Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek, #3) (18)
Sounds good!
Landen
I’ll make time to come up whenever y’all are available.
After our text convo ends, I text our sibling group chat and update them.
Wilder
Want me to seduce the parole board members? It’d be a hardship, but I’d do it for the cause.
I roll my eyes and shake my head. Give it to Wilder to make it weird.
Waylon
We better start saving up for his bail now.
Wilder
Huh, why?
Tripp
Google is free, man.
Noah
Do you even know who parole board members are made up of?
Wilder
Uh…hold on.
Landen
Anyway…while he utilizes the internet, I’m probably gonna make a trip up to Willow Branch Mountain in a month or two. If anyone wants to catch a ride with me, let me know so I can tell Warren to book us a cabin.
With Warren being the oldest of his siblings, he took over a lot of the management duties for the ranch and resort. My aunt and uncle still stay plenty busy with other tasks, but as their kids get older, they get more responsibilities and will eventually take over when the parents retire.
Wilder
Hell yeah! Count me in.
Noah
Depends. This is my busiest time for traveling to rodeos with clients and training. I’ll have to check with Fisher, too. But I’d love to go if I can.
Tripp
Yeah, I’ll have to ask Magnolia if she wants to get a sitter for Willow or take her with us.
Noah
Take her with you so Poppy has a friend!
It’s funny enough that Noah and Magnolia have been best friends since they were in elementary school, but then Magnolia started dating Tripp a year and a half ago. Shortly after, she found out she was pregnant with her ex’s baby. Noah announced her pregnancy at the same time and they ended up giving birth on the same day. The babies are only ten months old, so I laugh at Noah trying to push Tripp to bring along an infant to a couple’s resort.
Although Willow isn’t Tripp’s biological daughter, he loves her just the same. Magnolia tried to give Tripp an out to walk away, but he was determined to stay and be there for both of them. I’m glad they finally got together after all the years of back and forth. I’ve never seen Tripp as happy as when he became a dad and husband.
I hope to have that someday, too.
Ever since meeting Ellie four years ago, my dating life has been nearly nonexistent, except for a drunken time or two, so the chances of me getting married and having kids anytime soon aren’t likely.
But I’m still not ready to give up.
Tripp
You wanna take her overnight so I can get my wife alone for once?
Noah
We’ll see.
Wilder
Wait a damn minute…the parole board members are all old people from various white-collar jobs?
Tripp
Congrats on figuring it out.
Wilder
Well good thing old ladies love me!
Waylon
Love or tolerate?
Noah
I’d pay big money to see you try.
Landen
Don’t encourage him…he doesn’t need any more incentives.
Wilder
About to go on a deep dive to find out who their granddaughters are…I’m sure I can work my magic somewhere.
Tripp
That sounds like a threat…should we warn them first?
Noah
How about no one commits a felony trying to alter their decision and we just let the justice system do its job?
Landen
Assuming they do this time…
Yeah, I guess after eleven years, I’m still bitter.
Angela deserved way more prison time. I’ll never be satisfied knowing she’s the reason Talia and Tucker are dead and she won’t be rotting in a cell for the rest of her pathetic life.
Chapter Five
ELLIE
If there’s one thing I thrive on, it’s routine—waking up at six a.m., jogging on the trails by seven, and then heading to the stables to groom and work on Ranger’s techniques before running drills and practice runs. By noon, Noah meets me at the training center to watch my progress and give any critiques. If it’s a weekend race, I pack the day before and then get Ranger ready for travel.