Chapter Twelve

J ax paced the sterile linoleum of the hospital waiting room. If it'd been made of dirt, he'd have worn a path right through to bedrock by now. Not a single nurse or doc had come to update him. And where was his family? His mom had been in San Antonio when he'd called to tell her the news. All he asked was for her to come home so she didn't spend two hours worrying. She'd hopped in the car right away, but she should have been here by now. He'd texted both Bennett and Maggie but hadn't gotten a response.

The odor of antiseptic and stale air bombarded his senses. This place was awful for so many reasons. Being here alone was torture, but he didn't want anyone else to have to endure this with him, either.

You wouldn't be alone if you hadn't shoved Jill out of your life while you were both moving at warp speed.

The doors hissed open behind him, and he spun around. It wasn't anyone he knew. Just a couple with their arms wrapped around each other. Even though grief was etched in their tight lips, their eyes rimmed red with worry, they held each other up. The man rubbed his wife's arm, and Jax turned away.

Every one of his limbs hurt from scrambling up the hill, but his heart ached the most. He'd messed up with Jill. His go-to was to run like a wild stallion for the hills when things got hard. And they'd gotten… maybe not hard but complicated with Jill. So, of course, he'd done what was familiar and pushed her away instead of admitting he needed her. Wanted her.

Loved her.

Movement from the ER doors caught his eye. Please let this doctor be for me and please, please let the news be good.

But it wasn't a doctor. It was Bennett.

"What're you doing here?"

"What do you mean? Didn't you get my text?"

"No. I've been here all day. Maggie lost a huge sum of money with the motors for her company—well, Jill did with Maggie's company—and the stress gave Maggie chest and abdominal pain, so we came straight here."

"Damn. How's she doing?" Worry bloomed fresh in Jax's heart. His brother had waited so long for this—the career, the kid on the way, the loving wife. Losing any of that would be heartbreaking to him.

"Yeah, she'll stay a couple days to monitor the baby's heart rate, but they should both be good."

"Thank God. Does Mom know?"

"I had to grab our insurance cards from the car, but she's upstairs talking to the OB. She'll be right down. Man, was that a scare, though." Bennett ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Then he frowned. "But wait. What text did you send? Why are you here if you didn't hear about Maggie?"

"Ren—" Jax's voice broke. He cleared his throat, but his fear still stung the back of it. "Ren is here. He fell down by the creek, and the ambulance rushed him in."

Bennett's face fell. "Jesus. Is he gonna be okay?"

Jax shrugged, but this one felt heavy, like the burden of all his bad decisions were piled on his shoulders.

"I don't know," he whispered. "No one's come out to talk to me since we got here."

Tears fell before Jax could even register the heat behind his eyes, but then, that had been there since he heard the crack in the rock and sickening thud of Ren's body hitting the ground. He shuddered, the sound reverberating against his skull like it was happening in real time again. What would it take to forget that sound? That moment?

Bennett grabbed Jax and wrapped him in a tight hug. They weren't the most affectionate two guys on the planet, and it'd been a minute since they'd done more than nod or give the other a fist bump. The sudden and unexpected show of love shattered Jax's resolve, and he openly sobbed against his brother's shoulder.

"He'll be okay. This hospital's the best in the county."

Neither of them said anything else.

Because Ren might not be okay. Jax read stories every morning in the news about kids being hit by drunk drivers, being shot at schools, or disappearing from their yards. Parents' worst nightmares came true every day.

Jax needed Ren to be okay, so he had a chance of being okay, too. But that didn't mean it would happen.

"What's going on? I was just upstairs, and Maggie was fine," their mother said, coming up behind them.

Jax wiped his eyes, but his voice was lodged in his swollen throat. "Ren fell and was brought here. I didn't want to say anything when you were driving."

"Oh my goodness. Is he okay? I thought you were calling about Maggie, too."

Jax finally found the words to explain what had happened but made the fatal mistake of telling his mom how and why he'd been distracted at the creek.

"So where is Jill now?"

"She had to handle something for Maggie. She should be here later."

If she'd forgiven him for his monumental mistake, anyway.

"The motor contract? Or the girl who showed up at the door claiming to be an intern?" Mom asked.

Jax nodded. "Both. I think the first is my fault, too. I—"

He stopped, unsure of how much to share.

"Let me venture a guess," she said, crossing her arms. "You two have been seeing each other for a few weeks, and you convinced her to leave work behind to canoodle or whatever it is you wanted at the moment."

Bennett chuckled but had the good sense to stop when Jax shot him a look.

"Um, yeah, that's pretty much it." He shoved his hands deep in his pockets, but it didn't hide the shame he felt.

