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I should have realized that Richard sparkled wherever he was. It wasn’t the location that made him shine; it was the man himself. It was being where he wanted to be, doing what he loved to do.
Today’s fair was the perfect example. It had been Richard’s idea from start to finish. Shortly after moving to the ranch, Sheriff Chisolm had stopped by to let me know that all charges had been formally dropped, and Walt Hosser had withdrawn his claims. He’d brought along his daughter to see Duck in her unicorn fly mask, and she’d been enthralled, asking Richard a ton of questions about how he’d made it. She’d explained that she was working on a project for her 4-H club and asked if he’d help her design and sew her own fly mask. One thing led to another, and Richard now sponsored a group of Cloverleaf members and taught monthly sewing and design classes.
From them, he’d learned about show animals and started attending shows and auctions to support his students. That led to even more sponsorships and the purchase of his first animal. One thing had led to another, and Richard had volunteered to host a 4-H/FFA ag-fair/festival at the ranch. He’d spent the last month in a whirlwind of party planning and had loved every minute of it.
That was in addition to the design work he’d been doing for Jame’s next IceCon costume and his bourgeoning online business selling custom couture fly masks. As it turned out, there were a lot of wealthy people out there who liked the idea of dressing their horses in designer-inspired accessories. Fashionable and functional, as Richard liked to point out.
Richard noticed me looking his way and raised a hand to wave. But before he could start making his way toward the house, he was stopped by an elderly couple and then again by a mother of twin girls. It seemed like every other person in the crowd stopped him to say hello and make some comment or another. Already, folks here had begun to treat him like a local—an integral part of the community.
I loved seeing him so settled and happy.
Jed must have noticed my puppy-dog expression as I watched Richard. “So, when are you going to make an honest man out of him?” he asked, sending his elbow into my ribs playfully.
I turned on him, noting how close he stood to Norma, and crooked an eyebrow. “I might ask the same about you two.”
Twin spots of color rose on his cheeks. He glanced at Norma and then back to me. “We’re not… I mean… it’s not like you think…”
Norma apparently took offense at his protests. She fisted her hands on her hips. “Oh, it isn’t, is it?”
Jed immediately realized he’d stepped into a whole lotta trouble. “Well, that is to say… I mean… “
Even in the best of times, Norma wasn’t good at bluffing, and her stern expression quickly gave way to laughter. She slapped her knee. “You should see your face, Jedidiah Thompson. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so tongue-tied.”
His eyes turned mischievous. “I’ll show you tongue-tied.” He reached for her, and she squealed, sounding decades younger than she was. He got his arms around her, and she melted into him as their lips met for a kiss.
Thankfully, my phone buzzed in my pocket, giving me the perfect opportunity to excuse myself. I stepped farther down the porch and glanced at the screen. Oscar calling.
“Hey!” I said after swiping quickly. “This is a treat. You finally back on this side of the globe?”
“I think so? Probably?” His laughter sounded a bit frayed and tired. “I was just in Macao. Before that was Nairobi and Detroit. Tomorrow, I leave for Dubai.”
I frowned. Oscar had always loved traveling, and long after Overton Investments had gotten big enough for him to let other people take meetings for him, he’d insisted on being involved in every aspect of his business. But something had changed in him this summer, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what… or why.
He now traveled constantly, often for weeks at a time, and when he wasn’t ping-ponging around the world like a criminal on the lam, he was holed up in his office drafting business proposals and working deals with the kind of frantic energy I hadn’t seen in him since we were just starting out… back when he’d tried to bury all his fear and sadness under piles of paperwork.
We still chatted occasionally, but whenever I asked him about anything beyond work, he deflected with his trademark humor and insisted things were fine. Better than fine. Wonderful.
For a minute, I’d wondered if Oscar’s behavior had been somehow related to me and Richard—fear of losing me from his life causing another one of those wistful, nostalgic moods or something—but I’d quickly dismissed the idea. Oscar had been nothing but supportive about my relationship now that he knew Richard loved and appreciated me. He’d even sent Lorna, a rescued llama, for Richard’s menagerie as a kind of peace offering, which Richard had accepted happily.
