which she couldn’t even see from the dirt road, had been incredibly hard. She also had no idea how they could possibly have a party here at the ranch without inviting him and Hailey.
She looked out the window, which faced east and overlooked the land on the ranch that went toward the highway. Thankfully, she couldn’t see August’s cabin from here. She certainly could feel his presence in her heart, however. Just the fact that Hailey had been working in the yard with Dot testified of that.
“And the fairy garden….” Etta pressed her hand to her heart as her tears reared up again. Hailey had worked incredibly hard on it, obviously, with each patch of rocks and succulents chosen carefully and placed with love. Etta had felt it pulsing from the small space right on the corner of the house.
Dot had apologized profusely in a long text, saying she and Hailey had made the fairy garden the day Etta and August had flown to San Antonio. Dot had wanted to distract Hailey from missing her father, and she’d loved going down to the nursery and picking out all of the things for Etta’s fairies.
The text had only hollowed her out further, and Etta didn’t think that was possible.
She’d never felt this alone in her life, even after she’d faced Noah Johnson and told him she couldn’t marry him unless he could stand to have at least one child with her. Closing her eyes, she got transported right back in time, straight into the brides’ room in True Blue.
She stood in front of him, twenty minutes late for her own wedding, wearing the dress, the crown, the perfect shoes. Ward had come to find out why she hadn’t come down the aisle, and he, Ranger, and Ace had collected Noah from the altar and brought him to see her.
She’d told him how much she loved him.
He’d held her tight and said he loved her too.
She’d finally confessed that she wasn’t okay with not being a mother, and she’d asked him: “Can you stand just having one more child, Noah? I only need one.”
Time slowed then, the clock above the door ticking with each painful second. In the end, Etta had gotten her answer when Noah’s eyes had fallen to the floor. His voice only added pins and needles to her organs.
“I can’t, Etta. I’m done with children.” He looked up at her, those dark eyes broadcasting several emotions at once: desperation, love, loathing, anger. “This is a deal-breaker for you?”
She nodded, pressing her hands together. “I’m sorry, Noah,” she said. She’d apologized so many times. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.
He’d left through the back door, and Etta had changed out of her wedding dress alone. Only then had she allowed her beloved sister, mother, sisters-in-law, cousins, and cousins-in-law into the room.
They’d rallied around her for many long months after that. She knew each of them, at some point in the past few years, had spent time on their knees in her behalf.
“And for what?” she asked bitterly. “For me to be a replacement mother and wife for someone far greater than me?”
“Etta?” Ranger said, drawing her attention away from the past, from August, and from the window. “Hey, sorry.” He came toward her as tentatively today as he had the day she should’ve married Noah. “I think we’re ready to go over.”
“Over where?” Etta asked, turning away from the window completely. She let her eldest brother bend and hold her in a hug. She sighed, but she managed to hold onto the tears. She didn’t want to spend forever crying.
And she would not cry tonight. Whatever they’d planned was a celebration—her celebration.
“Ward set up a campfire,” Ranger said. “We figured that would be easiest on short notice. No cleaning up here afterward. Lots of space for as many people to come as possible.” He pulled away and offered her a kind smile. “Come on. We’ll stay by you.”
“Who all is out there?” she asked, tugging on the end of her blouse. She’d showered and changed since returning to the homestead just before lunchtime. She’d eaten something out of the fridge and disappeared into her suite for the past several hours, and her stomach growled at her for more to digest.
“Just us,” Ranger said. “Our core family, Etta.” As he watched her, his dark eyes glittered. He was always so calm and so steady. Etta loved him and appreciated him so much, and she wanted all the best things for