Amy shook hands and sat down across from the freckled, red-haired woman Jose had introduced as Kate. Jose had gone off to find Pop, who was probably hiding in the barn now that it was approaching the time for him to meet this woman who might send him into retirement. Amy gave her a smile. “Thanks for coming out here. Pop might be a bit of a grump about it, but we all know how hard it is to keep the school running at his age, even if there aren’t as many students as there used to be.”
Amy tried not to think about the Stuart Ranch selling and giving Pop’s school a much-needed influx of students.
Kate waved away the gratitude. “This is as much for me as for him. I’ve wanted to move for a while now, and Spring Valley seems like the perfect home for me. I just hope I can convince your father that I’m the best candidate.”
Amy couldn’t help but laugh. “At this point you’re the only candidate. I’m still shocked Jose managed to arrange this at all.”
“Well, I’ll do my best,” Kate said sincerely.
Amy didn’t know what to make of this woman. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her—she was actually quite sure they could become good friends in no time. It was what she was doing with Jose that was confusing.
She was sweet, honest, pleasant. Jose was loud, constantly kidding regardless of the situation, and could be more than a bit frustrating if you wanted anything other than a good joke. How on earth did they end up together?
“So, how did you and Jose meet?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound like she was prying too much.
Kate gave a little shrug and a smile. “He came by the ranch where I currently work to discuss stock with the owner and we just struck up a conversation. He has a great sense of humor.”
Amy nodded. It was definitely true that Jose had a sense of humor. Was that really enough? Before she could ask any other questions, Jose came back into the room. “Pop’s sitting at the table. Knock ’em dead,” he told Kate. “Not literally, though. He’s an old guy and we’re not afraid to sue.”
Kate laughed and gave a little roll of her eyes to Amy before gathering a few papers from her bag and walking out of the room. Jose took her spot. “What do you think?” he asked Amy.
She didn’t know what to say, so she stuck with the most honest thing she could think of. “She seems like a very nice person,” she answered.
Jose nodded, though he didn’t appear very in awe of her kindness. “Yeah, and she has a great smile. Did you notice? Athletic, attractive, low maintenance. My kind of woman.”
Amy doubted Kate would appreciate Jose’s list of her most important attributes but said nothing. They were both adults, and who was she to give anyone dating advice?
Speaking of...
She looked at the clock on the wall and her heart thumped hard. “I should go get ready for dinner,” she said, standing quickly.
Jose grinned. “That’s right, Jack’s invited to tonight’s meal. You, me, Kate, Jack and the parents. That won’t be awkward at all.”
Amy pointed a finger at Jose. “It doesn’t have to be awkward, if you can control yourself and be polite,” she warned him.
Jose shrugged in his noncommittal way that drove Amy nuts. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said.
Amy knew she wasn’t going to get anything better from him and left the room, nearly skipping at the thought of what she was going to wear that evening. That morning she’d gone with Cassie for her final wedding dress fitting, and while they were out they’d done a little shopping to fill out Amy’s wardrobe. Even though Amy reminded herself again and again she’d be back on the road in a few weeks, she couldn’t help but buy a few new pieces of nontravel attire, and she couldn’t wait to see Jack’s reaction to one piece in particular.
Amy closed her door and smiled at the dress spread out on her bed. Knee length and turquoise blue, the dress was neither very extravagant nor revealing, but it had caught her eye immediately at the store. It was a nearly identical version of her favorite dress from high school, which she’d worn to all their most important occasions: their first date, her eighteenth birthday, graduation, the first time they...
Well, it was a significant part of their history, that was for sure.
Amy dressed and brushed out her hair, laughing every time she looked in the mirror. A decade had fallen away, leaving her the sweet, carefree girl she’d been in high school. And just like back then, she glanced at the time over and over, her stomach a flurry of nerves as she anticipated Jack’s arrival.
Once she was ready, Amy went downstairs to talk with Jose and Kate, though she really just wanted to sit at the window and wait for her boyfriend to show up.
