Page 105 of 11 Cowboys

I turn my face from the light, away from the warmth of the fire and the hum of music and chatter.

Just for a second.

Just long enough to fall apart.

The heat of Conway’s chest is the first thing I register, and then the solid weight of his arms wrapping around me, pulling me in like it’s instinct, as his scent, woodsy and masculine, surrounds me. “Hey,” he murmurs, voice low and steady and close to my ear. “It’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

That’s all it takes for me to melt into him, burying my face in his shirt, my hands fisting against his sides like I’m afraid he’ll let me go if I don’t hold tight enough. The tearskeep coming, louder now, ugly and raw. I can’t stop them.

“I’m sorry,” I choke out. “It’s stupid. This has been… I—” I swallow hard, trying to breathe. “I used to think it was my fault that he didn’t come back… that it was my fault he left.”

I know I’m babbling, but Conway doesn’t question anything as he strokes my back over and over.

“And now I’m here, and you all… you don’t leave. You stay. You make it work even when it’s so hard.” I lift my head, barely able to look at him through the blur. “You made me feel like I matter, and I don’t know what to do with that.”

His hand finds the back of my head, fingers weaving gently into my hair. He presses his cheek to the mine, voice gruff but tender. “It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart. It never was.”

He pulls back enough to meet my eyes, his rough thumb brushing a tear from my cheek.

“And you matter to us, Grace. You hear me? Not only tonight on your birthday but every damn day.”

I nod, swallowing a sob. I can’t speak, but I hear him. I feel his reassurance in every inch of my body, as he embraces me like I’m essential and someone worth holding onto.

Over his shoulder, I glimpse movement. Corbin and Levi quietly herd the kids toward the house, their eyes gentle, giving me space. Eli glances back at me, and Corbin dips his head to whisper something that makes her smile before scooping her into his arms.

They’re giving me this moment. Letting me fall apart without shame.

And that… that is a gift I won’t forget.

When the screen door closes, and the low hum of Corbin’s voice carries from somewhere in the house, the others gather closer. They don’t crowd me too closely, forming a kind of quiet half-circle around me and Conway, like they’re forming a wall against the rest of the world thatI can hide inside.

Dylan steps forward first, pressing a cold bottle of water into my hand. “Sip it slow,” he says softly. “You’ve cried more than a person should in a year.”

Stoic and unreadable, Jaxon pulls a clean bandana from his back pocket and holds it out with a flick of his eyes that says,‘Take it.’ Please.I do. Our fingers brush, and I use it to wipe my face.

Levi’s next. He takes my hand and presses a soft kiss on the back. “Birthdays should be about laughter, not tears,” he says. “What can we do to make you smile?”

Relief trickles through me like the cold water.

“I…”

“Give her space,” Conway says.

McCartney’s standing with his hands jammed into the pockets of his jeans, eyes unusually focused. “That painting,” he says. “That’s what we want, Grace. And we want you to want it, too.”

I blink at him.

He continues. “Forget the article. Forget telling the world about this ranch and the eleven lonely cowboys who live here. We don’t need that anymore. We need you. Stay.”

Brody crosses his arms, his face half-shadowed by the firelight. His voice is low and steady. “Leave her be. Can’t you see she’s upset? She doesn’t need all this pressure.”

Then Jaxon speaks, rough as gravel. “We know we’re not perfect, Gracie, but we want to be for you.” His gaze flicks to mine, and his arms spread wide. “This here, it’s all we have, but you belong here… if you want to.”

The fire pops, sending up a tiny burst of sparks. I look at each of them in turn, knowing I should say something back, something meaningful and real, but the words get stuck somewhere between my throat and my ribs.

So I tell the truth.

“I didn’t know it was possible,” I whisper. “To be so fully accepted by so many people at once. And I sure as hell didn’t know it could be this easy to care for them all rightback.”