“Yeah. I’m going to eventually end up here, and I’d like to live close to my son again. If that means moving to Pine Ridge, then I’ll do it.”
“I just found out that he lives here,” I admit.
She chuckles softly. “He’s not the greatest communicator.”
“Well, there’s not really a reason he would communicate with me.”
She looks at me, eyebrows raised. “There isn’t? Because I heard that you’re pretending to be his fiancée.”
I don’t know why, but it feels more embarrassing that his mom knows this. I was hoping to play it off that we were acquaintances and that he was doing me a favor, bringing me out here, because, really, that is closer to the truth.
“It was more necessity, and eventually, that’ll be over too.” There’s a sad tone in my voice that I can’t quite hide, and Natalie looks at me with sharp eyes.
“So, you two aren’t dating at all?” she asks in surprise.
“He’s still a little hung up on the last bad situation.”
Natalie sits down on a barstool across the island from me. “I can’t believe he hasn’t asked you out yet.”
“Why would you say that?” I ask, moving my coffee cup in circles on the counter, the liquid sloshing as I try to figure out how to respond to that.
“Because I’ve heard him talk about you, and whether he admits it to himself or not, I know he’s interested in you.”
“I think maybe he could be interested in me if there wasn’t so much going on.”
“Do you mean with Alexander?” Natalie asks.
“Yes, and no. I guess part of it is with his ex-fiancée, feeling like he can’t trust himself, and then the other part is, there’s so much going on with the extended family that he feels like he needs to sort that out before he can think about himself.”
Natalie frowns at that. “I wish he hadn’t been pulled into that mess. But I have pretty strong feelings where that family’s concerned.”
“Nash told me—” I pause, not sure if I should say he told me about Alexander trying to pay her. I clear my throat. “Nash told me about you and his dad. He also said Alexander tried to pay you to leave him.”
“Yes, he did. I don’t have a warm relationship with him, even to this day, but I will say that he has changed over the years. I think he’s come to realize there are more important things. He did apologize to me sincerely. When Nash was eight years old, he decided he wanted to be a part of our lives, however it looked, and he did come back into our lives with zero expectations—only wanting to be with us, to spend time with his son, and to get to know Nash. While I will never be his biggest fan, I can appreciate someone who is willing to change.”
“And you don’t blame him for Nash being wrapped up in the family drama right now?”
“No. I think it was years of Alexander’s obsession with money, which was passed down to his daughter and some of his nieces and nephews. It’s been a toxic love of money and family, and now that he has a closer relationship with Nash, he’s relying on him to be the voice of reason in a family full of money-grabbers.”
I debate if I should say anything to her about her son…but I know Nash is close with her. “He’s seemed happier out here. He’s been smiling a lot more.”
“Ranching is a simpler lifestyle. It’s hard but fulfilling. And I know he loves it. I’d like to see him come back to it.”
“And what about you?”
“Like I said, I’m planning on moving here to Pine Ridge. My brother will manage the ranch, and I’ll be here, close to my son.” Natalie smiles and continues, “There are two houses for sale in town. Do you want to come look with me?”
“Of course! I’d like a better look around Pine Ridge. I might end up here someday anyway.”
“Well, come on, then!”
She jumps up and refills her coffee cup before leading the way out to her SUV. She drives all the way down the bumpy drive with that open coffee cup without spilling a drop. It’s impressive, to say the least. Our conversation centers on the scenery until we reach Pine Ridge.
“So, you’d be willing to come out to Pine Ridge?” Natalie asks as we pull into the parking lot in front of the building that could potentially be my new business.
“Do you mean move here?” I ask.
“Yes. It’s not often someone would move to a town where they don’t know anybody.”
