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The sun was setting as I made my way to the main house, the warmth of the day lingering in the air. I’d spent the last hour trying to gather my thoughts and figure out what to do next, but honestly, everything felt muddled.

I didn’t expect coming back to Silver Creek to feel so… heavy.

Hearing Colt call me El again brought back too many memories and emotions all at once. The only people who ever called me El were Colt and my dad. One of them was never going to be able to call me El ever again. The thought shook me to my core.

Overthinking it, I talked myself out of going to dinner about a dozen times before finally deciding Colt was right. His parents would worry if I didn’t show up.

As I stepped onto the wraparound porch of the main house, laughter and conversation spilled from inside.

The McKinleys had always been a lively bunch .

I never forgot how comforting it was to hear Colt’s dad, Charlie, tell one of his old cowboy stories.

Or how his mom, Alice, was the best advice-giver. She always had a way of making sure you knew everything would be okay.

I took a deep breath as I opened the front door.

“Man, you should’ve seen the look on your face when you got hit by that branch yesterday,” Colt said, wiping a smirk off his face. “You looked like you saw a ghost.”

“I saw a ghost alright,” Jace shot back with a chuckle. “It was your sorry ass, just standing there watching me get smacked.”

“I thought you heard me warn you about the branch,” Colt replied, winking. “It’s not my fault you have bad hearing.”

Jace rolled his eyes dramatically. “My hearing is fine. You just never warned me.”

Colt reached for his glass of iced tea and took a sip, planting an innocent expression on his face with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Jace wasn’t about to let it go though. He looked at me as I walked in the dining room, grinning.

“My ears may not work, but my roping hands do. You remember the cow roping situation, don’t you Ellie?” Jace asked eagerly.

“Vaguely,” I said, laughing as I remembered all the ridiculous stunts Colt had dragged me into when we were kids. “I’m not sure I ever fully recovered from the lasso disaster.”

Colt shot me a mocking glare, crossing his arms. “You’re just mad I tied up that cow quicker than you could, Ellie. ”

“Except then it broke free a few seconds later and took off after all of us.” I laughed, shaking my head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. That was some of my best work,” Colt said, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

“If that’s your best work, I’m scared to see your worst,” I said, rolling my eyes and laughing as I took a seat at the table.

Alice had pulled out all the stops for dinner tonight. There was a plethora of food—dishes of all kinds—mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, steamed broccoli, rolls, you name it.

As I placed my napkin on my lap, Alice carried the last dish in, setting it down with a satisfied smile.

“I hope everyone’s hungry. I made fried chicken. And for dessert, homemade cherry cheesecake.”

Jace eagerly picked up his fork, ready to dig in, but before he could take a bite, Alice snatched the fork from his hand.

“Have I taught you nothing, boy? You will not eat before we say grace.”

Jace sighed, his stomach growling in protest.

Alice turned to Colt with a warm smile. “Colt, honey, will you do us the honor of saying grace?”

Charlie and Alice joined hands, Jace reaching for mine. As I placed my hand into Jace’s, I glanced over at Colt, silently questioning whether he would do the same.

After a brief pause, he extended his hand, waiting. Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand in his. His grip was warm and steady—rougher than I remembered .

As Colt bowed his head to pray, the room settled into a quiet hush.

“Lord, we thank You for the food before us and the hands that prepared it. We ask for Your strength and guidance every day as we take on the world before us. We thank You for another great year on the ranch. Without Your guidance, we would not be here today. We also thank You for the family that You have given us around this table. Amen.”

“Amen,” everyone echoed, wasting no time digging in.

Maybe I was overthinking it, but I was sure Colt had squeezed my hand as he said the last part of the prayer.

I looked in his direction, but his expression was unreadable.

“So, Ellie,” Charlie began, his deep voice tinged with interest, “what brings you back to Silver Creek?”

I froze for half a second, my fingers tightening around my fork. There was that question again.

I forced a small smile and shrugged. “Oh, you know… just needed a change of scenery.”

Charlie’s sharp blue eyes studied me, his gaze holding the weight of someone who had lived long enough to recognize a half-truth when he heard one.

“That so?”

I nodded quickly, taking a sip of water. “City life wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

That wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth.

Alice, always the kind-hearted one, smiled knowingly. “Well, sweetie, how long are you staying? ”

I hesitated, pushing my food around my plate. “I’m not sure yet. Just… playing things by ear.”

