And in this dusty, forgotten corner of the world, I let myself fall to pieces—quiet, messy, real pieces. Just a daughter, just a woman, just a human trying to figure out where I belong.
fifteen
Trouble
The last place I expect to find her is inthisworn-down barn.
The old wooden door groans under my grip as I step inside. The floor shifts beneath my boots, warped and uneven. She’s easy to miss at first—tucked into the shadows, knees hugged to her chest like she’s trying to disappear.
And for a second, I wish I hadn’t seen her.
Because the girl I’ve spent the past few days sparring with, rolling my eyes at, calling every name in the book under my breath… has tears on her cheeks. Real ones. Not the fake kind you expect when someone’s trying to get their way. These are raw, silent, gut-wrenching tears.
Something shifts. Uninvited.
I freeze, one hand still on the door. My instinct says turn around, let her have her moment. But something deeper—the part of me I usually silence—tells me to stay. Seein’ her like this… it takes me back to finding Mama just like this growing up. All that anger, all that hurt—it comes rushing back.
She looks up then. Eyes wide and vulnerable. Like a coyote caught in a trap. And damn if that doesn’t punch a hole straight through my cold heart.
She clears her throat, trying to deflect before she turns away, a wisp of blonde hair falling across her face as she tries to hide. But she can't hide the moisture glistening in her eyes, can't cover up the tremor in her words. "What are you doing here?"
She swipes at her cheeks with the back of her hand. The sight of those usually fierce eyes, now shimmering with unshed tears, does something strange to my chest—a twinge, a pull, something unfamiliar. There's a part of me that wants to step forward, to cross the space that separates us, but I hesitate.
"Knox said y'all had an extra fence stretcher in here."
She straightens, shoulders squared like she’s ready for a fight—even if her eyes are still glassy.
“What, you don’t have one of those on that fancy ranch of yours?" That familiar sarcasm slips out, softer than usual though.
The corner of my mouth twitches, threatening to break into a smile, but I hold it back. I lean against a wooden beam, arms crossed, because this place? It’s her territory. Her family ranch, and I'm an intruder in more ways than one.
"Seems stuff's been going missing around our ranch lately," I confess. "Fence stretchers, tools... can’t seem to find ‘em."
Sawyer tosses back her blonde hair, strands catching the light in a way that lights her up entirely. A glimmer of amusement dances in her stormy blue eyes. "Sounds mighty irresponsible of you."
"Maybe so," I say, with a half-cocked grin as I roll a toothpick between my teeth. There’s a thrill crawling downmy spine—her smart mouth’s got bite, and I like it way more than I should. She just called me irresponsible, and hell, maybe I am, but I’m too busy enjoying the view to mention the Kennedys stole the damn tools.
“Well, I’m sure whatever you’re lookin’ for is back there,” she says, pointing to a shadowed corner off to my left.
I spot it immediately—but I don’t move. Not yet. I glance back at her instead, soaking in the rare vulnerability she’s showing.
"You know, I'm not exactly a fan of you," I drawl, my voice low, teasing. "But you gonna tell me who put those tears in your pretty eyes?"
Her chin lifts defiantly, and when she speaks, her voice is steel. "You're the last person I'd want to tell, actually." Her words are a challenge, a door shut tight and deadbolted, but they hang there, tempting me to pry it open.
And hell if I’m not already reaching for the handle.
“And why’s that?” I ask, slow and easy just like my lazy grin. “You might not be my biggest fan either, but there’s one thing you oughta know about me…”
I don’t miss the slight narrowing of those powder-blue eyes. But curiosity is there too.
"And what's that?"
"If there's one thing in this whole damn world I can't stand, it's to see a woman cry. Even you. So go ahead, tell me who did it."
"I wasn't crying," she lies.
"Darlin'," I say, the word rolling off my tongue, "you're gonna look me in my face and tell a boldfaced lie like that? I heard you out here howling worse than my horse Dodge sounds giving birth."
