West of Forever (Heartstone Ranch #1)(5)

It’s been nine years. Nine years since my wife died. Nine years since I’ve felt alive, and it took one hour around Lark to suddenly feel something again.

It’s not right.

It can’t be her.

It won’t ever be Lark Gatlin.









Chapter 2





Lark




After the longest shower I’ve ever taken, I’m lying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for some kind of divine intervention to make this one sentence stop playing on repeat.

“You should be with a man who would swim through a flood to get to you.”

His deep voice. The way his brown eyes were smoldering. Yes, they smoldered as he said those words.

Tristan Stone, the man I’m supposed to hate more than anyone else, but I’ve never been able to.

How could I? He was always so cute. Truly, with a dimple in his right cheek, always sporting a smile, with that dark brown hair that looks tousled all the time. Tristan was sweet, especially around the woman he loved back then. It was…sweet and made him cuter.

Only now he’s not cute, he’s freaking off-the-charts gorgeous. He’s growing out his facial hair, which, usually, I wouldn’t think looks hot, but on him—it’s perfect. I’m pretty sure I find him even more attractive because I’m not supposed to, but that’s the whole appeal.

He’s off-limits.

Then he was off the market when he married his high school sweetheart, who happened to be my best friend’s sister.

Technically, he’s always been off the market for me, but…a girl can dream about it, right?

And I did. Oh, so damn much.

Probably more so because of how much he loved Emmy Jo.

I wanted to find someone to look at me the way he did her. Even at the end, Tristan’s eyes never left his wife. She was all sunlight and bright skies, and when she died, the world grew a little darker. I imagine if it weren’t for Sadie, his entire world would’ve gone black.

I roll over and look at the clock.

“You should be with a man who would swim through a flood to get to you.”

Well, I don’t have that. I have a man who wouldn’t brave the rain for me.

My phone pings, and I rush to grab it, hoping it’s Tristan replying to my: I got home safe text—like an idiot.

Jeremy





I hope you made it home okay.





Oh, now he’s worried.

I did, no thanks to you.





Jeremy





I’m sorry, babe. I just don’t see why you’re so mad.





He doesn’t see? Of course not. Jeremy is not like most of the men around here. He didn’t grow up on a farm, raising horses or cattle. He does own a pair of cowboy boots, but he bought them only a few months ago when my brother started making fun of him for the sneakers he had on. He’s…academic. He works as a land development engineer for his family’s construction company. He makes great money, but he’s not the guy I’d call if I needed help with a fence or anything that’s not engineering related.

Still, Jeremy has always been sweet. He’s the guy who brings flowers to your mother on your first date—which she loved. He’s the one who remembers your five-month anniversary—which I loved.

He’s just not the guy to come when you really need him.

More than that, I don’t get that anxious feeling in my gut when I think about him.

He’s safe.

He’s…there.

He doesn’t look at me like I’m the light in his sky.

“You should be with a man who would swim through a flood to get to you.”

Ugh.

Get out of my head, Tristan Stone.

The fact that you don’t understand why I’m hurt is part of the issue. I’m not mad, I never was, just really hurt that I was stranded and you didn’t really care. Look, I’m tired. I’m upset. I’ll call you tomorrow and we can talk more.





Jeremy





So no breakfast?





Every day he comes to the farm before work. He lives alone, and my momma told him that every man should eat a hearty meal before he starts the day. So, yeah, he’s here to eat the food.

No. I’m sure the roads will still be a mess.





Passive-aggressive much? Yes. Do I care? Not a bit.

I go to put my phone down when it buzzes again.

Tristan





Should I expect some sort of retribution from your family for letting you walk back?





I smile, feeling a tingle in my stomach.

I’m going to pretend it’s gas.

You’ll be happy to know that they are completely unaware it was you who brought me back. My brothers were pretty drunk when I got in and asked no questions. Well, they asked a few, and I just explained that the tire blew, and that my dumbass brother is who took the spare out of the back, which required me to be rescued by a stranger. I reminded them that taking the damn spare out is a bad idea for reasons like this. I did tell them I called Jeremy, but he couldn’t come, which they had some stuff to say about, but I stopped listening.