by Liz Isaacson
He’s just a cowboy.
Amber had dated a lot of cowboys.
It’s nothing.
She hadn’t kissed him like they were nothing. Just a couple of hours ago, she’d kissed him like they could be married next week and he could do a whole lot more than kiss her.
“Look, they have a cotton candy concoction,” she said as if his whole world hadn’t just crashed and burned.
He inched forward with her, not wanting to ruin this, but for him, it had already been ruined. Several people waited in the line in front of them, and he had time for a conversation.
“Why did you tell your mom we’re nothing?” He swung his head toward her, catching the surprise and guilt in her eyes. He didn’t want to accuse her of anything, and he didn’t want her to feel like he’d be spying on her.
He gestured to her phone, still clutched in her hand. “I just happened to see it. I wasn’t purposely looking.”
Amber blinked and nodded, but she didn’t explain. He inched forward, gently putting his hand on her lower back to guide her with him.
“I don’t feel like this is nothing,” he said quietly. In fact, to him, this was very much something. The biggest something he’d had in his life in almost two decades.
“If you do, that’s fine,” he said, his courage almost gone. “I just don’t think you should kiss me the way you did earlier tonight if what you just told your mother is really true.” He removed his hand from her back and put a few inches between them without getting out of line.
Chapter 10
Amber felt Lance retreating right in front of her. “I’m sorry,” she finally said. “I don’t know why I said that.”
“Sure you do,” he said, cutting her a look out of the corner of his eye. “I’m not twenty-five-years-old, Amber. We’re adults. If you’re not into me, it’s fine.”
But she was “into him.” She was.
Before she could explain that her mother was just too nosy, and Amber didn’t feel like sharing tonight of all nights—didn’t her mother know it was Valentine’s Day? Why was she texting right now?—Lance asked, “How many boyfriends have you had?”
“Ever?” she asked.
“Let’s say in the last three years,” he clarified.
She hated that he wouldn’t look at her. Yes, there were dozens of people within earshot, and no, she didn’t want to cause a scene either.
“A lot,” she admitted. Surely he already knew that. He wasn’t blind.
“How many?” he asked again, taking another step forward. They were almost to the front of the line, and Amber just wanted to crawl back to her seat and finish the ballet. She wished she hadn’t brought her phone at all, though she had gotten a really cute selfie of the two of them at the steakhouse and again sitting in their seats before the show started.
She started counting the men she’d been out with that she would consider a boyfriend. “Nine,” she finally said, her voice on the outer edge of a whisper. Had she really been out with that many men?
Yes, she had. She’d been taught it was okay to dip into the dating pool often, really search for the kind of man she wanted. More importantly, by dating a lot, she knew the type of man she didn’t want.
Lance nodded as if he were a bobble-head doll. “You’re the only girlfriend I’ve had in the past three years.”
“Not true,” she said. “You went out with Kaylee a few times last summer.”
He met her eye then. “Never kissed her,” he said. “She was a poor substitute for who I really wanted to ask out.” With that, he stepped up to the counter and ordered himself a cola and her the cotton candy concoction she’d spied earlier. She knew it would be too sweet, but right now, she needed the extra sugar.
He paid, waited for the drinks, and handed her the bright blue one with a puff of pink cotton candy on the top of the straw before walking away.
“Lance,” she said, hurrying after to him to a spot by the windows. He’d already gulped half of his drink.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice harder than she’d ever heard it, at least when he was talking to her. “I just—I’m not just a cowboy. This is not nothing.” He looked at her again, his eyes filled with desperation now. “Is it? Am I really that delusional?”
Tears filled her eyes, but she would not let them out. She’d worked too hard on her makeup, and she would not spend another Valentine’s Day crying. Not when she had the best cowboy boyfriend right in front of her.
“You’re not delusional,” she said. Taking a moment to center herself, she drew in a deep breath. “I like you, cowboy. A lot. I like that you’re a cowboy, even though I swore them off a few weeks ago.” She felt light-headed, but Lance was there. Lance anchored her.
