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“I didn’t need to know what you think about romance.” He pulled away from her grasp and strode toward the lodge.

She stood in the middle of the junction of Pegasus Lane and Hummingbird Lane. Which way to go? Up Hummingbird to the staff duplex she shared with Cadence? Or down to the dining hall where everyone was gathered to share food together?

Away from Weston? Or toward him?

That’d be the day she let him see how much his continued rejection hammered at her defenses. It was mealtime. She was hungry. Everyone was there. She didn’t need to acknowledge Weston in a room filled with their coworkers. He certainly wouldn’t acknowledge her presence any more than he had for the previous year.

She should make like Heather and get out while the getting was good. Before her heart was shattered in so many pieces that even a vacuum cleaner couldn’t suck up all the fragments.

On the other hand, she wasn’t a quitter. She liked her job here. She liked the ranch, the kids, the variety of activities, the family atmosphere. The only negative was that Weston Kline refused to see how wonderful they could be together.

Paisley took a deep, resolute breath and turned to face the lodge. “Dear Lord, is it just me being stubborn? Am I determined to see what I want to see, a future with that grumpy cowboy? Or is he supposed to be part of my story as I am part of his?”

She waited, but no voice from heaven replied. That was fine. She wasn’t used to hearing from God quite that promptly or directly. But He always did speak eventually if she only listened.

“I want to do Your will.” She lifted her gaze to the view, where sunlight had faded except for glinting off the peaks across the peaceful little lake.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Yes, that’s what she needed to remember. Her help and purpose came from God alone. It didn’t depend on whether Weston saw her or not. God saw her. Knew her. Loved her.

Could that be enough? Could He satisfy that deep part of her that yearned for a cowboy’s love?

He could. She was sure of it… but she didn’t want to test it.

Chapter

Seven

“I’m so happy for you,” Mom gushed to Jude.

In the backseat of his brother’s truck, Weston rolled his eyes. He usually drove himself to church down in Jewel Lake, but Mom said she never saw him or Jude these days… which wasn’t a total lie.

“Thanks, Mom.” Jude flashed a smile across the cab. “I’m really excited about the opportunity.”

“I’ll miss you so much at the ranch.” Mom touched Jude’s arm. “But every mother bird knows her fledglings need to fly out of the nest on their own.”

Jude’s eye roll matched Weston’s. “Sad case for a joke, Mom.”

“I couldn’t resist.” She laughed and angled to look at Weston in the back. “How about you, son? Do you have a yearning to be a pilot, too?”

“Not a chance.”

“Anything else? You know your grandfather will help you make your dreams come true.”

“I don’t have any dreams.”

Jude’s gaze met his in the rearview mirror. “Everyone’s got dreams, bro.”

Weston shrugged. “I don’t. Horses are my life. At least I’ve got them back.” He didn’t want to think about the years after Dad died and they lost the ranch, how he’d struggled to find places to board Ranger while working a soulless job in Missoula.

“There’s more to life than horses,” Jude said.

“For you, maybe.”

“I’d hoped you boys might find wonderful Christian women at Sweet River, like Tate and Graham have.”

Yeah, but they’re true Sullivans. Weston managed to bite back the words before they erupted. It wasn’t Mom’s fault she hadn’t known her father. Blame that on Nana for guarding her secret fiercely for over 50 years.