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He’d served all of his time, and he’d been in the reentry program. He’d told her he expected today’s meeting to be the last one.
Which was probably why it was taking so long.
The children and instructors started returning, and Emma scooped Petunia into her arms so the little pig wouldn’t get trampled by the influx of horses.
Spencer stood next to Jess, and they laughed about something. Jess put her hand on Spencer’s chest, and Emma watched them closely. Jess liked him, and Emma had never seen her act like this before—not with Spencer.
She’d told him to ask her out, but she hadn’t known if he had or not. “Looks like he did,” she murmured to her piglet. “Good for him.” She smiled in their direction and started scanning the horses for Missy.
She took pictures every Wednesday afternoon to send to Fran and Matt, because they’d so wanted to give Missy horseback riding lessons. Emma had set up virtual violin lessons with the teacher in San Antonio, and they’d go up there for a few in-person lessons before the recital. But that was months away, as summer was in full swing, and the only thing on Missy’s schedule was these afternoon riding lessons.
“Emma,” Ginger said, and Emma turned toward her. “Can you come help me for a second?” She wore stress on her face, and Emma couldn’t wait until Ginger and Nate were married. The date drew ever closer, as Nate had convinced Ginger to move it to August, before the major harvest started and before school started again and their lessons picked up. After the breeding season for horses, which they were in the full swing of now.
Only three more weeks until the big wedding on the ranch, and Ginger had been relying on Emma, Jess, Hannah, Jill, and Michelle for a lot of decisions. Emma had eaten fancy meals, and tasted chocolate cake until she never wanted another bite. They’d all gone to town to help Ginger pick her dress, and only Emma and Ginger had gone to order flowers.
“Sure,” Emma said, casting another glance to the riders still coming in. She hadn’t seen Missy yet, and Emma reminded herself that her daughter was ten years old. She could dismount and hand over her reins by herself. She didn’t need Emma there to hold her hand the moment she returned from lessons.
She put Petunia down and followed Ginger into the stables.
“I just need help deciding on the altar design,” Ginger said over her shoulder, her longer legs eating up more distance with every step. Emma had never been able to keep up with Ginger, and she’d stopped trying.
Her friend paused in front of two altars and studied them.
“Oh, you actually have them here,” Emma said, joining her. She gazed down at the beautiful altars, both of them made out of natural wood.
“They’re both from trees right here on the ranch,” Ginger said. “I can’t decide if I like the simple one, or the one with more detail.”
Emma would never be able to decide. One had been stained a darker color, and it was simple in the way it was simply a chest-high altar, with natural bark still on the rounded curve of the top piece that lay over the legs. They’d been stripped, sanded, and stained, and the altar was rustic yet elegant.
The other one included more details in the carving, and the yellow wood had been allowed to shine through the glossy stain. Emma ran her fingers over the swirls on the side of this altar, which had the top squared and completely free of bark.
“Wow, Ginger. Who made these?”
“I did,” a man said, and Emma spun around at the sound of Ted’s voice.
He stood there in that stunning cowboy hat, wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans, every piece of him in the exact right place. He’d grown out his beard, but he kept it neat and trim, oiled to perfection whenever they went out or when he met with his parole officer.
All four of his dogs loitered near his cowboy boots, and Emma inched toward him. “How did it go with Martin?”
Ted flicked a look in Ginger’s direction. Emma followed his gaze, and she caught the tail end of her best friend’s nod.
“Good,” Ted said, their eyes meeting again. A smile exploded onto his face. “It’s done, Em. I’m out.” He laughed, the sound bright and bold and loud as it zoomed up to the rafters in the stables. He took the few remaining steps to her and picked her right up off her feet, still laughing.
She laughed too and held onto his shoulders. “I’m so glad, Teddy,” she said.
He set her on her feet, his smile still in place though he sobered. “That chapter is over,” he said, his eyes bright. “I can hardly believe it.”
Emma didn’t know what to say, so she just smiled up at him and reveled in the feel of his arms around her, his hands on her waist.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for so long.” He swallowed and shook his head as if in wonder.
Emma wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek to his chest. “What are you going to count down to next, cowboy?”
“I’ve got something in mind,” he said.
Emma pulled back and looked up at him. “You do? What?”
He nodded to someone behind her, and Emma twisted in his arms to find Missy holding something toward him.
