Page 27 of Careless Hope
“So you don’t think it’s a disaster of an idea?” I questioned.
“Oh it’s wild for sure. But I know she needs a gentle nudge. She deserves to find happiness, and she’s been focused on other things for so long. I think it would be good for her.” She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing conspiratorially. “Besides, I watched her with three men last night, and you were the only one she had any kind of spark with.”
“Hey now, if I do this, it would just be a friend helping a friend. No sparks needed.”
“I know, I know. I’m just saying, she was more relaxed with you. I think she’d learn a lot and find her confidence is all. She needs this change of pace.”
“Change of pace,” I echoed, running a hand through my hair. That was something I could understand.
“Caroline’s been through a lot, you know,” Sutton said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence. “Coming back here after all these years, taking over her old man’s practice . . . It’s a heap of responsibility on her shoulders.”
“Uh-huh,” I mumbled, my mind working overtime at the idea of what helping her meant. Yeah, I could teach her how to flirt and be appealing. She was already there, she just needed some practice to get out of her head. But spending time with the town’s respectable doctor might benefit me, too. Besides, she was a beautiful woman and last night proved she was fun to hang out with.
“It wouldn’t exactly be a hardship on my part.”
“Look, Walker,” Sutton pressed, her eyebrows knitting together. “She’s trying to fit into this place again, find her footing, and it isn’t easy. She could use a friend.” Hervoice had that edge to it, the one that said she wasn’t just talking about friendship.
“I am her friend.” I sighed, feeling the weight of her words. Caroline had been a quiet force back in school, someone who blended into the background but somehow remained memorable. To me, at least. And now, she was this confident doctor who’d come home. It made me think, really think, about the Caroline I remembered. Funny how people grow up, change, but still tug on the same heartstrings they did when you were kids.
“Helpin’ her wouldn’t just be about . . . whatever it is she’s asking for,” Sutton continued, folding her arms tighter, as if she were hugging the concern right into herself. “It’s about giving her the chance to feel at home again, to belong.”
The way Sutton cared about Caroline—it was sweet, genuine. Made me wonder what it’d be like to have someone worry over me like that.
“If you decide to help her, just don’t mess with her, is all I’m saying.”
“Come on, Sut. I wouldn’t do that to her.”
“I don’t think you’d do it on purpose, but you’re charming and kind. People gravitate toward you, and most of the girls you spend time with understand you’re not interested in anything more than a roll in the hay. Caroline is practical, don’t get me wrong. But she’s also very new at all this. I don’t want her to inadvertently get hurt.”
I ambled over to the window, hands tucked into the pockets of my worn jeans, as I watched the morning sun kiss the horizon. The ranch sprawled before me, a patchwork of fence lines and grazing cattle. My gaze followed the familiar trails that wound through the property—trails I knew as well as the lines on my own palms. I knew Sutton’s heart was in the right place, so I tried not to take it personally. But her words had mewanting to prove I could truly help Caroline and not just lead her astray.
“I think I’m gonna do it,” I murmured to myself, the words hanging in the quiet air like a promise waiting to be fulfilled.
The notion wasn’t just about her; it was about me too. I’d spent years working this land, shoulder to shoulder with my brother. I put in my time and I deserved more now. If he didn’t believe that I was ready for responsibility, I’d show him otherwise.
“Maybe this is it,” I said, almost too low to hear. “My chance to step up.”
It was time to trade in some late nights for early mornings, to swap out the carefree playboy routine for something with substance. At least as far as everyone else was concerned.
“Ranching’s all about nurturing things until they’re strong enough to stand on their own,” I recalled Pa saying once, his voice echoing in my head.
Pa was gone now, but his words lingered, shaping my thoughts. Wasn’t this what he meant? Caroline needed support, guidance in a world she’d stepped away from for so long. And maybe, just maybe, I needed the purpose and focus that came with being that guide.
“Could be good for both of us,” I admitted, finally allowing myself to consider the full scope of the arrangement. It wasn’t just about Caroline learning to navigate the social waters of Whittier Falls—it was also about me finding my footing, proving I was more than just the Anderson who never grew up.
The weight of potential hung in the room, heavy and inviting. This could be the stepping stone to my own division on the ranch, a place where equine therapy and lessons could change lives. Where I could change lives—and in doing so, change my own.
I leaned forward, resting my forehead against the cool glass. The idea of helping Caroline wasn’t just an act of charity—it was an opportunity. If I could show that I was capable of settling down with a respected, responsible woman, Gray would have to take me seriously.
I’d settled it in my mind. I’d ask for an amendment to the plan. And do whatever it took to get Caroline to agree.
9
Caroline
The mid-morning sunfiltered through the blinds, casting stripes of light across the linoleum as I checked Mrs. Henderson’s blood pressure. “Looks good,” I assured her, smiling behind my stethoscope, “Just keep taking your medication and try to add a little walk after dinner.”
“Will do, Dr. Cressley,” she replied, her wrinkled hand patting mine with grandmotherly affection. She was the first patient to not make a fuss today about seeing me over my father, so I felt a kinship and almost didn’t want the appointment to end. But with nothing else to go over, I escorted her out of the exam room and down the hall to the front desk.