Amy wasn’t sure if it was just this blast from the past or her finally labeling whatever she and Jack were doing, but she reveled in the word boyfriend for a few minutes, even if she’d only said it inside her own head.
When Jose saw Amy, he gave her a big grin. “I know I’m your most beloved brother and pretty much the favorite child around here, but that doesn’t mean you need to dress up special every time I come over for dinner, Ames.”
She almost stuck her tongue out at him, but she hadn’t reverted back to her teenage self that much. “I bought a pretty dress today and we’re having guests over for dinner, Jose,” she explained. “I think that’s enough of a reason to look nice.”
“Ya hear that, Kate?” Jose said, squeezing his girlfriend’s waist with his arm, “Amy already likes you enough to dress nice for you. Isn’t that sweet?”
Amy and Kate exchanged amused glances, but before either of them could say anything, Pop entered the room. “Stop teasing your sister and my new employee, Jose, or you’ll be eating in the barn with the horses,” he grumbled.
Amy gave Kate a big smile. “So, you’re moving to Spring Valley?”
Kate nodded with a contented air. “Seems so. I’ll be starting mid-November.”
Even though that was only a month away, it seemed long to Amy, who had been measuring her life in days since arriving home. By that time, she’d be finishing with the lantern festival in Thailand, her next big adventure. After that, who knew where she’d be going?
She could feel her mood start to drop as she thought that far in the future, so she forced her mind back into the present moment. Luckily, Jack chose this moment to drive up in his old truck, and Amy went to the door to meet him out on the porch, someplace private and away from Jose’s prying eyes and runaway mouth.
As Jack closed his truck door, he spotted her standing at the top step of the porch, waiting for him, and the look on his face made her blood rush inside her. He walked up to her slowly, a smile playing on the edge of his lips. “Nice dress,” he said, looking her up and down slowly.
“Thanks,” she responded, sounding out of breath. Something about the way he was sauntering up to her made her lungs stop working correctly. “I bought it today.”
“Strange how something brand-new can stir up so many memories,” he said, so close now that his voice wasn’t much more than a growl reverberating through her body.
Amy could guess exactly which memories he was thinking of, and she could feel herself blushing. She gasped lightly as his arm wrapped around her and pulled her tight to his body, and then his lips were on hers, hard and urgent. She pushed back with all the desire she had to give, kissing him for all she was worth.
When they broke apart, they were both gasping with the rush of electricity, and they kept holding each other tightly, as if they might not be able to stand otherwise. “I know it would be polite to go in and say hi to your folks and all, but I might need a minute before I’m in any sort of condition to do that.”
Amy, pressed so close to his body, was well aware of what he meant, and it didn’t help her calm down one bit. “Wait here,” she said, nearly running the few feet to the door and cracking it open. “Jack and I are going for a short walk before dinner!” she called to Jose, Pop and Kate, who were still sitting in the living room.
Jose gave her a smirk, but the other two behaved as if nothing was amiss, so Amy took it as a good sign and closed the door behind her. She might get some looks from Jose for the rest of the night, but it would be worth it.
Amy’s dress wasn’t made for the cool evening, but she hardly noticed as they made a beeline for the barn, Jack’s arm wrapped around her waist. Her blood was on fire, and even if it wasn’t, there was more than enough heat emanating off Jack to keep her warm whatever the weather.
In the barn, they turned toward one another and kissed again, feeling like the teenagers they used to be who needed to enjoy a few stolen minutes alone whenever they could manage it. Jack’s touch on Amy’s skin was explosive, and it wasn’t long before they were taking full advantage of their privacy.
Afterward, as they resettled their clothing, Jack said, “I don’t know if I said this yet, but I really like that dress, Amy. I mean, wow.”
Amy laughed. “I think it’s pretty ‘wow’ my own self,” she replied, falling back into his arms for one more long kiss before they made their way to the door, holding hands.
“Let’s just hope Ma hasn’t put food on the table yet, or we might be in for a scolding,” Amy said as they made their way back toward the lights of the house.