"And you apologized to her, I'm sure," his mom said, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Not exactly." Her sigh filled the austere space and rang off the tile walls. "Ren just fell and I—"

"There's not an excuse for that, Jackson. You care about her, yes?"

He nodded. He more than cared about her. She was as important to him as the rest of his family, but how was he supposed to admit that? They'd barely scratched the surface of their relationship. Hell, they'd barely decided to call it a relationship when Ren had fallen.

"Then fix it. What happened to Ren is awful, and I'll send up every prayer he recovers and heals well. But he isn't the only thing in your life that needs attention. I'm not mad you sabotaged whatever deal Jill was supposed to make—"

"I didn't know there was a deal when I asked her to stay," he argued. She glared at him.

"I'm not mad about that. I'm mad you think you have to feel guilty for finding someone who makes you happy." He opened his mouth to reply, but his mom held a hand up. "And there is no such thing as bad timing." Damn. She had his number. "If you like her, you get to like her, end of story. There may be some things you have to work out, but when your dream comes along, you don't get to ask it to wait till things are easier. You work at it all and be thankful you got what you always wanted."

"I didn't know I wanted any of this," he choked out. "I mean, I didn't think I ever wanted to be a father until I didn't have any other choice."

"Ah, but you did have a choice. The boy lived without you for fifteen years and has a life in Austin with his grandfather. You could've sent money, maybe gone up on a weekend or two to see him, but you chose to be a dad."

Jax whistled, rocking back on his heels. "I never thought of it that way."

"And as for Jill"—Jax braced himself—"you both have had horrible things happen to you, but I've seen the way you look at each other, support each other. Life isn't ever going to be perfect or roll out the red carpet for your dreams. In fact, it often looks more like a dirt path than anything else. But if you find the person you want to walk the dirt road with, it can be an incredible adventure."

"She's not wrong," Bennett said. "I mean, look at me and Maggie. It wasn't even a dirt road but a scramble up the side of the Matterhorn to get back to each other, and we both lost so much in the interim. But it was worth it."

Jax threw up his hands. "Okay, okay. I hear you both. But like it or not, she's going to have to wait until I find out about Ren. He needs me more right now." He glanced down the hall, sending up whatever form of a prayer he could that the reason he hadn't heard anything was because they were fixing his son. But Jill was there, too, in the back of his heart and mind like she had been since they first met. "Besides, who's to say she'll even give me a chance to clean up the mess I made with her?"

"She tell you to shove off?" Bennett asked.

"Are you dead yet?" his mom added.

Jax shook his head no to both.

"Then there's a chance," they replied in unison.

"You two should take your act on the road," he grumbled, but hope worked hard to get to the surface of his thoughts. He'd tackle problem one first, but then the gloves were off, and he was gonna fight for Jill until she told him to shove off, as Bennett so eloquently put it.

The doors to the ER opened, and all three of them whipped their heads to see who it was.

A doctor in a white coat strode up to them, and Jax tensed until the woman smiled.

"You're Renato's father?"

Jax nodded. "How is he?"

"He's going to be fine. He cracked two ribs and had some internal bleeding, but we got it under control." Jax exhaled a breath he'd been holding since the fall. "He also severely sprained his right ankle, so he should stay off his feet for a few weeks until that heals. But overall, he was very lucky. He'll be sore for a few months, but he'll be back to being a teenage boy in no time."

Jax shook her hand. "Thank you. Can I see him?"

"Sure. Just one of you at a time, though."

His mom put her hand on his back. "We'll head back in a bit, son. Let me just get my suitcases home then I'll come trade you out so you can go shower. You smell like horses."

Jax laughed. He didn't care if he smelled like he'd rolled in manure. Ren was okay.

"I was gonna say something, but Mom beat me to it," Bennett teased, hugging him again.

Jax wasn't sure what prompted this new show of affection, but he didn't mind it.

"Glad the kid's okay. Keep me posted."

"Same with Maggie. Okay, lead the way," Jax told the physician. But before they could go anywhere, a booming voice called out over the lobby.

"Where is my grandson?" Jax's skin erupted in chills. He knew that voice.

"Mr. Kellerman?" he asked.

Renato Senior shot him a glance from under bushy, furrowed eyebrows and just like that, Jax was transported back fifteen years in the past. They'd talked on the phone through lawyers to handle Ren's visit but hadn't laid eyes on each other in almost two decades. The towering man was still strong, still built like he could be a linebacker. He wore jeans, a button-down shirt and sport jacket over it, the uniform of the Texas wealthy. Damned if Renato didn't look the exact same, albeit a little gray along the temple.

