“Not that much.”
“Really? The eighteen-year-old girl I knew couldn’t run a ranch or lead search and rescue missions or raise a child alone.”
Before Sierra could respond, the classroom door burst open and Huck bounded in with the energy of a boy who’d been sitting still too long.
“Mom! Miss Sinclair!” He dropped his backpack on a desk and grinned at both women. “Malcolm and Gunnar want to go practice roping at the arena. Can I go? Please? We want to work on our loops before the rodeo.”
Sierra looked at her son—really looked at him—and saw Rowan in the tilt of his head, the way his left eyebrow quirked when he was excited, the unconscious confidence in his posture. And that was just his aura. He looked almost identical to his father at this age, from the slight build to the crazy notch in his ear that Bailey called his Spock ear. Yes, big, big trouble.
“Mom?” Huck’s face scrunched with concern. “You okay? You look weird.”
“I’m fine, baby. Just tired.” Sierra forced a smile. “How long do you want to practice?”
“Couple hours? Mal’s dad said he’d bring us all home by dinner time.”
“Go ahead. Be careful.”
“Yes!” Huck pumped his fist and grabbed his backpack. “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.” He disappeared into the hallway, his boots echoing on polished floors as he ran toward the exit.
Bailey waited until the sound faded before speaking. “He looks just like him.”
“I know.”
“The way he moves, the way he tilts his head when he’s thinking. Even his laugh sounds like Rowan’s.”
“I know.”
“Sierra, that man is walking around town, and it’s not going to take much before someone puts it together. Huck has his eyes and his smile and probably his stubborn streak.”
“Huck’s stubborn streak comes from me.”
“Does it? Or does it come from the man who stood up to his abusive stepfather and enlisted in the military rather than back down from a fight?”
Sierra sank into one of the student chairs, her knees suddenly unable to support her weight. “What do I do, Bailey?”
“You tell the truth. To both of them.”
“What if it ruins everything?”
“What if keeping the secret ruins everything?”
They sat in silence for a moment, surrounded by motivational posters, reading charts, student artwork celebrating families.
“He offered to help with the cattle rustlers,” Sierra said quietly.
“And?”
“And I wanted to say yes. For about thirty seconds, I wanted to let someone else carry the weight of figuring out how to protect the ranch and keep us safe.”
“But you didn’t.”
“But I didn’t. Because accepting help from him means opening a door I’ve kept locked for ten years. I can’t take the hurt of him betraying me again. He may have been the boy next door, but he was a renegade with my heart. Stole it, broke it into a thousand pieces, and the sad part is that now it’s no good for anyone else.” Her mouth pinched. “But I can’t get hurt again. I just…can’t.”
“But Sierra. You’re in over your head.”
“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“I’m serious. You’re one of the strongest people I know, but everyone needs backup sometimes. Even you.”