When they passed in front of the large front window, Amy could see Pop, Jose and Kate still talking in the living room, so at least that wouldn’t be a problem. As she reached the door, she felt Jack fall behind her, and she turned, curious. He was standing there, looking nervous.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“No,” he answered, though he didn’t move. “It’s just—this is kind of a big step, you know. Dinner with the family.”
Amy’s amusement must’ve shown on her face, because he nodded as if she’d said something. “I know, I know. I’ve met your parents a hundred times. Still, this feels serious to me,” he explained.
“And that’s bad?” she asked, her amusement turning to concern.
He gave her a smile and kissed her nose. “Not bad. Never bad,” he said before taking one last breath and walking through the door.
Amy wasn’t sure what to make of all that, and something about Jack’s manner made her think something had changed since they’d last seen each other, but now wasn’t the time to think about it, and she dismissed it as aftereffects of a difficult day preparing the ranch for potential buyers. Soon they were immersed in greetings and introductions between Jack and Kate, and almost immediately Ma called for them to come to the dining room for dinner.
Jose gave Amy several significant glances, but said nothing about her and Jack’s disappearance, and nobody else acted at all curious, for which Amy was very relieved, and she settled in to enjoy dinner.
Once dinner was finished and Ma and Pop excused themselves for the evening, Amy sat with Jose, Kate and Jack, unsure what to talk about. Luckily, Kate seemed to have a knack for starting conversations, and she quickly turned her skill on Jack. “I hear you’re a roper on the rodeo circuit, Jack. When is your next competition?” she asked, looking at him with wide, curious eyes.
“I’m not sure,” Jack answered. Amy expected him to explain that he didn’t have a current partner, but instead he turned to look at her as he added, “I might be getting a new roping partner next weekend, so we’ll need to see what rodeos are coming up that we can enter.”
“You found someone?” Amy asked, curious. When did this happen?
Jack nodded. “I got a call from Sam Evans this morning.”
Amy stared at him, amazed. “Sam Evans, one of the best ropers in the country?”
Jack nodded. “He’s looking for a new partner. We’re going to meet up next weekend, when you’re in California, and see if we’re a good fit together.”
Amy could see the excitement in Jack’s eyes, and she grabbed his hand, squeezing it hard. “That’s wonderful!” she said.
This could be Jack’s chance to achieve his dreams. Be a real big shot on the circuit.
Before Amy could ask any more questions, Jose said, “If you two need to run off for another walk, Kate and I won’t stop you.”
Kate slapped his arm lightly, looking embarrassed, but it was too late to get back the moment, and soon the conversation turned to other things.
Amy had trouble focusing enough to say much, however. She was bursting with curiosity. If Jack could work with Sam Evans and make some big purses, he’d be able to save the ranch and open his rodeo school. She didn’t know what it might mean for the two of them, but she knew it was the best thing for Jack’s career.
* * *
AS JACK DROVE home that night, he felt a strange mix of emotions: he was excited about the new possibilities for being a real contender on the circuit, still euphoric from his and Amy’s secret encounter in the barn, content with the pleasant company, stuffed with a delicious dinner. And, though he didn’t like to admit it, a little worried.
He didn’t know if he and Amy would be able to survive such a fragmented relationship, with her flying all over the world and him in Wyoming and on the circuit, doing what it took to become a champion.
As he settled into his room for the night, Jack opened the drawer of his bedside table and dug into the far back, pulling out a small, ornate box. Sitting on his bed, he raised the lid of the box and looked long and hard at the ring it held inside. The ring that had been waiting in that drawer for ten years.
The ring that had been waiting for Amy to come back to him.
After a long, long while, Jack placed the box back in the drawer and closed it carefully. He would ask her before she left for Thailand. After Brock and Cassie’s wedding. By then, he hoped she would be as sure as he was that this was what they wanted.
Even though there were so many things unsettled, he and Amy would be able to sort them out together. As a team. As partners. As husband and wife.
* * *
AMY BREATHED IN the cool, wet air. It had rained that morning, and the scent of it was still fresh and sweet. It was hard for her to explain what it meant to be back on a horse again, riding almost daily, and she regretted that she wouldn’t be able to see Maverick for the next few days while she was in San Diego and Jack visited Wyoming.
