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“That would be lovely to have her back here in Hamilton,” Lincoln said. “We’ve missed her so much.”
“I know I’d love to have her here,” I said as I smiled down at Rhett. Or Ryder. “Who do I have again?”
Georgiana laughed. “Ryder.”
“How in the world do you tell them apart?” Aunt Timberlynn asked with a glance between me and her daughter Lily.
“Well, to be honest, we didn’t remove the little bracelets until we had to!” Georgiana laughed. “After that, we started putting the diapers with elephants on Ryder and giraffes on Rhett. When we were giving them a bath, Blayze noticed Ryder had a birthmark on his upper left leg shaped like a little heart, so now we have something to identify them. But we use the diaper method when we need to see quickly.”
“Thank goodness for birthmarks!” Lily said with a giggle.
“And diapers with designs on them!” I added.
“Rose, how are you enjoying your job at Stiner Architectural Firm?”
I glanced up and smiled at Merit. “It’s good. I feel more like an assistant than anything. I thought since I had interned there during the summers, I’d be given more responsibilities after I graduated, but that isn’t the case.”
“Have you shown them the designs you’ve worked on?” my mother asked as she walked back into the living room with my grandmother Stella, both carrying pitchers of tea and glasses.
“I have, but I’m the low person on the ladder, so I must earn my way. Some architects give me more to design than others, but it’s mostly for the more environmentally conscious clients. I don’t really have the experience to design my own things yet.”
“Bullshit,” Mom said as she sat down. “Just look at Blayze’s house, then say that again.”
I chuckled. “I need more experience. That’s what it boils down to. Some other architects have the idea I’m not full-fledged because I don’t have a master’s degree.”
“Well, hang in there. If designing is something you’re passionate about, it will be worth the wait,” Lincoln stated, but something in her expression seemed to be saying something else. Clearly, Lily picked up on that as well.
“Have you painted any? Once upon a time, you wanted to do that more than anything,” Lily asked.
Giving her a warning glare, I said no, and then quickly changed the subject. “Morgan, did I hear you when you said your wedding line was featured in Vogue?”
Morgan beamed as she looked at Georgiana. “Yes! That was all thanks to the connections Georgiana still has at the magazine. They’re going to be flying in next month to do the interview with both of us, but the wedding line will be featured.”
“And Georgiana, did you tell me that your custom orders are booked solid through the end of the year?” Lincoln asked.
Georgiana’s face broke into a wide grin. “Yes! That is for bridesmaid dresses. I’ve been dipping my toe more into the design side of things, and I’ve found I really love designing the bridesmaids’ gowns.”
“And she is darn good at it!” Morgan added.
I forced myself to smile as the room slowly fell into separate conversations. I was so happy for Morgan and Georgiana. They were following their dreams, and you could see how happy it made them both.
Peeking at Lily, she was talking to her mother, Timberlynn, about helping her develop a marketing plan for a clinic Timberlynn would teach. Lily’s degree was in equine business management, and she had plans to help her parents with their business here on the ranch. She had dreams of growing it even larger, and Timberlynn and Tanner were all for it as they talked more and more about taking a step back and traveling with Brock, Lincoln, and my parents. I had no desire to follow in either of my parents’ footsteps. My mother was a freelance book editor with occasional party planning on the side, and my father raised bulls for bull riding in local rodeos and the PBR. The only thing I inherited was my mother’s love of painting.
I glanced around the room and took in the women who had shaped me into the woman I am today. Every one of them was formidable in their own way. They all had one thing in common; they knew their passion. Their dreams and desires. I, on the other hand, had never felt more lost. I enjoyed designing houses and was proud that I was among only one other person at the firm with a degree in environmental design. And although I enjoyed my job at Stiner Architectural Firm, something was missing. I didn’t have the passion in my eyes like Georgiana and Morgan had when they talked about their store or designs. Or when Lily spoke about horses and her desire to help expand her parents’ business. Even Blayze and Hunter seemed to be doing exactly what they wanted.
