Page 28

It had only taken a few days for Liam to track down Jason and serve him with the restraining order. According to Liam, he took it as well as someone could when getting served with a restraining order.

Jason was staying in some run-down motel in Great Falls, which was weird, considering he usually refused to stay anywhere that didn’t have five stars, room service, and a bar—but I guess desperate times called for desperate measures.

Liam had assigned a guy to track his whereabouts, and after a few nights in the motel, Jason left Great Falls headed south.

Good riddance.

I had to admit, it did feel a little better having a small blanket of protection when it came to Jason and his antics. Like I was finally putting that part of my life behind me.

Summer was settling over Silver Creek now that it was July. The sweet floral fragrance of blooming honeysuckle permeated the air, and the cicadas hummed at the end of each day .

When I was a little girl, summer was my favorite time of year. It meant freedom from school with long days of playing outside, nights chasing fireflies, and sticky fingers from melting ice cream cones. The world felt wide open, like anything was possible under the endless blue sky.

But after my parents’ death, summer turned into a painful reminder of my new reality. Hearing fireworks outside my apartment window in Dallas each year just sent me back to that fateful night.

When the day came, I put on my headphones, sank into a warm bubble bath, and tried to relax the painful memories away with music.

Being back in Silver Creek this year would make the anniversary of my parents’ death even harder to face. How would I cope? I hadn’t let myself go there yet.

There was so much I felt unsure of when it came to summer and everything it would bring, but all I could do was take it day by day, moment by moment, and trust I’d get through it.

Today’s task was a simple one that I could accomplish without worry: Go to the farmers market downtown and get some fresh baked goods and veggies for dinners this week.

I started visiting the farmers market when I first moved to Dallas. There was something so peaceful and refreshing about being there. Talking to all the people, listening to their stories. Endless things to look at and little trinkets to buy.

I think I enjoyed going so much because it reminded me of Silver Creek. It was like being in a small town again. Now that I was back in Silver Creek, I could have the real deal.

The farmers market here might’ve been smaller, but it had that same easygoing energy.

Booths lined the sidewalk with everything from local honey to homemade jams, wildflower bouquets, and hand-sewn aprons. After walking past each booth a couple of times, assessing all my options, I filled my tote with fresh corn, tomatoes, and a loaf of sourdough that was still warm from the oven.

As I finished up at my last booth, a soft whimper caught my attention. I looked around, searching for the source.

The flash of golden fur in the sunlight at the next booth gave me my answer.

A young golden retriever, maybe a year old at most, sat beside a folding chair near the edge of the booth, gazing up at me with the biggest brown eyes I’d ever seen.

Her tail thumped the ground as soon as our eyes met.

A handwritten sign was taped to the chair: FREE TO A GOOD HOME—LOVES KIDS, NEEDS SPACE TO RUN.

“She’s a sweetheart. Her name’s Sadie. My youngest has allergies, and we just don’t have the room for her anymore,” the woman beside her said, smiling.

I crouched and scratched behind Sadie’s ears. She leaned into me instantly like we were already best friends, jumping and licking my face over and over again.

“Who’s a sweet girl?” I said, rubbing behind her ears, which she clearly enjoyed. “It says you like kids, but what about horses?” I asked as if she could give me an answer.

I hadn’t planned on getting a dog, but now that the opportunity was right in front of me, I considered it. She could keep me company when Colt wasn’t around. With everything going on lately, I didn’t like being alone as much as I used to.

“She seems to really like you,” the woman behind the table of homemade breads said.

An hour later, I pulled into the driveway of the guesthouse with Sadie riding shotgun as if she’d done it her whole life. I smiled at her. “Well, girl, let’s hope Colt doesn’t totally freak out.”

Sadie trotted happily towards the porch, tail wagging. I opened the front door and followed her inside, glancing around like I was smuggling a bear into the house, instead of a golden retriever.