It soothed her soul in a way she’d almost forgotten was possible, and she knew there was no way she could spend another decade away from these amazing animals. Her feelings about Jack were similar, she thought as she looked at him riding beside her. How had she spent a decade without him in her life? His humor, his heart, his eyes, all gave her a feeling of comfort and home. The wall that had built up around her heart over time, girded and strengthened by her experience with Armand, had crumbled a little more each day they were together.
“You up for a race, Ames?” Jack asked, looking over at her with a sideways smile that made her want to lean in to give him a hard kiss.
Instead she winked and gave Maverick the signal to let loose. The horse didn’t need much urging, and soon they were flying along the path, Maverick’s hooves churning up the fresh ground. Amy let herself savor the moment, the sound of Jack and Benny close behind them, the rush of adrenaline pumping through her.
She tried not to let her worries for the future taint these mornings she spent with Jack, but as each one passed and the number of days they had left together dwindled, she found herself dreading her flight to Thailand.
As much as she told herself they would be able to work out some sort of plan that could keep them together, the logistics of it seemed staggering. If she cut her time out of the States, she would still need to be gone several months of the year in order to make enough money to keep herself afloat.
And then there was Jack on the circuit. If everything worked out on his trip to Cheyenne, he would move there, meaning she would need to give up any time she hoped to spend in Spring Valley so she could be with him.
Amy slowed and looked around. Now that she had found Spring Valley again, her home, it hurt to consider spending as little time there as she had during the past few years.
Jack pulled up beside her and slowed Benny’s gait to match Maverick’s. “Everything okay, Amy?” he asked, looking at her with concern.
Amy gave him a smile. This wasn’t the time to talk about all that. Right now, she wanted to enjoy the time they had together before they parted ways for the next few days. “Just fine. What do you say we go do some roping?”
Jack agreed and they turned their horses toward the paddocks.
* * *
JACK WATCHED AMY as Maverick slowly trotted toward the paddock that contained the roping gear. Far too soon for Jack’s tastes, the day before his trip to Cheyenne had arrived, and he wasn’t ready to say goodbye, even for a couple of days. It felt as if the moment they went their separate ways, everything would change. He tried to tell himself that it was silly, that they would pick up on Monday right where they left off on Thursday. It didn’t ease his worries.
As Jack and Amy finished a series of roping exercises, the question that he’d been bursting to ask her since he’d dug out the ring nearly a week before finally became too strong to hold back. He had to know what she was thinking, now, before anything had the chance to change. “Do you think we have a future, Amy?” he asked as they guided the horses back to the barn.
Amy pulled on the reins, stopping Maverick’s progress. Jack stopped Benny, too, and they sat looking at each other for a long moment. “I want us to,” Amy said, and Jack’s heart twisted at her sincerity.
But when she didn’t elaborate, he sighed. He’d hoped she would have enough confidence for both of them. “So after the wedding, when you leave...” he prompted.
She shrugged. “We’ll keep in contact, and I’ll try to fly back a few weeks later for at least a couple of days. I can go out to Cheyenne if that’s where you are. After that, we can take it a day at a time.”
“A day at a time,” Jack repeated.
This wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but did it change anything?
Once he proposed, she would come around, he was sure. He loved her, and even though she hadn’t said it in nearly a decade, he was sure she still loved him, too.
In silence, they urged Maverick and Benny into the barn. Jack dismounted and started turning toward Amy when he heard her stumble. It was only by the tiniest of margins that he managed to move in time to stop her fall, his arms wrapping around her as her legs folded. “Are you all right?” he asked, looking her over carefully in his concern.
Amy grabbed her head with one hand and his arm with the other, keeping her weight off one ankle. “I think so,” she said, though she sounded shaky. “I got dizzy for a second as I was swinging my leg over and landed wrong on my bad ankle.”
He watched her put weight on her foot and steady herself a bit. “I’m better now. Just a weird head rush thing, I guess.”
