“What about teaching little Laney to ski? Taking her down the slopes for her first run on the bunny hill? That’s something that will only happen once, right?”
Lance’s brows pinched. “Yes. I suppose so.”
“Or her first horseback ride. How many times will that happen?”
“Once,” he said, aware she’d already answered her own question.
“The problem isn’t that you want an adventure, sweetheart. The problem is that you don’t consider a life with Sarah and Laney a big enough one to keep you satisfied.”
His spine straightened and he sat completely upright. “That’s not true.”
“No? It sure comes across that way when you say you’re willing to risk your physical well-being for an adrenaline rush and your name in a book. In Sarah’s eyes, I’m sure she wishes she were more important than that.”
“Sheismore important. She has to know that,” Lance insisted. He’d made it his mission to make sure she knew just how important she was to him, day after day. He thought he’d been doing a decent job conveying that truth. Apparently not.
“I’m not saying physical strength or even health and well-being is necessary for a couple to have a thriving life together. That’s not it at all, and I know Sarah would agree with me on that. I’m just saying your knee only has a few good runs left. And I think Sarah wants to be the one taking those runs with you.”
Oh man. Lance was an idiot. He could see that now. But he still didn’t know how to fix things. And he couldn’t say he wasn’t disappointed that he couldn’t have it all. The adventureandthe family. The thrillandthe stability.
“So what? I just tell Hector no?” he asked.
“Is there a way for you to be involved without possibly injuring yourself more than you already are?”
“He says he needs a professional on hand to teach him the ropes. That would be my job. Teach him to ski, snowboard. All of that.”
“What about Holden? That’s something he could do, no?”
“He’s got the wedding planning, and the shop.”
“Brady?”
Sure, Lance supposed Brady could be a contender. But the fact of the matter was that Hector had askedLanceto join him. Maybe it came down to pride. Maybe it made him feel more like a man to be sought after for his expertise. Whatever it was, he’d felt a surge of purpose that had long been absent.
Nana Jo didn’t wait for an answer. “I’m sure there are plenty of other people that Hector could ask. And if this is something that youreallyfeel like you need to do, I know Sarah could get on board. She would do anything for you. That woman loves you.”
Lance startled. They hadn’t used that word, not that the feelings weren’t there. It was just too soon. “I know she would ultimately come around to supporting me.”
“She’s just trying to protect you, Lance, that’s all.”
He knew that was true, too.
“You’ve got some thinking to do.”
“That, I do.”
Folding her hands in her lap, Nana Jo rubbed them together. “And I’m about to give you a lot more to think about.”
At this point, Lance couldn’t remain reclining. He cranked the handle so he could sit fully upright, giving his grandmother his undivided attention. “What’s going on, Nana?”
“I’m selling the ranch.”
CHAPTER 25
Sarah hadn’t talked to Lance in four days, which was an intentional move on her part.
She’d wanted to text him right after she left his shop the other day, when the news he’d shared still reverberated like a shockwave. But she’d refrained. Her thoughts were muddled, her head as cloudy as the gray-cloaked clouds hanging ominously above her.
Who was in the wrong here? At first, all she could think about was how eager and willing Lance had appeared to trade in his future for one last hurrah. He’d called it that. Going out with a bang or something of that dramatic nature. But the more she thought about it, the more she recognized her own fault in the matter.
