Jamie laughed, the sound echoing off the barn walls. “She’s beautiful.”
Spencer nodded, watching Jamie stroke Maple’s nose. “She is. She’s a handful, though. Like someone else I know.”
Jamie gave him a playful shove, and Spencer grinned. But underneath the smile, his thoughts were spinning.
He loved seeing Jamie like this—relaxed, curious, glowing. But he couldn’t shake the worry. Montana was a far cry from California. No palm trees, no ocean breeze, no late-night walks on the beach. Just snow, silence, and wide-open spaces. Spencer had grown up here, had learned to love the quiet, but Jamie? What if he missed the sun too much? What if he woke up one morning and realized this wasn’t home?
Spencer leaned against the stall door, watching Jamie feed Thunder a handful of oats. He looked happy. But was it enough?
“You doing okay?” Spencer asked, trying to keep it casual.
Jamie turned, cheeks pink from the cold, eyes bright. “Yeah. I like it here. It’s different, but… good different.”
“Which horse is your favorite?”
“Daisy.”
Spencer nodded, swallowing the knot in his throat. He wanted to believe that. He really did. But part of him was bracingfor the day Jamie might say, “I miss California. I miss the beach. I miss my life.”
And if that day came, Spencer didn’t know what he’d do. Losing Jamie wasn’t something he was ready to face. Not now. Not ever.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jamie
Jamie had a bad feeling the moment Daddy Spencer said, “I think we should go see Aunt Millie.” His stomach dropped. He didn’t want to go. He knew she didn’t like him, and he had felt it from the first glance, like she’d already decided he was trouble. But Daddy Spencer was trying to do the right thing, and Jamie didn’t want to make it harder. Jamie nodded and followed him out of the barn. He would spend a lot of time with the horses as he settled in.
Aunt Millie didn’t live far from the barn—just a short walk down a snow-covered road, past the frozen lake and a row of pine trees. Her home was much smaller, but it was still on the Saddle Creek property. Jamie stood beside Daddy Spencer on the porch, heart thudding, as Daddy Spencer rang the doorbell.
She answered the door with a frown, as if she’d been expecting bad news. Her eyes flicked to Jamie, unimpressed, but she stepped aside and let them in. The warm living room had lace curtains, old furniture, and a fireplace that hadn’t been lit. Jamie sat beside Daddy Spencer on the worn olive-green corduroy sofa, trying not to shrink into himself.
Daddy Spencer cleared his throat. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for how things started. Jamie and I got off on the wrong foot with you.”
Aunt Millie sat still on the wooden rocking chair, her eyes unfazed.
Daddy Spencer continued, “Jamie’s my boyfriend. I’ve asked him to move in with me.”
Jamie watched her face closely, hoping for some flicker of change—softness, understanding, even surprise. But there was nothing. Just the same stiff expression.
“I see,” she said. “But I don’t approve of two men being partners, and I especially don’t approve of this little menace.”
Jamie’s chest tightened with anger when she labeled him “this little menace.”
Daddy Spencer squeezed Jamie’s hand, not letting go. Clearly, he was stunned.
She looked at Daddy Spencer, voice steady. “Your grandfather wouldn’t have allowed this living arrangement.” Her expression frightened Jamie as much as her bitter words. He watched Daddy Spencer’s expression become unreadable.
Then she stood, walked over to the desk drawer and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to Daddy Spencer as if it weighed nothing. But Jamie could feel the heaviness before Daddy Spencer even opened it.
“He told me to give you this if you ever dared to bring a man to the ranch to live with you,” she said, remaining standing in a fixed position.
Jamie sat frozen beside Daddy Spencer as he unfolded the letter and moved closer to Jamie so he could read it with him. His eyes scanned the words, and Jamie could see the color drain from his face.
Spence,
It’s time for you to sell the ranch. There is no way you can live safely and respectfully with your life choices. I don’t approve of your lifestyle, never had, but you never flaunted it on the ranch or in Missoula. Keep theWallace family name respectable. Your cousin Malcolm Wallace wants to buy Saddle Creek Ranch at a fair price. Your promise to me is null and void on the day you move a man in as your partner to Saddle Creek Ranch. I appreciate you keeping your promise to own and run the ranch. This is for your own good and the Wallace family.
Love,