Jack looked her up and down carefully. “All the same, I’d prefer if you sit while I take care of the horses.”
She really must have been feeling strange, Jack thought, because she nodded and sat down without an argument. As Jack quickly unsaddled and groomed the horses, he kept one eye on Amy, wondering what could make her stumble like that. She’d never been clumsy or prone to fainting spells. Heck, if someone ever implied she couldn’t handle herself, they would live to regret it. So to fall while dismounting seemed more than a little weird.
After the horses were both settled in their respective stalls, he came back to where Amy sat. “Maybe you should talk to Cassie about what happened,” he said, offering her a hand up.
Amy rolled her eyes and ignored the proffered hand, standing up under her own power. “I don’t need to see a doctor for momentary wooziness. I probably just need to drink more water.”
Jack wasn’t so sure, but Amy really did seem back to normal, so he said nothing about it as he walked her to her father’s truck parked in the driveway. “I’ll see you for dinner, right?” she asked, and he knew she was thinking of his trip to Cheyenne. He wondered if she felt the same worry he did, that a few days apart might be enough to break whatever fragile thing they had built together over the past couple weeks.
“Dinner,” he agreed.
“And before you say anything, I’m fine to drive,” she said, giving him a wide grin he knew was at least a little false.
He said nothing and watched her leave, not taking his eyes off the vehicle until it was gone from sight. Even then, he watched the spot where it had been.
He knew he needed to go to Wyoming, that even if he didn’t go, Amy would be off to California for the weekend. Still, Jack ached to stay.
* * *
AMY DROVE AWAY from Jack’s ranch slowly, trying to absorb everything that had happened in those last few minutes, from Jack’s question about their future to her near fall. The woozy feeling worried her more than she’d let on, as did the heartrending look on Jack’s face when she admitted she wasn’t sure about what would happen next in their relationship.
And really, she didn’t have a clue what they could do to make this thing between them work. As comfortable as she’d gotten with Jack again, as much as she enjoyed his company and—yes, she could admit it, if only to herself—loved him, their lives were so different that the decision to stay together seemed terrifying, whatever her feelings for him.
And in the back of her mind, as much as she hated it, she still kept a little piece of herself hidden from him. She hadn’t told him about Armand despite all her promises to herself, and every once in a while, the fear popped up again: the fear that all of Jack’s sweetness and affection was a con, that one day not too far from now, he’d show his true colors and hurt her like Armand had.
No matter how often she told herself that it wasn’t true, she couldn’t entirely rid herself of that feeling.
Amy parked her pop’s truck, but hesitated before going into the house. She couldn’t do anything at that moment about her relationship with Jack, but she could relieve her worries about that moment of light-headedness, and that was better than nothing. Plus, she’d be able to spend a little time with Cassie, which might just make her feel better.
Amy turned her sights on Cassie’s house next door and began walking through the scrub grass that sprouted up between the two properties, following a trail most likely worn down by Brock’s frequent visits between the houses over the past several months.
As she approached the door, Amy wasn’t sure what she planned to say to Cassie besides I felt dizzy for a minute, what do you think it could be? She didn’t even have enough time for that, however, because the moment Cassie opened the door she said, “Just the person I wanted to see! My dress is steamed and hanging up in the bathroom and I desperately wanted someone to gaze lovingly at it with me. Come in,” and Amy was inside and being hauled down the hallway before she could say a single word.
Amy and Cassie both looked at the dress hanging from the shower rod in Cassie’s bathroom. It was long and white, with simple, delicate ornamentation. Perfect for a ceremony on the ranch, which Cassie insisted was everything she could ever hope in a wedding. Even though Amy had been with Cassie at her last fitting just a few days before, she couldn’t help but look longingly at the dress.
“It’s beautiful.” Amy sighed, running her fingers along the silky hem.
Cassie’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the dress, and Amy could tell she was close to tears. It seemed this was going to be a wedding-themed visit instead of a doctor’s visit, and Amy didn’t mind one bit.
“When does your family arrive?” Amy asked while they left the bathroom, wondering how big of a part Cassie’s mother and sister had in the wedding preparations.
