As I drive home, I try to forget the way my heart broke into a million pieces as she sobbed in my arms. She felt so small; all I wanted to do was scoop her up and bring her home with me. I wanted to tell her everything would be fine if she just allowed me to take care of her. Instead, I forced myself to walk away, knowing it was the right thing to do.
Doing the right thing doesn’t ease the emptiness I feel walking into my house. Everywhere I look, I see Miranda. After the short amount of time we’ve spent together here, it just doesn’t feel right without her.
Chapter 41
Hayden
“Morgan said she would be happy to give me lessons,” Sierra says with her arms folded across her chest.
Morgan Berkley started working at Boulder Ranch not long before Sierra started, and Sierra quickly took a liking to her. From what Miranda has told me, Morgan has experience as a barrel racer and is more than happy to train Sierra once she’s comfortable riding. As much as I worry about Sierra getting hurt while trying something new, I’ll never tell her barrel racing isn’t for her. Or that I don’t want her to do something if there’s a risk of getting hurt.
“Have I ever told you no? About anything? Calm down,” I say with a quiet laugh. “I just want to talk to Melanie about it. I’d feel more comfortable if the training were a combined effort. And that’s something you’ll need your own horse for. All things that need to be figured out, that’s all.”
Her shoulders slump, and it’s obvious she thinks I’m just trying to find a nice way to tell her no. Instead of arguing withher, I nod toward my stables and head inside. Sierra follows without a word, and I lead her to the last stall where I keep Dixie, my black American Quarter Horse, who watches us with curiosity.
“You’ve met Dixie,” I say as I stroke her shiny mane.
Sierra rolls her eyes. “I knowallof your horses. I help take care of them, remember?”
I let another chuckle escape. Clearly, Sierra has gotten comfortable enough to let her sass show. I was beginning to think she was a unicorn. Folding my arms across my chest, I pin her with a look.
“Anyway,” I say, dragging out the word. “Why don’t you tack her up so we can take a short ride. See how she feels to you. We can do a simple ride around the perimeter of my property.”
Sierra’s expression softens at the suggestion of a ride, but I’m not sure she’s figured out where I’m heading with this. Dixie has a great temperament and would likely be pretty easy to train for barrels. If she’s going to go out there and try this, I’d rather she do it with an animal I know and trust.
It doesn’t take us long to get them ready and head out. I appreciate the warm breeze as we set a leisurely pace. After just this small amount of time, I can already see how comfortable she is riding, and it serves to ease my mind. There’s no doubt Sierra can do anything she puts her mind to, but most people who compete in rodeo events have been around the animalsdamned near their entire lives. When she came to me to ask about barrel racing, there was no stopping the immediate memories of Lisa getting transported to the hospital. Of losing her. Especially considering how much Sierra favors her aunt.
I casually pick up the pace, and Sierra has no issues leading Dixie to follow suit. Pride fills my chest as I watch her handle the horse like someone who’s been riding for years and not someone who has only recently taken to the ranch lifestyle.
“Hell, I might send you out to herd cattle when I don’t feel like it,” I joke when we come to a stop at the edge of my property.
“Heck yeah! That sounds like fun.”
Shaking my head, I laugh at her enthusiasm. “Easy there, cowgirl. One thing at a time. But once you’re comfortable, I’ll let you take Dixie and come with me sometime.”
The girl’s grin is contagious, and I find myself smiling right along with her. We take a few minutes to sit and appreciate the view. Cattle graze in the background, and the sun is at the perfect height to cast shadows behind them, making the scene look like a painting.
“Alright, let’s head back so we can eat at a reasonable time. I’m hungry.” I take the reins and lead the way back to the stables.
We ride in silence and return just as the sun begins to hang low above the trees. After brushing down the horses, we makesure they have plenty of fresh water and that everything is set for the night.
We’re nearly to the house when Sierra speaks. “Are you really going to just let Miranda move to the city?”
Stopping in my tracks, I turn to face her. This is the first time she’s asked me a direct question about Miranda and me. I swallow hard as I try to think of an appropriate response. The girl isn’t stupid, so I know pretending there’s nothing between us will never work. Plus, I don’t want to be anything but honest with her.
“Miranda is an adult; I can’t stop her from doing whatever it is she wants to do.”
Sierra raises a brow at me. “But does she know you don’t want her to?”
“What makes you so sure I care either way if she moves? It’s not like she’s moving across the country.”
With a sigh, Sierra continues walking into the house and toward the kitchen. She’s already got two containers of leftovers on the counter ready to go. I love that she doesn’t have a problem with leftovers. There’s simply too much going on to cook a meal every night, so I’ve fallen into the routine of cooking way more than we need on my nights to cook, so we have enough for at least two meals. After washing my hands, I empty the two containers of beef stew into a pot and turn it on low.
“I see the way you two look at each other with hearts in your eyes. It would be disgusting if it wasn’t kind of cute. You don’t want her to go. I don’t want her to go. So, you need to tell her,” Sierra says with a shrug. As if it’s that simple.
I stir the food, buying myself time to come up with a response. “I told her. So, it’s up to her. I want her to be happy, and if she has to move to the city and start a new life in order to do that, I won’t stop her.”
With a crooked smile, she contemplates something before nodding. “Okay.”
