AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Yes, we got in just after lunch and spent a lazy day around here with everyone," I say.
Megan wasn't there last night. She and her husband spent the evening over at his parents' house.
"Did you do anything fun today?" Lily asks.
Lily is best friends with one of Mac's sisters-in-law and has been adopted into the family along with her sister Savannah, and her husband, Ford.
"Sage and Colt took us around the ranch. Josh was in his element, having the opportunity to ask all sorts of questions and learning a few things from Colt. It was nice to see what was new and talk to Sage. Getting to help bottle feed some of the baby calves in the barn, was definitely a highlight. They are just so darn cute and small, and don't mind cuddling, making it extra fun."
"Also, the baby cows are super cute,” Megan says. “We had a cow that had twins and gave birth while I was the only one on the ranch. I called Hunter over because not only is he a vet, but he's my best friend. It was that night that he kissed me for the first time, and I think it really kicked off our relationship. So, the baby calves on the ranch always hold a special place in our hearts." Megan finishes with a huge smile on her face and love clearly shining in her eyes.
I tuck that little nugget of information away because that does sound like the great start of a relationship and a great way to open a book. Later, I'll have to talk to her about it and get more details.
Once everyone has their plates piled high with food and a margarita in hand, we head into the living room where there's a large sectional couch, many chairs and seating that has been brought in. Most of them oversized, like large bean bag chairs. Sarah sits down on one side of the couch and I sit next to her. Sage sits on the other side of me.
As I eat my food, I listen to everyone talking about the latest gossip in town. Megan shares about things that she heard at The Hair Shop. We talk about how Lilly’s sister Savannah is a popular musician and just got married. Savannah goes on to tell us how she's going in to record her first album with the band Highway 55's new record label.
She's really excited because they're letting her do as much or as little as she wants, so she's able to work it around the ranching schedule.
"The best part is about the time we're looking to launch, the workload will be slow on the ranch, so Ford can tour with me for just a few weeks. I'll be able to tour for the album, but it won't be a huge tour like I'm used to. A few weeks, I think, will be perfect," Savannah says.
She's thrilled about all of this, and she's found a way to make her lifestyle work and still be a ranch wife, as they lovingly call them around here."The last time I was in town, someone was rehabilitating that horse that came from the illegal rodeo. Was the horse’s name Black Diamond?" I ask.
At my question, Lily's eyes light up. She and her husband, Mike, run a ranch where they take in abandoned and abused horses and rehabilitate them.
"Yes,” Lily says, “It was a lot of work to get Black Diamond to trust again. Getting her healthy was easy, but getting her to trust me enough to let me work with her seemed to take forever. But thankfully, Sage was willing to help because she's a genius when it comes to horses. Now, Black Diamond is the sweetest horse that I know. She's become my horse, though she’s shy around guys that she doesn't know. But she and I have this bond I don't think I've ever had with another animal in my life," Lily finishes.
"It's really amazing to see she has really come out of her shell around Lily particularly," Sage says.
"We also have Snow White who came to us pregnant. Did you hear about her?" Lily asks.
"Yes, didn't her baby get some kind of Christmas name?" I ask, trying to recall the story Sarah had told me.
"Yes, Peppermint. They are both doing really well. Peppermint has become a star. She loves to jump, and Sage has been training with her. We're going to enter her into some jumping competitions and see how she does," Lily says.
"If the competitions are nearby, I'd love to come out and show my support," I tell Sage.
"Hey, I've waited long enough to ask. Tell us about Josh," Riley giggles.She is married to Mac's brother Blaze. They were the first couple in the family to get married, and everyone jokes they were what set off the chain reaction in town.
Without a doubt, I could use some advice. So when I look at Sarah, and she nods, okay, I tell them the story of how I know Josh and how we ended up getting together. I don't leave out any details. No one interrupts me, and they let me get it all out, listening very intently.
"Wow," Sage says when I'm all done.
"I can relate a little bit to what you're going through," Ella says. “Jason is much older than me, and my parents were heavily involved in our church back home, which didn't really approve of Jason because he owned a bar here in Texas. My parents just wanted me to be happy, and they liked Jason. That's what led us all to moving out here, instead of trying to convince everyone back in Tennessee to accept Jason."
"The way you guys met might have been unconventional, but so long as he treats you right, everyone, including your parents, will see that, and hopefully, they will come around," Abby says.
She's the pastor's wife and a good friend of Sage, which means she's been brought in as part of the family as well.
"For as long as I've known Jenna, her parents have been the sweetest, most supportive people. When she told me what had happened, I couldn't believe that her dad was acting like that. It's as if he's a completely different person," Sarah says.
"You and me both. I was having a hard time believing it until I got the phone call from my dad. My brothers agree. They've never seen him this upset. I think we are all hoping with some time, he will calm down and start to rethink things," I say.
"And he very well might. I think we can all agree that we hope he does," Megan says.
I can only hope they're right. Right then my phone goes off, and I pick it up, check, and find a text from Josh.
You doing okay over there?
