Always Enough (Meet Me in Montana #2) - Kelly Elliott Page 0,76

coffee question. Channing started the truck and took off. As he drove down the drive, another truck pulled in. Brock parked and got out. He looked over his shoulder at the retreating truck, then back at me.

“Hey, I take it you got my panicked message.”

Brock laughed. “I did. Took everything I could do to convince Lincoln we didn’t need to wake up the kids and all drive over here. That I could handle it.”

I chuckled.

Brock looked back at the taillights in the distance. “Was that Channing?”

“It was. I freaked out when I couldn’t reach any of y’all, and I called 911. Channing heard it come over the radio and called in that he was getting off of his shift and would come by. Of course, after I made the call, I calmed down and figured out what needed to be done. Channing was here, though, in case a problem occurred, which didn’t happen. Mom and baby are fine—they’re in the barn.”

Brock followed me to the barn. I stood off to the side as he checked out the calf and praised the mama.

“How in the world did you get over here, Mama?” he asked, rubbing his hands over her gently.

“I looked the best I could with a flashlight to see if there was a hole in the fence anywhere. I couldn’t find one.”

“She isn’t one of ours. Must be from the Wickers’ ranch on the other side of you. I’ll give them a call in the morning.”

I nodded, then asked, “How do you know she’s not one of yours?”

He pointed to the tag in her ear. “Not our tag.”

I looked closer. “Well, hell, you mean those aren’t just pretty little cow earrings?”

With a chuckle, he replied, “No. They’re like identification. Tells us everything about the cow.”

“I guess I should learn more about the cattle business.”

Brock flashed me a smile and then a wink. “You should. My father would be in his glory.”

Wrapping my arms around myself, I shivered. “Is it going to be warm enough out here for them?”

“Oh, yeah, they’ll be fine. I’ll stop by in the morning to check on them.”

“Sounds good.”

I walked next to Brock as we made our way to his truck. “Brock, may I ask you something?”

“Sure, Kaylee, you can ask me anything.”

Chewing on my lip, I let out a deep breath. “Do you and your folks blame me for Ty leaving?”

His eyes widened in shock. “Blame you? Kaylee, why in the world would we blame you?”

One shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I don’t know, because I’m pretty sure it was something I said to Ty that pushed him into making his decision.”

“Ty’s an adult; he makes his own choices.”

I nodded, then looked up at him. “I love him, Brock.”

A slow smile spread over his face. “I know you do, Kaylee.”

“I don’t know what to do. I know Ty is lost in a part of himself that he thinks he can’t show to anyone. A vulnerable side of him that he tries desperately to hide. He thinks for some stupid reason he’s not good enough for me. But I don’t think it’s just that; I think he’s afraid I’ll somehow hurt him, or maybe that he’ll hurt me. I know he still struggles with the fear of being lost to drugs again. But that doesn’t scare me, Brock. I would never leave him, or doubt his strength to fight for anything. What scares me is the idea of him not being in my life.”

“And you want more than friendship with him?”

“Yes.”

“Then, tell him.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to push him away. He already told me he wasn’t looking for a relationship, but . . .”

Brock raised a brow. “I think we both know he cares about you, Kaylee. Maybe what he really needs is to know he’s worth the fight. That you won’t give up on him, no matter what he says.”

“He called tonight when I was in the barn with the mama cow and her calf. Channing took it upon himself to answer my phone.”

“Oh, shit,” Brock said.

“Yeah. Oh, shit. I hate saying this, but I think Channing did it on purpose. I don’t want to think he would do that, but why on earth would he answer my phone?”

Brock rubbed his chin. “I have an idea . . . if you’re willing to get on a plane for a quick ride.”

“Depends. Am I going somewhere warm with a beach?”

He laughed. “No. Billings.”

A feeling of hope and excitement built in my chest. “This