Jace, unaware of the tension building under the surface, grinned. “Well, you know what they say about Silver Creek. It always ropes you back in.”

My throat tightened, and I swallowed hard, forcing another smile. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was a fraud, sitting at this table, lying to the very people who had always treated me like family.

With no solid escape plan, I kept my head low, focusing on my food and not the others around me.

After what I was sure was a full twenty-four hours, dinner finally ended. Picking up his empty plate, Colt motioned me towards the back door. “Want to sit out on the swing for a bit?”

I nodded, remembering the old wooden porch swing at the back of the house.

We stepped outside into the cool night air, the porch light casting a soft glow over the yard. The swing creaked as Colt sat down, patting the spot next to him. I hesitated only a moment before joining him, sinking into the cushioned seat. It rocked gently as we settled into the quiet night.

The darkness felt never-ending, stars twinkling above us like little diamonds scattered across the sky. I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them, watching the trees sway in the cool nighttime summer breeze.

“This place hasn’t changed much, has it?” I said softly, more to myself than to Colt.

He leaned back, the swing rocking lazily as he stared out into the darkness .

“No. Feels like the years just kind of blur together out here. Same trees, same porch, same old house.” He glanced over at me, a small smile tugging at his lips.

The sharp angles of his jaw had replaced the softer lines of youth, and the way he carried himself—confident, steady—was different too.

His shoulders seemed broader, his stance more sure, like he had grown into himself in the time we’d been apart.

The scraggly brown hair I was used to was trimmed back now, making him look older and more put together.

He was much more of a man than the boy I had left—easily a foot taller than me now too—all cowboy.

That did something to my chest it shouldn’t have.

I let out a soft sigh, my fingers trailing along the edge of the swing. “I remember the nights we used to stay out here for hours, just talking about nothing. How your parents always ended up joining us too.”

Colt chuckled, the sound low and easy. “Yeah, I think my dad might’ve been the only one who could stay awake longer than us. He always loved telling a tall tale,” Colt joked.

“He has a way of making it sound like we we’re living in the middle of a western movie.”

“I think that’s just how he sees life, honestly,” Colt said, shaking his head with fondness. “Like everything’s an adventure.”

“I’m jealous of his ability to see life in that way. Seems more like a video game to me, and I’ve been stuck on the same level for the last two years, no hope of making it to the end of the game,” I said, not sure why the honesty was spewing from my mouth, but it was.

Colt was quiet at first, probably not sure what to say. That was okay by me though. Sometimes I just needed someone to listen to me ramble. I didn’t need a response, just someone willing to listen.

Another trait of mine that used to make Jason mad—go figure.

We continued to sway gently on the swing, the coyotes howling off in the distance.

Finally, Colt broke the silence.

“If you’d rather stay in the main house, you can. The guesthouse is kind of tucked away and hidden in the trees. I don’t want you to be scared by yourself.”

“I’m not kicking your parents out of their own house, Colt,” I said, laughing at his crazy idea. “Also, I’m a big girl. I’m not afraid of a few wild animals.”

“You wouldn’t be kicking them out, you’d be kicking me out,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Oh, when did they move out?”

“Dad finished their cabin last summer. They live by the lake on the back side of the property. The main house is mine now because Jace moved into his own place in town. It’s just me, myself, and I,” he said.

“In that case, pack your bags, I’m moving in,” I said playfully.

“There’s the Ellie I know, always giving me shit.”

“I’m just kidding, I don’t mind staying by myself. But in all seriousness, can you walk me back to the guesthouse? I keep hearing those coyotes howling off in the pastures—no thanks,” I said, standing from the swing .

Colt stood and put his hat back on, leading the way back.

We walked together down the path, the night air crisp and cool, only our footsteps breaking the silence.

As we walked, I thought about how easy it was to sit back down with Colt and his family after all these years. It felt so familiar—comfortable.

Too bad it was only temporary.

When we reached the guesthouse, I turned to face Colt, instinctively pulling down the sleeves of my sweater to make sure my bruises weren’t showing—something I’d practiced for the last two years.

“Thanks for tonight,” I said quietly, the weight of the day settling in. “And for letting me stay here.”

Colt’s eyes softened, and he nodded, his usual grin replaced by something warmer.

“Anytime, El. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

I lingered for a moment, not quite ready to step inside.

“Goodnight, Colt.”

“Goodnight, Ellie.”

I waited on the porch, watching as he disappeared into the darkness, making his way back towards the main house.