"Jax?" he asked. His eyes narrowed. "You grew up."

"Yes, sir."

Renato simply nodded, not offering his commentary on just how Jax grew up. The doctor told the men where to go when they were ready and headed back up to check on her patients.

Both men stared at each other, and Jax's memories surfaced. The last time they'd spoken in person, the last time he rode a bronco before he left the rodeo to help his brother build a multimillion-dollar business, meeting his son for the first time.

Then there was the feeling that connected them—never being good enough for Nora.

After a beat of some of the longest silence Jax had endured—or at least the most awkward—Renato spoke up.

"How's my grandson?"

"Injured, but okay." Jax filled him in on the details, his confidence blooming. He was Ren's dad and he'd been good at it, even if he was new to the job. Renato might've hated him back in the day, but aside from that morning, he didn't have any reason to say Jax didn't deserve time with his son. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to catch him this morning."

Renato bit his lip and shook his head. "Boys will be boys, or so my father used to say. Don't know I believe that anymore, or at least not in the way he said it. But as a man who raised a daughter and two sons, I'll say I spent more time in places like this with them than I ever did with her. And hell, she rode bulls."

Jax laughed at the unexpected humor from the man. "Do you want to go see him first?"

Renato's lips flattened. The hiss of doors opening and clacking keyboards punctuated the moment, adding austerity.

"No. You should go. You're his father."

Jax couldn't hide the surprise that lifted his brow. "Thanks. I'll head up and then we can switch out."

"Wait," Renato said. His deep voice always made Jax feel like his words were gospel, not left open to interpretation. "I'd like to talk."

"Right now?" He looked at the ER doors, his feet itching to run to his son's side.

"Please. I'll be quick."

They found two seats in the waiting room away from the bustle of the entrance. The couple who'd walked in earlier sat in an opposite corner, curled into each other and talking. Jax rubbed his chest above his heart while he waited for Renato to take the lead. At one point, he'd thought the man next to him was keeping him from the thing he wanted most, but Jax and Nora never really had enough in common except for the thrill of being atop an animal that could kill them in an instant. She wanted finer things in life, the glamor and notoriety of being a rodeo queen. Jax had just wanted to travel and see the world. Maybe Renato had seen that, or maybe he was an overprotective dad who didn't want his daughter with anyone who had a lower pedigree than they were born into. Either way, he'd saved Jax from taking the wrong dirt road back then.

Jax's whole world was now upstairs in a hospital bed.

"I wanna know your plans, son."

Jax shook off the stroll down memory lane. "For what, sir?"

"Call me Renato. I wanna know what you're planning to do to take care of the boy long term. You mentioned something about a job in Austin?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I got an offer for a contracting job there so I can get an apartment and take care of Ren. With your permission, I'd like to have him at least part-time. I don't want to take Ren completely—you've done a good thing just making sure he found me even though I know you hate me."

Renato sighed and leaned his six-foot-plus frame forward, cupping his cheeks in his palms. If Jax didn't know any better, he'd say the man looked sad. Which made sense after he'd lost his only daughter.

"I'm sorry for your loss, by the way. I cared about Nora deeply, and I know you were close."

"Thanks. It's been hard, but no harder than the past few years. We weren't as close as we used to be."

"How so?" Jax resisted the urge to glance at his watch. He wanted to get to Ren, but this seemed important, too.

"She was sick and wasn't really there."

"I thought she died in a car wreck."

The man's chest heaved and he trembled. "She was high when she crashed, too. Too many rodeo injuries led to a pain pill addiction she couldn't quit. I had the boy the past three years so he wouldn't see what his mother became."

"I didn't know," Jax whispered. "I should've known."

Not that he could've helped her, but he could've been there for his son. A fresh wave of anger rolled through him.

"Why didn't you tell me then? I lost so many years with him."

"I'm sorry."

The shock threw Jax back in his seat.

"I wanted to tell RJ—that's what she called him—about you earlier, but she forbade me to."

Jax's breath stalled in his lungs. He didn't dare try to exhale and risk breaking whatever spell it was that made Renato Kellerman tell him everything he'd wondered about since Ren had come onto his property weeks earlier.

"Why—" He swallowed and hissed out the breath through gritted teeth. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because when he calls me from the ranch to say good night, I see the joy he feels. I can't tell you how much that means to me. The boy should have that kind of love all the time." He braced his hands on his knees and stood. Jax took the hand he held out. "If you're up for it, I won't fight you for custody. You two are doing just fine, and a boy deserves a father like you."

"What about the lawyers? You fought me just to take him this month."