“And this is definitely something,” she finished. “I just—my mother is a special person, and I’m struggling with my sister’s engagement, and I just didn’t want to spend our first Valentine’s Day texting her.”
Lance’s eyebrows went up. “Our first Valentine’s Day?”
She heard what she’d implied. Lifting her chin, she nodded. “Yeah. Our first, hopefully of many.”
Lance blinked a few times. The lights flashed overhead, and Amber hadn’t even tasted her drink yet. She wanted a picture of it too. Neither of them moved, and she finally said, “I’m sorry, Lance. Honestly, I don’t think this is nothing.”
“I know you don’t.”
She handed him her phone. “Take a picture of me with this drink?” She held it up and put a smile on her face.
He grinned too as he took it, and then she dunked the tuft of cotton candy into the liquid, watching it melt away into nothing. She wished she could do that with the text he’d seen. How could ten seconds change everything so dramatically?
Lance put his hand on the small of her back again, guiding her toward the door. As they joined the throng of people and were forced to slow, he leaned down and breathed in the scent of her hair. His lips touched her earlobe as he said, “Thank you for apologizing, sweetheart.”
And just like that, the band of tension that had wound its way around her chest released. Relief took its place, and she pressed her eyes closed in a quick moment of gratitude for a good man who could forgive.
The next time the bell rang, Amber was already at the homestead. She and Karla had been baking all morning, and even Adele had managed to help out by putting a batch or two of cupcakes in the oven.
“They’re here,” she said, pushing herself off the couch and setting her infant in the bassinet in the dining room.
Amber wanted to run right out to the porch too, but she had a tray of cupcakes to finish icing. She worked faster, Karla chattering excitedly as she detailed every inch of road Dave and Sissy’s car touched.
“They’re pulling in,” she said, and she skipped away from the window to the front door, which stood open from when Scarlett and Adele had gone out there. Amber swirled on the last of the frosting and hurried after her friends, her heart pounding in her chest.
Hudson and Sawyer sat on the front steps while Jeri stood down the porch a bit, baby Brayden perched on her hip. He babbled as if he knew another baby would steal the spotlight from him any moment.
Dave got out of the car, and Sissy bent into the backseat to get the baby carrier. They both wore a look of love and reverence on their faces, and Amber felt it all the way down in her toes.
“This is Evelyn May,” Sissy said, finally turning the carrier so everyone could see. Amber sucked in a breath at the baby’s beauty.
“All that hair,” Scarlett said with a choked laugh. She ran down the steps and hugged Sissy. “I’m so happy for you.”
Sissy cried openly, the tears a slow track down her face. She looked up at Dave, who just smiled at her and put his arm around her.
“Can we get her out?” Karla asked, and Amber wanted to hold that baby too. She had dark skin and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. “Or do you not want us to wake her?”
“It’s okay,” Sissy sai
d, and she set about unbuckling the straps around the tiny human. “I don’t really know how to do this….” She giggled, but it was nervous. “Oh, there it goes.” She lifted the baby out and brought her right to her shoulder, patting her gently. The baby made a tiny grunting noise, and Amber was in love with her.
More people started arriving, and Sissy ended up keeping baby Evelyn in her arms, showing her around to the volunteers and cowboys and staff who’d come to wish them well. A small pile of gifts accumulated on the lawn, and Amber started writing down who’d brought what so Sissy could send thank you cards later.
She’d get her chance to hold that baby. Maybe not right now, but soon enough. Lance arrived, and he kissed her temple. “Hey, sweetheart.”
He smelled like wet dogs, and she looked him up and down. “What happened to you?”
“Oh, one of the bowsers got a little excited today. Had to remind him who the pack leader is.” He flashed her a smile, and Amber practically melted under the wattage of it. “Be back in a sec.”
