“If there was anyone he wanted to turn the ranch over to, it was you. He loved you.”
“Now if only I had that confidence in myself. I don’t know the first thing about running a ranch.”
I’ve told her I was staying, and maybe if I keep saying it, I’ll believe it. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing in my life has been easy. Why would this be now? This night seems to be going well so far, and I don’t want to ruin the mood by bringing this up.
“This reminds me of our first date,” she says, turning her face to the sky. “Do you remember what you told me?”
I shake my head, not wanting to admit the truth. “No.”
“It’s silly. Never mind.”
Presley waves me off, going back to her dinner.
It’s not silly. Because I remember what I said.
I want to be yours, Presley.
I was young and naive then. Thought that nothing could come between the two of us. Turns out, I was wrong. Her parents drove the stake between us. As much as I wish I could hold it over her head and be angry with her, I can’t. We’ve already lost too much time. I don’t want to lose more by being bitter. Not when we have a daughter who should beour priority.
Is this a second chance for us? I don’t want to show my hand just yet. Show her how much she stayed with me while I was gone.
“Come here.” I pat my leg and she comes to me, resting her head there. “What do you say we put the past behind us? We both made mistakes, so why not try for a fresh start?”
Presley grasps my hand, playing with my fingers. It sends sparks of electricity shooting through me. Damn. She still affects me. The way she looks at me? It’s hard to ignore. “I like that idea.”
“You do?”
She nods. “But only if you do something for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Tell me something new about yourself.”
“New?”
“Yes.” She snaps her fingers on her free hand. “I’m sure you’ve done something new since I last saw you.”
“I like soccer now.”
“Soccer? You always liked watching sports,” she says. “Or did you forget about that letter jacket in football I wore in high school?”
“I never actually played though.”
“Hmm.” She eyes me like she isn’t sure whether to accept this as a new fact about me. “I’ll allow this for now.”
“Good. Then tell me something new about you.”
“New?” Presley looks up at me as I run my fingers through her hair. The stars reflect in her eyes. I forgot how beautiful she is this close up.
“New,” I parrot back to her. “If you ask me, I get to ask you.”
“I learned how to ride a bike.”
“Wait, really?”
She smiles, nodding her head at me. “I figured I’d need to learn because Poppy wanted to learn.”
“That’s what it took to get you on a bike?” I shake my head. “After all these years, you never let me help you.”
