Page 227 of Tessa and Nash

There it is.

The big one. The one thing that can either tear us apart or make this whole plan work. Joint acknowledgment. For years, we’ve been at each other’s throats over who deserves what. Who owns more, who’s got the right to this piece of land, who’s been wronged more. There’s never been any real recognition between the McCoys and the Longs. Just decades of blame and bitterness, buried under layers of pride and family loyalty.

But this? This is asking us to stand side by side and say, “We’ve both been here. And we both matter.”

I bite my lip, taking it all in. On paper, it sounds like the kind of compromise that would never work. But deep down, I know it’s the only chance either of these families have at ever getting out of this toxic mess they’ve created.

Nash doesn’t look at me immediately. He’s too busy doing the “thinking man” routine. Scratching his jaw, staring off into space. But I know he’s processing it.

His gaze flicks over to me. “This is it, huh?”

“Yeah,” I say quietly, nodding. “This is it.”

The silence between us hangs heavy, but in a way, it’s a relief. We both know it won’t be easy. Hell, I don’t even know if it’ll work. But right now, it’s the best shot either family’s got.

The council is murmuring, the room buzzing with the anticipation of what’s to come. I turn to Nash, my voice low enough that only he can hear. “You know it’s going to be hard, right? More paperwork, more waiting, more back and forth…”

“I know,” he says. But then he meets my eyes, and I see it. That moment of clarity. “But I think we can make it work. Together.”

It’s a small thing, but it’s the thing that matters. Together. That’s the difference.

I take a deep breath, feeling it settle in.

“Good,” I say. “Because if you think for one second I’m letting you rush through this thing, you’re wrong. We’ve got to do it right.”

He raises an eyebrow, that familiar smirk starting to tug at the corners of his lips. “You’re that person, huh? The one who actually reads the fine print?”

I scoff. “You should know by now, McCoy, I don’t do anything without a plan. And that plan? It’s slow and steady.”

“I can be patient when it counts,” he says, leaning in just a little closer. “And if it’s with you? Yeah, I’ll be patient.”

“We’ve got a long road ahead of us,” I remind him, even though part of me knows this is the first step.

“I know,” he says. “But with you by my side? I think we’ll make it work. You’ve got more patience than I do, and a hell of a lot more backbone.”

I stare at him, a sudden rush of warmth flickering in my chest. “Not sure about that. But I do know what’s worth fighting for. And this? This is worth it.”

Nash nods, his face softening just enough for me to see the honesty behind it. Everything feels clearer. We’re in this together, and that’s enough.

It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to take time, but sometimes, that’s what it takes to get it right.

And that? That’s the kind of risk I’m willing to take.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Nash

March 3rd

“To Nash!” Boone yells above the crowd. “And Tessa too!”

“To the Dude Ranch,” Dallas joins in, ignoring my insistence that it’s a Guest Ranch. I don’t know if he’ll ever drop the word ‘Dude’.

“To the future!” Rose adds, as Wyatt wails on her hip.

The clink of glasses fills the air as the rest of the McCoys raise their drinks in a chorus of cheers, some louder than others, but all of them filled with meaning.

The barn is a blur of warmth and laughter, the kind of bedlam that only comes with big family or town celebrations. Every inch of space is filled. No one’s missing this moment. Not when the future’s finally starting to feel real.