Sully had stayed by what was left of him until I had to physically carry him away.
When I rotated home three months later, I'd gone straight to Brad's parents' house in Oklahoma. They were good people—quiet, kind, devastated in the way that only parents who outlived their children can be. They'd asked if I wanted any of Brad's things. I'd said no to everything except the dog.
Sully was the last promise I'd made to a dying man.Take care of him, Jack. He's a good boy, he’d said between ragged breaths, blood running out of his mouth.
Four years later, I was still keeping that promise.
The dog went everywhere with me. Every ranch, every job, every state I'd drifted through trying to outrun grief that didn't have the decency to stay behind. Sully never complained. Never judged. Just stayed beside me, the same way he'd stayed beside Brad.
Some days, that loyalty was the only thing that kept me moving.
"Jack."
Owen Blackwood's voice cut through my thoughts. "Come on over. Want you to meet the family."
I straightened and followed, Sully falling into step at my heel without needing to be told. The Blackwoods were already gathering near the main barn—a familiar choreography, practiced and unspoken. They moved toward one another easily, bodies angling in, voices overlapping, a unit closing ranks.
I took it in automatically. The noise. The proximity. The way they occupied space together like they belonged there.
And then I saw her.
Maggie stood slightly apart from the group, arms crossed, her expression carefully neutral. The second Owen said my name, something in her went tight. So quick it would've been easy to miss—but I didn't.
Her fingers curled against her arms. Her shoulders set. Her breath caught for half a beat before she smoothed it away.
Like she was bracing herself.
And suddenly, whatever this was about to be, I knew it wasn't going to be simple.
I hadn't been sure what to expect when I'd taken this job. Owen Blackwood's offer had come through a mutual contact—a buddy of mine from the service over in Wild Creek who had a family ranch of his own. I would’ve worked there had they needed me, but Emmett assured me the Blackwoods were good people. Not to mention, it was good pay, a solid operation from my research, and there was room to grow.
What Emmett hadn't known was that the rancher's daughter was the woman I'd spent one unforgettable night with in a motel room while I was visiting on my way here.
The universe had a hell of a sense of humor.
"Everyone, this is Jack Remington," Owen said, and I stepped forward to shake hands with the family, one by one. Wyatt's grip was firm, assessing. Liam's was controlled, precise. Clay's came with a grin and a comment about Sully that was probably meant to be charming. Hunter just nodded and went back to his beer.
Then I got to Maggie.
She took my hand like it might bite her. Her palm was warm, slightly calloused from work, and the contact sent a jolt of recognition through me that I was careful not to show.
"Ma'am," I said, keeping my voice neutral.
"Mr. Remington."
Her eyes were doing that thing they'd done at the bar—sharp, assessing, trying to figure out my angle. Except now there was panic underneath it. Carefully controlled panic, but panic nonetheless.
I let go of her hand before she could pull away first. Gave her that small dignity.
"Jack's going to be helping out with the horse operation," Owen said, either oblivious to the tension or choosing to ignore it. "Figured Maggie could show him around, get him oriented. She knows that side of things better than anyone."
Maggie's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Of course. Happy to help."
I nodded. "Appreciate it."
For a second, our eyes met. Really met, not the careful surface contact we'd been maintaining. And I saw it all there—the memory of that night, the confusion about what it meant, the determination to pretend it hadn't happened.
I understood. I did. One-night stands weren't supposed to follow you home. They weren't supposed to show up at your family's ranch with a job offer and a dog and absolutely no intention of pretending the past didn't exist.
