AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Look,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended, “it’s not that simple. We’ve got the business in Colorado. Our lives are there. It’s...”
“Take it from me,” Everett cut in, his voice calm but firm. “No business is worth losin’ someone you love, no matter how much you think you’re doin’ the right thing. Besides, you’re smart. You’ve got the skills. This town needs people like you. And if you stay, you won’t be doing it alone. You’ve already got people here who care about all of you.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their words settling over me. This whole time, I’d been fighting it—fighting the pull of this town, of Dakota, of the life I hadn’t wanted to admit I wanted. But now... standing here, hearing it from them, hearing it from Austin…
Maybe I’d been wrong. And maybe I’d have help keeping her away from the dangers of my job if I actually felt like there was a community at my back. In fact, maybe if my relationship with Dakota wasn’t something I was trying to soak up before I inevitably lost it—something that was permanent and real—I wouldn’t let it distract me in ways that put her in danger in the first place.
My throat tightened. They were making it sound so easy. Just pack up and move to a place I barely knew. But... wasn’t a better way to face uncertainty than what I’d first suggested to Dakota?
I looked at Colt, who gave me another nod, this one more definitive than the last. “It wouldn’t be the worst idea,” he said quietly. “And I wouldn’t mind the slow pace of things in Charlotte Oaks compared to what we deal with back in Colorado.”
I glanced back at Austin, who was still watching me with that hopeful look in his eyes. Phoebe stood next to him, nudging him with a grin.
And then there was a noise, and it sounded like it was coming from the bed of my truck. We all looked at each other, each of us trying to figure out if the noise was our imagination or if others heard it, too.
Travis went to the tailgate while I looked over the side of the bed. I’d thrown a tarp over our stuff just in case it rained on our journey back, and when I helped Travis untie it as he let the tailgate drop, my eyes nearly burst out of my head.
“Gertie?”
Travis pulled back the tarp all the way, and there, nestled among my gear like she belonged, was Gertie the goat. She blinked up at me with her big eyes, looking as content as a goat could be, her little tail flicking as if she hadn’t just hitched a ride across state lines.
“Well, I’ll be,” Everett muttered, running a hand over his face.
“She’s kinda got a thing for stowin’ away,” Riley said with a smirk. “Ask me how I know.”
Travis let out a low chuckle, leaning against the tailgate with his arms crossed. “Looks like if Austin and Phoebe’s plan didn’t work out, Gertie here had her own way of fixin’ things.” He raised an eyebrow, glancing between me and the goat. “Wait, you would’ve brought her back to us, right?”
I sighed. “Yeah, man, I would’ve brought her back.”
There was a collective sigh of relief, but really, what had they expected? That I’d keep her?
I stared down at the goat, unable to stop the laugh that bubbled up in my chest. This was the cherry on top—the icing on the fruitcake that was Charlotte Oaks.
Gertie let out a soft bleat, her head tilting to the side as if to say, “Well, what are you waiting for?”
I shook my head, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. But looking at Gertie, then back at the group—their hopeful faces, Austin’s wide grin, and Colt’s steady gaze—I realized I hadn’t made a decision yet. The answer had been staring me in the face, but I hadn’t said it out loud.
“Alright,” I said, my voice quieter now but filled with a certainty I hadn’t felt before. “Let’s do it.”
A collective cheer erupted from the group, and Austin’s grin practically split his face in two.
Riley clapped me on the back again, harder this time, nearly knocking me off balance. “Knew you’d come around, man.”
I shook my head, still feeling a little dazed, but... good. It felt right.
As the excitement buzzed around me, I couldn’t help but think about Dakota and what this all meant. I had no idea what was coming next, but I knew one thing: Charlotte Oaks, with its quirky charm, goat stowaways, and people who cared more than was always comfortable, had pulled me in.
And Dakota? Well, she was the one I wasn’t going to let go.
The ride back to Charlotte Oaks was a lot lighter than the drive away from it hours before, but as we rolled onto Main Street and a surprise storm hit the town in full force, I wondered if surprising Dakota would be better to do tomorrow instead of tonight.
I told Colt to send the guys a text, letting them know we probably shouldn’t crash the girls’ night this late, and then I pulled into the parking lot behind the B&B.
I expected the SUV that had brought the Wilson brothers and Phoebe to that truck stop to keep driving, but instead, they pulled in behind me.
And they didn’t just roll to a stop, either. They screeched to a halt.
I frowned, lowering the window to see what was going on.
