He studied the papers, then looked back at her. “This is a rental and you’re from California?”
“Yes, sir.” She cleared her throat, trying to sound professional despite her puffy eyes. “I was here to take photos for a magazine doing an article on Beckett Feed.”
“I see. I’ll be right back.” His boots crunched on the gravel as he retreated to his vehicle.
Ryan watched him go in the side mirror, the reflection wavering as fresh tears threatened. She hated being pulled over, the vulnerability of it, but in all honesty, she hadn’t been. The officer had just stopped to make sure she was alright, a small mercy on this day.
Minutes crawled by before she spotted him returning, his silhouette growing larger in her mirror. She noticed he wore jeans with a khaki shirt, and it made her smile. Small town deputy. He handed the documents back through the window, his fingers brushing against hers momentarily.
“Are you sure you’re alright? I don’t like you sitting on the side of the road. Even though it’s daylight, you’re in a dangerous spot.”
“I’m fine now. I’ll go.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, avoiding his gaze.
“Where are you heading?”
“To Kalispell to catch a flight home.” The words felt hollow in her mouth.
“Alright.” He nodded slowly. “You just be careful. Have a good afternoon, ma’am.” He touched the brim of his hat in a gesture that was so familiar to her since being in Clifton, then strode back to his cruiser, boots kicking up small clouds of dust that danced in her taillights.
Ryan watched as the cruiser’s lights dimmed, and it pulled away. As it passed, she saw it was a Sheriff’s K-9 SUV, then it disappeared around a bend in the road. She took a deep, shuddering breath that filled her lungs with the scent of the countryside. With mechanical movements, she returned the rental documents to the glovebox and tucked her license into her purse. After checking for traffic, she eased the SUV back onto the empty asphalt ribbon that led through Clifton.
As she drove through the town, fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. She would miss this town and the wonderful people she’d met. She smiled through her tears as she looked at the Clifton Diner, people going in and out. Cowboy’s touching the brims of their hats at everyone they passed. She loved this town, and she would never forget it, or the one cowboy who had stolen her heart but didn’t want it.
****
Monday morning, the pre-dawn sky was still deep indigo when Seth crossed the frost-tipped yard, the steam curling from the coffee cup in his hands. Each breath came in white puffs as he passed the barn and entered the arena, his boots crunching on the cement underfoot. He paused at the rail, sweeping his gaze over the raked footing as if it might offer some comfort for his restless mind. He set his mug atop a post, its warmth drifting into the chill dawn breeze. Seth knew it would warm up as the day went on, but mornings could still be chilly. Then he slipped through the barn doors and whistled softly to coax the chestnut filly from her stall.
He hadn’t slept a wink. Every time he closed his eyes, Ryan’s face, streaked with tears, haunted him. He loathed that he’d been the cause of them, yet he couldn’t shake the conviction that he’d made the right choice. To him, the life they might have shared here on the ranch was a promise he’d seen broken too many times. He’d seen some of his friends go through it. A woman thinking she’d love being in Montana but ended up leaving. Just like with Autumn.
The ache of Autumn’s goodbye had been sharp, but nothing cut deeper than losing Ryan. He’d fallen for her with an intensity he hadn’t known possible. Still, he’d never ask her to stay. Once bitten, twice shy.
“You could always move to California,” he muttered to himself.
“Still talking to yourself?” Cull’s voice rumbled from the other side of the rail.
Seth removed his hat, ran a hand through his hair, then placed it back onto his head. “It’s my favorite pastime.”
Cull placed his hands on the top rail as he watched the filly running around. “Have you thought any more about—”
“Me going to California or asking her to stay?” Seth offered.
Cull nodded. “Both.”
Seth’s gaze drifted to the horse as she pawed at the ground. “Not much else runs through my head.”
“I’ve given it thought. If you head to California, I’ll hold down the fort, but I bet you’d come back.”
Seth shrugged, his shoulders taut. “Probably. Doesn’t feel like there’s a future either way.”
“I don’t envy you, man.” Cull’s eyes softened.
“What if Britt hadn’t wanted this life?”
Cull spoke of Britt, her arrival at Bur Oak Ranch, their meeting at the diner, how her laughter lit the room. He’d told her he wanted her to be here with him; she had agreed to stay, curious about what might grow between them. Cull’s voice held a gentle pride. “She never looked back.”
“Lucky,” Seth said, though it sounded hollow.
“There are other women who stayed. Becca, Olivia, Kelsey, Jessa, the Gates women, and don’t forget Elise. Declan made her leave to see if she made the right choice and she did. She came back to him. I know there are more who chose this life, chose their men. They stayed.”
