Page 113 of Boss and Brat

His father turned to Carter again with a genuine smile. “And you. Build a bigger house by the lake. You’ll need it living with Ethan.”

Ethan’s eyes widened. “Dad—”

His dad held up a hand. “I’m not blind. You two are building a life together. I’m not standing in the way of that.”

Ethan gasped. His chest ached with relief and shock tangled together.

Carter spoke, voice low but steady. “Thank you, sir. I’ll take care of him. And the land.”

His father nodded once. “I know you will. That’s why I chose you.”

Ethan stared at his father, stunned. “You… trust Carter that much?”

“I trust him with the ranch.” He paused. “And with you.”

Ethan’s eyes burned. He looked down, blinking fast, because if he looked at either of them too long he was going to lose it completely.

His father stood, smoothing his jacket. “Finish school, Ethan. That’s all I ask. The rest will fall into place.”

Ethan nodded, voice barely there. “Okay.”

Giving a final nod to both of them, his father headed for the door.

When the door closed, Ethan finally exhaled.

Carter stepped closer, voice soft. “Are you okay?”

Ethan nodded, though he wasn’t sure it was true. “I… I can’t believe he did that.”

Carter’s hand brushed his back, grounding him. “Believe it. He sees you. More than you think.”

Ethan swallowed hard, feeling everything at once—fear, relief, love, hope, and the terrifying sense that his life had just changed forever.

After his father’s SUV disappeared down the long dirt road, the cabin fell into a deep, settling numbness. Ethan carried the weight of everything—what he’d said, what he’d heard, what had just changed.

He sank onto the couch, trying to breathe past the swirl in his chest. Carter sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders brushed.

“Are you sure you’re holding up?” Carter asked.

“I think so. I feel like my brain’s still catching up.”

Carter nodded. “Makes sense. That was a lot.”

Ethan leaned back, letting his head rest against the cushion. “He’s selling you the ranch. Half to you. And giving me the other half. I still can’t believe it.”

Carter’s voice was warm and steady. “He trusts you. And he trusts me to take care of what matters.”

Ethan turned his head, meeting Carter’s eyes. “You matter.”

The soft look on Carter’s face, so gentle, always brought a dull ache to Ethan’s chest. “You do too.”

They sat there for a long moment, the silence comfortable now, the storm easing. Eventually Carter nudged him gently. “Come on. Let’s walk down to the lake without our boots.”

Ethan followed him outside. The late afternoon sun stretched long across the water, turning it gold. The breeze was soft, carrying the smell of pine and the faint sweetness of wildflowers. They stopped near the edge, toes sinking into the cool sand.

Carter looked out over the water. “Your dad said we could build a bigger house out here.”

Ethan’s heart fluttered. “Yeah. He did.”