Page 107 of Roping Her In

But as he climbed the steps to the deck of the homestead where Libby lived with her family, Jake knew he didn’t need this ranch the way he once had.

He wasn’t the man he’d been when he’d come here three years ago. Heck, he wasn’t even the same person he’d been in November when he’d accidentally kissed Hailey, or January when they first started dating.

He felt like he’d taken some big steps in his life by committing to going to church every week, and acting on his faith when he’d only paid it lip service before.

He’d come out of his shell and had real friends in town now, and when he’d been down on his knees that morning, begging God to set his feet on the path he should be on, he’d had a distinct feeling that he needed to be on that path with Hailey.

He slid open the glass door and called, “It’s me, Jake,” so Libby wouldn’t be alarmed about someone walking into her house. Of course, she probably had any number of people doing that on any given day, and he heard her call something from further inside the house that he couldn’t quite make out.

The door leading into the house from the garage opened, and Rusty called, “It’s me, babe. I’m home.”

Scuffling and a couple of bangs happened, and then Rusty came around the corner. He didn’t seem startled at all to see Jake standing there, and instead, he smiled at him.

“Hey, you’re here.” His eyes swept across the counter. “Looks like Libby’s got drinks and cookies out for us.”

“I do,” she said as she exited the hall with a sniffling little boy who’d clearly been crying. She handed him to his daddy and said, “You have to take him for a while. He’s driving me nuts.”

“Aw, are you driving Momma nuts?” Rusty grinned at the little boy and swept his hand through his hair. Jake’s heart beat faster and faster as he watched his friends live out the life he wanted right in front of him.

“Hey, Jake,” Libby said, and she smiled. “Beau said he’s on his way down.”

Jake nodded, and while his thoughts had existed inside thick fog for the past few weeks, it suddenly lifted, and they became clear.

She nudged the tray of cookies closer to him. “Have one,” she said. “They’re my grandma’s chocolate chip recipe, and she taught me to bake, so I’m actually pretty good.”

Rusty swooped in and picked up a whole handful of cookies. “She’s not just good; she’s incredible.” He grinned at his wife and leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek before taking baby Gavin into the living room and settling onto the couch with him.

“Thanks.” Jake dutifully moved forward and took a cookie from a tray.

“Do you want iced tea or lemonade?” Libby turned to the fridge. “I’ve also got milk and chocolate milk.”

“Choc-mill-Mom!” her son yelled from the other room, and Rusty added, “We want some chocolate milk, love,” to Gavin’s demand. It all made Jake smile like he hadn’t in weeks, and he had no idea what to do with his feelings.

Libby got out the chocolate milk and poured some into a sippy cup, and then more into a tall glass. Jake bit into his cookie, barely tasting it as the back door opened and Beau blew inside.

Jake had always admired the man’s work ethic and energy, and his chest tightened at the thought of not working alongside him.

Something his father had once told him came forward in his mind. The only thing that’s constant about life is change.

Momma would always follow this lecture with advice of her own. And if you’re too comfortable in your life, you have no opportunity for growth. God will always find a way to push you out of that comfort zone, because He wants you to learn and grow as much as you can in this life.

“Howdy, brother,” Beau said, and Jake blinked out of his thoughts.

“Howdy.” He moved over to Beau and shook his hand. “Thanks for coming over.”

“I knew Libby would have cookies.” He grinned and stepped past Jake to get himself some.

Jake poured himself a glass of iced tea, picked up another couple of chocolate chip cookies, and went into the living room, as they would obviously be having their meeting in there. Beau joined them with a glass of lemonade and his stack of cookies, and all eyes came to Jake.

“How’s everything going with the new techs?” Libby asked. “You’re happy with Coral and Abel, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” Jake nodded. “Yeah, they’re great.”

He took a big bite of his cookie and looked at his friends. Rusty exchanged a glance with Libby and then Beau, and by that time Jake had swallowed his treat.

“The problem is with me,” he said. “And I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think it’s time for me to move on.”

“What?” The shock and volume of Beau’s voice echoed through the room. Libby only blinked, though pure surprise bled across her face too.