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“I’ no one’s that lucky,” I say

“I heard about you raising Beau’s barn,” she says

“So you and Ivy were talking about me, were you?” I tease

“Maybe”

The fact that she’s still checking up onon

She hasn’t let go … yet

“How do you have tih her thick dark lashes “Running the ranch … saving everyone’s day …”

“I’d hardly call myself a hero I’m just a man with a little too much time on my hands, I suppose”

Her pace slows as the rows nearer

“Do you ever think about finding yourself a nice girl andon?” Her words come slow and careful

“Never given it much consideration”

“I worry about you,” she says “All alone in the line shack, working yourself to the bone while everyone around you is living their lives It’s al”

She’s not entirely wrong, but she doesn’t know the half of it and she never will

“If you don’t want to be with rando to waste”

“What about you?” I turn it around “Ever think about finding someone new?”

“I’ve tried” She dips her pointed chin and offers a hued once”

Her words land like a punch to ut, and I can’t breathe for a beat

“For a month,” she continues “I’ll spare you all the details, but it was several years ago and I broke it off because … he wasn’t the one”

The hint of sadness in her voice lingers in the air

“You’ll find soh it kills every piece of me to utter those words to her

We get in line at the glowing Whiskey Moon

“Do you remember that pact?” she asks

As if I could forget it …

“What about it?” I placeher forward

“It’d be ten years tonight” She gives me a wistful smile “For the record, I’d have held up my end of the promise”

I would’ve too—but my hands are tied

We take our turn in front of thea wish Instead I watch Blairelike she’s whispering a little prayer into the universe