by Amy Vastine
“Here comes my wolf guy,” Ethan announced as a blue van pulled into the parking lot. Meadow Brook Animal Sanctuary was painted on the side. At least the wolf siblings would stay together. There would be no handsome stranger wolf that would come in between them. No soon-to-be-mama wolf who would make them sleep in separate dens.
There was suddenly a flurry of activity. The sanctuary guy and Ethan transferred the wolves into the van. Conner and Blake worked on detaching the trailer full of Lily’s things from Lily’s SUV and connecting it to Conner’s pickup truck. Hadley and Lily were talking about dinner plans with the rest of the Blackwell gang. Tyler got a phone call that led to him pacing around arguing with someone about the shortage of licensed aestheticians in Montana. Amanda just stood there trying to process how difficult it was going to be to get Lily back from these people.
“Shall we go check out our fancy cabin and drop off our bags before we get a tour of this place?” Blake placed his hand on her lower back, and his touch snapped her out of her stupor. “Conner said he’d take us out on horses.”
“Isn’t that so sweet of him,” she replied. Blake’s wide eyes communicated that she hadn’t masked her sarcasm.
“Conner and I will go saddle up the horses,” Lily said. “Maybe Tyler can show them where the cabin is because Hadley needs to go back to the guest lodge and rest for a little bit. You’ve been on your feet all day. Your ankles are going to hate you.”
“You are so sweet. Thanks for looking out for me.” Hadley gave Lily a hug.
Hugging? Lily was not the hugging type, but there she was, getting hugged by a practical stranger. What had these Blackwells done to her sister?
Tyler got off his call and rubbed the back of his neck. “This spa is going to be the death of me, Hadley. I know you’re going to say there are worse problems than having a super popular spa that’s constantly booked, but if we don’t find at least one more licensed worker, we’re going to start getting reviews online that say we can’t accommodate an entire bridal party.”
“We’ll find someone. Don’t you worry about any bad reviews. They aren’t happening on my watch.” Hadley smiled at Tyler the same way Lily and Conner looked at each other.
Amanda was surrounded by people blissfully in love. Other people might have found it sweet and endearing, but it made Amanda feel lonely. And ugly jealous. She needed to be alone before she started bawling in front of all of these people.
Tyler kissed Hadley softly on the lips, both of them still smiling. His hand rested on the side of her bulging belly. “I felt her kick. Did you feel that?” he asked.
“Did I feel it?” Hadley laughed. “She kicks me, babe. I always feel it.”
“If you guys just point us in the direction of the Green Forest cabin, I bet we can find it,” Amanda said, wishing for that power to teleport.
“I’ll take you there,” Tyler offered. He gave his wife another peck on the cheek. Amanda hurried to the SUV and got Clancy settled in.
“I’ll come get you once we have the horses ready for a ride,” Lily said as Amanda climbed in the back. Amanda gave her a thumbs-up.
Tyler directed Blake where to go and they pulled up in front of their home away from home. “This is one of our two-bedroom, two-bath cabins,” Tyler said. “It has great views of the Rockies and the grazing pasture. You’ll want to sit out on the porch and take in at least one sunset while you’re here. It’s a gorgeous sight.”
Amanda clutched Clancy’s leash and led him inside. The dog immediately set off to investigate these new digs.
Blake set their bags down. “I’m going to give Tyler a lift back to the lodge. No picking rooms until I get back, Harrison.”
“You got it,” she choked out. Once she was alone, Amanda locked herself in one of the bathrooms and let herself fall apart. Sitting on the floor with her knees pulled to her chest, she allowed herself to feel the pain she was so good at shoving down and hiding from the world.
CHAPTER SIX
BLAKE WAS BEGINNING to wish he was a long-lost Blackwell. This place was amazing. Not only was it a dream for cowboy wannabes, but Tyler had shared that there was a sand volleyball court, a cool bar where they could try ax throwing, and every Thursday, they had food trucks come and serve everything from barbecue to cupcakes.
Amanda wasn’t going to be happy, because it was clear why Lily wanted to stay. She was going to need him to make it okay when they left without her sister. The only worry Blake had was that Amanda could fall in love with this place and want to stay, as well. That would not be okay. He needed her to come back to San Diego with him. Amanda could live without Lily, but he could not live without Amanda.
“I said no choosing rooms until I got back!” he shouted when he returned to the cabin and found Clancy alone on the leather couch in the sitting room. He had seen pictures of this cabin online when he researched the ranch, and the real thing was just as impressive as the staged marketing photos. Exposed wood beams ran across the vaulted ceiling. The stone fireplace on the one wall was going to come in handy if it got a little chilly at night. A painting of a Rocky Mountain sunset hung on the wall near the small café table and chairs. If that was a fair representation of what they might see on the porch, Blake understood why Tyler suggested making time to watch one.
He poked his head in both bedrooms, looking for Amanda. “Harrison, where are you?”
The lock popped on the door of the bathroom inside the larger bedroom and Amanda stepped out. “You need the king-size bed in here. I’ll take the other room. I feel like I need to lie down for a few minutes.” She tried to slip past him, but that was not happening.
