Page 4

I woke up early, just like I do every morning. The sun still hadn’t peaked yet.

I contemplated one hundred times whether I should go check on Ellie. She was probably fine; she knew her way around the ranch. But what if she had forgotten?

In the end, I decided against it. She needed space. No matter what brought her back, stepping foot on McKinley Ranch again had to stir up a lot of hard emotions for her. I’d give her the morning.

Instead, I headed to the barn. My goal today was simple: get that damn calf to take a bottle, no matter what it took. I’d tried again last night after dropping Ellie off, but the little thing still wouldn’t latch. It was like she didn’t realize I was trying to save her damn life.

As I neared the barn, I slowed my steps. A voice drifted out through the open doors. It sure as hell wasn’t one of the ranch hands. They cussed like sailors and their voices sounded like grinding gears, not sweet honey .

Curious, I stepped inside, keeping quiet. The voice was coming from the back stall, low and soothing. I crept down the aisle, past tack hooks and hay bales, until I reached the stall.

“There you go, sweet girl,” the voice said. “You’re doing it.”

I eased up to the half-door and peeked over.

Ellie.

She was sitting in the hay, her back resting against the stall wall, legs stretched out beside the calf.

Her hair was pulled into a loose braid that had mostly fallen out, and she had smudges of straw on her jeans.

The calf, curled against her side like a pup, was sucking greedily on the bottle she held.

I cleared my throat softly, not wanting to startle them but needing to say something.

Ellie looked up with wide eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Not to sound like an ass,” I said, folding my arms over the door, “but what are you doing?”

She laughed lightly. “Couldn’t sleep, so I came down to see the horses. Jace was already here. He told me about this little girl before he left to get some supplies in town. He told me I could give it a try if I wanted to. So here we are.”

She looked back down at the calf, who was still suckling like she hadn’t spent the last two days refusing everything we’d offered.

“Took a bit of convincing, but she finally latched on,” Ellie said, eyes shining with pride. “Look at her go.”

I shook my head in disbelief, a slow grin forming .

“Well, I’ll be damned,” I said. “Looks like you’ve got the magic touch.”

Ellie smiled, continuing to nurse the calf. “I think she needs a name. Don’t you?”

No, she doesn’t. I knew better. Once Ellie gave this calf a name it would become her pet, and she would be sad if anything happened to it. Then I would be sad because Ellie was sad.

“Cows don’t need names, Ellie.”

“This one does. I think I’ve settled on Bessy. What do you think?”

I knew better than to argue with her. Once her mind was set, she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“Bessy it is,” I said, trying not to show how happy this moment was making me.

If you had told me last week that Ellie Brooks would be sitting in my barn right now, barefoot and nursing a calf that she named Bessy, I would have said you were crazy, but here we are.

“So, besides saving stubborn calves lives and giving them ridiculous names, what other plans did you have in store for today?” I asked teasingly.

She shot me a look. Her lips curving up into a half smile.

“Well, I need to go to town and run some errands. Maybe stop by the market for some groceries,” she said. “While the guesthouse is beautifully remodeled, its lacking in snacks and my fancy shampoo.”

I rolled my eyes, laughing. Exactly like Ellie to be worried about small things like the shampoo brand we have sitting in the shower .

“Are you judging me right now?” she teased, narrowing her eyes as she stood. “I’d share, but something tells me you use a 3-in-1 shampoo.” She gave a dramatic shiver, like it was the worst sin she could imagine.

I snorted. “It’s efficient.”

“It’s criminal,” she shot back, wrinkling her nose.

I leaned against the stall door, trying not to grin. But my brain picked the worst time to betray me with a vivid mental image of Ellie in the shower, steam curling around her as I worked that overpriced shampoo through her hair. Suds slipping down her bare shoulders, down her back…

I cleared my throat and shifted my stance before things got really awkward.

“Need me to go with you?” I asked, voice rougher than I meant it to be.

She raised an eyebrow, catching something in my tone. “I’m sure you have lots of cowboy things to do today.”

“Actually, I don’t now that you got that calf to nurse. I need to go to town to get some medicine and vaccines for it anyways,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to get in your way.”

“You’re never in my way, Ellie.”

She paused for a moment.

“Okay, just give me a minute to put on my boots. I took them off when I sat down next to Bessy here.”

Ellie pulled a pair of pink cowboy boots from the corner of the horse stall, sliding them onto her feet. They looked expensive with rhinestones all the way around. Everything about them screamed Ellie Brooks.

“Only you would have pink cowboy boots with rhinestones, Ellie,” I teased. “Those don’t seem very practical.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being both fashionable and functional, Colt. Whatever you can do, I can do just as good, but in rhinestones.”

She clicked her heels together like she was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

I looked her over as she dusted the hay from her blue jeans.

Damn, she was drop-dead gorgeous.

The denim hugged her thighs perfectly, the thin sweater fit snugly around her torso, and her blonde hair fell in soft waves.

“Ready,” she declared.

As we approached my truck, I opened the door, motioning for her to get in.

I liked watching Ellie hop into the passenger seat. It reminded me of when we used to drive around as kids, the ink on our drivers licenses barely dry.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” I said, trying to sound casual as I started the truck, the engine roaring to life.

As I made my way towards town, a silence lingered in the air.

“So,” I said, clearing my throat. “What do you need to get at the market?”

Ellie leaned back in the seat, pulling out a list. “Just the basics. Some bread, eggs, maybe some vegetables. And I was thinking about trying to make something for dinner tonight. Figured I should at least try to cook for myself.”

