Heaven made the so-so motion with her hand. “While that’s true, you have worked the land for more than five years. That’s the rest of the definition. I want you both to stay and work the ranch because I trust you. By giving you each a part of the controlling ownership that assures me that you have something to stay for.”
I nodded while I stared out over the breaking waves in the midday sun. “Beau helped me see why you were doing it. He explained to me the things I don’t see, but everyone else does. When he laid it out the way he did, I stopped feeling like I was stealing something from you and started feeling like I was contributing to a family. A family I’ve never had before. I’m going to sign the paperwork after you’re married.”
Heaven’s chin fell to her chest, and she sighed. “Oh, thank God,” she whispered, turning her head to the sky. “Like, thank God, and thank you, Beau. I was worried you were going to leave. Like leave-leave forever. I know I left, but I’m always just a ridge ride away.”
“I don’t begrudge you finally marrying your one true love, Heaven. I’d be mad if you stayed back for me. I do want you to consider changing one thing about the contract, though.” I turned to hold her gaze while I filled her in on what Beau told me about flipping the rights back to her to get cash immediately. “The way it stands now, you could be out big bucks if you don’t.”
“I see your point, but I’m not worried. Neither of you would do that. If it makes you feel better, I’ll talk to the lawyer about adding a clause of six months or a year. Does that help?”
I held both hands up in defense. “You don’t have to make me feel better. I want you to protect yourself. I do think you need to at least address it with the lawyer. I know neither Tex nor I would ever plan to do it, but things happen. I don’t want you to get hurt in the process.”
Heaven nodded once. “Done. As long as you plan to stay, I’ll do anything I have to do to keep you here.”
“You know I’d never leave Heavenly Lane by choice. I’m excited to take over as the guest services manager. Tex had a great idea the other night that I’d like to run by you. Of course, if you’d rather I wait and talk about it with everyone, I’ll understand.”
She waved her hand at her throat. “Not necessary yet. I still own the ranch, so I’m still making the decisions. I want to hear what it is.”
“Okay, well, Tex said maybe we should use the bedrooms upstairs for church groups to come on the weekends for a retreat. I started thinking about it and realized companies might want the same thing. We have four rooms that we could rent out for the weekends. I could plan activities and team-building options they could do at the ranch. It’s a gamble, but if we do it right, it could be a lot of fun.”
Heaven was grinning when I finished speaking and jumped up, hugging me gently. “It’s not a gamble. It’s a home run! Those rooms are sitting empty right now, we have enough horses, and we’re already buying food for the rest of the guests. There’s no initial investment required beyond maybe some games or things for the groups to do if it were raining. Everything we take in from renting the rooms is income. I love the idea. Let’s sit down after the wedding and get a plan laid out and the advertising in place. As long as you think you can handle the added work.”
“By then, it won’t be a problem. I’ve got Landry hired on to take over my chores in the barn and to prepare the bunkhouse each week. Tex hired a new ranch hand, Tobi, to help him with the horses. I know he plans to hire several more. With everyone in place, I’ll have plenty of time to concentrate on the house. Beau is moving in, but I don’t think that should impact it much. He’ll mostly only be there to sleep.”
Heaven reared back and stared at me. “Whoa, slow down, cowgirl. Beau is moving into the house on Heavenly Lane? When did this happen?”
I checked my watch. “It’s probably happening right now. I’m in your room now to have the private bathroom, and Beau’s taking over my old room. That leaves the third and smaller bedroom downstairs if Cece needs to stay over. At least until she gets out of her lease in town. Beau and I decided on it Thursday night.”
“Were you going to tell us?” she asked, her voice high pitched and aggravated. “I’m sure Blaze would like to know that his friend of twenty years is moving out!”
I held my hand out to calm her. “This just came up. I would guess Beau has told Blaze by now.”
“I would guess not!” she exclaimed, holding up her phone. “Blaze would text me the moment he heard if that were the case.”
My gaze went back to the lake. “I’m not responsible for what Beau does and doesn’t do, Heaven. He’s a big boy. I wasn’t intentionally keeping it a secret. I just thought you’d know once he told Blaze. If Beau hasn’t done that yet, then I apologize, but he hasn’t made it a secret that he doesn’t want to crimp the newlyweds’ style.”
“Which I don’t even understand,” she said with exasperation. “Beau lived there the entire time Blaze was married to Callie. What’s the big deal?”
I stretched my legs out in the sand, my time on the driftwood starting to ramp up my pain, but I didn’t want her to know, so I bit back the grimace. “The big deal is that this time, everyone can see you are who Blaze should have married the first time. You and Blaze have such a different dynamic than he and Callie did. They were friends, but you two are friends and lovers. There is always a deep flow of passion when you’re together. Beau said if a guy like him can see the level of deep, soul-changing love that you have, then you should be able to make a home without a third wheel hanging around all the time.”
Heaven scratched her temple and eyed me from behind her hand. “He seriously said that?” I nodded, and she let out a sigh. “He’s not wrong. We both know that, but I feel terrible that he thinks we don’t want him there. We’d put up a small cottage for him before we asked him to leave the property.”
“Which he knows,” I agreed. “But since Heavenly Lane has space, he would do just as well to live there for now. He worries about me being there alone now that Tex lives on the back of the property.”
“You know I feel the same way. Not that you can’t handle yourself, but I’d feel better if you weren’t alone in that big house.”
“Win-win, then, right?” I asked. “I’ll have someone else rattling around in the old place, so you won’t have to worry about me. You deserve time alone as much as any newly married couple, regardless of where you live and work.”
Her head nodded once, and she smiled. “Okay, it’s settled then. I’m still going to make Beau tell Blaze, though. He needs to be the one to explain his reasons to his friend. Blaze doesn’t want anything but for him to be happy.”
I shielded the sun from my eyes with my hand. “And he’s not, so I’m hoping that a change of scenery will help him find the happiness that he’s lost.”
“Does it help that the new scenery is you?” she asked, tongue in cheek.
I snapped my head around to look at her. “This is strictly platonic, Heaven. He’s not moving in forthatreason.”
“I don’t doubt what you say is true right now, but the question is, would you considerthatif it came up?”
I blew out a sigh and pulled my feet back up under me so I could lean on my knees. “Beau kissed me again Thursday night by the fire.”
