“My gosh, you’re not my little Liza who use to beg me to take her fishing every Saturday on the pontoon boat.”
Liza laughed. “I’m still that girl, just a little older. I still want to go fishing, Reed.”
My father took a step back and I approached Liza. I hadn’t felt this happy in a long time. I glanced at something hanging around her neck. When I saw that it was the ring I’d given her, I looked down to her left hand. That’s when I saw the giant-ass engagement ring. I stopped dead in my tracks. Liza chuckled nervously and gave me a quick hug.
“Hey, you. Oh my gosh it’s been what? A year?”
I couldn’t pull my eyes from the ring. Liza was engaged? When I finally met her gaze, she glanced briefly at her ring before putting her hand in her pocket.
“Um…how have you been?” she asked.
“You’re engaged?” I blurted. Her smile dropped and she squinted her left eye at me, just like she always did when she was agitated.
“What did you say, Walker?” Whitley asked.
That’s when I noticed Liza biting her lip. I realized she didn’t want anyone to know she was engaged. But why?
“I um,” I said “Just, wow, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other.”
Liza let out the breath she was holding and smiled weakly at me.
I smiled back before starting back toward the barn.
“Walker?” she called after me.
I just kept walking. It felt like all of the air had been pulled from my lungs as I desperately attempted to drag in air. She’d moved on—again.
I WATCHED AS Walker walked toward the barn. My first instinct was to go after him. Instead, I plastered on a fake-ass smile for everyone.
My mother pulled me in for another hug. “I’m so glad you’re home,” she whispered into my ear.
I held her tighter. “Me too, Mom. Me too.”
My father clapped his hands said, “Let’s head back in and eat some barbecue ribs, shall we?”
I looked back toward the barn as Jase and Walker both walked through the barn doors. I turned to my father who gave me a funny look, then winked.
Walking into the kitchen, I instantly felt relaxed. I loved being home. I loved our ranch, the river, the cows, the horses. I loved everything about this place. My mother and Courtney were getting everything ready for us to sit and have a feast. Ava was bouncing around, talking a mile a minute about how she only had one year of college left. Her degree was in design, and she would be interning this summer at design firm in Austin.
“Liza, how is Keith?” Courtney asked as Reed wrapped his arms around her.
I smiled at their display of affection. Walker and Ava were just like their parents. Ava was the spitting image of her Courtney. Walker was a younger version of Reed. When I’d seen Walker earlier, it took everything out of me to keep my jaw from dropping. Walker had clearly been working out. He was bigger than he was last summer. His messy brown hair always looked like he’d just run his hands through it after a shower. When my eyes were searching his body, I’d noticed a piece of a tattoo on his right arm, peeking out from his T-shirt. His blue eyes had pierced mine, demanding my attention, like always.
The moment he’d noticed the ring on my finger, I’d seen the hurt in his eyes. It had just about gutted me. I can’t believe I was so stupid—I’d meant to take it off. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out.
Keith: I just landed. Are you home?
Me: Yep! Just got here a bit ago.
Keith: Have you told your folks the news?
Me: News??
Keith: Yes, Liza. Our engagement!
I rolled my eyes and looked around. Everyone was busy talking so I walked out into the living room.
Me: I haven’t officially said yes yet.