And instead of relief, all I feel is hollow.
The words barely register before the slam of the screen door yanks me from my daze. Gravel crunches under tires, and I glance out the window just in time to see a white truck barreling away from Dawson Ranch.
“Sawyer,” I croak out in a whisper.
“One more thing, Wes.” I tear my gaze from the window, focusing on Pops once more.“I’m proud of ya, son.” A smile deepens his wrinkles as he peeks up from his cup of coffee. “You stayed.”
“You didn’t think I had it in me, did you, old man?”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “That’s where you’re dead wrong.” He pins me with a serious look. “I knew you had it in you from the first moment you stepped foot on this ranch. I didn’t doubt for a second that you had the heart of a cowboy. You’re the only one who ever doubted that you belonged here.
“Your mama knew it and hated it. Your daddy knew it and pretended he didn’t see it. And I—” he takes a sip of his coffee as I gape at him, the steam curling around the ends of his mustache—“Well, I never wanted to pressure you into being something you didn’t wanna be, Wes. I regretted always putting that pressure on your dad. With you, I wanted to let you make your own choices, so I never asked you to stay. And I’m not gonna ask ya now either. You’re a grown man, and you can decide what kind of life you want for yourself.”
My brow furrows as he reaches across the table to grip my calloused hand in his.
“It’s your life. Not mine. And not your dad’s. I’m proud of you no matter what you decide, Wes. I hope you know that.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I squeeze his aged hand in mine. His words lift the weight that has been crushing me these past two months.
He’s proud of me. Regardless of what I decide to do. Whether I stay or go.
At thirty-five years old, I hadn’t thought I’d needed to hear that, but somehow, now that he’s said it, I feel lighter. Surer of myself than I’ve felt in a long time.
And to hear he always knew I had it in me to be a rancher? It eases all the doubts that I’ve had about myself.
“Thanks, Pops,” I say, my voice cracking with emotion.
He gives me a knowing smile, the kind that says he understands more than he lets on. “It’s the truth, son. And it’s been the truth for a long time.”
Pops steps up behind me, resting an aged hand on my shoulder. “Now, go chase down your woman.”
Staying
Sawyer
I’m raw and on edge after what happened between me and Wes. Part of me wants to say screw him, curl up on my couch, and binge watch true crime documentaries about women who murdered their boyfriends in heinous ways after being wronged. But no matter how much I want to, I can't silence the nagging voice in my head telling me to get my ass over there and talk things through with him—before it’s too late.
So, I pull myself up by my bootstraps and drive out to Dawson Ranch, determined to talk some sense into Wes.
“I’m old enough to know better than to throw away something this good and pretend it’s nothing.”
He’d said those very words just last night and then had walked away without giving me a chance to explain. But he'd been right. This was something rare, something worth holding on to, and I wasn't about to leta misunderstanding ruin it. Not when everything I wanted was within my grasp. Not when Wes was so close to realizing what he truly wanted.
I nudge the door to Pops’ house open and freeze when he says my name from the kitchen.
“plenty... talk about... something... I need you to hear first.”
Pops’ voice is a quiet grumble, his words disjointed, but I catch just enough to know I should keep listening. I move forward, staying out of sight, not even a little ashamed that I’m eavesdropping.
“So, I’ve decided—on my own, mind you—that I’m selling the ranch.”
That last sentence rings loud and clear in the silence of the little farmhouse.
My heart drops, and the pit in my stomach gapes wide. Whatever I'd been planning to say to Wes has flown straight out of my head.
Pops is my family. The thought of his life’s work being erased—the open fields turned into a wind farm or a new housing development, the land fractured into pieces and sold to the highest bidder—guts me.
I never thought he'd actually go through with selling this place.