Renato's chin fell. "I did. And I'm not ashamed of that. I wanted to know who you'd become. Even though I haven't always done right by Ren, I love him more than… more than anything. I was trying to protect him, but now I see there wasn't any cause for concern."

"I love him more than anything, too."

"I know." Renato's hand landed on Jax's shoulder. "I should've found you sooner, Jackson. I'm sorry. Being on my daughter's side seemed important at first, but she made the choices she did, and now it's up to us to make sure we do the right thing by Ren."

"I agree. So, what does this mean?"

Renato dug in his jacket pocket and produced a folded envelope. "Here. This'll list you as the biological father with full rights. Sign it, submit it to the courts, and he's yours. You're a father, but you get to choose if you want to be a dad. If not, I'm here, but I had my time. This one's yours."

Pride swelled in Jax's chest, flooding his limbs. "Thank you. I won't let either of you down."

"I don't believe you will. I can't apologize for my daughter and what she did to keep him from you, but I'll support you in whatever you need going forward." He shoved his hands in his pockets and sat back down. "Before you head up, can I give you one more piece of advice?"

"Shoot." Jax would need ten years to process what he'd learned the past ten minutes. What was one more surprise?

"Listen to the boy and to yourself. I don't know you that well, but I know him, and you're more similar than you realize. He's not happy in Austin. The city's not for him any more than it is for a cowboy like you. If you two talk about a way to stay at the ranch, I'll keep the apartment up so y'all can come visit any time you want."

"You'd do that?"

Renato shrugged. "Of course. You're family."

Jax bit his lip. There was merit to that, but what would he do on the ranch? He didn't want to be in management anymore, and Bennett was already working to find someone to fill that spot. Had he just talked himself out of the life that was actually meant for him?

If only there was a way he could do what Manny did without putting the guy out of a job. Ren could go to Deer Creek High School like his dad and uncles before him, maybe intern with Steel Born as well. It sounded good on paper, but so many details about how to handle the logistics stayed out of view.

Oh well. It didn't matter, because his son was okay, and he was mending things with his family. Jill was the only unknown, but hopefully, if he apologized right, she would give him a second chance.

"Thank you, Renato."

"You bet. Now, go see our boy and tell him his grandfather says to be more careful next time."

*

"I can't go," Jill said. She hung her hand under the table with a piece of salmon and felt the tiny leathery tongue lap it up. "I mean, I want to, believe me. But no one in that family wants me there."

She sighed.

"I sent flowers and Ren's favorite triple chocolate mini bundt cakes and a side of the dark chocolate ganache. That's good enough, right?" She glanced at the wrapped, framed photo she'd made as well but lacked the courage to send. It was too personal, too much.

Lily licked the flake of salmon off her lips and sighed.

"I know. It's only mildly pathetic that I'm talking to a dog instead of my best friend and her family. But I messed up. They probably hate me."

They'd been home for three nights now, judging by Jax's truck in the driveway each evening. He left each morning, though, coming home only late at night after Jill had drifted off. Each morning, though, the truck would be loaded to the hilt with a new batch of belongings. So he was doing it, moving to Austin. Would he even bother to say goodbye?

Gander strolled in and left a rawhide at Lily's side. He nudged it closer to her, but her eyes remained closed. Her breaths came even and slow, her belly rising.

She was close to giving birth. Any day—or hour—now. Jill's fingers itched to call Ren and let him know, but the boy was healing and Jax hadn't reached out. She couldn't—wouldn't—be the first. Not when he'd made it clear how he felt.

Besides, she had to fix things with Maggie. She had a framed photo for her as well, and no matter what, she'd be dropping it by later. Just… maybe after the truck was gone. What she had to say to her best friend, sorry being at the top of the list, she didn't want an audience for.

"Hey, bud," she said, rubbing Gander behind the ears. "I know we didn't get off on the right foot with your unconventional courting of my sweet girl, but I've come around. You know that, right? You're sweet to Lily, so you're in as far as I'm concerned."

Gander barked, a chipper sound that came with his trademark smile. Jill fed him a piece of the fish, too, but he just dropped it in front of Lily. Jill smiled, but her heart ached.

"You really love her, don't you?"

Gander laid beside Lily and put his chin on her back. Jill's chest throbbed. She'd laid like that on Jax's shoulder so many times in the past couple weeks, and the intimacy of talking into the night like that, skin to skin, had changed her. She'd never be the same after her time with Jackson Marshall.

"I really messed up with him, didn't I?" Gander snored loudly, and just like that, Jill lost the only two souls who listened to her anymore. Maggie had forgiven her for messing up with the motors, especially when Jill got it back on track after admitting that she wouldn't ever let anything slip through the cracks again. But things weren't the same between them. And how could they be?

