The ranch is quiet as I pull up, just the distant sound of cattle and the familiar creak of the old windmill that Dad refuses to replace. I park my truck near the main house, checking my phone one more time for messages from Sadie. Nothing new since her morning text about Poppy's latest attempt at walking, three whole steps before a spectacular tumble that apparently had both of them laughing on the floor.
I smile at the memory of the photo she sent, Poppy's face mid-giggle, dark curls wild around her face. Two months ago, I never would have imagined my life would look like this, planning Sunday dinners, keeping baby wipes in my truck, memorizing the lyrics to nursery rhymes that get stuck in my head for days.
And now, the velvet box burning a hole in my pocket.
The family home is unusually quiet for a weekday afternoon. Mom's probably at her book club, and Dad mentioned something about checking fence lines on the north pasture. Perfect timing, really. I need the space to think, to finalize the last details of how I'm going to ask Sadie to marry me.
I've never been the planning type, usually more of a "figure it out as I go" kind of guy. But this? This needs to be perfect. Notflashy or public, nothing that would make Sadie uncomfortable. Something meaningful. Private. Just us.
I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't notice the unfamiliar truck parked around the side of the barn until I'm halfway to the house. Black, Texas plates, a layer of road dust coating the sides. For a second, my brain doesn't connect the dots. Then it hits me.
"You always did walk around with your head in the clouds, little brother."
I whirl around to find Aiden leaning against the porch railing, arms crossed over his chest, that familiar half smile on his face. My brain short-circuits for a moment. He's supposed to be in Texas, running the Texas branch of the family business. We just had a video call last week, and he didn't mention anything about coming home.
"What the hell?" I manage, shock giving way to a grin that threatens to split my face. "Did someone die that I don't know about?"
Aiden pushes off the railing, crossing the yard in a few long strides. "Nope. Just decided Colorado air is better for my complexion."
We collide in the kind of hug that would look violent to an outsider, all back-slapping and too-tight grips. When we break apart, I give him a once-over. He looks good, tanned from the Texas sun, maybe a little leaner than when he left, but the steady presence that defines my older brother hasn't changed a bit.
"Seriously, what are you doing here?" I ask. "The Texas branch?—"
"Is running smoothly enough to be managed remotely." He shrugs, like moving back from Texas after three years is no big deal. "I'm home, Ax. For good."
The words take a second to process. "For good? As in…"
"As in I sold my place in Texas, shipped my stuff back yesterday, and I'm officially a Colorado resident again." He grins. "Try to contain your disappointment."
I punch his arm, harder than necessary. "Jackass. Why didn't you tell me?"
"And miss the dumbstruck look on your face? Not a chance." He gestures toward the house. "Mom made iced tea before she left. Said she had a feeling you'd be stopping by."
I follow him inside, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my brother is actually home. Not visiting, not temporarily. Home.
"So what finally drove you back?" I ask as we settle at the kitchen counter with glasses of Mom's sweet tea. "The weather? The women? The crushing realization that you can't survive without Mom's cooking?"
Aiden snorts. "Maybe I just missed your sparkling personality."
"Bullshit."
He shrugs, his expression turning more serious. "It was time. The Texas branch is established. Dad's talking about scaling back his hours. And…" He pauses, taking a deliberate sip of his tea. "I heard things got interesting around here while I was gone."
I raise an eyebrow. "Define 'interesting.'"
"Mom mentioned something about you flying to Oregon on a rescue mission." His eyes, sharper than most people realize, study my face. "Said you took the company jet, security team, the works."
I tense slightly. The Oregon situation isn't something I've discussed with many people, mostly because it's Sadie's story to tell, not mine. But Aiden isn't just anyone. He's my brother, the one person besides Sadie who knows all my secrets.
"It was necessary," I say simply.
Aiden nods, not pushing. That's his way, patient, waiting for information rather than demanding it. The complete opposite of my usual bulldoze-through-problems approach.
"Must be some woman," he says after a moment.
"She is." I can't help the softening in my voice, the way my entire body relaxes just thinking about Sadie. "She's… everything, Aid."
He studies me for a long moment, his expression shifting from curiosity to something like amazement. "Holy shit," he says finally. "You're actually in love."