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Oh, you’ll know when they get here. I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to hear my mom from your parents’ house. They fly in a couple days before the wedding.”
“Are you...excited to see them?” Amy asked, unsure if she was giving Cassie an opportunity to talk or overstepping her bounds.
Cassie threw her hands in the air in exasperation as she walked over to the bed and sat down. “I have no idea. I love my family, but my mother hasn’t always been the easiest person to be around, and I think she’s still uncertain about this whole thing. I just don’t want to be in charge of corralling her through the entire reception to be sure she doesn’t say anything insulting about us deciding to live ‘in the middle of nowhere’ instead of with ‘civilized folks’ in the city.”
Amy laughed at Cassie’s depiction of her mother. She really did sound like quite a handful, and Amy felt a rush of gratitude for her opinionated-but-ultimately-supportive Ma. “Why don’t you put Ma in charge of her?” Amy asked as the thought struck. “She’d love a job, and if anyone can convince a person about how great Texas is, it’s Ma.”
Cassie’s eyes lit up at the idea. “That might work,” she said, sounding excited. “I can tell my mom that the two of them are in charge of Zach and Carter.”
“If Ma gets to be with the twins and browbeat someone into loving Spring Valley at the same time, she might die of happiness. The rest of us will have a hard time following that act,” Amy said.
“That’s perfect, Amy,” Cassie said sincerely. “I’m so glad you came over. Speaking of, I never asked you why you were here. If you were looking for Brock, he and the boys are busy in town for a couple of hours.”
“No, I came to see you, actually. I had a weird dizzy spell earlier today and I wanted to check with you about it. You know, as my doctor and all,” Amy said, feeling a little silly.
Cassie immediately shifted into doctor mode. “Has this ever happened before? Do you have any other symptoms?”
Amy thought carefully. “It could be period-related, now I think of it. I’m a bit late and my breasts are a little tender. Probably just weird hormones or something. I’ve never gotten woozy like that before.”
“Well, I have one guess,” Cassie said immediately.
“I can’t be pregnant, Cassie,” Amy explained, knowing what Cassie was thinking. “A doctor told me that a decade ago.”
Cassie nodded, though she didn’t look convinced. “Well, will you take a test for me? That way we can rule it out entirely and move on to other diagnoses.”
Before Amy could say anything, Cassie was already back in the bathroom, scrabbling in a cupboard under the sink. After a few seconds, she popped back up with a pregnancy test.
“Whoa,” Amy said, “I didn’t think you’d have one quite so handy. Are you and Brock planning on growing your family already?”
“I keep some on hand for patient use,” Cassie explained, but when Amy didn’t break eye contact, she blushed. “But yes, we’ve talked about giving Zach and Carter a sibling before they get too much older. Now will you go take the test, please?”
Amy took the small object from her soon-to-be sister’s outstretched hand. “Okay, but after it comes back negative, will you please let this idea go for now? And really, the whole thing was probably just a weird moment that means nothing. I shouldn’t have even bothered you about it.”
Cassie held up her hands in promised surrender, and Amy closed the bathroom door behind her. After a minute, she opened the door again, allowing Cassie to reenter the bathroom. The test sat beside the sink. “How long does it take?” she asked Cassie, not even trying to hide her skepticism.
“Just a couple of minutes,” Cassie said, looking at her watch.
Amy turned her attention back to the white dress that took up so much of the bathroom. “So, are you hiding this somewhere so Brock won’t see it, or are you two not bothering with all that?”
“Oh, we’re bothering, all right,” Cassie answered. “I was actually hoping we could sneak it over to your place before he and the boys got back from their errands. I’m sure the McNeals would be able to keep it safe, and Ma invited me to get ready over there. I bet if I didn’t, she’d be bringing half the house over anyway, just in case we might need something.”
Amy chuckled. Ma wasn’t about to leave anything to chance for this wedding, Amy was sure of that. Guessing it had probably been long enough by now, she glanced down at the pregnancy test on the counter.
Amy was silent for a long moment before uttering a quiet “Oh.”