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“You’ve ridden this ranch every bit as much as I have,” Liam told her. “And you’ll come at it with a different perspective than me. I’ll make sure Lulu and She-Ra are pulled off pasture tonight so they’ll be ready to go in the morning.”

“Lulu and She-Ra?” Cooper asked.

“Two of our best ranch horses. Unless you want to take one of the new ones?”

“Not ready yet. No, Lulu and She-Ra will be fine.”

Flustered, Shay did her best to make light of the situation. Could she spend the morning riding with Cooper Lane? Of course, she could. “Shall we say eight o’clock then?”

“Sounds good,” Cooper replied. “I’ll have the horses saddled up and ready to go.”

“All right then. See you in the morning.”

As she walked away, she felt his eyes on her, simultaneously telling herself she was crazy and almost turning to confirm. But in the end, she kept walking. Because looking back would be admitting she was hoping he was watching her. And how idiotic would that be?

*

Morning broke over the ranch as Cooper finished eating breakfast with his father. Ray had been even quieter than usual the last couple of days, since Sarah’s visit, and Cooper wondered about it. But, because his father had drawn a line in the sand, Cooper didn’t broach the subject of Sarah with him. Instead, he talked about the ride he would take this morning with Shay.

“Maybe sometime, you’d like to take a ride with me,” he suggested. “I can saddle up a horse for you and we can go down to the Yellowstone to fish.” How many hours had they spent doing just that when Cooper was a boy? Tossing lines into the shallow river and catching dinner or just catching and releasing the fat rainbow trout that hid in the deeper shallows beneath stands of oaks and willows? He missed those easy days with his father, and he wondered if Ray missed them, too.

“Yeah,” Ray said, his look suddenly far away. “I’d like that. You remember that time we caught the grandfather of all trout up by Twisted Root Cove?” He did. “You fought that fish for nearly a half hour before you got him up on shore. You were sure proud of that fish. And then you threw him back in before I could get a picture.”

“I didn’t need a picture. You and I were the only ones that mattered, and we knew. Besides, he was too old and still had too much fight left in him to let that be his ending,” Cooper said.

Ray smiled. “I guess so. You always were a soft touch with animals.”

“I like ’em better than people, for the most part.”

“They’re more trustworthy, that’s for sure,” Ray said, pushing his eggs around the plate with his fork. “I was wondering if later today, you could drive me into town?”

“Sure. What do you need?”

“I . . . made an appointment with a doctor at the hospital.”

Cooper leaned forward. “Are you feeling worse? Do you need to go now?”

“No, no. I’m, uh, meeting with an oncologist at Marietta Hospital.”

“You are?” That admission couldn’t have surprised him more if he’d taken a two-by-four upside the head. “Wait, are you considering treatment then?”

“Don’t get all excited. I’m talking to him. That’s all. Maybe give it a shot. See if there’s other options.”

“What exactly did Sarah say to you anyway?” Cooper asked.

“What makes you think she had anything to do with—”

“Just tell me, Dad. What did she say to change your mind?”

Ray ran a hand through his graying hair, as a muscle in his jaw tensed. “She said I couldn’t be a ghost on her ranch, not until I am one, officially, and she wouldn’t have it. She said—” He hesitated for a long pause.

“What?”

“She said you needed me.” Ray looked up and met his gaze as Cooper’s eyes began to sting. It was the first hopeful thing he’d said since he’d brought him home.

“I do. Need you. You’re all I’ve got, Pops. I’m not ready to lose you.”

“Well, then.” Ray swiped at his nose. “My appointment is at eleven.”