The one who didn’t want me dancing with anyone else but him.
And weirdly enough, I want that man back. Not because of the jealousy—but because of the way he claimed me without hesitation, like the idea of anyone else touching me never even crossed his mind.
But if he wants to be that man, he needs to be consistent. And he needs to stop playing games.
Gage feels like a puzzle made of half-finished pieces—enough to hint at a picture, notenough to explain it.
He may never tell me anything himself, but if I can learn even a sliver of his past, maybe I’ll understand him better.
Not enough to excuse what he did—but enough to make sense of it.
Because unless he gets on his knees and owns what he did—really owns it—I’m not letting this go anytime soon.
I walk up the steps, letting out a shaky breath before knocking on the blue, wooden, paint-chipped door. I don’t have to wait long before Aunt May opens it with a beaming smile.
“Well, Miss Carter, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” she says, and I smile softly, blushing slightly under her compliment.
“Hello, I’m sorry for showing up unannounced, but I was wondering if I could talk to you about the ranch,” I say, wringing my hands together nervously. I’m not even sure why I feel on edge, but everything has felt this way since I walked onto the Hollis property.
She steps aside to let me in. “I was wondering when you’d show up,” she says, and suddenly I relax—though I’m not sure why. There’s a quiet assurance in her tone that makes my delay in reaching out feel expected rather than strange.
Aunt May has never given me a sense of deceit. She’s been kind and warm since the moment we met, a starkcontrast to her nephew. Everyone else has been welcoming, which only makes me wonder why Gage won’t work with me when I’ve already stated I’m not here to steal his ranch away.
I take a seat, and she brings me some tea and a little bit of cobbler. Honestly, over the last couple of days, I’ve been holed up in the main house, scarfing down the last cobbler she brought as a way to mend my hurt—something I probably shouldn’t even have more of. But screw it, I’m still hurting.
I take a bite, and the flavors immediately coat my taste buds. I hum in response, and she smiles softly at me. “Now, what would you like to know?” she asks, folding her hands as I swallow my bite and place the fork down.
“Honestly, anything. How long has the ranch been in the family? How am I connected to all of this if you even know?” I ask, and she nods—and that’s when I realize I came to the right person.
“Hollis Ranch started with my great-great-grandfather. Back then, the technology was obviously nonexistent, so everything was done from scratch.
He bought that plot of land with hopes of building a future for his family, then his children’s families, and so on. He even built that main house on the current plot. It’s had some refurbishments over the years, of course, but thefoundation is the same,” she explains, which makes a lot of sense.
Gage has always said that his family’s legacy is incredibly important to him, hence why allowing someone like me—an outsider—into the fold of it all places that legacy on the line. That has always made sense to me.
I never doubt for a moment that it’s the biggest threat to him, but it still doesn’t explain where his deep level of mistrust comes from.
“When Samuel took over, he had so many plans—too many, if you ask me—but they’re what brought the ranch up to date and kept it with the times. When Gage moved in, he took him under his wing and taught him to keep evolving, saying it was the only way to keep the ranch thriving.”
“How old was Gage when he moved in?” I ask, having learned from Hank that Gage has been living on the ranch for quite some time, but never getting the full story.
Hank loves to talk, but he’ll never share Hollis history since it isn’t his story to tell. Thankfully, Aunt May falls outside of that code, so I’m sure I can get what I need out of her.
“He was around seven.” She looks away and takes a small sip of her own tea. She licks her lips, deep in thought.
“His mother was the wild child of our family, and his daddy was no better. Samuel and his wife couldn’t have kids, so they offered to take Gage off their hands—which they happily agreed to—but only after his grandparents couldn’t do so anymore,” she explains.
Hearing that suddenly feels like getting punched in the stomach.
He is abandoned by his own parents, sent to live with his uncle, and never leaves the ranch. No wonder he’s so deeply attached to this place. It isn’t just about legacy; this has been his home since he was a kid.
Hearing it now reframes everything I thought I understood.
The mistrust could easily trace back to the moment his parents decided he was a burden.
That kind of thing doesn’t just go away.
It doesn’t make it okay how he treats me—but at least I understand him a little better.
