Page 40 of Well Aware

I hadn’t disagreed with my good friend’s new wife, because I agreed with her. I’d been denying what I wanted for eight months now.

I had a way out planned for my future, and there was no reason to wait any longer.

After today’s events, and almost losing Iris, I’d come to the conclusion on the way to the emergency room that I’d wasted enough of my life.

Now, both were quiet and fully asleep as I drove through the quiet streets of Sawtooth.

The snow always made everything seem so much quieter.

I craved this kind of peace when I was away from it.

Yet another thing that my sister had taken away.

I always traveled with the team. We went to every major city all over the country, and I had quickly come to realize that I liked none of them. They were all too loud. Too crowded. Too peopley.

But my hometown, and the surrounding two towns—Jawbone and Bear Pass—was my happy place.

I never wanted to leave it again.

I’d done the whole traveling thing.

I hadn’t realized until I’d had to start traveling again how bone-tiring it was.

Plus, let’s just be honest, people in big cities were different.

There wasn’t that ‘love thy neighbor’ feel at any of them.

There was hustle and bustle. Who could get ahead of who. Who knew who.

That wasn’t something that happened here.

I grew up a Vanderbilt. And honestly, my family’s wealth hadn’t been a bone of contention between anyone growing up.

It’d just been me, Boone, and all good friends. There were no dollar signs. No silver spoons. Just us being us.

And that was how I liked it.

Instead of taking Magnolia and Iris to their home, I’d taken them to mine.

I wasn’t sure how they would feel going back to their place, but for now, they’d be safe at mine.

I had a sprawling ranch smack dab in between Jawbone and Sawtooth. I was forty-five minutes away from the stadium, and in the middle of nowhere.

I had a creek that ran through my backyard that was glacier fed from the mountain that I lived at the base of.

When I looked out my front window every morning, I could see goats on the mountain, elk in my field, and deer aplenty.

And somehow, I knew that both mother and daughter would love my ranch.

As paved road gave way to gravel, Magnolia finally stirred.

She lifted her head from where it was resting against the headrest and looked around.

“Where are we?” she asked quietly.

I gestured toward the house coming into view. “My place. I didn’t know if you’d want to go back to yours.”

She blew out a relieved breath. “I don’t even know if I locked the door.”