He smiles at me. “Anything for you, Red.”
“Do you know where she is?”
He shakes his head. “Told Seb not to tell us. We figured the fewer people who know, the better.”
I nod in understanding.
The two of us sit there for a moment in the quiet barn, Griffin and the other horses occasionally snuffling around us. Then, Jasper pushes to his feet and holds a hand out to me. “Wanna take a walk with me?”
I slip my hand into his without hesitation. “Always.”
Chapter thirty-four
Jasper
IlacemyfingersthroughAbigail’s as we step out of the barn and start across the pasture.
She’s quiet for a minute, likely still processing Kat’s letter. I didn’t read it, but whatever it said, I know was well worth the risk of Sebastian finding her.
The ranch stretches wide around us, spring finally settling across the valley. The grass is greener than it was just a few weeks ago, soft under our boots, and the breeze carries that fresh smell of new growth and thawing earth.
And every time I catch Abbie basking in the sun, I’m more and more thankful for the unusually warm weather we’ve had this year.
The two of us walk toward the back pastures—toward the old hill that overlooks the stretch of land near Chris and Billie’s new house.
Abbie hasn’t been to their house in a couple of weeks, and ever since passed the first trimester, her doctor recommended not taking Griff for anymorerides.
Which means she definitely hasn’t seen this yet.
When we crest the small hill, she stops beside me.
The field below us is scattered with pale lavender lupines, their tall spires swaying gently in the breeze. They stretch across the pasture in soft clusters of purple and green, like someone reached down, painted a picture, and said, “Here.Thisis spring.”
Nestled in a dry patch beneath a random willow tree, its thin branches just starting to sprout fresh spring leaves, sits a small bistro table and two chairs.
And on the table, a picnic lunch Lawson and Beau hauled out here earlier this morning.
“Jasper.” One look at her face and it’s evident I was right. She had no idea this was here.
And what do I also see?
Tears welling up in her eyes.
“No,” I groan. “Abbie Girl. Why are you crying?”
She waves me off with a watery smile. “I cry at everything. Shut up.”
I bark out a laugh and press a kiss to the top of her head before guiding her down the hill. “Come on, Red.”
Once we reach the table, I catch her looking around. Probably trying to piece together how this all got out here. “How?”
“Law and Beau,” I tell her. She raises a brow. “They knew I was sad about missing out last night,” I say, giving her my most dramatic wounded expression. She just snorts and rolls her eyes. “So,” I continue, ignoring her ignoring me, “they figured they owed me. Helped me set this up before they left.”
Her brows pinch together. “Where’d they go?”
“Had to… run into Roundup.” I pull her chair out for her. “Needed to meet with a couple of local ranchers.”
She sits slowly, all while keeping her eyes glued on me. “What are the four of you up to lately?”
