CHAPTER ONE
There comesa moment in everyone’s life when they finally acknowledge what they’re missing and what they have to do in order to get it. To ignore that moment invites gut-wrenching regret.
Hallie stared at the passage in the book. How had she managed to fall so far from the person she thought she was that she couldn’t help but seek out advice from self-help books? She groaned inwardly and snapped the book shut before she shoved it on the shelf. She turned to leave but something kept her tethered to her spot and she slowly turned her focus to the spine again.
She wasn’t even in the bookstore to find something related to finding her true happiness. She’d wanted a book that could help her with her photography. Something that would tell her if she was actually any good without making a fool of herself.
The pictures she took were good in her opinion, but beauty was in the eye of the beholder, right? And what was the point in leaning into her hobby if no one else thought her work had merit?
Buzzing conversations around the bookstore drowned out her spiraling thoughts and somehow pushed her to reach for the book. Honestly, the second she’d read that passage, only one thing came to mind.
One person.
The man she’d had a crush on for the better part of a decade. From the first moment they’d met, she’d known he was special. The problem was, so did all the other women in a fifty-mile radius of wherever he was. And since he traveled for work—all over the country—that basically meant every woman with eyes in the United States knew.
According to the latest census there were about twenty million women in their twenties. And that was a heck of a lot of competition.
Hallie thumbed the pages of the book and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The book wasn’t about finding romance. No, from what she could gather, it contained advice for people who wanted to shed the dismal life they were living for a chance at true happiness whatever that might mean.
She blew out a breath and her blonde hair shot away from her face then lightly floated down. Maybe it wasn’t a good thing that at this point all she wanted was him.
Her family was amazing. The relationships and support she had, not only from her parents, but her cousins as well was unfounded. She had a great set of friends who accepted her crazy even when she did something stupid, like air the best kept family secret to the whole clan.
Hallie flinched at that memory. And yet after the dust had settled, they still loved her.
Tracing the cover with her fingertips, she contemplated buying it just to see if it could help. To be fair, her job left a lot to be desired. For the most part, she just helped around Sagebrush Ranch. Whenever there was something that had to be done, she did it. Was it exciting? Did it fulfill her?
Not in the slightest.
But she didn’t have any ideas for a real career.
And no, her photography wasn’t an option. That was a hobby.
Something was missing from her life and with all her cousins pairing off, dating, getting engaged and married, she couldn’t help but wonder if now was her time to shine. What if all she had to do was tell him? What if Jacob just didn’t know how deep her feelings went? They were great friends. They spent a lot of time hanging out in the same groups.
No, she’d never traveled to see him compete anywhere but in Montana, but she wasn’t against it—if he’d only ask.
Goosebumps rose on her arms just thinking about what it could be like if Jacob could see her as something more than the girl who tagged along to all the rodeo events. Okay, she was more. They were friends. But sometimes it felt like the chasm between them to move into something bigger and better was just too deep.
Hallie brought the book to her chest and hugged it tight. She was done living with regrets. She’d tell him how she felt and…
Her thoughts faltered.
And what if he told her he didn’t see her that way? Then what?
No. Nope. Not gonna think about that right now.
They’d been hanging out a lot more recently and she was finally done with his veiled flirting even if that was how he treated most of the fangirls that came up to him wanting an autograph. Tonight. It was going to happen tonight if she could get him alone. Definitely best if they didn’t have an audience.
Hallie remained perchedon the tailgate of her truck, her legs swinging back and forth as she watched Jacob chatting with her cousins. Brent and Mack were both interested in the rodeo and liked to compete for fun, though Brent had almost made a career out of it and followed in his biological father’s footsteps.
They were all smiling and laughing, but her eyes continued to lock on the rugged prince. His dark brown hair was longer than most rodeo competitors and it fell around his head in gentle waves. On more than one occasion, she’d been tempted to run her fingers through it. Was it coarse and thick, or soft and light? Maybe she’d be able to find out one day. Maybe that day could be today.
Her stomach flipped over like a beast. She couldn’t get ahead of herself. She was an adult and so was he. Telling him that she had feelings shouldn’t be this terrifying, for heaven’s sake.
Brent nudged Mack and said something then the two of them said goodbye to Jacob. His eyes locked with Hallie’s and she smiled and gave him a wave.
A wave?
