Jacob laughed. “I took out some hen. Thought I’d make curry.”

“Rattling,” Rodney mentioned, rubbing his abdomen. “That sounds good.”

Jacob checked out his brothers. “Why don’t the three of you clear up whereas Rodney and I get supper going? Bridget, you should use the lavatory within the visitor bed room if you need. I wager you’re itchy after spending all that point within the barn.”

He wrinkled his nostril as he mentioned the phrase barn. Bridget laughed. “The ranching gene certain missed you, didn’t it?”

Jacob didn’t take offense. “I determine it hit two of the 4 of us. Caleb’s no fonder of the ranch than I’m. Fifty-fifty’s not so dangerous, though my dad may need disagreed.”

Jacob’s remark about his father despatched a string of questions operating by her thoughts. There was a lot she didn’t learn about Matt and Mark that she was interested in. Hell, she sighed. She needed to know all the pieces about them—their histories, their goals, their wishes, their our bodies.

She pushed the picture of her two cowboys away. It was an illogical, impractical dream. She couldn’t have each of them and she or he couldn’t select. Higher to maintain issues mild and straightforward. “I’d love a bathe.”

Jacob began down the hallway, main her to the visitor room. “I’ll seize a pair of sweats and T-shirt from Jessie’s dresser. She received’t thoughts you carrying them. It’ll prevent having to place your soiled garments again on.”

After popping the query the evening of their Valentine’s Day feast on the inn, Caleb had whisked Jessie off to Colorado for an impromptu trip to rejoice. In line with Jacob, they weren’t due again to the ranch for 3 extra days.

“Thanks, Jacob.”

“Certain factor. Hey, is your brother seeing anybody in New York?”

She grinned. “Wow. That was fairly direct.”

“I discovered a very long time in the past that one of the best ways to get a solution is to ask the query.”

“Spoken like a real journalism main.” She’d needed to cease herself a number of instances from speaking store with Jacob each time he talked about some article he was writing or one thing one in every of his on-line professors had mentioned. She missed her writing terribly. Watching Jacob faucet away on the keys on his laptop computer had left her extra homesick than anything these previous few weeks.

“I’m not going to lie, Bridget. I like Rodney. Rather a lot. However I get the sense there’s one thing holding him again. Conserving him from taking an opportunity with me. I determine there have to be another person.”

There was another person, she needed to say. Her. He was holding true to his promise to guard her, to maintain her protected. “There’s nobody else, Jacob.”

Jacob regarded relieved and confused by her response. Then she watched each reactions changed by disappointment. “Oh, properly, I assume perhaps it’s simply me he’s not involved in.”

“No,” she mentioned unexpectedly. “That’s not it in any respect. Rodney actually likes you. I can inform. It’s simply we’re on trip. I’m certain he’s hesitant to begin one thing due to the space. I imply, what in the event you guys attached and it was really great? It might make leaving that a lot more durable.” Her phrases have been spoken on her behalf as a lot as Rodney’s. She might simply let herself fall into Mark or Matt’s arms, however the place would that depart her when the time got here to return to New York?

Jacob shrugged. “Looks as if a poor excuse.”

“What?”

“We solely get one shot at this life, Bridget. I’m positively not letting geography dictate the place I’m allowed to seek out my happiness. May need to clarify that idea to your brother tonight over root beer floats.”

“Love on the bowling alley?” she teased.

“Nothing classier. I’ll go seize you these garments.”

Jacob left her alone. Rodney wasn’t the one one depriving himself a shot at true happiness. If there was one lesson she ought to have discovered previously 12 months, it was that life is valuable. Destiny was handing her an opportunity for one thing higher, one thing richer, and she or he was throwing it away by blaming timing and distance and a crooked decide for her loneliness. There was just one particular person holding her again and that was herself.

Strolling to the visitor tub, she began tugging off her shirt. What if her future, her happiness was right here, on this ranch in the midst of Nowhere, Wyoming? Her issues have been nonetheless going to be right here within the morning, however what occurred in a month—after she’d testified?

The place would she be then?

She turned on the water, letting it warmth up. Stepping beneath the steaming jets, she let the water soothe her sore muscle groups.

She was too drained to suppose anymore. Tonight, she simply needed to be. To really feel.

Tonight, she needed to take an opportunity.

The one query was…with who?

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