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She snorted, and Stormchaser shook his head. She dropped her hand from his neck and took the ten steps back to Ronan. When he’d first showed her around on the farm, he got on a horse on his own. But that was almost two decades ago, and it seemed like he had lost his touch with these noble animals.
“He really is something else, Fi.”
The awe in his voice was clear and made her feel like a proud mother.
Ronan took her hand in his as they walked back the few miles to the ranch. The late afternoon sun warmed her skin, but the heat wasn’t as blistering as during the summer.
He kissed her hand when he noticed her admiring him, and drapped his arm across her shoulders, still holding her hand as they enjoyed the orange evening hue made the surrounding earth and tall grasses glow. It made the walk all the more leisurely.
“How are you feeling about next Saturday?”
Her steps faltered a bit before she stepped in pace with him again.
A truck drove towards them from ahead. When it was close enough, she recognized Ryan sitting behind the wheel.
He slowed down and waved out his window in passing. She noticed the fencing in the back of his truck and smiled, thinking about how he never stopped doing his rounds around the fences, even if the evening was fast approaching.
“Does the man even own a shirt?” Ronan grumbled. She turned around to find him watching her with a pinched expression as he crossed his arms over his chest. Fianna wasn’t blind. She knew Ryan looked mighty fine without his shirt on. But he wasn’t Ronan.
“Oh, hush. It’s partly his farm. The man can walk around naked if he’d pleased.”
That wasn’t the answer Ronan was going for. “That so?”
She sighed and took back his hand and tugged him back on the path up to the ranch.
“Stop complaining about your cousin’s dress code. What were we talking about again?”
The moment the words left her lips, she regretted it. She’d happily forgot the topic.
“Never mind,” she quickly added.
Ronan squeezed her hand in understanding but still said, “Saturday morning…”
He rested his chin on top of her head and said, “I still feel bad about everything that went down between us. If we hadn’t made such a mess out of things, we would never have been apart these past four years.”
She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “I think it was a good thing I went to Winter Peaks. We’re in a much better place now. Don’t you feel it? I think we’ve both grown up into better versions of ourselves because we had that time apart.”
He leaned in and rubbed his nose against the tip of hers. “I think you’re right, Red.”
She smiled and said, “I’m always right. Don’t you know that by now?”
She expected him to laugh along with her, but he suddenly turned serious. “I don’t think you’re always right, Red. Especially not about your prejudice about your own flesh and blood.”
“But where is the lie in what I said, though?”
His eyes stared her down for a moment before he said, “Do you think I’m a dumb criminal? A stupid hired help for muscle whenever the MC needed me to rough people up?”
“Stop. I don’t think—”
“Well, that’s what I am. But it’s only a part of me. And soon, it will only be a part of my history. Don’t judge your siblings for what they have done in their past. Or even for what they said when you first met. Did you ever consider that Catriona was only a teenager when she suddenly came eye to eye with one of her father’s children he had kept from them all these years? She was nineteen when she met you that day, Fi. Still a frightened kid, whose world was turned upside down. Just like yours.”
“Well, I’m still scared. I don’t like changes. I hate it. And before you start, I know I’m acting like a stupid brat myself, but I can’t seem to stop. I… Aargh!”
She threw her hands in the air after stepping out of his embrace.
“It’s okay, Fi. Nobody is expecting you to take their hands and sing kumbaya.”
She busted out laughing and wiped a stray tear from her eye.