Blake snagged her by the arm and pulled her against him. He wrapped his arms around her and waited for her to sink into this hug. It didn’t take more than a couple of seconds for her to squeeze him back.
“Well, if Lily’s goal was to shove her perfect new life in your face the minute you got here, she succeeded. There was a lot going on in that parking lot and I could see it was taking its toll on you.”
“I’m fine,” she said with her face pressed against his chest, muffling the words.
“You’re not fine, and that’s okay. In this cabin, you get to be not fine. You get to be mad, sad, annoyed. Whatever you feel, you get to feel when it’s just you and me.” He could give her that much. Amanda didn’t give herself permission to be emotional very often. She was always the levelheaded one, the Harrison sister who made sure she was there to support whoever else was overwhelmed by their feelings.
“They’re all very nice. If she stays here and marries Conner, she’ll be happy.”
“I think that’s true. If she stays, she should be happy. Isn’t that what we want for her?” he asked.
Amanda nodded against his chest.
“But she’s the last one,” Blake acknowledged.
Amanda nodded again.
Georgie, Fiona and Peyton had all moved out of San Diego. Amanda hadn’t been happy when any of them left, but she still had her dad, her home and business, and, of course...
“You still have me. I’m not going anywhere,” he said, hoping to console her.
She held on to him a bit tighter. “Unless Nadia wants to move someday.”
“Nadia has a successful career in San Diego. Our business is based out of San Diego. My parents are in San Diego.” Not to mention that he would never go somewhere Amanda wouldn’t be. He couldn’t imagine not seeing her all the time. “I am not going anywhere. I mean, our kids have to go to the same school and be best friends. Can’t do that if we don’t live by each other.”
Her body seemed to tense up and she held her breath. Even though he knew she wanted that, too, her reaction concerned him. Did she not trust him? Was she worried he would run off like Lily had when love took over? Or was she thinking she wouldn’t stay in San Diego if the rest of her family was gone?
A l
oud knocking on the front door kept him from getting inside her head. Clancy’s barking made it hard enough to hear his own thoughts. He gave her one more squeeze. “Let’s go ride some horses and see the sights. Nadia is going to want a picture of me on a horse. Can I count on your photography skills?”
Amanda pulled away and brushed her hair out of her face. She still looked so sad. “You’ll be Instagram-worthy, I promise.”
Lily didn’t bother to knock again; she just let herself in. “What’s going on in here?” she asked as she walked into the bedroom. “Did you forget this guy is almost a married man? You two can’t share a room.”
“We’re not sharing a room.” Amanda slipped past her sister and called Clancy to follow her. “I need to get Clancy some water before we go.”
“Is she okay?” Lily whispered.
Blake shrugged. “Depends on your definition of okay.”
“She’s still mad at me, isn’t she?” In general, it took a lot to get Amanda mad, but Blake was well aware that everything Lily had done in the last month had made her sister beyond infuriated.
“You two have a lot to talk about, and you need to make amends for leaving and not coming back.”
Lily frowned and let out a sad sigh. “I didn’t know I was going to fall in love with Conner. If that hadn’t happened, I would have come home once I figured things out with Danny.”
“You don’t need to explain it to me. I’m not the one whose heart is breaking.”
“Did she say that? Did she say I’m breaking her heart?”
Blake put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around so she faced the door. “You’re going to have to talk to her.” He gave her a little push in that direction.
Lily spun back around. “I hate when she’s mad at me.”
No one understood that better than Blake. The worst thing in the world was disappointing Amanda. She was just so good. To the core. She did everything she could to do no harm, put others’ needs above her own and brighten the world around her. People like her were rare. When you were someone she loved, you wanted to be good, too.
“Are you guys coming or not?” Amanda stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips.
“We’re coming. Lily was just chastising me for not giving you the bigger bedroom because you should have the private bathroom. She’s not wrong. I’ll take the other room.”
“He’s almost seven inches taller than me,” Amanda said to Lily. “It makes more sense for him to take the king-size bed.” This was why he hadn’t argued with her when she offered, because no matter what reasons he came up with for why she should have the bigger room, she would say the reasons she shouldn’t were more important. “Isn’t your fiancé waiting for us? Let’s go so we can see this place while there’s still daylight.”
Blake shrugged. Lily gave a quick nod and led the way.
“I’m really happy you’re here. I wanted you to see that I’m going to be okay. This place is good for me.”
Amanda flinched ever so slightly that Lily probably didn’t notice, but Blake saw it. Lily’s happiness was both a blessing and a curse for Amanda.
“All I want is for you to be happy. Danny wasn’t the right person for you and I knew it, but I didn’t want to burst your bubble. I hope that you are sure this time.”
“I’m sure. I’m so sure. Let’s go on this ride, and you’ll see how great he is when he’s in his element.”
The sisters linked arms and headed out. Cowboy Conner wasn’t going to be able to win Amanda over. He was in a lose-lose situation. If he wasn’t good enough, that was bad for him, but if he was perfect, it was actually worse for him. Perfect meant Lily was never coming back. Amanda would silently resent him forever.
