Page 77 of Roping Her In

“I remember,” Hailey said. “It’s great to see you again.” She reached across Shiloh and shook the man’s hand. “This is Jake; he’s my boyfriend.” She nodded to him. “Jake, this is Brett and Shiloh. They’re engaged to be married.”

“Ah, congrats.” He smiled at them. “When are you guys doing that?”

“July twentieth,” Shiloh said, pure happiness in her voice.

Jake shook Brett’s hand, and they looked to the other people in their group. “April is Shiloh’s sister,” Hailey said, and she stepped across to hug the cowgirl. “She and Louis got married last summer.”

“Howdy,” Jake said.

“How long have you guys been dating?” April asked.

“Just a few months,” Hailey said at the same time Jake said, “Three months now.”

April smiled and backed up as another cousin joined them, “Hey, Betty.” She put her arm around the girl and squeezed. “Where’s Castle?”

“He’s not here yet,” Betty said, and her eyes landed on Jake.

“This is Jake,” Hailey said dutifully. “We’ve been dating a few months now. Jake, this is Betty; she’s Preacher and Charlie’s daughter. April and Shiloh belong to Aunt Arizona.”

“Sure,” Jake said, and he shook her hand. “You’re waiting for Castle Livingston?”

“Yes,” Betty said. “He’s my boyfriend.” She peered closer at Jake. “Do you know him?”

“Sure, he comes out to Three Rivers Ranch to do a little bit of work for us when we need seasonal help,” he said. “He’s great.”

Betty nodded, a soft smile touching her mouth. “He does that during busy times,” she said. “To help out his folks.”

“I thought you said he was almost done with his ranch management degree,” April said. “Did you have him call Conrad?” She turned around and shaded her eyes. “He’s here somewhere, and Castle should talk to him.”

Hailey stiffened at the mention of Conrad, as she had an interview with him next week. He’d called, saying how he’d heard “so many good things” from everyone at Three Rivers Ranch, and he needed a farm manager, and if he could get one with veterinary experience, he’d like that.

She’d agreed to an interview, but she hadn’t exactly told anyone about it yet. She glanced at Jake to judge his reaction, because she knew Conrad had called him and asked about her, and he sure hadn’t seemed happy to give him a good report.

“I told him about it,” Betty said. “And he said he talked to him, but I don’t know what they decided.”

Hailey kept her mouth shut, and Jake didn’t seem to care about the conversation at all. Of course, the man was extraordinarily good at hiding how he felt, and the longer she watched him, she finally saw his jaw jump. He’d just looked at her, a measure of challenge in his eyes, when Clover stepped to Hailey’s side.

“Hey, you,” she said, and Hailey stepped into her for a hug. She’d become fast friends with Clover after her arrest, as she’d felt so…lost. So adrift. So much like she didn’t belong on the ranch.

Clover felt all of those same things, though she’d been anchored to Rock—a very real strength and a literal rock of the Glover family. Hailey didn’t know all of her struggles, but Clover had spent a lot of time with her, and Hailey could always show up out at the Edge Cabin and find a friend.

“Howdy,” Hailey said, and when she stepped back, she beamed at Clover and then Jake. “This is my boyfriend, Jake Ahlstrom.”

Clover grinned at him. “Oh, I’ve heard a lot about you.” She giggled as she shook Jake’s hand, and he wore a completely different type of expression now.

Hailey shook her head and surveyed the burgeoning crowd. “Where’s Savvy?”

“Somewhere with Wilder and the girls.” Clover looked out at the vast number of people there too, and sighed. “We need to go to lunch or something.”

“Sure,” Hailey said, though she honestly wasn’t sure when she’d have time for that. But she, Clover, and Savannah had become close over the past couple of years, and she could find an hour for the women at the ranch who’d been there for her.

Savannah had brought two five-year-olds to the ranch and family, and well, Wilder’s parents had expressed some…reservations about that.

Of course, they’d worked through all of that, but it had taken a while for Savannah to find her footing in the Glover family, and boy, did Hailey understand that.

Before she could check her calendar, a microphone crackled to life, and everyone’s attention turned toward the food tables.

“I’ll text you,” Clover said, and she slipped away from Hailey as Uncle Bear climbed up onto a set of steps that had a platform at the top and put him ten feet above the crowd. He reached down and took a mic from Uncle Ranger. When he straightened, he wore a smile as wide as the Texas sky above them.