“Of course. You’re going to love it,” I said as I took a bite of my apple crisp. “You’ll get to swim, play tennis and pickleball, and paint. It’s the best camp I ever went to.”
“It’s the only camp you ever went to,” Archer pointed out.
“Whatever. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I winked at my niece. “Are you working hard at school?”
“I am working hard. I’m the quietest girl in circle time. Parker gets into trouble ’cause he likes to talk to all the kids, but I don’t talk. I listen to Mrs. Grover all the time. All the time, I’m listening to her,” she repeated.
Damn, this little angel was all sugar and sweetness.
“That’s my girl. You’re such a rock star.” I winked at her.
“All right, we need to go. Give your uncle a hug goodbye. I need to drop you off at school and get to work,” Archer said as I scooped her off the counter.
“Have a good day. I love you.” I kissed the tip of her nose before setting her down on her feet, and I watched them walk out to their car.
For the few minutes they’d been here, my stress had dissipated. I made my way to the warehouse, which sat right beside the large barn on my property. I’d purchased this home because of the land, which had allowed me to build my business here as well.
I had the best equipment and setup that money could buy.
But I was lacking the help I needed to support the growth I was currently experiencing, and I knew Bridger was right.
A big black truck pulled up the long drive leading to the ranch. I held up a hand as Coby stepped out. I filled him in on Benji and Jonah being out today.
“All right, boss. We’ve got our work cut out for us. You still want me painting the Peterson trailer today, or do you need me somewhere else?”
“Yes. That’s exactly where I need you today. Let’s get that one finished. He’s picking it up in a few days, so let’s get that paint job done, and I’ll start building the trailer for Whiskey Farms.” They’d ordered the largest horse trailer I’d ever built, and it was going to take a lot of man hours to get it right. They’d requested more custom features than I’d ever designed, and I was looking forward to creating something special for them.
We spent the next hour working in our designated areas. My warehouse was massive, and it had taken me almost a year to build it and get it stocked with everything I’d needed.
The sound of gravel being crushed beneath tires had me looking up out the large windows, and my heart nearly stopped beating as the vehicle came into sight.
“You expecting someone, Axel?” Coby asked as he glanced out the window and whistled at the jade vintage Bronco that had just pulled up.
I wiped my hand off with a towel and dropped it onto the workstation. “Not this someone.”
I reached for my cowboy hat and dropped it on my head, as the sun was strong outside this time of year. My stomach knotted on instinct.
I tugged the door open.
Anxious to see her and dreading it all at the same time.
She’d walked out of my life and hadn’t looked back.
I’d felt completely empty most days.
Wren Waterstone had left town and taken a piece of me with her.
And now she was stepping out of her Bronco, looking just the way I remembered her.
Long blonde waves falling all around her shoulders. A denim skirt and white tank top, which was fairly dressy for Wren, though I hadn’t seen her in two years.
My eyes moved to her long, tan legs, leading down to her signature faded cowboy boots.
I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from opening them to invite her in for a hug.
She appeared just as uncomfortable as I was as she pulled her sunglasses off and stared at me.
“Axel.”
