“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” I ask dryly.
“It’s definitely not an insult,” he replies quickly. “I’m twenty-eight for what it’s worth.”
I nod slowly. “That explains some things.”
He laughs under his breath. “It’s the dimples, isn’t it?”
“Completely.”
“Lawson’s your age. And his brother, Lincoln, is the same age as me. Jasper, Joe’s brother, is twenty-five.” My brows shoot up at that. “He doesn’t act like it, though. The man’s been through enough to age him a few years.”
“Great,” I murmur. “So now I’m the old one.”
He shoots me a look. “It just means you’velived.”
The words catch me off guard. They’re soft and sincere, not flirtatious or forced.
Ihavelived. I’ve carried responsibility and fear and silence for far longer than a woman my age should have. Years that didn’t belong to me were taken, not wasted. Even though I did my best to make the most of them. And being here now, on the way to my new life, on the edge of something unknown, I don’t feel embarrassed by my age, or the lack of a life I should have had by now.
Instead, it feels earned.
Like a badge to wear with pride. Because all of those years… they’re years spent overcoming. Rising above. They’re years spent being strong.
Beau pulls his eyes from the road and offers me a soft smile, like he can read the pep talk I’m giving myself as if it were written across my face.
I don’t know what I expected from the man who was going to pick me up today. But it definitely wasn’t Beau.
I’ve spent less than two hours with him, and I can already tell that the man is an enigma. Everything about the way he looks screams country boy, ray of sunshine. From what he’s wearing, to his blond hair, to that mile-wide smile that leads straight to those damn dimples. He has the kind of smile that you justknowthat he knows the kind of weight it carries. It’s the kind of smile that he can flash at any woman and make them forget how to breathe. But beneath all of that, there’s something…else.
There’s a quiet intensity threaded through his words. Something dark and unspoken that hums beneath his charm. Because when he told me I belonged here now, that my past no longer owned me, it didn’t just sound like a line.
It sounded like a promise.
And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t believe him.
“You nervous?” he asks, likely noticing I’ve gone quiet once again.
I huff out a telling laugh. “Wouldn’t you be?”
He nods, and I can’t help but watch the muscle in his jaw tic. “Yeah,” he replies softly. “But places like this… they’ve got a way of giving you back what you thought you lost and then some. Doesn’t that seem worth it?”
His question lingers in the air between us before I face forward and finally answer, “I think it does.” Suddenly, as we crest a small hill in the driveway—which again, didn't know drivewayscould even have hills—a house comes into view. Modern lines, black roof shining under the orange Montana sky.
It’s not the weathered farmhouse I pictured. No. This looks new. Sturdy. Strong. The wraparound porch is lined with wooden beams and simple rocking chairs, all facing the fields, ready to hold anyone who wants to rest there. Green ferns adorn hanging pots, and lush landscaping decorates the stone walkway.
“That’s the main house,” Beau says. “Built it a couple of years ago. Needed something better suited for the four of us.”
“Four of you? You all—you all live there?”
“Yup. Me, Lincoln, Lawson, and Jasper, Joe’s brother. ‘Cept Jas is gone quite a bit on tour.”
“Tour?”
“Yeah for PBR.” I raise a brow at him, clearly still confused. He smiles at me.Again.“Professional Bull Riding. That’s what Jasper does when he’s not here. Rides bulls. He’s damn good at it, too. One of the best in the nation.”
Holy shit.I mean, I knew bull riding was a real thing, don’t get me wrong. But for some reason, I always thought it was just this far-fetched job that existed but no one really did. Kind of like those people who weld underwater. I mean, who really does that? But instead of saying all of that, I just ask, “Is he here right now?”
“Yeah. His season doesn’t start until the end of November and runs until May. He works for the ranch when he’s not on the back of a bull. They should all be getting in from the day by now.”
