“The model’s too new for me. Give me an old Ford engine, and I got you covered.” Gabe paused, meeting Fern’s gaze. “You’re in the best hands with Crew. But if you need anything, let me know.”
She nodded.
Just then, a pretty blonde woman rushed across the yard. Felicity, from the bookshop.
She rushed up to Fern, but as she passed Gabe, she stroked her hand over his side.
Fern was beginning to see just how far the Black Heart Ranch spread…and how many people it pulled into its gravity.
Now she was part of it too.
Felicity stepped up to her, her faint brows knit together. “Oh Fern. I heard about your trouble. Are you okay?”
She gave a shaky nod. “I am. Everyone’s been so helpful.”
At that moment, Upchurch drove in and parked at the end of the row of trucks. Crew gave him a single nod, and Fern lifted her hand in thanks.
Upchurch nodded to her in return, a simple gesture that felt as warm as any embrace from a friend.
Fern smiled, something fragile and hopeful blooming inside her. She’d felt alone for so long. Now, standing there with Crew, leaning on his steadiness, and wrapped in the warmth of so many new friends…
She wasn’t alone anymore.
Chapter Ten
Crew often got in his head about that tragic day when Conner lost his life. But for once, that wasn’t weighing on him as much as some other things.
His sister Callie had texted him several times this week about their weekly ritual. For months, they’d been watching the same TV series, and getting on a video call to discuss it in real time made them both feel connected. But he hadn’t answered her at all this week.
He’d also skipped out on poker night. Pope had cornered him twice about it, but his friend stopped asking after that, and that weighed on Crew. The guys expected him to show up, and he was letting them down.
Now, he shouldn’t just be walking Fern to the community garden. He should pitch in to do the work alongside her. After her fright over the car breaking down, he wanted to stick close to her, but he needed to talk to the security team, and the sooner the better.
As he strolled across the grounds beside her, their steps were unhurried. She had her arms wrapped around herself, but she gazed at the beautiful view of a pale blue sky and the darker blue mountain hovering over them like an ancient sentry.
They didn’t speak, but he didn’t detect any strain between them. Just…a shared ease like they’d been together for years.
The sounds of the ranch—birdsong, the hum of insects and the occasional lowing of a cow in the pasture—were familiar things that grounded him. He filled his lungs with the scent of hay and grass and Fern’s sweet perfume—fresh and light.
As they rounded the barn, the community garden came into sight. She slowed her steps even more, stare fixed on the dark, rich topsoil they’d managed to spread a few days back.
After she jumped out his window.
After he spread her thighs and made her gasp out his name.
She drifted to a stop at the edge of the garden. “I can’t wait for the rock and pavers to be delivered. Getting the paths in is going to make such a difference. It’s really going to come alive!”
He couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm, thinking of how her eyes had lit up when she approached the checkout with all those dead plants in her arms like they were precious babies. And to her, they were.
Her eyes had the same shiny look now, and a smile toyed around the corners of her plump lips. Unable to stop himself, he turned to her. Closing his fingers around her waist, he swung her toward him. In one step, she slipped into his arms, body flush against him.
He stared down at her. “I wish I could work on the garden with you.”
She rubbed her cheek against his chest with so much trust that his heart flexed. “You’ve done so much for me already. Thank you, Crew.”
“No thanks needed. I’d do a hell of a lot more. It’s just that I need to talk to the security team.”
She leaned back enough to meet his eyes. “Felicity sounded eager to lend a hand. She’s changing into work clothes now.”
