Ryder gives me a soft smile. “You’re really surprised by that?”
“We love you, honey,” Wheeler says. “They say it takes a village to raise a kid. I say it takes a village to create alife. I’m honored to be part of your story.”
Eight people showed up tonight.
Eight.
The girls—Mollie, Wheeler, Sally, and Ava—plus Ryder, Beck, Tate, and Duke. Mack and Nash are out of town, so they couldn’t make it.
Colt is notably absent. He never replied to my texts inviting him over. He never called me back either.
We’ve seen each other in passing on the ranch. Ryder came over for Sunday supper, and we shared with my family that we were ‘an item,’ as Mom adorably put it.
She was thrilled. Dad couldn’t stop smiling.
Really,everyonewas thrilled. With the exception of Colt, who didn’t even show up. He didn’t show up to Sunday supper the week before that either. I swear he found out Ryder was coming and faked sick the first time, saying he and Dean were hit by a nasty virus.
The second time, he didn’t even bother to give an excuse.
I was hoping to make some headway with my older brother during Ryder’s visit. But Colt apparently refuses to acknowledge that we exist, much less that we’re dating.
Ryder keeps reminding me that we need to be patient. I know he’s right, but I still feel like I’m banging my head against a wall. Colt’s always been a pretty even-keeled guy. It takes a lot to ruffle his feathers, but when they’re ruffled—Lord, watch out.
“So, let’s do some prep work here before you talk to your folks.” Duke picks up the deck and opens it, turning to the first page. “Tell me your vision for the program. Where’d you come up with the idea? Why does it appeal to you? And where do you see yourself fitting into all of it?”
My lips twitch. “Tell me you’re an entrepreneur without telling me you’re an entrepreneur.”
Duke likes the compliment, grinning as he wags his brows. “Only wanted to do something different my whole life. It’s a ride, Billie. One I think you’re gonna love.”
“Agreed,” Mollie says. “The road to success can be a lot longer and lonelier than you thought possible. But the satisfaction of finding success, knowing you deserve every minute of it because you persevered? Because no matter how hard it got, you never quit, never stopped believing that you were doing the right thing?” Her eyes shine in the light hanging over the table. “It’s pure fucking magic, Billie.”
A swell of joy fills me. Joy and determination.
I meet eyes with Ryder again. He gives me a tiny nod.Go on with your bad self, darlin’.
Taking another deep breath, I begin.
“The people who know me best joke that I was born with a fifth of tequila in one hand and reins in the other. Ranching is literally in my blood—I don’t need to tell y’all our property has been in my family for generations. Six, to be exact. Growing up, I always dreamed about what my role in our family’s legacy would be. Would I be foreman like my dad? A trainer like Mom’s cousin Randy? Or would I develop different parts of the land the way y’all have done at Lucky River Ranch?”
Duke nods. “Lots of possibilities.”
“Right. So I pictured myself in this very integral, physical, management-type role. I thought it’d be a natural fit because I could ride like nobody’s business, I did well in school, and I was relatively outgoing.”
“‘Relatively outgoing,’” Ryder says with a scoff. “That’s one way of putting it.”
Beck laughs. “I believe the term her teachers used was ‘spirited.’ Or ‘giant pain in the ass,’ depending on the day.”
“Yup.” I smile proudly. “Point being, I saw my older brothers launching these exciting careers on the ranch, and I thought I was next in line. Only when it was my turn, Dad brought me inside his office and offered me a job as the ranch’s new bookkeeper.”
“A natural fit,” Mollie says with a roll of her eyes.
“The idea came from a good place. But—and this is a theme that’s come up a lot recently—it was a misguided choice. My parents have old-fashioned ideas about right and wrong and what a woman’s place should be in our world. Anyway.” I hold up my hands. “Long story short, my role as accountant has not been a great fit for me. I miss being outdoors. Being with the animals and kids and around other people. I’ve been stuck insidefor years now, and it’s made me realize how much happier I was when I was on horseback training to race. It calmed me. Helped clear my head.”
Wheeler snaps her fingers. “Bingo. I see where this is going. I think you really home in on this point—that you’ve experienced firsthand the benefits of time spent outdoors with animals.”
“Yes. Exactly. And while our family’s very much involved in the community here in Hartsville, I think we’re not nearly involved enough with the younger population. My family has all these animals—literally, we have multiple stables of horses alone—but we’re not doing a great job of sharing that bounty with people who don’t have access to that kind of thing. An animal therapy program fills that gap.”
“I have chills.” Mollie holds up her arm, which is covered in goose bumps. “I think that’s brilliant. Playing devil’s advocate, though—how much is this gonna cost? Won’t having all these random people on the ranch interrupt operations?”
