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Holt’s new routine was working all right for the most part for the past three days. He’d show up just before dawn, get his usual coffee in the kitchen, then head out to work on the ranch. Macie was always in the kitchen, waiting, and sometimes, she made him bacon. And he even once downed a couple of pancakes.
Today, they were going riding, and Holt would be taking Ruby on his horse—to make things more platonic, and because it would keep any suspicions at a minimum. Holt was having a hard time keeping his thoughts and emotions to himself, and if his mom wasn’t so wrapped up in her healing process, he was sure she would have noticed the change in him.
Holt felt like a new man. A man with a purpose. A man with hope and a vision of the future. One with Macie and Ruby in it. What that meant for Knox, he didn’t know, but he’d cross that bridge later.
For now, Holt was thinking about how he’d spend a mellow afternoon with Macie and Ruby—who’d definitely become part of his life now. While he waited for them to arrive, Holt worked on the accounting in the barn office. Things were still pretty dismal, but he had several boarding commissions starting in a couple of days with cowboys arriving for the rodeo.
He’d charged them fifty percent down, and that had helped. Most of the ranch bills were currently caught up, with only a few things pending. This would be great if he could count on boarding animals throughout the year, but once summer was over, that would drop off drastically.
Last winter, he’d traveled quite a bit to help with consulting other horse owners. He might have to do that again this winter.
“I don’t see him,” came a young, petulant voice from the barn area.
“Maybe he’s in the office,” Macie said.
Holt smiled at the sound of her voice. Then just before he could lean back in his chair and open the door wider, Ruby burst through.
“I found him!” she said, then launched herself into his arms.
“Easy, little darlin’,” he said with a chuckle, pulling her into a hug. “Nearly knocked this old man off his chair.”
Macie appeared in the doorway, her brown eyes warm with amusement.
“Hi,” he said over Ruby’s head.
Macie tilted her head, a soft smile on her face. “Hi,” she said back.
Holt did a slow perusal of her clothing. Plaid shirt, fitted jeans, cowboy boots, braided hair. It was as if she’d lived on a ranch her whole life. When his gaze met Macie’s again, she grinned. “Approve?”
“Always.”
“Ruby, baby, can you go count the horses?”
“Yes, Mommy!” She scrambled past Macie and hurried into the main barn.
Holt rose from his chair. “What was that for?”
“That was so you can come over here and kiss me,” Macie said. “After looking at me like that, you’d better make good on it.”
Holt chuckled, then he tugged her farther into the office. He pulled her close and lowered his mouth to hers. Kissing Macie was becoming like home to him. The happiest place he could be. She twined her arms about his neck and pressed against him.
Despite moments like these, immersed in their own bit of heaven, Holt couldn’t help but feel like they were standing in front of a huge countdown clock. One in which his brother would emerge and shake things up. Macie had told Holt more than once that she had no intention of ever giving Knox a second chance, yet small doubts still edged their way into Holt’s psyche.
He could only hope that they were able to build enough of a foundation with their relationship that it would be him who Macie would choose, not his brother. Again.
“Mommy! I counted! There’s five horses!”
Macie released him and stepped back a half-second before Ruby careened into the office.
“Nice job,” Macie said with a laugh, squeezing Ruby next to her. “Should we go ride one?”
An hour later, Holt sat near the stream while Ruby and Macie waded in the shallow water. They’d eaten the sandwiches that Macie had brought along, and then they’d explored and picked flowers.
Holt wished this day could go on forever. That every day could be like this.
“Hold my hand, Ruby,” Macie said, as Ruby nearly tripped.
Holt loved watching the two of them together. He loved how Ruby copied everything her mom did, and how so many things were new to her. Ruby’s wide-eyed view of the world brought a different perspective for him, too, one in which he could see his future working out how he’d always wanted.
