Page 101 of A Rancher's Heart

Tamara accepted a hug from Emma, enjoying the brief snuggle as Sasha proceeded to make claw fingers and roar at Lisa.

“Yup. Watch out, Tamara, we’ve got a dangerous Stompasaurus on the loose,” Lisa warned.

“Too bad. I made cookies, but since dinosaurs aren’t allowed in the house…”

Sasha stopped mid-roar.

Tamara held out a hand for Sasha’s bag. “Did you have a nice visit with Auntie Dare?”

“It was great, only Joey has the sniffles so she didn’t want to take him on a long drive, so Auntie Lisa said— I meanLisasaid she’d bring us home. Can we have cookies now?”

Sasha being home meant the house was no longer silent. Tamara smiled. “Yes. Drop your bags in the laundry room, grab a cookie, then we’re going to the barn.”

“I bet Eeny, Meany and Miney missed us,” Sasha told Lisa. “You should come and say hi too.”

“You have time?” Tamara asked.

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere until I help you find your phone. You must have lost it since you left Rocky.” Lisa gave her a pointed look before following them into the house.

Oops. “Right. I was supposed to text you.” Tamara grinned. “I was…busy.”

A smile crossed Lisa’s face, followed by concern, but she held her questions until the four of them were walking across the yard, Emma and Sasha leading the way, cookies in hand.

“You had a couple ofenjoyabledays?” Lisa asked out of earshot of little ears.

“Yes.”

“And…?”

Tamara answered softly. “He half-assed asked me to marry him.”

“I knew it,” Lisa gloated. “The marriage bit, not the half-ass. Let me guess, you told him you guys should wait, right?”

Seriously? “How on earth? How come you know that?”

Lisa shrugged. “Because you’re you. Those two kids are amazing, and while I know you’re in love with the guy, you want it all. Him in love with you,themin love with you—it’ll happen.”

Hope swelled. “You don’t think I’m wrong for not just accepting and being done?”

“Hell, no. I’m proud of you.” Lisa stopped and gave her a hug. “You’ve got a heart the size of Alberta, sweetie, but you use a lot of it making other people happy. You don’t always do what would makeyouhappy. He’ll get there, you’ll see. You’ll both be better off knowing this is more than lust or convenience.”

Tamara squeezed her. “How’d you get so smart?”

“I’d tell you I learned from my big sisters, but actually, I sent away for an extra-large box of smarts from Amazon. Delivered right to the door, very convenient.”

“Brat,” Tamara teased.

“Always.” Lisa whistled at the girls who were crawling on the goat pen and making horrifying noises. “Hey, no dinosaurs around the goats.”

Laughter rose. Tamara felt a little better at her sister’s assurances that she hadn’t just thrown away her future. Because Lisa was right.

Those little girls were in her heart as hard as their daddy. She wanted it all.

Now if that future would just hurry up and arrive.

For the umpteenth time that afternoon, Caleb found himself staring into space. And again, he forced himself to get back to the task at hand, helping Josiah check and file the horses’ teeth.

He’d been as shocked as Tamara at his proposal. Nearly fallen over when the words came from his mouth.