I glared at him as the auction started, and we watched different cattle herds and bloodlines flash across the large monitor. All around us, farm managers and hands were working to bring in the best quality for the fall run. I didn’t worry about bidding. My men had a good grasp of what we needed. The only reason I attended the auction was to spend time with my brother, a move I was not starting to regret.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that in six months, I was going to be alone forever. How could I ever find anyone like Hailey again? The idea of her leaving made my heart ache like it hadn’t in years. I wasn’t a complete idiot; I knew that I was going to lose something amazing if I didn’t make a move.
“Still sitting over there pouting, I see,” Walker said with a chuckle.
“Why don’t you go back to your ranch and I will go back to mine? We can forget about this conversation ever happening.”
He clapped me on the back. “Don’t be like that big brother. You know I just want to see you happy. I happen to think that you are making the wrong decision, though, by not telling her.”
“I will take your opinion into consideration. Given your long history of love, you must know what you are talking about,” I said sarcastically.
He glared at me. “I might not have much experience in love, but I know it when I see it, which is obviously more than you can say. Just you wait and see, you are going to regret not telling her how you feel.”
I cringed and said nothing, wondering if he was right. I hated the idea of being in a house with Hailey, though, if she didn’t feel the same. It was almost more than I could take. If she rejected me, there was a chance I would never love anyone again. The last time a woman had shot me down, the damage had taken me years to heal from—years and finding Hailey.
“Look, Jackson.” His tone softened. “You know I just want to see you happy, right? You know I won’t say anything to Mom or Dad. It’s not my place, but I think that you two have a shot at something real. Hell, you could have fooled me! I thought you two were already happily married and in love.”
“I think we are,” I stammered.
Walker laughed. “Then figure out how to keep it that way because you’ve only got six months left. I don’t want to see you lose the best thing that ever happened to you.”
“Hey! I’d like to think the best thing that ever happened to me was the good looks and charm that God graced me with.”
“Ha! I wouldn’t count on them getting you through in life too much. Good looks fade, and I hate to break it to you, but you aren’t that charming. Personally, I think Hailey is doing the world of women a favor by taking you off the market. Just have a little faith, and you’ll see; she loves you just as much as you love her.”
“You seem to be awful sure of all this,” I muttered.
Walker grinned and nudged me in the side. “I might not have a wife or girlfriend, but I know the look of love when I see it. It’s the same look Pops give Mom when he doesn’t think any of us are watching. You’ll figure it out; I know you will.”
I fell silent next to him. I didn’t want to keep talking about the same thing now that my head was spinning. Part of me wanted to hope that he was right and Hailey felt the same for me as I did for her, but the persistent fear lingered. If she rejected me, I would never get over it. If she didn’t, though…
It was almost too much for my heart to take. I watched the auction for a few more minutes. Suddenly the need to get home and hold Hailey was overwhelming. Even if I only had six more months with her, I would make every second count. If she didn’t love me now, I would do what I could to change that. With a renewed sense of purpose, I jetted out to my truck and made a beeline back to Fort Davis and the woman I loved.