The moment may have passed, but the next time it comes around, I’m seizing it. I’m going to fix what I broke and make it shine again. In time, there will be no fighting about the fact that she was always going to be a Taylor.
Chapter 22
Weston
Sweat drips down my forehead as I hop off the horse, leading it into the barn. It was a hot son of a bitch out there today. Shit always hits the fan when the sun is at its hottest. We had one of our best bulls get stuck on the wash bank of the river, took everything we had to get him out. We’ll keep him at the barn for the next couple of days to make sure there aren’t any injuries we didn’t notice.
“Next time you need help wrangling up an escaping cow, call Maverick,” Rhett says as he takes his saddle off his horse. He runs his hand up and down her neck before giving her a couple pats.
A breeze comes by and brushes against my sweaty exterior, cooling me down. “Where the hell was this breeze when we were out there sweating our balls off?”
“I think you’ve shit talked Mother Nature a few too many times for her to want to do you any favors.” Rhett levels me with a look.
I have cursed her a few times. Too much rain. Not enough rain. Too much snow. Not enough snow. Honestly, I’m a bit high maintenance when it comes to the weather.
“Well, at least we get to head off to Mom and Pop’s for dinner.” The one thing I had pulling me through today was the thought of a good meal and an ice-cold beer. And seeing Willow. That might just be the best part about her living with me. I get to see her at least once a day.
“No, we don’t, she and your dad headed out of town, don’t you remember?” He picks his saddle up off the ground and starts carrying it into the barn from the stalls.
“Son of a bitch, I forgot about that. Well, sandwiches are sounding mighty fine tonight.” They sound awful, actually, but I’m beat and don’t have it in me to whip something up or drive to town.
“You mean to tell me you can’t wrestle your pretty little roommate into helping you with dinner?” he asks.
I scratch the back of my neck, feeling a little bit awkward because she’s far more than a little bit pretty, and I don’t really know where we stand. “I don’t think I’m in any position to be asking her to do a damn thing for me. She’s finally coming around, and I don’t want to push her too far.”
“Well, you know, you don’t want to be too complacent either. I know you don’t want to talk about wanting her back, but if you do, you’re going to have to do something about it. You can’t just expect her to come to you when she’s ready. You’re gonna have to fight for her.”
I know in my gut that he’s right. I pushed her away all those years ago and it was the biggest mistake of my life.
Rhett puts a saddle away before walking next to me, slapping my shoulder a couple times. “It’ll work out, bud. You just gotta give it time and some effort.”
Somehow, this man always has the answers. He’s wise beyond his years, and I can’t understand how the hell he’s still single. “You know, man. I’m kind of surprised you haven’t gotten married yet.”
He stills, stopping his stride. “What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know, you seem to have it all together. Most of us still act like we’re teenagers, and you’ve always been an old soul. I’ve heard girlslike the whole emotional stability thing.” Wouldn’t know because I’m still trying to figure out how not to be a total idiotic jackass. Those are my sister’s words, but honestly, she’s not entirely wrong. My heart’s in the right place, but good Lord, could my head just work for one minute? Things would be a lot easier.
“Well, I’m glad you think so, man. I don’t know. That’s just not in the cards for me, I don’t think,” he says, a heaviness to his voice.
Wanting to lighten whatever is weighing on him, I respond, “If it makes you feel better, I had the perfect hand dealt to me and then screwed it all up.”
“Don’t lose faith. She still loves you. She’s just not ready to admit to herself yet.”
With those final words of wisdom, he steps out of the barn, and I’m feeling even more tired than I was when we got back. This whole living with the love of my life but not being together is exhausting.
The drive home is short, but not short enough because my stomach is rumbling. All I’ve had today is a half-melted protein bar and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich I packed for myself. And I ate that at ten am. It’s now almost eight-thirty pm. The sun is already making its descent behind the mountain. Painting the sky the prettiest shades of orange. A good old-fashioned Wyoming sunset is hard to beat.
In these moments, I have to remember to take in the good times. It keeps me grounded. Remembering to be thankful for what I have, not what I’m missing out on, is the only reason I’ve been able to stay positive even in times when I’ve struggled.
I park my truck in the garage and head into the kitchen through the connecting door.
What I see before me makes me stop in my tracks.
Willow rubs her hands on her jeans, dusting off whatever remains are left on them. “Sorry, I was hoping to be done by the time you got here. I came home and saw that you weren’t here, and I waited around a little bit, but then you still weren’t here, so I figured you’d be hungry when you got home, but then I looked in the cabinets and they we’re kind of running low of basically everything so I just ran to the store and went grocery shopping.” She says in a rush before adding. “I just realized I am rambling like an idiot.” She shakes her head and smiles at me, but it seems a little forced and a little bit awkward and completely adorable on her.
“You were right, I would in fact love dinner. It was a really long day and I’m starved.” Both for food and more time with her.
“Well, don’t get too excited. It’s gonna be nothing like your mom’s cooking. My kitchen in New York is like 3’ x 3’, so I don’t have a lot of experience cooking. But I was able to pan-roast some chicken and make some mashed potatoes and gravy. And green beans! If I’m gonna be on my grandpa about eating better, then we’re going to live by that as well.”
