Page 108 of Roping Her In

Jake ducked his head and chuckled, because now that the words had come out, his thoughts had aligned. He could suddenly see the next step he needed to take.

“You’re quitting?” Libby looked over to Rusty, who sat there smiling with his son on his lap.

“What’s next for you?” he asked.

But God hadn’t illuminated that part of the path yet. Still, Jake had no problem saying, “I don’t know,” this time. And he didn’t.

What he did know, what he felt way down deep in his soul, was that he didn’t need the ranch anymore, and that God had bigger, better things in store for him.

He looked at Libby, who still looked like he’d thrown a bowling ball at her head. “I don’t need to go right away,” he said. “I can stay on until you find someone new and help them get the lay of the land.”

Her expression brightened. “Would you?”

“Of course,” he said, his chest suddenly squeezing. “I also want you to know that this has nothing to do with Three Rivers, or you guys, or anything like that. I love this ranch, and anyone would be blessed and lucky to work here.”

He looked at Rusty and Beau, who both seemed to have accepted what he’d said easier than Libby.

“I just want you to know that, okay? I’m not unhappy here. I’m just…being called somewhere else.”

Beau nodded, and then looked at Libby. “We can start with Boone,” he said. “I know he interviewed at least six vets before he chose Bev.”

She nodded. “That’s a great idea, Beau. I’ll give him a call.”

Jake suddenly had some calls of his own to make, and he drained the last of his iced tea and got to his feet. “Let me know if I can help,” he said. “I’ve got contacts at Amarillo State now, and surely they just graduated a fresh crop of vets.”

He set his glass on the island and turned around to find Libby jumping to her feet. She grabbed onto him in a hug, and Jake wrapped his arms around her as well.

“We’re going to fall apart without you,” she whispered.

He chuckled. “No, you won’t, Libs.” He stepped back and grinned at her. “If I know anything, it’s that everyone’s replaceable, and you’ll find someone who’s perfect for this ranch. Then you’ll wonder why you put up with my frowny-face and didn’t fire me sooner.”

She scoffed and shook her head, but Jake only smiled.

“I’m gonna go call my daddy,” he said, glancing over to Beau. “I’ll see you out there.”

“Yep,” Beau said, as he’d made no move to get off the couch. He and Libby surely had a lot to discuss now, and Jake left them alone to do it.

Yes, he needed to call his father, because he’d learned over the course of his life that he could never go wrong if he consulted with his parents and heeded their advice.

But really, he couldn’t wait to share this new development with the one person he never wanted to disappoint, and his fingers shook as he tapped to call Hailey.

40

Hailey laughed along with the other ladies in the car as Elaine came to a stop in Lila Mae’s driveway. She lived northeast of town now, out at the orchards, so she’d done a loop to pick up Clara Jean, Glory Rose, Ruby, and Hailey before they’d all come to Lila Mae’s for this month’s Walker Lady Luncheon.

Hailey’s smile faded as they all started getting out of the car and collecting the food items they’d brought. Momma had come over that afternoon to help her make Long Johns, and Hailey looked down at the tray of them in her hands, half of them with maple frosting and the other half with chocolate.

“Come on, Hay,” Elaine said, and she hastened to release her seatbelt and get out with the others, but she wasn’t a Walker, and she wasn’t sure why she’d been invited to their dinner.

Elaine met her eye and seemed to be able to read her thoughts. She carried a plastic bag from the bakery with buns in it, and she slung her free arm around Hailey’s shoulders.

“You don’t have to worry about not fitting in,” she said. “You’re as much of a Walker as any of us.”

“How do you figure?” Hailey asked.

“You work for Conrad and JJ,” she said simply. “Glory Rose is over at your place all the time these days, and Ruby told me you’re Jade’s favorite person—besides her grandma.”

“You are,” Ruby said with a smile. “And admit it, you love Jade too.”