Spencer smiled, but inside, he felt a strange ache. The gifts were perfect; the moment was warm and full of love. But the letter from his grandfather still sat upstairs, folded like a wound he hadn’t dared reopen. Sell the ranch. Don’t stay with a male lover. It haunted him, even now.
He looked around the room—Jamie now curled up beside him, Nathan and Alfie laughing over their new gadgets—and felt both full and hollow. He was surrounded by love, but the legacy he’d spent years protecting suddenly felt like a cage.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Spencer
Spencer didn’t know what came next. But he knew this: he wasn’t hiding Jamie. Not in this house. Not in this life. Even if it meant letting go of everything he thought he was supposed to hold on to.
“Time to ride,” Spencer said as he took Jamie’s hand.
“Do you think you would ever go back to singing with Nathan’s new band?” Spencer helped Jamie yank on his boots, the sound echoing in the silent room.
“I don’t think so,” Spencer answered. “Maybe on a weekend I might, but right now I have so much to think about, and singing isn’t one of them. My concern is you.”
A hopeful Nathan winked at Spencer, the unspoken words hanging between them.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m happy here with you. I can deal with a grumpy Aunt Millie.”
With their warm jackets and boots on, they braced against the cold and followed Spencer to the barn. Joe had mounted all four horses, each one pawing the ground impatiently.
Jamie climbed onto Daisy with a little help from Nathan. Alfie, already comfortable in the saddle, swung up onto Thunder like he’d been born on a ranch. Nathan climbed onto Bessy, an older mare. When everyone was sitting on their horses, Spencer led the way out of the barn, the horses’ hooves crunching over snow-packed ground as they headed toward the trail.
The sun peeked through the clouds, casting a soft glow over the trees. Everything was quiet and calm, and the ranch brought back Spencer’s memories of why he loved it so.
“This is unreal.” Jamie adjusted his grip on the reins. “I’ve never ridden through snow before. It’s like a movie.”
Spencer glanced back at him, smiling. “You’re doing great. Daisy’s a sweetheart. She’ll take care of you.”
Nathan rode up beside Spencer. “Do you ever think about doing trail rides for guests? You could charge a fortune for this view.”
Spencer laughed. “I’ve thought about it. But then I remember I’d have to deal with tourists asking if the horses bite and if the snow’s real.”
Alfie laughed. “You’d last one weekend.”
Jamie leaned forward, petting Daisy’s neck. “I don’t know. I think Daddy Spencer would be good at it. He’s patient. And he’s got the whole rugged cowboy thing going.”
Spencer felt his face flush, but he didn’t mind. Jamie’s voice had a warmth to it, the kind that made everything feel lighter. They rode Spencer’s favorite trail, passing by the frozen lake for two hours, talking about everything and nothing—favorite Christmas movies, worst gifts they’d gotten, Alfie’s theory that Nathan secretly loved Hallmark holiday specials.
Spencer felt the tension in his chest ease a little. For a moment, he forgot about the letter. About Aunt Millie. About the weight of legacy pressing down on him.
But that moment didn’t last.
As they walked the horses back toward the barn, Spencer spotted a figure standing near the porch. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a leather jacket, black slacks, and cowboy boots to match. Malcolm.
Spencer’s stomach dropped.
After dismounting the horses, they began their walk back to the house.
“Didn’t expect to see you here in the afternoon,” Spencer said.
Malcolm nodded, eyes scanning the group before settling on Spencer. “Figured it was time we talked. About Saddle Creek Ranch.”
“Let’s go inside to my office.”
Spencer whispered into Jamie’s ear, “Want to sit in on our meeting?”
“Okay.”
