Charlie nods, taking it seriously. He moves slowly, methodically, making sure each horse gets their share.
As we finish up, Reid walks past the stables, wiping his brow. He sees us and gives a whistle. “Well, look at you two. A real team now, huh?”
Charlie grins, his chest puffing out a little with pride. “We’re cowboys! We take care of the horses!”
Reid chuckles, ruffling Charlie’s hair. “I see that. Maybe Clint will make you a full-time ranch hand soon.”
Charlie nods. “I’m ready, Reid.”
We all laugh, and I ruffle Charlie’s hair again, a warmth spreading in my chest. The way he’s talking, so sure of himself, makes me realize something. This boy… he’s not just the son of a woman I once shared a night with.
He’s part of this. Part of me. Part of what I’ve always wanted.
Later, after the chores are done, I set up a little makeshift obstacle course for Charlie and me to race through. It’s nothing fancy, just a few barrels and some hay bales, but to him, it’s the greatest thing ever.
We race across the field, laughing like idiots. Charlie’s tiny legs carry him as fast as they can, but I’m not about to make it easy on him.
Every time he gets close, I speed up, just enough to keep him on his toes. He squeals with delight each time I manage to stay ahead of him, then grins wide when he finally catches up and tackles me to the ground.
I lie there on my back in the grass, looking up at the sky. Charlie’s lying next to me, both of us panting from laughter.
“You’re fast, Clint!” Charlie says between breaths.
“I’m old, Charlie. You’ll be faster than me one day.”
It’s true. He’s got the energy, the spirit. But right now, I’m glad to be the one showing him the ropes.
I watch him as he stares up at the sky, the sunlight warming his face. He looks so content, so at peace, and something deep in my chest stirs.
Maybe it’s the way he’s taken to this ranch life, maybe it’s the way he already looks at this place as if it’s home, but the thought hits me, sudden and sharp.
This is what I want. A family, with all the noise and the mess and the love. It’s what I’ve been missing all along.
What I never knew I needed but can’t imagine my life without now.
The sun’s already low when I walk back toward the house, the evening heat lingering. Charlie’s just driven off with Dakota, and I can’t help but smile to myself.
That kid, he’s got energy I never knew existed, and I’m damn proud to see it. Makes me think that maybe this place could be home for him.
I stop at the edge of the porch, my boots scraping the wood as I take it all in. The ranch, the house, Charlie out there living like this is his world.
Hell, it might be. This place has always been mine, but now… now I’m starting to see it through his eyes. And that changes everything.
I head for the barn. Reid and Sawyer are finishing up the last of the evening chores, patching what they can after the fire.
I’ve been thinking all damn day about what I need to say. About what I want to change.
Reid’s chewing on a piece of grass thoughtfully when I get there. He’s always the one to joke around, but today, he looks stoic.
Sawyer’s over by the haystack, pulling a rope tight around a bale, and I can see he’s lost in the numbers in his head, just as he always is.
He doesn’t miss a beat with the ranch finances, and damn, I’m glad he’s got that kind of focus. I can ride a horse with the best of ’em, but I can’t make sense of a ledger.
I stop in front of them, feeling that old tension in my chest. I’ve been holding onto this for too long, trying to figure it out myself, but now?
Now it’s time to talk.
Reid looks up first, catching my eye. “Everything alright, Clint?”
