when you’re ready?”
He nodded, and Etta had to accept that, even if she didn’t like it. “I’m sorry, Etta.”
“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry I ruined tonight.” She dropped her hand and turned toward the path that led to the ATV they’d ridden out here. “It’s getting dark, though. We better head back.”
They did, and Etta leaned into the strength of August’s back on the ATV as he navigated them to the homestead. She didn’t want to even think this might be the last time she’d be this physically close to him, so she put it out of her mind.
He walked her up the sidewalk to the wrap-around porch, where he stalled. “Etta,” he said. “You are an extraordinary woman.”
“August, please don’t say anything you don’t mean.”
“I won’t,” he said.
Tears pricked her eyes. “I don’t want to talk anymore tonight.” She turned to face him, pure exhaustion running through her blood. “You had the chance to tell me, and you didn’t want to. It’s fine. I’m reassured that you’re working through something, and that if something between us is all wrong, you’ll tell me.”
Right? she added silently.
“I want you to know this is nothing about you,” he said. “It’s entirely within me, and it is something I’m going to figure out.”
She gave him the best smile she could, but it wobbled in all the wrong places. “I know you will.” She tipped up and kissed him squarely on the mouth, hoping he would know he really could take his time.
She had been on so many bad dates. She had been out with over a dozen guys she’d never seen more than once. She could give August more time.
He held her close and kissed her back, and Etta knew he loved her. She just knew it, despite the lack of words that came from his mouth.
Be patient, she heard in her head, and she broke the kiss.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered, wiping his thumb across her wet cheek.
Etta ducked her head and sniffled. “Don’t kiss me like that then.” She reached for the doorknob and opened the front door. “Good-night, August.”
“Good-night, sweets,” he said, and Etta forced herself to go inside the house and close the door behind her. She pressed her back to the wood and breathed out slowly, his voice repeating in her head. Sweets.
Sweets, sweets, sweets.
That was what he called his daughter, the person in his life he loved unconditionally. Why had he called her that?
A couple of weeks later, Etta swung out of the saddle and bent to hug the girls who’d been with her on their riding lesson that day. “You three did amazing.” She grinned at them like they’d be the rodeo’s next barrel racing champions, and all of them hugged her. “Now, let’s go over the after-care for the horses.”
She led them through removing the tack, cleaning it, and hanging it properly in the stables. She taught them how to brush down their horse and lead it with a line when they didn’t have reins. She put her horse away first and smiled proudly at the trio of twelve-year-olds as they did the same.
“Okay,” she said. “Done for today. See you next week.”
“’Bye, Etta,” they chorused at the same time, and all three of them giggled as they hurried toward the big SUV waiting to pick them up. Etta waved and smiled until she didn’t have to anymore, and then she turned back to the stable with a sigh.
Aurora Osburn looked up from her clipboard, looking completely cowgirl-country in her cowgirl hat and boots. Even her shirt boasted blue-and-white plaid today. “What’s wrong, Etta?”
“Nothing,” she said as cheerfully as she could, which was about as happy as a prince who’d been turned into a frog.
Aurora hung the clipboard on the side of the stable and came a little closer. “Oh, you would’ve called me out on that ten times out of ten.” She put her hands on her hips, a very serious expression on her face. “Or have you forgotten how many times you caught me and Ollie in the barn, separated us, and then asked me why I was so unhappy?”
Etta didn’t want to talk about her adult relationship problems with Aurora. The girl was barely older than half her age, and she’d been married for over a year already. Looking at her, Etta felt the full weight of unfairness descend upon her, and she clenched her jaw against it.
She would not be jealous of Aurora. Everyone had their own path to trod,