Thick beams ran across the ceiling, not only for support but also as a beautiful accent. Deep leather armchairs and a couch surrounded the fireplace, along with a thick rug on the floor and a handcrafted table in the center. That had to be because of Liam. He was the best with woodworking, from what I remembered.
To the left of the living room was an open kitchen with all the latest appliances, but it was the massive gas stove that caught my attention. You could cook a feast for four Thanksgivings on that thing and still have enough room.
“For a one-bedroom cabin,” I laughed to myself.
Rolling the suitcase across the hardwood floors, I headed straight back to the bedroom and plopped the suitcase down onthe gigantic wood-framed bed. They thought of everything when they built this cabin.
The king-sized bed sat in the center of the large wall with windows on either side. There was another stone fireplace on the wall running parallel to the bed, another leather chair in the corner, and a door that led into the master bathroom. There was even a thick, white rug taking up three-quarters of the floor.
It was fucking cozy as hell.
And nothing like my apartment in New York. Crisp, clean lines and white walls everywhere made the apartment reek of elegance. Hell, there wasn’t a single piece of furniture in that apartment that was comfortable. It was all designed to look expensive, which usually meant uncomfortable as hell.
But this…I could get used to living in a place like this.
Not that I could. This was only temporary until I figured out my next step.
I pulled out my phone, checking the messages. The moment I saw her name, I clicked on the voicemail, then slumped down on the bed, shoving my fingers through my hair.
“Ryder…It’s me. I mean, you already know it’s me. I know you said things couldn’t work between us, but we’ve been through too much to walk away from everything we have. Please…just call me.”
I hung up the phone, staring at the dark screen, trying to decide if I should dial her number. She was right. We had been together a long time. Maybe things could be worked out, but right now, I needed some space from her and New York. What happened…I couldn’t even imagine what my parents would say if they found out.
The bell rang, giving me an out from making a decision on whether or not I would call her back. Tossing my phone down, I strode out of the only bedroom in the house, past the giganticfireplace, to the front door. It only took one look out the window to know answering was a bad idea.
Not that I could leave my parents out on the porch all day.
“Ma,” I smiled as I swung the door open.
“You’re here!” she beamed, rushing forward to wrap me up in a hug. “You’re really here!”
I was being squeezed to death, but that didn’t surprise me. It had been years since we’d seen each other, and having video calls wasn’t nearly enough for her.
She stepped back, taking a good, long look at me, nearly in tears. “I never thought this day would come.”
“Ma—”
“Well, are you gonna leave us out on the porch all day?” Dad asked, still as grouchy as ever.
Stepping aside, I let them in, itching at the back of my neck at how uncomfortable this meeting was. Ma wouldn’t give me a hard time, but Dad…
“So, you chose to come here instead of home,” Dad said as he looked around the place, huffing in disgust. “Fancy.”
“Dad, don’t start.”
“I’m just saying, you could have come home.”
“I’m thirty years old. I’m not living with my parents.”
“You don’t have to,” he argued. “Just stay until you can find a place of your own. Hell, we could build you a place on our land. We have enough of it?—”
“Dad, I’m not coming home to take over the ranch,” I said, cutting him off before he even went down that route.
The disappointment on his face wasn’t a surprise. Hell, the man hoped I would take over the ranch his whole life. With only sisters, none of them were interested in running the ranch.
“So, you still have better things to do, huh?”
“Dad—”
