At last, her expression shifted to something almost like a smile. She slid a glance at Juniper, one that was hard to decipher. Then she studied White Horse. “I have an idea. I haven’t talked this over with my sisters yet, but I suspect they’ll like it.”
Faith and Lorelei both turned to face them, and Faith asked, “What is it?”
Rosie motioned toward the herd. “These horses need a home.” Then she pointed to White Horse. “So do you. For that matter, so do we. My sisters and I have been planning to start our own horse ranch, similar to what our father owned when we were younger. I wouldn’t have thought it possible out here, being so far away from the buyers. But if Slim had a contact in the cavalry and maintained a thriving business all these years, maybe we could do the same.” She straightened. “An honest business.”
A squeal erupted from Faith, and several nearby horses jerked their heads up. “Yes. Let’s stay and start our ranch here.”
Rosemary turned to White Horse. “We could split ownership of the herd with you. The horses descended from the ones my father sent your mother will be completely yours. The rest, we can either share ownership with you or share profits from the business. We can build houses on the farm, one for us and one for you. It would be a home, if you’d want it. And if we can find your mother, I hope she’ll consider it her home too.”
White Horse was silent for a long moment, his focus onthe horses ahead of them. Juniper’s chest tightened as they waited for his response. How wonderful it would be to have her sisters here instead of all the way back in Richmond. Lord willing, when she had a chance to talk with Riley alone, her own future would not be tied to this potential horse farm. She wanted to be with him wherever he went.
She started to steal a glance at him, but then White Horse spoke.
“It is a good plan.” He nodded to Rosemary. “You come far to honor my mother. It is good we work together.”
Again, something seemed to pass between White Horse and her sister.
Beside her, Riley’s hand touched the small of her back as it had so many times since she’d nearly been shot. She leaned into his side.
So much was changing. All their plans looked different. But she couldn’t miss the hand of God clearly working all these things together for good.
Riley watched Juniper move around in the glow of the campfire.
Now. He had to talk with her now. So much had happened today, he hadn’t had the chance to pull her aside. Now he could wait no longer.
She was wrapping up the food bundles. Rosemary and Faith had gone to wash the dishes in the creek, and Lorelei was feeding the coyote pup. He moved to Juniper’s side and began fastening the tie around the meat pack. She glanced up at him questioningly. Wondering why he was stepping into her work, no doubt.
“Can we take a walk?” He kept his voice low enough that only she would hear.
Something flashed across her face just before she nodded. “I’d like that.”
He didn’t try to decipher what that momentary expression meant. Just stood and reached for her hand. When she placed her fingers in his and allowed him to pull her up, he kept her warm hand in his even after she’d risen and walked beside him.
He led her around the side of the mountain, toward the place where they could look out over the herd. Perhaps he should have put more thought into where he would take her for this conversation. But as they stood beside the cluster of boulders, this felt right.
The partial moon allowed them to see outlines of the animals below, especially those with lighter colors. All were at rest, taking comfort in the quiet and safety of the mountains around them.
He rubbed his thumb over the back of Juniper’s hand. He should’ve thought about what to say. How to begin.
Perhaps it was better to just say what he was thinking. “Juniper, I—”
She turned to him and raised a hand, pulling her fingers from his and causing him to stop mid-sentence. The moonlight shimmering in her eyes made them hard to read. “I need to say something first, Riley. I’m sorry to interrupt, but this is important.”
He nodded. “All right.” How could he argue with a request like that? Yet her words made his insides bunch up. He’d planned to tell her he would go with her wherever she wanted to settle. That he would fight for her insteadof watching her leave. Though the possibility of the sisters building their ranch here was exciting, he was willing to move all the way to Virginia. He would go to the ends of the earth if that’s where Juniper wanted to live. As long as she would have him.
But maybe she’d thought through his request from last night and wanted the exact opposite—to cut all ties with him. Could that possibly be true?
Her lips pulled into her mouth before she spoke, as though she was nervous. “I was going to find you first thing this morning, as soon as I came back from walking Boots. But then . . . well, I couldn’t.” Her mouth lifted in a nervous half-smile.
Then she turned to him fully. “What I wanted to tell you is that I was wrong. My answer to you last night...” Her cheeks dimpled with either shyness or embarrassment. “Well, Rosie set me straight. She released me from my responsibility to the family. Told me I couldn’t lose you simply to stay with them. She said if I really loved you, I wouldn’t let you get away.” She stood straighter. “So this is me praying I haven’t messed things up between us.”
He could barely breathe as he took in her words. Was she really saying she’d changed her mind? Had she said she loved him? He had to know for sure.
“I thought I was being honorable, allowing you to say no and walk away if that’s what you chose. But after that man nearly killed you, I realized that I’m not willing to let you go. But I love you, Juniper Collins, and I’ll fight for you if there’s any way to win your heart.”
She made a little squeaking noise, and he couldn’t tell if it was happiness or a sob. And when she pressed her handsto her mouth, that made it even harder to determine. His heart thundered in his chest.
“Oh, Riley.” She took a step closer, placed her palms tentatively on his chest, stealing all the breath from his lungs. “You already have my heart.”
