Page 151 of Knot my First Rodeo

The swimming hole isn't much more than a widening in the creek hidden behind a grove of cottonwoods, but it's always been my favorite place on the ranch. Clint, Tripp, and I practically lived down here during the summers when we were kids. We'd fish, swim, skip rocks, and avoid whatever chores our parents were trying to assign us.

The second we break through the trees, Autumn's horse slows. The creek glitters beneath the afternoon sun. Water moves lazily around smooth stones while dragonflies skim across the surface.

"Oh." The word leaves her softly.

I glance over, and bringing her here feels like the smartest thing I've done all year.

We tie the horses in the shade and wander down toward the creek. Autumn slips her boots off first and sits near the edge, letting the water move around her ankles. I settle beside her, close enough that our shoulders almost touch.

Autumn bends down and drags her fingers through the water.

"You know what I keep thinking about?"

I glance over. "What?"

She smiles to herself. "An SUV."

I huff out a laugh. "An SUV?"

"I’ll need a four-wheel drive when it snows." The smile lingers as she looks out across the creek. "And maybe a horse."

"You really are planning on staying?"

Autumn turns toward me, and her brows pull together slightly.

"Of course I am."

I look down at the water.

"Why?"

Autumn blinks. "Why?"

"Why stay?"

"Because I want to, and this is where my alphas are. Where I’m hoping my pack is."

The answer is immediate.

I laugh once and shake my head. "You make everything sound easy."

Her expression softens. "Briggs."

I rub a hand across the back of my neck.

"I keep thinking about what you'd be giving up."

Understanding flashes across her face.

"Virginia."

I nod. "Hunter and the family you’ve built at The Renegades. I love Clint and Tripp. I'd do damn near anything for them. This ranch is home. The pack we've built here..." My gaze drifts toward the horses grazing in the shade. "I've wanted that my whole life."

Autumn doesn't interrupt.

"I keep looking at you, and thinking if I asked you to stay, I'd be asking you to leave your family behind."

For a moment, she says nothing, then she reaches down and picks up a stone from the edge of the creek.