She waves a hand. “No one deals with this kind of shit well, Blue. But you’re fighting for that place, and that’s what matters.”
I shake my head, rubbing a hand over my face. “It’s just…I don’t know. I feel like I’m constantly holding my breath, waiting for the next thing to go wrong.”
Dawn lets out a long breath, reaching for a cigarette before thinking better of it and stuffing the pack back in her pocket. “Yeah, well. Life’s good at throwing punches. But you? You’ve always been good at taking ‘em.”
I glance up at her, at the way she’s watching me, like she’s seeing something I don’t.
Dawn nudges me lightly with her elbow. “So. How’s everything with that Wilding boy?”
A smile tugs at my lips before I can stop it. “It’s…really good.”
Dawn quirks a brow and smirks. “Well, would you look at that. That boy’s been sweet on you since he was barely tall enough to reach your shoulder.”
I roll my eyes, swatting the air like I can wave her words away. “Please. We were kids. Dumb as hell and twice as reckless.”
“Mmhmm.” She crosses her arms, leaning back like she’s settling in to watch me squirm. “Kids who couldn’t go ten minutes without sneakin’ off somewhere just to be together every chance you got.”
I roll my eyes. “You make it sound a lot more romantic than it was.”
Dawn hums, tapping a finger against the counter. “I’ve been around long enough to know real love when I see it, Blue. And trust me, that boy? He’s been looking at you like you hung the damn moon for as long as I can remember.”
I swallow, my fingers tightening around the fork. “Yeah, well. Wanting something and knowing how to make it work are two very different things.”
Dawn shrugs, reaching for a glass from my cabinet like she’s been doing it her whole life. “What’s there to work out?”
I let out a breath, setting my fork down with a quiet clink. “Um, I don’t know…literally everything?” I lean against the counter, crossing my arms. “If we worked out, we’d have to live together eventually. Where would we live? Boone’s not going to want to leave the ranch, but if we move out there, Hudson has to switch schools. He’s already comfortable here, has his friends, his baseball team.” I shake my head. “And the Bluebell is a lot farther from the ranch than it is from my house. I don’t even know if it’d be manageable with my hours.”
Dawn nods, considering this as she pours herself a glass of water. “So don’t move right away.”
I blink. “What?”
She shrugs. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now, Blue. You can take your time. Let things settle. You and Boone don’t have to have it all figured out tomorrow.”
I sigh. “Yeah, but eventually, we will.”
Dawn nods, leaning back against the counter. “You will. And when that time comes, you’ll figure it out then.”
I shake my head, letting out a small laugh. “Just that easy, huh?”
She gives me a knowing look. “It’s not easy. But it’s also not as complicated as you’re making it.” She takes a slow sip of water, then sets the glass down with a soft clink. “Look, I get it. Life doesn’t always make room for the things we want. But you make room. You adjust.”
I watch her. “Sounds like you know a lot about this.”
Dawn sighs. “I got three daughters in California, six grandkids. I’d givejust about anything to be close to them. But you know what California’s got?” She lifts a brow. “Rent prices higher than my blood pressure.”
I let out a quiet laugh, but she just shakes her head. “It’s not always about what we want, Blue. Sometimes it’s about what’s realistic. What makes sense for everyone involved.” She lifts a shoulder. “You don’t have to have every detail planned out before you decide to be with someone. You just have to decide you’re gonna make it work.”
I lean a hip against the counter, tilting my head. “What about you? Are you gonna move to California when you retire? Be next to your daughters?”
Dawn snorts, shaking her head as she takes another sip of water. “Yeah, once I win the damn lottery.”
I laugh. “Fair enough.”
She waves a hand, dismissing the thought, then narrows her eyes at me. “What about you? You got any plans tonight? A girl as pretty as you shouldn’t be sitting around on a weekend.”
I roll my eyes, smiling. “Well, Hudson’s staying with Molly at the ranch tonight. He’s been begging to have a sleepover there and I finally caved. So Boone and I are going out to The Lucky Devil.”
Dawn lets out a low whistle, shaking her head like she approves. “Nowthat’smore like it. When I was your age, I was out every weekend, drinking whatever was cheapest, dancing to a terrible house band, making a few bad decisions.” She tilts her head. “Actually, most of them were bad decisions.”