I set the groceries on the counter and was about to take Sadie on a quick tour of the house when movement outside the window made me freeze.

Colt.

He was walking up the path, a cold beer in one hand.

“Crap,” I whispered, grabbing Sadie’s collar. “Come on, girl.” She followed me into the back laundry room without protest, settling on the cool tile like she knew the drill.

“Just hang out here for a second,” I said, scratching her behind the ears. “Let me break the news gently.”

I shut the door, smoothed my hair, and tried to look like I hadn’t just snuck a dog into Colt’s guesthouse without permission. He knocked once before pushing the door open.

“Hey, I saw you pull in. Thought I’d stop by and see if you needed help unloading,” he said.

I smiled, heart pounding. “Hey Colt. Thanks, but I got it all handled.”

He stepped inside and kissed my cheek. “Smells like fresh bread in here. You didn’t buy out the whole market, did you?”

“Not the whole thing,” I said, laughing nervously. “Just… enough.”

Colt rubbed the back of his head like he was turning something over in his mind but couldn’t quite figure out how to say it.

“So, uh… I was thinking. Now that Jason’s gone, I can go back to staying at the main house. If you want me to.”

Sleeping next to Colt every night had become my new normal. Having him here made the guesthouse feel more like a home. Thinking about him going back to the main house just made me plain sad.

“What if I don’t want you to go back?” I asked.

He looked up, clearly caught off guard.

“The main house is always busy. If you move in here with me, you’ll have more privacy. We’ll have more privacy,” I said, giving him a playful wink.

A slow smile spread across his face.

“Does that mean you’re staying in Silver Creek?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

“You wanna know what I realized that night at the fair?” I asked, not giving him an answer yet.

“What? ”

“That night, when I thought Jason had found me, you didn’t hesitate to call Liam. He didn’t hesitate to show up. And Cassie made sure I wasn’t alone when you couldn’t be there. That’s when it hit me. You gave me something I thought I’d never have again. My freedom.”

Colt shook his head. “No, Ellie. You took your freedom back the moment you left Jason. You did that. All I did was help.”

“Well, your help meant the world to me,” I said, holding his gaze. “Silver Creek isn’t just a refuge—it’s my home.”

Colt crossed the room in a flash, scooping me up and spinning me around before pressing a long, loving kiss to my lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

A loud crash from the back of the house broke the moment.

Then came a bark.

Uh-oh.

Colt looked at me, eyebrows furrowed. “Did I just hear a dog?”

“Uh… yeah, about that.”

As soon as he sat me down, Sadie barreled around the corner with one of my pink boots in her mouth.

“Sadie!” I shouted, chasing after her. “Put that down right now!”

Colt blinked. “Did I miss something? When did you get a dog? And her name’s Sadie?”

I snatched the boot before she could start chewing. “This morning. At the farmer’s market. This sweet family was trying to find her a new home. They had allergies and didn’t have space for her to roam and… we ll, there’s plenty of space here. So, she kind of became mine before I even realized it.”

I gave Colt my best puppy-dog eyes. “Can I keep her? Please?”

He grinned and pulled me close, his hands settling on my waist.

“Baby, you can have a hundred dogs if it means I get to see your pretty face every morning.” He cupped my face, planting a kiss on my forehead. “But I came down here to let you know my mom cooked a big dinner and wanted me to invite you. Are you up for it?”

“Of course, I’m starving,” I said, meaning it. I had barely eaten all day.

“Sadie can come too. My dad loves animals. He’ll probably have her doing circus tricks by the end of the night.” Colt said, rubbing Sadie’s head.

We walked down to the main house, hand-in-hand. Sadie trotted along behind us. When we stepped inside, Charlie was dancing to 90s country in the kitchen while Alice added the final touches to her homemade chocolate pie.

Everything smelled delicious. It was like the world’s best potluck sitting right in front of me. Jace and Molly were here too, setting the table when we walked into the dining room.

