Sinking moneyinto it was more like it if Grams ever took Bill’s idea to heart. His uncle had never appreciated the ranch the way his grandpa had. The way Wade still did.
Without Shadow on the back of his ATV, Wade hightailed it back to the house, more afraid of Grams’ fury than facing Trish in the light of day. He wondered how much she remembered. She hadn’t been anything more than a little tipsy, but she’d certainly been tired. The best thing he could do, he decided, was pull her aside first chance he had and establish that they could be friends. Nothing more.
Satisfied with his plan, Wade slipped in through the kitchen door expecting an entourage to greet him. But the house was very quiet. His heart rate increased in slight panic. Had Kate gone into labor? Wade had purposely left his phone on his nightstand, but now he regretted it.
He strode into the living room, finding that empty as well. He’d best grab his phone and find out what he missed. But a few feet from the staircase, he heard a voice and stopped. The door to the office tucked under the stairs was open a few inches.
“He offeredhowmuch?”
Wade ran both hands over the back of his neck. Grams. Talking to Uncle Bill.Should’ve warned her.
“That’s an awful lot of money, Bill.” Wade couldn’t discern from her response what that meant.Is she considering it?
From where he stood, frozen, he could see a picture of Grandpa on the fireplace mantel, decked out in his favorite hat and a belt buckle that’d been passed down fromhisgrandpa. A buckle Wade kept in a drawer but was afraid to mess up by wearing. What would he think of all this?
“I need time to think about it,” Grams said.
Wade’s heart thudded in his chest. He’d hoped she would just say no outright.
“I hear what you’re saying, Bill, believe me, I do. But you know I never make impulsive decisions. Give me some time—” A huffed sigh sounded from the room. “Fine, if he needs an answer that quick, I’ll get one by then. Good-bye, Bill.”
Feeling as though he’d been eavesdropping, Wade panicked. Should he wait and confront Grams? Would she be upset that he hadn’t told her Bill called? It was the realization that his fists were balled at his sides that sent him away. His grandpa always taught him to make sure he was in his calmest state if he wanted to have a rational conversation about irrational things.
Wade was supposed to take part in some lasso demonstration soon, but he felt too upset to be around people. He’d text Kate, beg another favor from her to cover for him. An afternoon drive through the Bighorn mountains might calm him.
Rounding the house, Wade went to fish his keys out of his pocket but came up empty. He’d left them in the stable that morning when he swung through. He hoped he could slip in and out without his cousins noticing him. The last thing he needed was Allen trying to rile him up about his moonlit walk.
Careful to close the stable door gently when he entered, Wade poked his head forward in search of anyone who might delay his getaway. When he didn’t see Allen, Chet, or any high school kid, he took a couple of steps forward.
“—name was Scooby. You know, like the dog on that cartoon.” He’d still know that soft voice weeks after she left. “I think you would’ve liked him. Had a personality as big as the state of Wyoming and liked to walk me into tree branches, too.”
Who is Trish talking to?A couple more steps forward, and Wade caught the flash of something shiny from a pair of boots inside a stall. The closer he came, the more he could see Trish filling out a new pair of cowgirl boots. Of course she found a pair with something sparkly on them. Tight jeans complemented those legs, and his eyes traveled to a horse brush in her hand.
“Oh, hey,” she said, her cheeks instantly turning red. “Didn’t hear you.”
“Telling Daphne stories?” He tried to tease, but the words were hard enough to form on their own. In that cute striped button-up shirt and hair half pulled back in a stubby ponytail, Trish looked positively at home.
“She likes my stories.”
“Come here often, do you?”
Trish resumed brushing. “I may have snuck in here a time or two, haven’t I, Daphne?” The horse nudged her gently, exceedingly happy for the extra attention. “Until we went riding, I’d forgotten how much I miss being around horses. Of course, I had to add a horse into my work in progress.”
There were things he needed to say to Trish, but he couldn’t remember a single one right now. If ever there were a perfect match for him, surely it was the woman standing on the other side of the stall talking to her horse. Why did fate insist on torturing him? “Let me get you a different brush. There’s one Daphne likes best.”
And there were his keys, on the ledge next to the horse brushes. Wade reached for them, then stopped. After his absence so far, Grams would spontaneously combust if he snuck away. But he could stay out here with Trish, let the tension of Bill’s phone call settle, and appease Grams at the same time.
“Here.” He held the brush out to Trish.
“Trade you.” As she handed him the one she’d used, their hands grazed and both brushes wobbled in the unsteady handoff. They each scrambled, but the brushes dropped and their hands tangled together. The heat of her touch ignited a place inside him that Wade had always considered dormant.
“S-sorry,” she stammered.
Wade yanked his hands away and instantly bent down to pick up the brushes. “It’s my fault.” He dropped Daphne’s favorite brush into Trish’s cupped hands, careful to avoid contact this time. “I-I think we should talk.” It came out deeper than he intended. But it was best to get the hard conversation out of the way. “About last night.” Before she made too many assumptions.
Ducking her head, she agreed. “Yeah, we probably should.”
“Look, I think it’s best if we keep this thing between us as friends.”
