Page 22 of Awaiting the Storm (Wildhaven #1)

T he sun hangs low over the west pasture, casting a warm late-afternoon light across the ranch and giving it a golden glow.

Luna and I rode the boundary one last time this morning while it all still belonged to us, and Cabe and I have spent the entire afternoon in the stables with a farrier, tending to most of the horses.

We’ve trimmed and balanced the hooves of both our working horses and the ones we board.

We’ve also added winter shoes with extra traction to our personal horses, which we will be riding throughout the winter months.

I follow the farrier to her van, helping carry her equipment before heading out to find my sisters. The wind is brisk, and I pull my jacket tighter around me as I walk toward the arena.

I spot Charli first, sitting on the top rail of the arena’s fence.

She grips the steel with both hands, her eyes focused on the action below.

Giles stands near the first barrel, arms crossed and brow furrowed in concentration as Shelby and Jupiter make a loop.

Shelby is in the saddle, her braid bouncing against her back as she tugs the reins and turns Jupiter around the second barrel in a tight, dusty arc.

However, they don’t clear the barrel—at least not cleanly. Jupiter stumbles slightly, hesitating, which costs them speed, and his back inside leg brushes against the barrel. I can see it from here, even before Giles raises his hand to call her off.

Shelby slows, reins him in, and trots over, cheeks flushed and jaw set in frustration.

I climb up next to Charli, and we sit in silence, watching as Giles points toward Jupiter’s hind leg. He talks with his hands, and it’s as if I can understand him just through his gestures.

“Trouble at the second barrel again?” I ask.

Charli nods. “Same as yesterday. She asked Giles to come out and have a look.”

“Hopefully, he can figure out the problem and correct it.”

“Yeah, and quickly,” she says. “The rodeo’s this weekend, and if she’s gonna win that purse, she needs that horse running clean.”

I bite the inside of my cheek. That’s exactly what I came out here to talk about.

Shelby dismounts and walks Jupiter over to cool down. Giles follows along at her side, and they’re still deep in conversation. Jupiter tosses his head a little, but Shelby keeps her voice calm and her movements smooth as she leads him to the gate.

I hop down from the rail as they approach, pet Jupiter’s nose, and give Shelby a smile. “Hey, you got a second?”

“Sure,” she says, looping Jupiter’s reins over a post before joining me at the fence.

I fold my arms, watching the horse paw the ground and toss his mane. “I’ve been thinking about this weekend. About the rodeo.”

She gives me a sideways look. “What about it?”

“You don’t have to enter, you know. Not now.”

Her brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, the land sale went through, and we negotiated a fifteen-day closing. We’re meeting at the attorney’s office on Friday to finalize the paperwork. The ranch’s not in a desperate place anymore. So, I don’t want you doing this if you feel like you or Jupiter aren’t ready.”

She huffs a little, clearly irritated. “Matty—”

“I mean it,” I say. “We’re in a good place, and I don’t want you taking any unnecessary risks to win that purse money.”

She looks away for a second, like she’s collecting her thoughts. Then she says, quieter, “It’s not just about the money.”

That surprises me. “It’s not?”

She looks back at me and says, “I miss it. I miss competing. I miss racing. I came back to help when Harleigh left for school and you started letting staff go. I’ve been working nonstop, just like everyone else, giving everything we have to this place and this family; I don’t regret it, but I need something more.

I want it. I’m not saying I want to join the circuit again full-time; I don’t want to chase sponsorships and live on the road twenty-four/seven.

I just want to feel that thrill again, just one more time. ”

I exhale slowly, my heart softening. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“If you’re doing it for you, then you’ve got my blessing. Just promise me you’ll be careful. Jupiter’s your partner, not a machine. Listen to what he’s telling you.”

She nods, and I can see the tension ease out of her shoulders. “Thanks, Matty.”

I wrap her in a hug. “I wish I could go to Cheyenne with you,” I say into her hair. “I always loved watching you race.”

“Me too. But Cabe is going with me, and Uncle Boone and Aunt Irene are coming along to watch Axle and Royce.”

Giles walks over to give me his assessment on Jupiter’s stride, and while I listen to the technical run-down, I sense someone approaching behind me. I glance over my shoulder just as Carl makes it to my side.

“Hi, Matty,” he says, then lifts his chin. “Giles.”

“Hey,” I say, turning slightly to look at him. “Didn’t expect you out here this late.”

