Page 185 of We Drank the Dawn

I put Sarah’s ring where it belonged on her finger, whispering a spontaneous version of our vows to her as I pushed it over her knuckle and kissed her hand. Then I gently tickled a trail up and down her arm and whispered all the plans I’d made for us.

SUNRISE

SIXTY-THREE

Sarah

We spent the next four days having the time of our lives. Aside from the afternoon Peter spent figuring out financial stuff for the barn’s insurance claim, he spent every waking moment doting on me.

Speaking my love language, we discussed the day’s itinerary over a cup of coffee each morning. We canoed on the Guadalupe, took a nap in the hammock, had a trail ride and picnic, groomed horses in the temporary shelter erected near the corrals, played cards one night with the Holmes children, babysat Wren, and so much more. My heart was filled to bursting.

And between all the wonderful experiences, Peter made sure I rested well and ate well.

Daily, my vitality strengthened and I felt more like myself.

Everything we did produced healing conversations. And I could not believe how much this crisis revealed to me about Peter. I knew him well prior to this, but now I could say I truly understood him, and that understanding produced an intimacy and oneness we didn’t have before. And those conversations spiraled into love that lasted late each night and made us oversleep every morning.

Each day I woke up plastered to his body and ready for my next adventure.

But our return to Colorado loomed ahead like storm clouds. I dreaded leaving the safe cocoon of the fifth wheel, and Peter dreaded saying goodbye to his new Meadowbrook family.

Especially Cooper.

We gathered around the dinner table for the final time. Despite the trials Meadowbrook had faced in the last week, the morale was relatively high. Tag decided to board the horses that needed stalls at a nearby ranch for the time being and the insurance claim had been filed. It wouldn’t be long before Tag had a spiffy barn that reflected Meadowbrook Performance Horses’ expertise and renown.

When plates were mostly empty, Peter stood at the table. “Hey, can I have everyone’s attention for just a few minutes?”

The crowd went quiet.

Peter took a long, deep breath and lifted his head. His gaze drifted off to the side a little, and I noticed he’d been doing that in the days since I arrived. After his accident, his eyes seemed constantly anxious, moving from place to place, as if he was trying to see everything. Now, they didn’t respond to stimuli nearly as much. It was almost as if they’d settled, resigned to the darkness in a way that brought him peace. The change brought me peace, too.

“Sarah and I have to leave for the airport around ten o’clock tomorrow morning. And I have some stuff I need to say…” He cleared his throat. “Of course I’m thankful for the love of my sisters and the way they cared for me over the last month, but the cowboys here…” His voice wavered. “I’m pretty sure I’d be dead if it weren’t for the way you all dragged me out of the fifth wheel and put a pitch fork in my hands.” He softly laughed but his cheeks reddened. “I was barely hanging on…”

My throat pinched tight as I listened.

“There’s something special here. Every time I’ve visited this ranch, there’s this magic I can feel. And, I’m not sure how, but it changes people—I’ve experienced that change in my own life and seen it in Hollie and Bea. Thank you for your patience with me as I went through some pretty painful growth. I’m going to carry what Meadowbrook has given me for the rest of my life. You all are some of the finest men I’ve ever met, and—and I really don’t want to say goodbye.”

When he sat back in his seat, Tag spoke up. “I actually have something for you, Peter. Something from all of us at Meadowbrook. Here you go.”

Peter reached out.

And Tag put a cream-colored cowboy hat in his hands.

When Peter realized what it was, his eyes clouded.

“Hate to see you go, brother.” Tag said, “You would’a made a fine cowboy.”

Peter’s smile tipped and he said thank you, but I doubted anyone actually heard his strangled gratitude as the conversation around the table resumed. My hand grabbed his beneath the table, and his fingers entwined with mine.

“Put it on,” I whispered.

Obeying, he pulled off his cap and placed the cowboy hat on his head. Cooper, sitting across from us, said, “It looks real good.”

“We need a picture of you wearing that,” I said.

Peter smirked.

But I pouted. “You know, we haven’t gotten any pictures together the entire time. I should’ve thought to take a few. Maybe we can snap one real quick before we leave.”