He moved over to the happy family and offered his congratulations. Dave held him tight for an extra long time, his mouth moving at Lance’s ear.
Lance nodded, and then he bent over and kissed baby Evelyn’s forehead before returning to her. “I can’t stay. Want to come to my place for dinner tonight?”
“Do you cook?” Her thumbs stilled in the typing of who’d just left the pink baby bag with the rattle on it.
“I’m not half-bad,” he said. “You like cheese, right?”
“Who doesn’t like cheese?”
He laughed, tipped his hat to her, and walked backward a few steps. “It’ll be a little later. Maybe seven-ish? You can come by anytime, though. I’m sure my pets would love to see you.” And with that, he was gone again.
Amber watched him go, his long, powerful strides eating up the distance between the homestead and the Canine Club quickly. She couldn’t see herself breaking up with him anytime soon, and her heart started flopping like a fish out of water.
She’d never envisioned herself with any of her boyfriends long-term. Lance was definitely different, and she was glad for that.
She was also concerned that she was so afraid of a long-term boyfriend. Of spending her time with the same person for the rest of her life.
Why did that scare her so much?
“Your turn, Amber,” Sissy said, appearing in front of Amber. “Did you seriously take notes of the gifts?”
“Yep,” Amber said, stuffing her phone in her back pocket so she could take the baby from Sissy. “I’ll email it to you.” She took the precious bundle and cradled her close to her heart. “Oh, Sissy, she’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
“So you and Lance?”
“Yeah.” Amber looked up at her friend. Maybe Sissy could help her understand why she was so scared. “He’s great.”
“He is.” She looked over to the Canine Club, as if she could still see him. “You seem to like him too. Dave says you guys have been dating for a while.”
“Five or six weeks,’ Amber said.
“That’s a long time for you,” Sissy said with a grin. “I see how it is.” She kissed her baby and added, “I’ll be right back, okay?” before walking away.
Amber wanted to call her back and ask her what she saw. She also disliked that five or six weeks was a long time for her to date someone, but the truth was, it was.
She couldn’t change that, even if she wanted to.
No, what she needed to change was herself.
Chapter 11
Lance pulled up to his mother’s house, relieved that Arthur’s SUV already sat in the driveway. His brother came out onto the porch before Lance could unplug his phone and get his dogs out of the truck.
“Hey.” Lance smiled at him, noticing his older brother had more silver on the sides of his hair than last time. He clapped Arthur on the back and asked how Sandy was doing.
“She’s recovering,” Arthur said, a flash of pain stealing across his face. “But we got a new puppy. Come see.”
“A puppy?” He closed the tailgate on the truck and figured Ribbon and Maddie would be fine in the backyard. They always had been before.
He followed his brother into the house to find his niece and nephew down on the floor with the pup. His mother grinned at them all like they were the greatest things she’d ever seen, and she jumped to her feet when Lance said, “Hey, Mom.”
“There you are. I thought you’d come right after church.”
“Yeah, I….” He glanced at Arthur, who cocked his head slightly. “I’m dating that woman I told you about. We had lunch together before I came.”
Happiness lit up his mother’s face, and she said, “Well, isn’t that nice?”
Lance ducked his head, because it was nice.
“When do we get to meet her?” his mom asked.
“Mom,” Art said, exchanging a glance with Lance. “I’m sure it’s still pretty new.” He moved over to his kids. “Let’s show Uncle Lance the new pup.”
Lance smiled at his mom and squeezed her hand before joining the fray in the living room. “What kind of dog is it?” he asked his nephew.
The eight-year-old had teeth that were a little too big for his face, but Devon’s smile revealed them all. “A puppy.”
Lance chuckled and reached out to touch the black furball. “I can see it’s a puppy, bud.”
“Her name is Magnolia,” Kacey said.
“She’s a poodle mix,” Sandy said, smiling at Lance. His heart constricted tightly as he looked at her. She seemed happy now, but he knew a well-placed smile and a puppy could cover a lot of emotions.
