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Tanner jogged over to join them, and caught hold of the pony’s reins as he looked up at Ashton. “It’s okay, bud. This is my big brother, Cash. He’s only joking around. He wouldn’t try to steal your mom away from me.”

Ashton looked down at him before glancing over at Cash again. Everly could only watch. She wanted to reassure her son,but she felt like this was something that the three of them needed to straighten out between them.

Cash smiled at him. “He’s right. I was teasing Tanner because I know how he feels about your mom. He wouldn’t let me try to take her anywhere.”

Everly was relieved when he smiled at her and added, “And besides, it’s not as though any of us get to decide for her. Your mom’s the one who gets to say what she wants.”

Ashton met his gaze and held it. “You’re right. She does.” He looked at Everly. “And you want to be with Tanner, just like I do, right, Mom?”

As she looked around at the three faces watching her expectantly, it suddenly struck her as funny. “I do. And all three of you need to remember that I’m just another person. It’s not like I’m some prize that you get to fight over and win. No one’sagainstanyone else here – we’re all friends together.”

She hoped that would put an end to it, but Ashton didn’t look convinced. “We’re more than friends,” he said.

“That’s right,” said Cash. “We’re all family around here.”

Everly didn’t know what to say, so she kept quiet. Tanner and Ashton exchanged smiles and nodded at each other. She had to hope that her son wasn’t getting too attached to something – to Tanner, and to an idea of family – that might not last.

“Want to finish up our lesson?” Tanner asked.

“Yeah, watch this, Mom.” Ashton turned to Cash. “Are you a cowboy or a cattleman?”

Cash chuckled. “You been talking to Ford, huh?”

Ashton nodded.

“Well, he’s the cattleman. Me? I’m cowboy to the core.”

Ashton seemed satisfied with that answer. Everly was going to have to ask Tanner later why Cash’s words madehimsmirk the way he did.

“I’m going to be a cowboy,” Ashton told Cash before turning the pony and riding away.

Once he and Tanner were out of earshot, Cash turned to her. “Sorry about that, honey. I didn’t mean to upset him.”

“You couldn’t have known. His reaction surprised me.”

Cash studied her for a long moment. She let out a short laugh. “Go on, whatever it is, you might as well say it.”

Instead of laughing with her, he nodded slowly. “I’m not trying to be an asshole, but I need to say it. Seems to me that the two of them,” he jerked his head toward where Ashton and Tanner were now laughing together, “are all in. But I can’t get a read on you.”

She frowned.

“Like I said – not trying to be an asshole. I’m looking out for my brother and your son. If Tanner isn’t going to be the one for you, you should figure that out as fast as you can and tell them both. Otherwise, you’re going to have two brokenhearted cowboys on your hands, one big one, one small one.”

Everly’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at him.

Cash shrugged. “Only you know how you feel, honey. All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t string either of them along. If it’s notthere, it’s not there. That’s just how life goes. You can’t change it – but you do need to be honest about it.”

She glanced over at Tanner and Ashton again. Cash had no idea how she felt. Seeing her son with Tanner made her heart fill up and overflow.

“It’s not that,” she said eventually. When she turned back to face him, Cash cocked an eyebrow.

“You want to know what I was thinking before you came along?”

He nodded.

“It sure as hell wasn’t that Tanner’snotthe one for me. More like he’s so right for me that it’s scary. But… I have to be careful; you know? It’s like you said, Ashton’s heart’s on the line here, too. If you think about it logically, I’d be crazy to get too caught up in this. We barely know each other. It’s all happening so fast. There are so many practical details that…”

Cash smiled. “But you’re not a practical person – not at heart. I get it, you have to be that way for your son’s sake. You have to protect him, put him first. But what if thisisas right as it feels?”