Page 185 of Dusty Spur Ranch Cowboys

I did everything I could to keep Tori in Sadie’s life, gave our daughter stability, and made the ranch into a home she could trust.

None of it has stopped me from wondering whether I’ll eventually fail her in another way.

“How long until the judge signs?” I ask.

“Probably a week or two. Both parties agreed, and Tori waived the waiting period, so I don’t expect complications.”

“She can still change her mind?”

“She can attempt to withdraw, though the court would consider the agreement, her history, and Sadie’s best interests.” Linda closes the folder before sliding a copy toward me. “I don’t believe she’ll come back.”

I don’t either.

I tuck the folder beneath my arm and leave the courthouse.

Heat rises from the pavement as I cross the square, while people move between the diner, pharmacy, and hardware store as though my daughter’s life didn’t change inside the building behind me.

My phone rings before I reach the truck. Red’s name appears on the screen.

“It’s done,” I tell him.

“She signed?”

“Every page.”

He waits before asking, “How are you handling it?”

“I don’t know yet.” I unlock the truck and place the folder on the passenger seat. “She looked relieved, in a way.”

“That belongs to her.”

“I offered supervised visitation.”

He sighs. “Did she take it?”

“No.”

“Then she made her decision.”

Red’s answer would sound harsh from anyone else, but he knows how much life a man can lose by carrying another person’s choices.

“I’ll be home before dinner,” I tell him.

“Sadie’s asked about you all afternoon.”

“Does she know where I am?”

“She knows you had an appointment.”

I glance through the courthouse windows even though Tori has already left. “Keep it that way until I figure out what to tell her.”

“I will.” Red pauses before adding, “Arizona’s with her.”

The tightness beneath my ribs eases.

Red tells me to drive safely before ending the call.

The folder remains on the passenger seat during the trip to Dusty Spur, and I keep seeing Tori’s signature whenever I glance toward it.