“I’ll order it for you,” he said. “When’s a goodtime?”
“Taylor’s been leaving around ten, and we get a little peace and quiet then. Daddy has a physical therapy appointment at one.”
“Anytime between ten and one,” Ty said. “What do your parents want?”
“My daddy will love you forever if you get the sweet-and-hot bacon, and they both love French toast.”
“Okay,” Ty said, his heartbeat finally steadying. “Winnie, you’re my favorite person. You know that, right?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “And you’re my favorite person too.”
Warmth flowed through him, properly assured. “All right, then,” he said. “I’ll let you go, and I want pictures of your fruity Belgian waffle in the morning.”
She giggled, and he smiled as the call ended.
They hadn’t broken up. They simply weren’t in the same physical space. “So how can I get us in the same physical space?” He leaned back as darkness painted over the yard.
“I could text Henry and Colt and get out of the rest of the week,” he mused.
Rocky startled him with a loud “Mrow,” and jumped into his lap.
“Then there’s the cats,” he said, already making a short list of people he could con into taking care of them so he could make the three-hour trip to Redwood, Oklahoma—and his beautiful girlfriend.
34
“Icall.” Colt set down his hand at the same time his phone made the beeping sound that indicated Finn Ackerman had texted. He loved his ties to the other cowboys and ranch owners in Three Rivers, and all of that stemmed from Finn.
Personal news thread, Finn had said.We have a massive agenda at tomorrow’s meeting, so try to be on time, get some food, and get ready for a spring planting seminar from the agriculture professor at Baylor.
Therefore, personal news thread.
Colt frowned at his phone, because he wasn’t sure he had personal news. His mother had finally—finally—backed off on the orchard, and Colt ran it full-time now. His way.
But his personal life had been in a stagnant holding pattern for a long time. He’d finally figured out how to be there for Jonas while doing all he needed to do with the apples, and his relationship with his ex-wife was just fine.
He certainly couldn’t putI’m lonelyon the personal news thread. Nor could he text his friends and ask them for advice about asking out oneparticular woman.
Tate:We got the last of the orchards and fields cleaned up and fixed!
Brandon:Lenore is having a baby girl, and her due date was updated to July 21.
Congratulations started flying in from other cowboys and cowgirls, and Colt let his thumbs add his ownAmazing, Tate!andCongrats to you and Lenore!to the mix.
Alex:Nikki and I are thinking about fostering. Prayers appreciated, and not that it’ll happen, but that we’ll know if it’s the right thing for us and the kids.
Libby:Rusty and I are going to name our little boy Gavin. Just so I don’t have to answer the same question another 5000 times.
Mitch:I hope you actually have a boy. You might want to have at least one baby girl name as a back-up.
Wilder:Savvy and I are still getting married in three days.
Conrad:My brother Easton is going to ask his girlfriend to marry him. They’re thinking a Christmas wedding.
Colt’s heartbeat bumped strangely in his chest, and he wasn’t sure why. Fine. He knew why, one hundred percent. If the Walkers were having a holiday wedding, he’d get to see Elaine in a gorgeous, sequined dress.Probably red, he thought, and his blood ran red-hot through his veins.
He had no idea how to deal with this insane crush on his buddy’s little sister, but Elaine wasn’t much older than Fawn, and he had no idea how to ask out one of his friend’s sisters. If only Wilder or JJ would suggest it, then Colt could seize onto it and casually shrug one shoulder to judge Conrad’s reaction.
Dawson:No news. Just trying to survive three kids with constant spring rain.
