Page 37 of Afterglow

I lean against the bathroom counter and squeeze my eyes shut, forcing myself to breathe slowly. Two successive vibrations against my hand pull me back from the edge of a spiral.

Becca

It’s a little early.

But I know you. You’d want them to know no matter what happens, so you might as well tell them.

This was exactly my thought. If the worst happens, I’ll need their support… Just like before.

Me

You’re right. See you at seven?

Becca

I’m always right. It’s going to be fine.

I chuckle under my breath. I’m so grateful for Becca. She’s been my anchor over the past couple of weeks when I’ve freaked out over all the unknowns ahead of us—Leanne and me, because I’m not in this alone. But I can’t expect Leanne to understand the mix of crippling anxiety and absolute joy I’m feeling at any given moment. But Becca… She gets it, and her frequent visits to the ranch show that.

And after tonight, I’ll have two more people in my corner. At least I hope I will.

I opt to walk to the big house when it’s time for dinner, grounding myself in my surroundings. The crunch of gravel under my boots. The smell of fresh fallen leaves and crisp mountain air. The lights on the porch up the hill.

After Sarah died, I thought I might have to leave this place, but I’ve never been more thankful Alex and Delia held on so tightly and wouldn’t let me go. This is my home, and I love it as much as I would if I’d been born into it.

Lord knows I’ve poured my heart and soul into it these past four years. Sarah and I had talked about incorporating an events business into the ranch before she passed, but we never got around to making it a reality. The year after the accident, we had a rough winter, and mismanagement by Monarch’s overseer nearly ruined everything.

That spring, I pulled out the old plans we’d drawn up, revised them, and added new ideas before presenting them to Alex and Delia. I had enough money saved to invest in the barn remodel and I’d hoped it would bring in fresh revenue. They were hesitant at first, but it’s been the best thing we ever did. It gave them their ranch back, and it provided me with a renewed sense of purpose, a calling I could cling to after losing so much so quickly. And as much as I loved working the land with Alex for all those years, it never fed my soul the way this has.

We broke even on the barn renovation in one year and have been turning a profit ever since, even with a shorter event season here in the mountains of Montana. This ranch is my pride and joy as much as it is Alex and Delia’s. That’s something I didn’t think I’d get to pass on to another generation… but now, I can.

I reach the front steps of their house and kick the dust off my boots before walking inside. I don’t even knock.

“We’re in here,” Alex calls from the kitchen, country music wafting toward me along with the scent of braising meat and spices.

When I round the corner, I find them doing the two-step to “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker with smiles in their eyes and laughter on their lips.

Alex passes Delia to me, and I step in naturally, our movements carrying us through to the end of the song.

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and press a kiss to her hair. “I’ve still got it.”

“Someone taught you right,” she says, a little breathless.

She would know. Lord knows my biological mom wasn’t taking time out of her day to do it.

“Ah man, I missed the fun,” Becca says from the doorway, and we all turn to look at her. She’s wearing a pair of jeans over her cowboy boots and a Monarch Ranch crewneck sweatshirt.

“I’ll catch you on the next song, sweetheart,” Alex says, walking over to wrap her in a hug. “Glad you could make it for dinner.”

“Me too. It smells amazing.”

“Bryce told us he has news to share.” Delia raises her eyebrows at me. Heat creeps up my neck under her motherly stare. “He wouldn’t even give me a hint when I talked to him yesterday.”

I share a knowing look with Becca and instantly know we’re busted by the way Delia plants her hands on her hips. “You already know what it is, don’t you?” She purses her lips and glares at her daughter, but there’s no real bite to it.

“Maybe?” Becca squeaks, giving herself away.

“Okay, Alex, let’s get dinner on the table so this one,” she says and jerks her head in my direction, “can finally tell us.”