“I came to help wrangle some cows that got loose from Briarwood. They stumbled into our north pasture this afternoon. Figured I’d swing by when I saw the arena lights on.”

He leans against the fence casually, close but not too close, his eyes set on Shelby and Jupiter now walking in slow circles along the edge of the arena.

“She looks good out there,” he says. “Even with that stumble.”

“You saw that?”

He nods. “I watched from the barn after putting my horse up.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “She’s getting her rhythm back.”

Carl’s quiet for a second, then says, “I’m glad you’re all right.”

I glance over at him. “Me?”

“You. Your dad. The family. The ranch. I heard about the sale. I think it was a good move.”

I nod, feeling the wind pick up again and whip a few loose strands of hair into my face.

“Thanks,” I say after a beat. “I’ve been meaning to tell you … thank yo u. For all your help these last couple of weeks. You’ve stepped up. Helped keep things together while we were at the hospital and then playing catch-up. I really appreciate it.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“I do, Carl. I know things haven’t been easy between us since you came back. But you’ve been solid and a good friend.”

He turns to look at me fully now. “Matty, Wildhaven Storm isn’t just a job for me. It’s my home. Your family? They’re my family too. I’d do anything for them. For you. But …”

My stomach tightens just slightly. I know where this is headed, even before he says the next part.

“I don’t want to be your friend.” His voice is low but steady, and it hangs in the air between us like an autumn leaf refusing to let go and fall.

I turn back toward the arena, watching Shelby give Jupiter a final pat before bringing him in.

“Carl …”

He doesn’t wait for me to finish. “I know I screwed up. I left when things got bad. I was scared. I told myself I had good reasons, but there was no excuse—and none of that matters now anyway. I can’t undo what was done, and I’ve been singing this same song on repeat since I came back.

What matters is that I came back and I’m still here. And I love you.”

I don’t look at him. I keep my eyes on my sister and her horse, on the dust settling on the track.

“I know you do,” I say quietly.

He shifts beside me, searching for something in my profile. “And?”

“And I don’t know if I feel the same way anymore. If I can.”

His breath catches just enough that I hear it.

“I don’t want to lead you on,” I say, turning to meet his eyes. “I care about you. A lot. And I’m not sure we can ever get back what we were. I’ve changed. The past few years have changed me. And I’m not the same woman I was when we were together.”

His jaw tenses. “Is this about him?”

“Him?”

“Galloway. I saw the way you were with him that night at the hospital. Cabe said you guys were at some business dinner, but you two sure looked cozy.”

“It was a business dinner. And when Charli called, he drove me to the hospital because I was too upset to drive myself.”

“Matty, you clung to him.”

Did I? I can barely remember what happened once we walked through the emergency room doors.

“This isn’t about anyone else,” I say. “This is about the two of us.”

Carl looks down at his boots, then nods slowly. “Okay then.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, and I mean it.

“Don’t be. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere.”

He pushes off the fence and starts to walk away, but stops and looks back. “For what it’s worth, I think you should steer clear of him.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Caison?”

“Yeah. I don’t trust him.”

I shake my head. “That’s not your call.”

“No,” he agrees. “But I’ve seen a lot of men chase land and influence and hide behind charm. I just hope he’s not playing you.”

I don’t respond. Because honestly, I’ve wondered the same. But Caison’s done everything right. Everything on the up and up. He gave us time. Gave me space. And he never once pushed for more than I was willing to give.

Carl walks off toward the barn, and I stay rooted in place, gripping the fence rail and feeling the cool metal bite into my palms.

The sky is pinking at the edge of the mountains now, and the wind’s finally died down. Shelby walks past me, leading Jupiter back to the stables, humming under her breath.

Charli slides down from the fence and comes to stand beside me. “You all right, Sissy?” she asks.

I nod slowly. “Getting there.”

She glances in the direction Carl went, then back at me. “That conversation looked … fun.”

I give a dry laugh. “It was overdue. Not that I think it did much good. The man is nothing if not determined.”

Charli bumps my shoulder. “If anyone can handle a stubborn man, it’s you. ”

“Glad you think so.”

“I know so.”

I watch as she follows after Shelby.

Maybe I don’t have everything figured out, and my heart may still be sorting through the mess of what it wants and what it needs.

But one thing’s clear: I’m not chasing survival and holding on too tightly anymore. I’m choosing what gives me peace.