It isn’t that far.
But it might as well be halfway across the country.
“Hey,” she says softly, squeezing my hand. “Where’d you go just now?”
I look up to find her watching me, concern written all over her face. I shake my head, unwilling to let it ruin the night, and bring her hand to my lips, pressing a gentle kiss there.
“Just thinkin’ about how lucky I am,” I say quietly, “that you didn’t give up on me.”
She smiles—soft, warm—just as someone clears their throat.
I glance up to see Jerry standing beside our booth, a mug of coffee in his hand.
“Jerry,” I say, reaching out. “How you doin’?”
He takes my hand and gives it a firm shake, his grip as calloused as mine. “Doin’ alright. Word around town is Horizon Group’s pushin’ closer to the limits. Got the wife and me a little on edge.”
I nod. “Yeah. You’re not wrong.”
“I heard about the break-in at Hollis,” he continues, lowering his voice. “Never heard of anyone stealin’ from a ranch like that. And the piping? That’s got Horizon written all over it.”
“Could be,” I say. “But Hollis won’t be down long—thanks to this one here.”
I gesture to Sloane. She ducks her head, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Jerry turns to her, eyebrows lifting. “Is that right?” He nods, impressed. “Might need to borrow you to look over my books next.”
She laughs, visibly relaxing. “I’d be happy to help if you ever need it.”
Daisy arrives then, setting our plates down with a knowing smile. Jerry tips his mug toward us and excuses himself, leaving us alone again.
As I’m about to dig in, I notice Sloane watching me—there’s a glint in her eyes, something bright and searching. For a second, it’s like the stars have worked their way into that deep forest green, and I’m standing at the edge of something vast.
It hits me then how easy it would be to lose this if I make the wrong move.
Horizon isn’t just pushing paperwork. They’re patient. Strategic. And once they decide something belongs to them, they don’t back off.
I look across the table at Sloane as she laughs softly at something Daisy says, and the weight settles heavy in my chest.
Holding onto this moment isn’t the hard part.
Protecting it is.
And if Horizon keeps tightening the screws, I may have to make a move that changes everything—whether I’m ready for it or not.
nineteen
Sloane
On paper, everything looks perfect. That’s what makes it unsettling.
As of Friday, every piece of equipment we lost in the break-in has been replaced, and Hollis Ranch is back up and running. At least on the surface.
The stress with Horizon Group still sits squarely on my shoulders and Gage’s, a constant weight we pretend we’re managing. After the cease and desist order, things have gone quiet. Too quiet to trust.
Quiet has never meant safe. It usually means someone is thinking. I’ve seen this kind of silence before—boardrooms that went still right before land was seized, files buried, or pressure applied through channels no one everadmitted to using. Silence isn’t peace. It’s pressure building.
Tommy still hasn’t been able to confirm who broke into the ranch. Without a security system in place, I don’t think we’ll ever really know. I managed to convince Gage that cameras around the property were necessary, and he agreed without much of a fight.