“Theres the happy couple,” Jace said, smiling.

I looked at Colt, not sure how to react.

“Don’t worry, he knows. And since Jace can’t keep a secret from Molly to save his life, I suspect she knows as well,” he said .

Molly was trying to hold back a smile. After a few seconds, she cracked and started giggling. She walked over to embrace me.

“Having Ellie as my sister-in-law is a dream come true,” she said as she hugged me.

Colt went wide-eyed. “We’re not married, calm down.”

“Yet,” Molly said, giving him a playful wink and punch to the shoulder.

Right then, Charlie walked in.

“Why is there a dog on the front porch?” he asked, breaking up the awkward moment.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to tell everyone. That’s my new dog, Sadie. She’s very sweet but watch your shoes so they don’t become chew toys. She still needs to work on that.”

“I wonder if she can do any cool tricks,” Charlie said.

Colt turned to me and smirked. “Told you.”

“I’m not sure. I’ve only had her for a few hours, but so far, she fits right in.”

“Well, I think she’s precious,” Alice said. “Charlie always talks about getting a dog to roam the ranch. Something to keep an eye on these boys while they’re out there working.” She placed her final dish on the table. “Alright, y’all, let's dig in.”

After saying grace, silence settled over the table as everyone ate.

“Should I take the quiet as a sign that the food is good?” Alice asked looking around smiling.

“Yes ma’am,” I said. “Can you teach me one day how to make a few of these things? I’m always open to adding new recipes to my cookbook. ”

“Of course, sweetie, I’d love to. I’m sure Colt would appreciate it too. I noticed a few of his things have disappeared around here. Wonder what that’s about.” Alice said, playfully.

“Speaking of that, I need to tell you guys something,” Colt said.

Everyone looked up from their plates in curiosity.

“I’ve decided to move into the guesthouse with Ellie. Since, you know, we’re together now. Like as a couple.”

Well, that wasn’t awkward at all.

“Congratulations, you too,” Charlie said, giving me a big smile.

Jace reached his hand out to Charlie, palm up. “I’ll take my money now.”

Charlie pulled his wallet out of his jeans pocket.

Huh?

Colt looked around just as confused as me.

“When Ellie here showed back up a couple months ago, I bet Dad you two would be a thing by the end of summer. Looks like I’m fifty bucks richer. Thanks, guys.” Jace grinned, folding the bill and tucking it into his pocket like he’d just won the lottery.

“What the hell?” Colt said, shaking his head and laughing.

“What?” Jace held up his hands. “I mean, come on. You moped around this ranch like a sad puppy after she left. When she came back, I knew exactly how this was gonna go.”

At the word puppy, Sadie perked up from her spot on the floor next to the table, her golden ears twitching. She locked eyes with me and tilted her head, clearly thinking she’d just been summoned. She gave her best puppy-dog eyes, hoping for just one person to give her a little nibble.

“Not you, Sadie,” I said, trying not to laugh. “Stay down.”

She rested her chin back on her paws, clearly disappointed but still hopeful.

From across the table, I caught Charlie trying to stealthily slip her a piece of fried chicken under the table.

I didn’t call him out. I just smiled.

There was something about this moment—sitting around the table, laughing, joking, everyone at ease. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged somewhere. Like I had a family again .

And just as quickly as that warmth filled me, it drained away.

The weight crept in slowly, tightening my chest, pressing down like a silent reminder.

I was just days from the anniversary of my parents’ death.

Grief didn’t knock anymore. It just walked in, sat down, and made itself comfortable. No warning, no grace.

I pushed a piece of dessert around my plate with my fork.

Would it always feel like this? Would there ever come a time when the date didn’t crush me from the inside out? I’d been told it gets easier. That time softened the edges. But right now, it felt just as sharp as it had that first year.

Colt’s hand found mine under the table and gave it a small squeeze .

I didn’t look up. I didn’t have to. He already knew, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.