“Three months?” I groaned.
“May I ask what the rush is? You’ve been married for over twenty years. What’s a few more months?”
I let out a sigh. “I’m dating someone, and he’s not very confident because I’m still married.”
“Just like I suspected. The first thing we have to do is file for divorce and have Emma served. We’ll get you a divorce lawyer who can ensure you get the best deal.”
“Must I use a different lawyer? You’ve handled divorces.”
“Yes, when it involved broke people who have nothing to argue over. Your case is different.”
“I’m not trying to cut Emma out. I want to be fair to her.”
“But does she feel the same? Divorce brings out the worst in people, Gray. The absolute worst, and Emma has always been a bit of a drama queen.”
I couldn’t disagree with that. “That won’t happen. I think she wants this as much as I do.”
“For your sake, I hope that’s true.”
Abilene Jo’s remarks stayed with me on the way back to the ranch. Both Emma and I had changed over the years. Could I say I knew her? The sweet, country girl I’d fallen in lovewith decades ago was hardly the same woman who was making Ozzie’s life a nightmare, planning for a wedding that wouldn’t happen.
The sight of the ranch, with its sprawling acres so well cared for over the years, caused a lump to form in my throat. Would Emma insist on having a share of the property? And if she did, what right did I have to fight her? She was entitled to her share in a divorce settlement.
I pulled up in front of the main house and took a deep breath. The ranch could run itself without my input. Most of our workers had been with us for over five years and didn’t require micromanagement. I’d been on Matty’s case about taking some time off, but I probably should too. Maybe Ozzie and I could get away for a couple of weeks after we broke the news to Carter. It would give us time for the news to become stale. Hopefully, during that time, someone else would be the hot topic.
Not likely.
Groaning, I got out of my truck and slammed the door shut. Ozzie had been watching Hudson’s daughter since yesterday. That hadn’t deterred Emma from stopping the wedding planning, though. She’d gone ahead and arranged for the flowers and the cake tasting without Ozzie’s input.
If the wedding were real, I would have been annoyed for Ozzie.
I checked my watch and smiled. I was back in time to join the ranch hands, who were moving our largest herd of cattle to the northern pastures. The physical work would be a welcome distraction from my impending divorce and the need to rescue Ozzie from Emma. I’d used up my wild card by getting him out of the tuxedo fitting yesterday. One more interference and Emma would get suspicious.
When I opened the front door, giggles greeted me. I followed the sound to the living room and stopped in the doorway to quietly watch Ozzie and Hudson’s daughter, Ivy. They hadcreated space in the center of the room by pushing the coffee table out of the way. They were on hands and knees on a white sheet, fingerpainting on it. Ozzie was smeared with more paint than the sheet. Ivy’s eyes sparkled with joy as she slapped her painted hand on Ozzie’s cheek.
Ozzie let out a mock gasp of horror, his eyes wide, and the little girl burst into a fit of giggles. Watching them filled me with a warmth I hadn’t felt in a long while. The genuine happiness between them was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. How her mother could have run out on her, I would never understand.
“Did you just attack me with red paint?” Ozzie asked, feigning indignation, his tone playful. “Let’s see how you like it.”
Ozzie dipped his finger into the blue paint. “Blue because that’s your favorite color.” He swiped a finger down the little girl’s arm.
Ivy shook her head and squealed. She scrambled to her chubby legs and launched herself at Ozzie. Laughing, Ozzie caught her midflight and made an airplane out of her, eliciting a chorus of shrieks that echoed throughout the house. He finally set her on the sheet, causing more peals of laughter to erupt from her tiny body.
An ache spread through my chest. When was the last time a child’s laughter had echoed within these four walls? I’d come home to my kids every single night, but back when they were little, I’d worked long hours on the ranch. It wasn’t until they were older that I really got to spend any quality time with them.
If I could do it all over again…
“He’s good with children, isn’t he?” Emma slid next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder.
“He is. He’s wonderful.”
She sighed. “It pains me to admit it, but I agree. I think he’ll have a calming influence on Carter.”
Ozzie raised his head and saw us. His gaze drifted to where Emma’s hand rested on my shoulder, and he quickly glanced away. His smile had dimmed.
I turned slightly, forcing Emma to drop her hand. “What do you mean? I thought you didn’t like the two of them together?”
“In the beginning, I didn’t, but I’ve changed my mind. I thought he would wash out Carter. Ozzie was always so mousy, with no backbone whatsoever, but since I’ve been here, he’s not been rolling over and going along with whatever I say. Frustrating but…I approve. I don’t know if you realize, Gray, but our son’s a bit of a…I guess I shouldn’t say it.”