Waiting in the barn was not only Conner but a pregnant redhead, a little girl dressed head to toe in pink and none other than the famous Chance Blackwell.
“Watch out, Rosie,” Chance said, his tone full of concern. “Don’t get behind the horse. Remember that’s dangerous.”
“Sorry, Daddy,” little Rosie said, following his direction without argument.
“Hey, guys,” Lily said. “I’m glad you’re here so you can meet my sister.”
“I’m going to be a sister!” Rosie hopped up and down.
Lily gave her a high five. “And you’re going to be the best big sister. This is my best sister. This is Amanda.”
“Hi, I’m Rosie. You look like Lily. I hope my new baby looks like me and not Daddy. We do not want a boy. I want pink, pink, pink!”
“Whoa. Let’s not scare our guests.” The woman wrapped her arms around the little girl from behind. “Her pink obsession is her only vice, we promise. Hi, I’m Katie. We’ve heard so much about you,” she said to Amanda.
Lily introduced Blake and Amanda to Chance and Katie. Chance and Tyler were fraternal twins. The Blackwells were all about having more than one kid at a time.
“My fiancée is a big fan,” Blake said to Chance. “She’s going to be excited to hear I met you on my first day here. She wanted me to tell you that your new album is amazing.”
“Well, that’s mighty kind of her. Please tell her thanks from me.” He placed his arm around his wife. “I had a lot to inspire me.”
Katie smiled at him. “Just wait until this little one arrives. Maybe you’ll be inspired to write an album of children’s songs.”
“You sure there’s only one baby in there? I hear that Blackwells almost always come in pairs,” Blake joked.
Katie placed a hand on her belly. “Oh, there’s only one. We’ve checked. Honestly, the only Blackwell that’s had more than one baby at a time is the one who came out alone. Chance’s brother Jon had twin girls with his first wife, and his current wife, Lydia, just had twin boys.”
“There are babies everywhere you turn around here!” Amanda sounded a little peeved. “Are you going to ask for his autograph or are we going to get out on these horses?”
Lily stared at her sister through narrowed eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just don’t want to be out there when the sun goes down.”
“Well, we’re leaving you in good hands,” Chance said. “Conner knows this ranch better than I do. He’ll be able to show you all the sights. Have a good ride.”
“Thanks, boss man,” Conner said, giving Chance a fist bump. “And boss woman.” He winked at Katie. “I’ll take care of the horses when we get back.”
“While you’re out there, could you check the fencing on the northwest side of the paddock? Someone said there seemed to be some damage that needs repair.”
“Will do,” he replied with a tip of his hat.
Conner had them all lead their horses out of the barn. Lily showed her new skills by mounting her horse with ease. Conner helped Amanda get on her horse and gave her some basic riding instructions. He showed her how to use the reins and her feet to get the horse to do what she wanted him to do.
“You need any help getting on?” Conner asked Blake.
There was no way Blake was going to let Conner give him a boost. If Lily could get on without help, he should be able to. It couldn’t be harder than getting up on a surfboard and riding a giant wave.
“I’ve got it,” he said confidently, putting his foot in the footie thingy.
“Um, Blake...” Conner came up behind him.
“I’ve got it.” He grunted and grabbed the handle on the saddle.
“You’re—” Conner wouldn’t stop.
Blake pulled himself up and went to swing his leg over the horse. That was when he realized his mistake.
“—going to be facing the wrong way. You need to put your left foot in the stirrup.”
Both women were giggling from atop their horses. Blake shot Amanda a look, but it was good to hear her laugh. “I knew that,” he said, stepping down. “I just wanted to provide a little ent
ertainment.” He tried again, with the right foot in the stirrup, and mounted the horse without a problem.
Conner went over the same basics, and this time Blake paid attention because riding a horse could be as dangerous as surfing. Horses had minds of their own and could be unpredictable, much like the ocean. Thankfully, his horse followed the rest of them along the trail. As they settled in, Conner led the group on his horse with Lily to his right and just a bit behind him. Amanda and Blake were side by side in the back of the pack.
The Blackwell Ranch continued to impress Blake. The family owned a vast amount of land that butted up to the foothills of the Rockies. The mountain views were breathtaking. There were also acres of prairie grass and herds of cattle and horses. Conner explained that even though the main income came from the guest ranch, the Blackwell Ranch was still a working ranch, which Katie was in charge of running.
One of Conner’s main responsibilities on the ranch was to lead guests on horseback-riding tours, so he was good at narrating their ride. He was full of interesting facts about the wildlife and the changes that came with the seasons. Conner had stories about everything.
“Big E’s grandfather arrived here with his family in the early 1900s. They built a little cabin not too far from the creek on the southern border.”
“Is it still there?” Blake asked. He loved family history. He had spent a year on one of those genealogy websites trying to trace his family’s lineage back several generations. He was the epitome of a family man.
“It’s no longer standing, but Big E’s dad did take some of the wood from that original homestead and used it to make the sign outside the main barn that says Blackwell Ranch,” Conner explained.
Blake adjusted his grip on his reins. “That’s a great touch.”
Even though Amanda didn’t want to be a Blackwell, she seemed interested in hearing about their history.
