Page 95 of The Mountain Echoes

She leads me toward the ridge behind the barn. We climb up the gentle slope, past scrub grass and early Wildflowers just pushing through the earth.

At the top, we settle on an old, flat rock that probably served generations of ranch hands as the perfect place to waste daylight.

Below us, Longhorn spreads out in soft shades of gold and rust—the fence line glints in the light. The cattle are small black specks.

“I love it here,” she says softly.

“But you left.”

She turns to look at me with stricken eyes. “I don’t know what Celine told you, but I didn’t want to leave.”

I want her to tell me her story, the one that makes her sad. I gathered enough from the will reading that she and Rami had a falling out, and he never asked her to come back home.

“It doesn’t matter what Celine told me. I got eyes. I can see for myself that you love the land.”

“I do.” Her voice cracks a little.

I take her hand in mine. “My parents died when I was eighteen. Joy was eight.”

“You raised her.” She squeezes my hand gently.

“I did. I had to grow up fast. Took care of the ranch…it was in Texas, outside Austin. Like you, I didn’t have a lot of resources, but I made it work.”

I lace my fingers with hers, strengthening our hold. “Then Texas started tomodernizeranch country. I didn’t want to raise cattle and hay next to a golf course, so I sold. Came here.”

“You’ve done well for yourself.” She nudges her shoulder against mine. “Verywell, from what I hear.”

“I had Lady Luck on my side…a lot.”

“That’s not luck.” She locks her eyes with mine. “That’s grit. Timing. Brains.”

“I had support, Aria, I didn’t do it alone. Zane. Joy. Elena. A lot of people helped me.”

She looks away again, out toward the far hills. “You’re helping me.”

“Tell me what happened between you and Rami.”

She turns now, and there’s a fire in her eyes, sudden,bright.

“He made me the villain in the Delgado Family Soap Opera.”

“What did you do?”

She licks her lips. “I couldn’t keep my man.”

I quirk a questioning eyebrow.

She gives me a wan smile. “I came home with Hudson for the summer. We were engaged.”

I keep my face impassive. I’m not exactly shocked; I suspected this, but hearing her say it is jarring.

“He fell in love with Celine, and…she was pregnant.”

I wait. There’s more—there always is with her. I know her well enough by now to understand it wasn’t just Celine and Hudson’s betrayal that broke her. It was Rami’s. That’s the one that cut her the deepest.

“Papa said I needed to accept, help plan the wedding, blah blah. I couldn’t believe it. Hudson cheated on me withher,and Papa’s accusing me of not being able to hold on to my man, for losing him to Celine.”

I trace slow, gentle circles on her hand with my thumb, hoping to soothe her. She leans into me—just a little—but enough to say she’ll take what comfort I’m offering. My heart stumbles, then picks up pace.