“We got her from a shelter,” Devon said. “I wanted to come up to your ranch, Uncle Lance, but my dad said it was too far.” He climbed into Lance’s lap, and a feeling of warmth moved through Lance.
“It’s pretty far from your house, bud.” He looked at Art. “You got a poodle mix puppy at a shelter?”
“Someone had abandoned all the puppies at a drugstore,” he said. “So they had them when we went. She said this one was the last one, and they’d only had them a couple of hours.”
He nodded, as that made sense. People liked certain breeds. And puppies? They’d fly out the adoption door.
The puppy barked, and everyone laughed. Lance watched his mother, and she seemed so great today. His resolve to ask her to come live next door to him at Last Chance Ranch slipped, but he reminded himself she didn’t always have her grandkids here. She wouldn’t always have a new puppy.
It did make a long drive for Art and his family, and Lance knew the move would mean they wouldn’t come to dinner every Sunday. Before he could say anything to his brother, the front door opened, and Kristen walked in, her daughter already wailing.
“Oh, what’s wrong?” His mother took Tia, and Kristen looked more frazzled than ever. Her husband didn’t seem to be fazed at all, and Scott nodded at Lance.
“Come see the puppy, Aunt Kristen,” Devon said, jumping up. “Tia, we have a puppy.” That got the four-year-old to quiet, and she squirmed out of her grandmother’s arms to come see the little dog.
Lance groaned as he got off the floor, his heart suddenly swooping down to his stomach. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and he knew he was about to have an uncomfortable conversation too.
“Mom,” he said. “We wanted to talk to you about something.” Art came with him as Lance stepped into the kitchen. Only a dozen or so feet separated them from the kids and the dog, but Lance felt so far away in that moment.
“What’s going on?” she asked, looking at all three of her children.
Art and Lance exchanged another look, and then Kristen said, “We think you should sell the house. Lance wants you to move up by him at the ranch.”
Lance reached over and took his sister’s hand, squeezing it gently. Gratitude filled him that he hadn’t had to say the words. And now they were out.
His mother looked like they’d each found something to hit her wi
th. She folded her arms across her chest and sighed, her lips trembling slightly. Without saying anything, she moved over to the big glass doors that led onto the deck, and then down into the big backyard.
Lance followed her, slipping his arm around his mom’s shoulders. “Rufus would love it up there. There are so many dogs, and we’d take care of him.”
“I don’t even like that dog,” she whispered.
Lance leaned his head against her shoulder. “I know, Mom. There are good people at the ranch. You won’t be alone. There’s always something going on, and everyone will love you like family.”
Art joined them, his eyes out on the farm too. “We won’t be able to come as often, Mom, but Lance will be right next door. It’s a good move.”
“This place needs so much work,” she said. “I haven’t cleaned out anything.”
“So we clean it out,” Kristen said from behind them. “I can come help while Tia’s at preschool. We can do bigger things on Sundays when we’re all here.”
Their mother sighed, the sound getting masked when a timer went off. She didn’t move to check it, and Kristen went to silence it. “Let me think about it,” she finally said. When she looked at Lance, he found fierce determination in her eyes.
“All right, Mom,” he said. “Just think about it. I can send you some pictures of where you could live.”
“How much?”
He stepped away from her. “It’s free, Mom. It’s a cowboy cabin in the community where I live. Two bedrooms. It’s not nice, but it’s not bad. With your skills, you could make it look like a real home.” He grinned at her and watched Kristen pull out a sugared ham.
“Time to eat,” Art said, calling into the kids and putting an end to the conversation. He turned back to their mom. “I think it’s a good idea, Mom. This place is too big for you, and you need a fresh start. You need to be closer to people.”
She nodded and ducked into the kitchen to finish getting everything ready for dinner. Lance and Art looked at one another, and Lance shrugged one shoulder.