“What do you plan on making?” I asked curiously.

“Honestly, I was thinking chicken and dumplings. I know that’s not really a summer dish, but I haven’t had it in so long, and I’m craving it so bad.”

“That does sound really good,” I added.

“I’ll save you some. Just come down to the guesthouse after you get done on the ranch tonight. It’s the least I could do for letting me stay.”

“It’s a date.”

Shit.

It came out before I could stop it.

“I mean… you know what I mean,” I said, not sure how to save myself in the moment.

Ellie just looked at me with a smirk. “I know what you mean, don’t worry.”

The drive into town was quiet after that, except for the sound of Ellie humming a song I didn’t recognize—another thing Ellie used to do that I loved.

As we made our way into town, my eyes wandered down the familiar one-road street.

It was true, if you blinked, you might miss it. But at the base of the Montana mountains, Silver Creek was a sight to see.

Rustic wooden storefronts lined the street, their weathered signs swaying gently in the breeze. The general store stood just as it always had, its old Coca-Cola sign faded but still hanging proudly above the door.

Further down, Maggie’s Cafe and the local bar—The Twisted Spur—sat side by side, as if catering to both the early risers and the night owls of Silver Creek.

A handful of locals lingered on the brick sidewalks, leaning against railings and chatting.

Beyond the buildings, endless fields of golden grass rolled towards the base of the mountains, where pine trees stood tall like silent guardians. The early morning sun painted everything in a bright yellow hue.

The familiar face of my little sister’s bakery caught my attention.

The small dessert shop was tucked between the general store and the post office, its whitewashed exterior adorned with flower boxes overflowing with cheerful wildflowers.

A hand-painted sign above the door read Molly’s in looping script, the edges of the wood slightly worn from years of Montana weather.

“How about we stop and see Molly first?” I asked.

Molly, the youngest of the McKinleys, had always been the sharpest of us all.

Right out of high school, she opened this bakery, and to no one’s surprise, it became an instant hit.

She always had a perfect knack for baking.

People from all over Montana came to get a taste of her creations. In the kitchen, she was unstoppable.

“I’m sure she’d love to see you,” I added with a grin. “Plus, I’m craving something sweet,” I said, winking at her.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she let out a soft, teasing laugh. “You always did have a sweet tooth, didn’t you?” she said, her voice light with affection.

“Some things never change. ”

We stepped inside the bakery together. The moment the door closed behind us, the comforting aromas of sugar, cinnamon, and buttercream icing enveloped us.

Molly was behind the counter, expertly frosting cupcakes with precision only she could pull off. She looked up when she heard the bell above the door, her face lighting up as soon as she spotted me.

“Well, well,” she said, setting the piping bag down on the countertop. “Look who decided to grace me with his presence.”

I raised an eyebrow, grinning. “I thought I’d stop by to see my favorite sister… plus, I brought someone you’ll probably enjoy seeing more than me.”

I stepped aside, revealing Ellie.

“Ellie!” My sister squealed, practically running around the counter to give her a bear hug.

Ellie laughed, returning the hug.

“Colt is right, I’m definitely happier to see you,” she said pulling back slightly, her eyes bright. “I heard whispers you were back in town, but I’ve been so busy here I haven’t had time to call and see if the rumors were true.”

“They’re true,” Ellie replied. “I’m back in Silver Creek. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here though,” she added quickly.

I didn’t miss the way the last part of her sentence stung my heart a little.

“Well, as long as you’re here, why don’t you have a sweet treat. Nothing makes me happier than a fresh cupcake,” Molly said cheerfully.

We made our way over to the glass case that displayed an array of treats my sister had baked earlier in the morning—everything from cookies and brownies to tarts and cakes.

“What can I get you guys?” Molly asked, her hands resting on the counter, her eyes dancing with excitement.

“I’ll take a slice of pecan pie,” I said, leaning in to eye the sweet treat I hadn’t eaten in ages. “And for the lady, a red velvet cupcake.”

Ellie blinked, clearly taken aback by my choice.

She looked at me, her voice soft with surprise.

“You remember my favorite dessert?” she asked, her lips curving into a small smile.

I grinned, meeting her gaze. “Of course.”

Molly carefully placed the cupcake and slice of pie into a sturdy brown container and handed it to Ellie with a playful smile.

“Enjoy,” Molly said, winking. “I’ll see you around. I’m coming down to the ranch later this week to help momma around the house. I’ll stop by, and we can catch up.”

Ellie smiled as she accepted the package. “That sounds wonderful.”

Molly turned towards me, her eyes narrowing playfully as she leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“And you, sir, make sure you take care of my girl here. I know how fond you are of her,” she said, a mischievous wink accompanying her words.

Wide-eyed, I glanced over to Ellie, who had already made her way towards the doors, completely oblivious to my sister’s comment—thankfully .

I darted my sister a what-the-hell look only for her to turn and shrug her shoulders, walking away as if nothing happened.

After a quick stop at the market for the things Ellie needed, we headed back towards the ranch.

As I parked in front of the guesthouse, Ellie turned to me.

“I’ll just grab my things and be out of your hair,” she said with a smile.

I glanced at her, meeting her gaze with a grin.

“Similar to the suitcase situation, if my momma heard I made you take your own groceries in from my truck, she’d kill me,” I replied, grabbing the two brown grocery bags from the back seat. “You can, however, bring in those delicious desserts for me.”

She rolled her eyes, grabbing the box of sweet treats as she giggled.