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Lily looks at me with a cocked eyebrow.
“He will keep control of the Perry ranch until one of two things happens. One, he dies. Or two, his eldest child is married.”
“That’s... that’s not how inheritance works?”
“For the Perry ranch, it is. Something I always found admirable about them is they’re a bit forward thinking. They want the next generation to take over when they are ready, and marriage is what they use to signify that. They don’t want the land to stay in the hands of someone who might not have a stake in it existing ten years from now. So the ranch part of the inheritance is given when the marriage happens to ensure its continued prosperity.”
“So... you want to marry Sarah so she gets control of her ranch?”
I nod. “She wants it too. She doesn’t like her father much, and I guess this is the only way to get him out of her life. I want to end this stupid family feud, so I’m playing along. We’ll bring the ranches together and create a brighter future for the both of us and the town of Greenbluff.”
“In spite of you having no feelings for one another?”
“She’s nice. That’s literally all I can say.”
Lily’s shoulders sink. “Now I feel horrible for getting in the way, again.”
“Don’t. You’ve done nothing. As Sarah said, you’re just acting on your feelings. And I’m just acting on mine.”
We share another longing glare into one another’s eyes. And then, another kiss.
I don’t know what will happen between Sarah and I.
But I do know that I love Lily, and I will do whatever it takes to make her happy.
6
LILY
The next week is equal parts awkward and wonderful.
Jack and I get along so well, but we can’t shake the feeling of what happened with Sarah. He’s been holding off on doing anything more explicitly romantic, but I guess just being in his company laughing and talking will do.
For now, at least. I can’t imagine both of us keeping it in our pants forever, or we wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.
Then there is the Greenbluff Summer Festival.
A big series of tents were erected outside the town, the local farmers bringing in their produce, and even some outside folks coming in to set up attractions. It’s really important to the town, apparently. It’s their way of keeping a part of home alive in a world that is quickly globalizing and unifying. Not to say that’s a bad thing, but knowing who you are and where you came from is important.
Jack had given the wranglers short workdays. He would have given us all the entire day off, he said, but the horses don’t understand the whole-day-off thing. They still needed to be fed and tended to. But any extra stuff that needed doing could wait.
It’s the evening of one of the festival’s nights, and I made my way down. There’s hard, pounding music playing, which shook my expectations. I had thought it’d be some sort of country line dancing jig, but hey, it is the twenty-first century.
I’m not complaining. I’m hardly the type who went to nightclubs and raves all the time, but I couldn’t deny the deep pounding bass awakes something in me. I jive out onto the floor, and start letting the music guide me. I realize I must look a tad bit ridiculous, always having been someone with two left feet, but I’m struggling to care.
Someone else there didn’t think I needed to be a ballerina to be out there. “Looks like you’re groovin’ to the beat, little lady.”
Jack. He’s there in his full denim as usual, but instead of it simply being work clothes, it’s the proper attire for the occasion at this party, even if I don’t think cowboy boots were meant for dancing this type of music.
“Would you like to join me, Jack?” I giggle, offering my hand.
“Are we going Sadie Hawkins style with this? All right. I’ll gladly join you.”
I may have offered my hand, but Jack takes control almost immediately. He spins me into his arms, holding me close. As I dance, he moves with me, his hands on my hips, feeling my flesh as it bounces against his. We grind together, our fingers interlocking, as I look up at him, and he looks back at me. I can feel him purr, as well as other things about him.
We really go into it. When the music shifts into something you’d expect more of a town like Greenbluff, Jack takes the lead, pulling me into him, spinning me about, and taking the lead on a more traditional dance.
“My mother made me go to lessons as a child,” he says, as he leads me so beautifully. I have no idea what I’m doing, but with his guidance, it works. “I always thought it was a lot of old-fashioned hogwash, but doing it with you, Lily, it’s all finally paying off.”
