Sierra stands up and walks over to Claire, pulling her into a hug. "Welcome to the family. For real this time."
Claire hugs her back, and I can see tears streaming down her face. Happy tears.
One by one, everyone comes over to greet us properly. Emma asks Claire if this means she's staying forever, and when Claire says yes, Emma cheers.
Mason claps me on the shoulder and mutters, "Only you would hire a wife on the internet."
Nicole and Harper immediately start planning a girls' night to properly welcome Claire to the ranch. Colt pulls me aside while everyone's talking. "You know this is crazy, right?"
"I know."
"But..." He grins. "I'm proud of you, man. You took a risk. You went after what you wanted. That takes guts."
"Or stupidity."
"Sometimes they're the same thing." He punches my arm lightly. "She seems good for you. I haven't seen you smile this much in years."
"She is good for me," I agree, watching Claire laugh at something Nicole said. "She's everything."
"Then don't fuck it up."
"I'll try my best."
Lunch is chaotic in the best way. Everyone's asking Claire questions: what does she like to do, has she never really been on a ranch before. Emma even insists Claire sit next to her and proceeds to tell her about every single horse on the property in excruciating detail.
Claire takes it all in stride, answering questions honestly, laughing at jokes, fitting into the family dynamic like she's always been here.
And maybe that's the miracle of it all. Not that we met on a mail order bride website, not that we're trying to build a relationship from basically nothing, but that it feels right. Like Claire was always meant to be here, and we were just waiting for her to find her way to us.
After lunch, when everyone's starting to clear the table, Boone pulls me aside onto the porch.
"You really love her?" he asks, his voice serious.
I think about it. Do I love Claire? After one day?
Maybe not yet. But I'm falling. Fast and hard.
"I think I could," I admit. "I think I'm already starting to."
Boone smiles, the kind of smile that reaches his eyes. "Good. You deserve that, Rhett. You deserve to be happy."
"So do you," I tell him.
"I am happy," he says, glancing through the window at Nicole. "For the first time in my life, I'm genuinely happy. And I want that for you too."
"I'm getting there," I say honestly. "With Claire... I think I'm finally getting there."
After dinner, when the sun starts its slow descent toward the horizon, I find Claire on the main house porch. She's watching Emma show off her cartwheels to Harper, a soft smile on her face.
"Want to take a walk?" I ask, extending my hand.
She takes it without hesitation. "I'd love to."
We head toward the north pasture, the one with the best view of the sunset. The air is cooling rapidly now that the sun's going down, and I notice Claire shivering slightly in just her t-shirt.
"Here," I say, shrugging off my flannel and draping it over her shoulders.
"Thanks." She pulls it tighter around herself, and something about seeing her in my clothes makes my chest warm. "I need to get more stuff. This duffel bag isn't going to cut it."
