The Ranch (A Second Chance Romance)

In those dreams, he always won—usually by being older and intimidating. In those dreams, I’d never been able to fully articulate things from my perspective or explain myself, only that he’d treated me badly, and I wasn’t going to take it anymore.

But as I walked away from Cooper and Nolan and headed back to where my family had gathered to work, I felt completely different from I had in any of those dreams. I knew what I was doing and why. I knew exactly what I wanted to say.

And finally, after all these years, now that reality had actually set in?

I didn’t give a flying fuck about getting my dad’s approval.

Prue was the first one to notice me as I approached. “You’re still here? We thought you left with Cooper and Nolan.”

My mom gave her a quick, nervous glance at the mention of my guys’ names. “Anyway, we’re glad you came back to help, dear.” She gave my dad a pointed look. “Aren’t we, Ezra?”

Dad grunted but didn’t even glance in my direction as he handed off another bag of sand, which was fine. He didn’t have to want me there. He didn’t even have to focus on me. But he would hear what I had to say.

I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and put my hands on my hips. That part, at least, had happened in each of my dreams. “Sorry, Mom, but I’m not here to work. I came back over here to say something to Dad.”

Prue stopped working and turned to face me. Mom’s eyes darted from my face to Dad’s and back again like she was watching the world’s fastest tennis match.

I waited for Dad’s attention, but he kept working as if I hadn’t said anything at all. As if I wasn’t even there.

Fine.

My job would be easier without him staring right at me, anyway.

Mom shook her head a little and whispered, “This isn’t a great time, Poppy. What about later? Once we’ve all gone home and washed up and... and relaxed a little?”

I pressed my lips together. I loved my mom, but I wasn’t about to be quiet for the sake of avoiding a scene or incurring my dad’s wrath.

He’d started this.

The version of me who lived to please my dad didn’t exist anymore. I still wanted my family to be a part of my life, but I would live that life on my own terms. It was up to them whether they accepted me or not, but I wouldn’t change for them, and I didn’t care what anyone else in town thought about me.

Starting now.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” I gave her a sympathetic look. “But this can’t wait. I want you all to hear me right now when I say that I’m involved with Cooper Price and Nolan Reed.”

There.

I’d said it.

My dreams always got a little murky after that point, but it never ended well. Still, the sky hadn’t fallen, and the world hadn’t stopped turning. That had to be a good sign, right? Even if the whole town was preparing for biblical rainfall.

Dad sucked in a sharp breath, and he shook his head, but he seemed bound and determined to keep the silent treatment going.

Prue was wide-eyed but still hadn’t said another word. Mom, on the other hand, looked at me like I’d said I wanted to live on the moon. “But... which one, dear?” she asked. “I don’t understand why you’d want to be involved with one of those boys after everything they did, but—”

“It wasn’t what you think,” I interrupted. “None of it was. And they didn’t do anything to me. They were trying to protect my reputation at the time. They’re still trying to protect me, but I can’t stay quiet anymore. I won’t live a lie—and I absolutely won’t ask either of them to do that.”

“What lie?” Her brow furrowed, and she put a hand up to stop me. “And regardless of that, you still haven’t answered my question. Which one of them are you talking about? Cooper or Nolan?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but my dad’s voice cut me off. “Don’t you see? She isn’t talking about one or the other. She means she wants to be with both of them.” He finally turned to glare at me over his shoulder. “Our daughter wants to be the town tramp.”

The venom in his words made me take a step back. He couldn’t have surprised me more if he’d physically reached out to slap me. “I can’t believe you said that,” I mouthed as the adrenaline and anger coursing through my body momentarily robbed me of my voice.

Mom’s hand flew to her mouth. “Ezra!” she gasped. “You can’t mean that. That’s too far. It’s... it’s too much.”

“What else would you call it when a woman wants to take two lovers? And to be so brazen about it? Not just behind closed doors, but out in the open for the whole world to see!”