“Yeah.” Shannon crossed her arms. “And I still need to make good on my promise to you. This isn’t a one-sided arrangement.”
“I know that,” I said, holding her gaze. The anger in her had cooled, and it looked to me like her fire had turned into sadness. “You okay?”
“Yup. All good.” She sniffled and nodded. “I’ve already mentioned you to Owen Martin at his supply store. Old Man Martin is ground zero when it comes to gossip for all the ranchers, so word about you is probably getting out as we speak.”
“Appreciate it.”
We went quiet. I wondered what I could say to convince Shannon that I really did know what I was doing. She said she still trusted me, but I wanted to prove her right—wanted to have trusting me pay off for her. I certainly wasn’t off to a great start, even though the freezer malfunction was an unexpected complication.
“Hey, Dec, I’m sorry.”
“About what?”
Shannon gestured to the ground in front of her where she’d been stomping around. “That. Getting so upset. I apologize for acting like a spoiled brat.”
“Stop, you weren’t acting like a brat. It was upsetting news, about something that’s really important to you. And your apology is accepted. Let’s not dwell on it. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, right?”
Shannon finally smiled at me. “We do. And I really don’t want this getting out, but I am curious about how well some of your ideas will integrate into Lost Valley’s breeding program. Not that I’m happy about it. Ireallydon’t like change.” She said the last part with an eyeroll and a shudder making me laugh.
“We’ll get it figured out. Together,” I told her.
“Together,” she agreed.
ELEVEN
SHANNON
Istared up at the sky in the mid-afternoon sun, laughing when the wind almost blew my hat off. I pressed it down more firmly on my head as I followed Fiona’s horse up the slight incline. I was on Red. He needed exercise and, unfortunately, he’d not taken well to having strangers riding him. When he’d started nipping at the guests, he’d been pulled from the roster for trail rides, and now he was only ridden by riders he knew well and trusted.
When I reached the top, my sister had already dismounted. Gatsby was grazing nearby while she sat on a flat rock. I left Red munching on some wild grass and joined her.
“I can’t remember the last time I was up here. I forgot how gorgeous it is.”
“Isn’t it amazing? It’s part of one of our more advanced rides and we stop here before heading out to the falls,” she said.
I tugged at my sweaty shirt, letting the breeze dry my sweat. “We should have gone there. I could use a swim.”
My sister hmmed in response. “To do it right, it should be an overnight. Are you up for that much time away?”
“Definitely not.” It had been years since we’d done anything like that, even though we used to camp out at the falls all the time when we were teens. Out there, sleeping under the stars, we felt like we were a million miles away from everyone. All of the Cafferty land felt that way. Even though there were other properties nearby, once we got far enough out into the foothills, it felt as if we were alone with Mother Nature.
“When I worked in Denver, I was always shocked at how protective my coworkers with kids were. This one woman in accounting choreographed every moment of their lives and was always tracking where they were at all times. Whereas we?—”
“Ran around like feral children?” I finished for her, making my sister laugh.
“We weren’t quite that bad. But I can’t imagine the amount of time and energy it takes to be a helicopter parent.”
“AndIcan’t imagine what might have happened in her life to make her feel she needs to keep tabs on them like that,” I said.
I had my water bottle out and was sipping on it when Fiona asked, “Do you ever think about what you’ll be like as a mom?”
I coughed, barely managing to swallow the water. “No. Well, maybe.” No way was I going to tell her that I imagined having a son or daughter who looked a whole lot like Declan. It isn’t as if he thought of me that way. “I like to think I’d have mom’s sensibilities. She always seemed so calm. Even when we were getting in trouble.”
“I miss her. Both of them. A lot. It’s why I stayed away so long. I just couldn’t imagine the ranch without them,” she said.
“I miss them too. So very much. It’s why I really want the breeding program to thrive. Every time something goes wrong, I feel like I’m failing Mom and her legacy. I have to succeed. Ihaveto.” I felt my tears hit my cheeks.
Fiona swung around to face me and grabbed my hand. “Shan, Mom was so proud of you. There’s nothing—and I meannothing—you could do that would ever disappoint her. You know that, right?”
