Page 57 of Fall or Nothing

“Fuck, man. Did you see her eyes? Baby blue like the Montana big sky.”

Carter laughed. “Okay, buddy. I think no more strawberry wine for you today.” He pulled Jake away, giving me a quick wink as they headed toward the bunkhouse.

Later, I did Willow and Ash a favor, watching Ro. I let her run through both stables to give the horses Thanksgiving treats. When we reached the quarantine stables, I hung over the door of Sassy’s stall. She’d finally warmed up to Flurry, and mother and foal were doing well.

I yelped, startling the horses, when two arms came around me, pulling me off the door.

“There you are,” Carter whispered in my ear. “I got Jake settled in at the bunkhouse. How about the way he was checking Autumn out? He’s got a bad case of love at first sight. Poor guy. I feel like I should help him navigate the situation.”

Ro was fine, taking her time petting each horse and talking to them, hardly noticing us. So I turned in his arms, hooking my fingers behind his neck.

“But you might not be here much longer to be his wingman and to see what comes of it,” I pointed out.

He pressed my hair back behind my ears, looking as if a battle raged in his head.

Why did it feel like we danced around the topic of his leaving, never coming to any agreement that he shouldn’t?

“No matter what I do or say. I might as well face it. You’re leaving.” My voice broke.

“Two more days.” He finally admitted quietly.

I gasped. So soon? “Carter… I thought we had more time.”

In his next breath, he argued. “We knew this was coming. That I’d be leaving.”

“We did, and I told you I could handle it. But turns out I don’t think I can.” A single tear rolled down my cheek. He caught it with his thumb.

“Don’t cry. Please.”

“Somewhere along the way I started hoping that something I would do, or say, or if I was a very good girl for you, it would be enough to keep you here with me. But I guess it’s not.”

I backed away, but he caught me by the arm.

“Sage, wait, please, don’t do this. We have two more days.”

“But my heart is already in pieces. Why put me through more pain? I’m sorry I fell for you.” I ran out, yelling, “Ro, stay with Carter.”

“Sage! Sage!” he shouted

But I didn’t turn back. I ran all the way to the cozy cabin on the ranch that Ivy and Colt now shared, hiding there until they returned later that night. Ivy found me sobbing on their bed and lay next to me, soothing me.

“Carter’s leaving soon,” I cried.

“I know. He was so upset when he came back to the bunkhouse with Ro. He wouldn’t talk to anyone, not even Jake.”

“Maybe I should leave with him?”

“Did he actually invite you?”

“Not in so many words.”

“Do you want to leave?”

“You left once before, Ivy. How did you manage it? How did you leave us all behind?”

With a heavy sigh, she sat up, bringing my head into her lap. She smoothed back my hair and blinked away some tears. “I was grieving the loss of our parents, and I thought I was in love. Seth offered me a chance to leave this town. But as it turned out, I didn’t know him well enough to havemade such a major life decision. Hindsight is a bitch. You don’t know how often I wish that I’d stayed here with you, with my loving sisters. Leaving is one regret I’ll carry with me always. But I’m so glad I found the courage to eventually leave him and come back home.”

Her words cut too close; our situations were so similar. A part of me wanted to go be with Carter, no matter where he headed. The other part wondered about him. We’d only been together a short time—was it enough to know who he really was?