, what the hell—”
“I know how it sounds. But Kade, she’s the one. I met her six months ago when I was passing through on leave, and I haven’t been able to get her out of my head since. She’s got orders for Germany next month. It’s now or we wait two years, and I can’t wait two years.”
Kade closed his eyes, already knowing what his answer would be. Sully had saved his ass more times than he could count. If his friend needed him, he’d be there.
“What time do you need me?”
“Are you serious?” The relief in Sully’s voice was palpable. “Man, I owe you big time. Ceremony’s at eight. Nothing fancy, just a quick thing at one of the chapels, then we’ll hit the town to celebrate.”
“Text me the details. And Sullivan—you sure about this?”
“Never been more sure of anything in my life.”
A moment later, he walked back into the study, the phone now silent in his hand. Every eye in the room on him.
He ran a hand over his face, a slow grin spreading across his lips. “Well, change of plans. I’m hopping on a flight in the morning.”
“What’s going on?” Jillian’s brow furrowed with concern.
Kade shook his head, the absurdity of it all hitting him. “Sully’s getting married. In Vegas. And apparently, I’m the best man.”
