Page 170 of Micah

And I’m gonna prove it to her.

The thought settles deep in my chest, bringing with it something I haven't felt in a long damn time.

Purpose.

Hope.

Pride.

Not the kind that comes from landing another cybersecurity contract or delivering half a million dollars' worth of champion genetics without incident.

This is different.

This is about building something that matters.

Not just a ranch.

A life.

One that’s built on love, patience, understanding, honesty, and commitment.

I helped build Jersey Iron from the ground up with Sawyer and Benji.

Every fence line.

Every barn.

Every paddock.

Every damned cryogenic tank.

We came home from the military carrying enough ghosts to fill a cemetery, and instead of letting them bury us, we built something worth waking up for.

Ranching in New Jersey isn't exactly what people think of when they picture cattle country.

They think highways.

Traffic.

The Turnpike.

The damn Jersey Shore.

And let them.

We'll keep raising some of the finest seed bulls in the country while they're busy making jokes.

Jersey Iron Ranch is already changing minds.

Soon enough it'll change the industry.

And standing there watching Sloane laugh with the women who have become family to me, I realize I don't just want her to visit this place.

I want her to belong here.

I want this ranch to become home for her the way it quietly became home for me.

Not just because I'm asking—begging if I have to.