Page 34 of Before You Can Blink (Rust Canyon #4)

Jett

January

Fresh from the shower after a long day, I stepped out of the master bathroom to find Daisy sitting up in bed, eyes moving rapidly as she scanned the text of the novel she held.

Rubbing a towel over my head to dry my hair, I asked, “Whatcha reading?”

My wife let out a little squeak, slamming the book shut and cradling it cover-first toward her chest. “Nothing.”

Sauntering closer, I teased, “Wouldn’t just happen to be the dirty story you and Rose and Caroline and every other woman in this town have been whispering and giggling about for the past week, now would it?”

Daisy lifted her chin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Mm-hmm. Sure you don’t, darlin’.” Lightning-quick, I lunged, snatching the book out of her hands.

“Jett!” She leapt off the mattress. “Give it back! ”

Flipping it over to reveal the shirtless man on the front cover, I chuckled. “How long do you think it took him to wash all that oil off?”

“About as long as it’s gonna take for you to get back in my good graces,” Daisy huffed, stealing back her racy reading material.

“Aw, come on. I was just joshing you, honey. I don’t care what you read. It’s not like those fictional men can jump off the page and steal you away.”

Shoving the book into the top drawer of her bedside table, she climbed back into bed and pulled the blanket over her head. Okay, so she was more than little miffed about me poking fun at her guilty pleasure.

Turning off the overhead lights, I crawled beneath the covers. With a hand on her hip, I tugged gently, urging her to face me. The cutest little scowl twisted her lips, and try as I might, I couldn’t fight the smile that curved onto mine.

“I’m sorry, Daze. What can I do to make it up to you?”

Daisy’s features softened. “Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

My heart thrashed wildly in my chest. Nothing good came from a conversation that started like that.

I swallowed roughly, my voice coming out gruff. “Okay.”

Her chest lifted with the force of her deep inhale. “Not sure if you’ve heard, but Principal Taggert is thinking of retiring soon.”

Wasn’t sure what that had to do with us, but I rolled with it anyway. “Good for him. He’s been doing the job a long time.” That wasn’t an exaggeration. He’d been the principal since before I entered kindergarten.

“He has,” she agreed.

Suddenly, it struck me why she was bringing this up. “You wanna throw a retirement party for him here on the ranch?”

“Oh!” Daisy’s eyes widened. “Hadn’t really thought about it, but that might be nice. ”

My brows furrowed. “You’ve lost me, Daze.”

“He asked if I wanted to replace him.”

Pride filled my chest. “Are you kidding? That’s great!”

“It is.” She frowned. “Except . . .”

“Except what?”

Lashes lowering for a beat, they lifted before she explained, “I’m not qualified.”

“How can you not be qualified? You’ve been teaching full-time for over fifteen years.”

“Experience is only one component. I need a master’s degree in education administration.”

Now it made sense. “You gotta go back to school?”

She nodded. “If I want the job, yes.”

“Do you want the job?”

The tiniest hint of a smile tipped up the corner of her lips.

“Yeah, I really do.” Then she sighed. “My salary will get a bump, but we’ll have to front the money for tuition.

And if I want to get it done in two years, I’ll have to take a heavy summer course load, knock out as many classes as I can during the break.

But even with that, I’ll have to take some during the fall and spring semesters, a couple of nights a week in Enid. It’s asking an awful lot—”

“Not more than you deserve.” I caressed her cheek. “You let me worry about the details, but if this is what you want, we’ll make it happen.”

“You sure?” Daisy’s blue eyes searched mine.

“Positive.” I leaned in to kiss her lips. “Now get some sleep. Morning will be here before we’re ready for it.”

“It always is,” she joked.

“Night, Daze.”

“Thank you, Jett. ”

She didn’t need to thank me. In my mind, I was only repaying her for the endless support she’d given me over the past decade when I’d been forced to pivot in my attempt to provide for my family.

The glow from the computer screen illuminated one corner of the darkened living room. The numbers on the spreadsheet blurred together the longer I stared at them.

A hand slipped over my shoulder. “It’s the middle of the night. What’re you doing up?”

I leaned into Daisy’s touch, letting it calm me. “I’ve got enough stashed away in savings to cover your tuition.” My finger pointed to the column of the balance sheet that proved it.

“But it’ll wipe us out.”

My heart twisted at her defeated tone.

“I was gonna use some of that to hire extra staff during the summer, so our veteran crew could take over on the road, but if you’re okay with me spending another two or three seasons running the horses, we can make it work.”

“Jett.” My name came out on a soft sigh. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not askin’. I’m offering.”

“How can I accept when it’ll mean you’re gone more? The finish line is finally in sight, and now I’ve gone and moved it.”

Lifting her hand, I brought the knuckles to my mouth, murmuring against her skin, “Hate to break it to you, baby, but there’s no finish line when it comes to running this ranch.

There will always be setbacks, unexpected expenses that clean out our bank account, but so long as I can keep our heads above water, I want to give you this. ”

She moved from my side to settle onto my lap, looping her arms around my neck. “What about the kids?”

I shrugged. “I don’t think they’re gonna be too torn up about having free rein on this ranch during the summers while I’m on the road and you’re busy taking classes.

They’re getting old enough that they don’t want their parents hovering over them.

Might be good for them to get a little taste of freedom, to strengthen their independence. ”

“Maybe you’re right.” Her head came to rest on my shoulder.

“It’s only for a couple of years, Daze.”

“I know, but sometimes it feels like we’re running out of time. We’ve only got six more years with Aspen before she graduates, eight with Tripp. It seems like just yesterday they were both babies.”

I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “They’ve gotta grow up if you ever expect to get those twelve grandkids you’ve got your heart set on.”

“Never gonna let me forget that, are you?” I could hear the smile in her voice.

“Never. But only because I’m curious to see if your grand idea of a giant extended family ever comes to life. Sounds kinda nice, the more I think about it.”

She sighed. “Yeah, it really does.”

“We’ll get through this part like we’ve made it through all the ones that came before it, you’ll see.”

“We’ll make it work,” she said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear her.

“We always do,” I whispered back.