Page 115 of Riding the Curve
“She told me that, as a little girl, her dreams had always been set on barrel racing. She worked hard every day to achieve it, setting her sights on perfection. And she excelled. Far greater than she could have ever imagined. Then, she met my father.
“He loved watching her race, and was front row in the stands at every race he could. But the more competitive she got, the more time she spent away. The dream she loved the most had become less of a thrill. The sparkle it once had dulled.”
“This is starting to sound familiar.”
Hen nods in agreement and rubs her thumb tenderly against my cheek.
“So what happened next?”
“She stopped racing.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that,” she hums. “Mom told Dad that her dreams had changed. She wanted something new, a life with the man she loved on the land she loved with the family they would grow together.”
“That’s beautiful,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.
“It is,” she sighs, bringing her gaze to meet mine. “Dreams change, Em, because people change. We’re human, we grow and evolve, and so do our dreams. I still want to cook, but I want to do it on the land I grew up on. Surrounded by the people I love.”
“Me too,” I breathe, and Hen gives me a curious smile.
“You want to cook, too?” She smirks, bringing a laugh bursting out of me.
“No, Trouble,” I smile. “My dreams have changed, too. As much as I enjoy racing, I want to be around the people I love more. Life is too short, and being at home reminded me once again of the feeling of being close to the people you love. I want to help my Dad carry out my Mama’s dream and watch people celebrate life and all its wonderful moments on our ranch.” I gently pull her chin closer to mine. “I want to spend every day of the rest of my life watching the love of my life bring light to everyone she meets.”
Her breath hitches, and I press a slow, intimate kiss over her lips.
“Does this mean—”
“It means, this was my last race, baby.”
“Em, I don’t want you to give up on—”
“Dreams change, my love. My new dream involves a very long and beautiful life with you.”
Tears fall down my heated skin, and Henley presses her lips over each of them, gently brushing them away. Then she says three little words that will forever be wrapped around my soul.
“Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
EMERSON
“Thank you all for coming tonight. Mama would have truly been overjoyed to see how her dream has become such a thriving, enchanting place for all those who come and stay. We appreciate everything you all have done to support us over this past year, and we thought Mama’s birthday would be the perfect day to fully christen the ranch. Let’s raise our glasses and toast Wildflower Ranch, for a successful first year!”
Cheers and whistles ring out into the crisp October air as I sit down next to Henley. She cooked an amazing meal, all my Mama’s favorites, including her favorite lemon pie. For someone who was always so sweet, my Mama was a tad obsessed with all things sour.
Henley’s family, along with Harper and Melody, joined my father and I tonight to celebrate the ranch’s one year anniversary. As I sit back and watch everyone laugh and enjoy their meal, my heart has never been so full. We’ve accomplished everything that Mama wanted, and more.
The ranch has become so popular, we’re already booking well into fall of next year. After Seth James came to stay to see what Henley left his offer for, he wrote a raving review for Food and Travel magazine. That was the kickoff to guests flocking to our ranch by the masses. We’ve even begun plans to expand and add more cabins in the spring, and we’re already working on building onto the event barn space so that Henley can start teaching weekly cooking classes.
Dad and I have been working together, our relationship growing back to the strength it once was. I took over as guide for our horse excursions, and I’m absolutely loving being back in the saddle again. I had forgotten how much I’d loved riding. It used to be something Mama and I would do before she got sick. I also convinced my Dad to go in with me and invest in two more Porsches. We even added another excursion for guests. Now they can take racing lessons with me out on the track. Even though I may not be racing professionally anymore, I still get to enjoy the thrill of a drive every day.
Things have never been better.
But there’s still one thing left unfinished.
My pulse rises. Perspiration rolls slowly down my neck as I dab it with a napkin. Ryleigh clears his throat across the table and waggles his brows. I shoot him a glare and he chuckles into his glass a whiskey. Tripp catches on and nudges his son’s shoulder, only making him laugh harder. That draws my father’s attention. He gives me a knowing look, tilting his head as if to say, “Now’s the time.”
