Suddenly, as if she was silenced by some realization that she had said too much, she frantically shook her head. “I just mean, well, don’t stop looking and searching for him. Don’t ignore that voice in your head and that feeling in your heart. I walked away from Truitt and spent years with the wrong man. My happily ever after finally came true, and I know yours will too.”
I could have pressed her for more information, but I stopped myself. A part of me truly wanted my memory to come back on its own, and dammit if that didn’t make me a stupid fool.
I smiled and pulled her into a hug. When we separated, I saw it in her eyes. She wasn’t telling me everything. There was for sure more to this story than anyone wanted to admit. Had the whole damn town been in on this secret? But why?
“You’re coming to the birthday party tomorrow, right?” Saryn suddenly asked, changing the subject.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I got Nolan a gift and picked up a little something for Liliana, too.”
With a warm smile, she said, “You didn’t have to get them anything.”
“I wanted to, and yes, I did.”
We walked the rest of the way and talked about the birthday party. Saryn filled me in on the cake, the games, and even told me that Nolan’s namesake had flown in for the party. It was hard not to notice that each time she mentioned this Nolan Byers, my stomach dropped slightly.
What in the world could that mean, and why was I suddenly so anxious to meet Nolan?
Nolan
THE SOUND OF a rapid heartbeat, a baby’s heartbeat, followed by a scream and skidding tires caused me to fly up into a sitting position. Sweat poured down my face and covered my entire body. Each breath burned as I struggled to take air into my lungs.
“Fuck,” I mumbled as I scrubbed my hands down my face. I concentrated on slowing my breathing. One glance at the nightstand told me it was five in the morning. I threw the covers off and quickly searched for something to wear. I needed to go for a run. It was fairly cold outside for Texas, but then again, it was only the beginning of February.
After I slipped on a pair of sweats, a t-shirt, and hoodie, I put my running shoes on and went for a five-mile run.
The crisp morning air felt good on my skin, and the dream that had woken me up flew to the back of my mind with every step that I took. I ran down the driveway of the ranch and along the county road until I turned and headed back. I needed to be at Truitt and Saryn’s by eleven, and I still wanted to saddle up a horse and ride around the ranch with Paul, the ranch foreman, if he was available.
As I started up the steps to the ranch house, I heard my name.
“Nolan!”
Turning, I smiled when I saw Ryan Night. He had been another one of my best friends in high school and was Saryn’s brother, which made him and Truitt brothers-in-law now.
“Ryan, what in the hell are you doing here this early?”
He laughed and made his way over to me. My hand was outstretched for a handshake, but he pulled me in for a quick hug instead. “Damn, Nolan, it’s good to see you. I had no idea you were back in town. I came to meet with Paul. I’ve got some city slickers coming next week to the dude ranch, and I need to borrow a couple horses. Three of mine had to have their shoes removed. There’s no way I’m making them do any trail rides.”
I smiled and hit him on the side of the arm. “I’m sure that’s not going to be a problem. Last I heard from Paul, we had twenty horses he was bitching about having to exercise.”
Ryan laughed.
“Let me change really quick, and I’ll head to the barn with you. I was actually going to see if Paul could ride along the ranch this morning. I don’t think he knows I’m here yet. I got in last night.”
“I’ll meet you in the barn—sound good?” Ryan asked.
With a quick nod, I said, “Ten minutes.”
I raced up the steps and into the house. I took the steps two at a time and headed up to my bedroom on the second floor. I had kept the same bedroom I grew up in even after my folks died. The thought of moving their stuff out of the master bedroom wasn’t something I wanted to deal with then, and, truth be told, I still didn’t want to now. I hadn’t stepped foot in that room in years. The last time I was in there, I laid down on the bed and clutched the blanket that my mother had knitted after she’d taken a class a few years earlier. She’d said it was practice for when she had grandbabies, and holding onto that blanket was almost my undoing.
My heart paused for a beat. “Not now,” I said as I pushed those thoughts away and quickly changed. Fifteen minutes later, I walked into the barn.
“Nolan, Ryan told me you were here. Had I known, I would have turned up the heat in the main house,” Paul said as he reached out his hand for mine.
Paul Rogers had been the ranch hand for as long as I could remember. He had been high school friends with my father. His light brown hair was now peppered with gray, and his face was tanned and showed his age, most likely from working hard labor and being in the sun day after day. I would honestly be lost without this man taking care of the ranch.
“Don’t even worry about it. It wasn’t that cold in the house. Thanks for keeping an eye on it. Have we had any hard freezes this year?”
“One in December, but there’s a cold front moving through next week that we’ll need to watch out for,” Paul stated.
After getting caught up on everything that was going on with the ranch, Paul, Ryan, and I saddled up some horses and headed out to ride the property for a bit. Paul pointed out some changes that had been made since my last visit two years ago. Ryan talked about the changes Boerne had seen with all the new growth, and I simply enjoyed the fresh air and being with friends. I had missed this, missed Texas more than I had realized. The Air Force had been my life since I was seventeen years old, when I knew I wanted to go to the Air Force Academy like my father had before he left to run the ranch. I wanted to fly planes, like my father had, and serve my country, like my father had. The ranch had been in the family for four generations now, and there was one thing I knew for certain: it would stay in the family come hell or high water. At some point I’d get out of the Air Force and head back to Texas. I simply needed the motivation to return to the ghosts buried here. Or, in all honesty, face those ghosts head on.
“Shit!” Ryan said as he looked at his watch. “Nolan’s birthday party is in an hour.”
I reached for my phone but realized I had left it back at the house.
“Saryn will kick my ass if I’m late for the party.” Then he looked at me. “She’ll kick your ass too.”
Laughing, I replied, “The only difference is, I’m not afraid of your sister.”
Ryan shot me a look as he slid down off his horse. “You would be if you knew her better.”
“You two go on, we’ll take care of the horses,” Paul stated. “And, Ryan, I’ll load those horses up and swing them on by the day after tomorrow.”
Ryan gave him a wide grin. “Thanks so much, Paul.” Then he looked at me. “Thanks for letting me borrow them.”
“Anytime,” I said with a smile.
Taking off toward his truck, Ryan spun around and jogged backward, “Did you get Nolan a gift?”