She'd kept some good—but significant—changes from Maggie about how Steel Born would operate in the future. It had hurt a lot to hear Maggie's sorrow over not being invited into the conversation. She'd made it clear she was more than just a pregnant vessel everyone was treating her like. From Bennett, she'd understood, but Jill?

Then she'd been rushed to the hospital thanks to Jill's screwup. Her best friend had worked her whole adult life to make the company happen, then make it profitable, then turn it into the powerhouse it was in the ranching community. Jill's mistake had stressed her out so much she'd had a panic attack and risked not only her own life since she was on bedrest but that of her baby.

And Jax? His distraction with her had almost cost him the dearest thing in his life. Ren would be okay, she heard through the grapevine that was Mae's Bakery, but she hadn't deserved the way he'd treated her. They'd both actively contributed to the people they were, to the relationship they'd built. She was no more to blame for Ren than he was for her missing the phone call and keeping things from Maggie.

Either way, now the CAF presentation was tomorrow, and she'd likely be going alone. If she got to go at all. Maybe Maggie would cancel and merge the two companies just to save future trouble. Jill would figure it out if that happened, but she wasn't giving the internship program up without a fight.

She'd almost ruined everything because she liked a guy who couldn't like her back. Future female engineers shouldn't pay for that.

Not true. You love him , her heart said. It was just a whisper, since she had all but demanded the organ stay out of things from now on. But this, she heard.

She did love Jax; more than she'd thought possible after leaving Liam. And without any of the fear or insecurities that she'd assumed came with that kind of love.

Instead, there was respect, passion, and a deep desire to make him feel as seen as he made her feel. He'd be a good partner if they'd met at a different time or even a different place. Not that it mattered. She was leaving for the city once Maggie made a decision about the merger, and Jax was headed to Austin.

Everything she'd strived for was coming to fruition. So why wasn't she happier?

She'd worked hard to make it happen. Harder than anyone she knew, even Maggie. Maybe giving up her parents' offer wasn't a good thing. What if the gift landed flat and she and Maggie never reconciled? What if Maggie never trusted her enough with the company to take over? A knock on the door roused her from her self-hosted pity party for one but did nothing to rally the dogs, who were still sound asleep. It was hard work building a family. Would she ever get that privilege?

She got up from the table, the rest of her salmon and grilled peppers untouched. It was hard to muster an appetite when she'd lost the most important people in her life, and maybe even her livelihood.

She flung open the door. "Maggie! You shouldn't be up. What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?"

Jill nodded.

"And the doctor okayed me for some small walks now that I'm in the middle of my second trimester and the baby is growing."

"That's great." Every cell in Jill's body wanted to lurch forward and hug the friend she'd missed with all her heart, but she stopped. Maggie's usual smile wasn't there.

"Come on over to the couch."

"Can my chauffeur come?"

Jill looked behind Maggie, and her breath stopped short in her lungs. Jax was there, in a snug black button-down shirt with silver pinstripes. Per usual, the sleeves were rolled up, those so-strong forearms on display.

A far cry from her baggy sweats and band T-shirt from a grunge concert in San Antonio. She tucked her unruly curls behind her ear, like that would solve anything about her appearance.

"How—" She cleared her throat and smoothed her shirt. "How is Ren?"

"He's good, thanks. Kid's resilient. I caught him on his crutches halfway to the barn when I went to shower yesterday."

"Oh my. Well, I'm glad he's doing well enough to be up."

What else should she add? I love you? I miss you and wish I'd just let you spend that time with your son instead of greedily claiming all your time?

"Do you want to come in?" she asked instead.

"Thanks." He sat on the couch beside Maggie.

Jill sat across from them, sliding her hands beneath her thighs so they didn't shake.

"Before you both say anything," she started, because her imagination was going wild with why they'd both be there without Bennett.

The two got along but more as siblings who teased each other than friends or colleagues. She brought out both wrapped gifts, unsure now if they were too small a gesture.

In light of the two most important people sitting in front of her, they seemed trite. "I just want to apologize—"

"No. Don't. That's not why we're here," Maggie said.

"Then why are you?" Trepidation rolled across her skin like a tsunami.

Maggie glanced at Jax, and Jill saw something pass between them. A question.

"I've sold the house," Maggie said.

Okay, not a question. A gavel, a drop of the hammer.

"Got it. Okay." Jill rubbed the tops of her legs. They'd gotten cold in the past few seconds.

"And I'm letting go of the company."

Jill could barely draw in breath. She swallowed three times to keep the tears at bay. She'd made a mistake, and these were the consequences.

"Um, when do I have to be out?"

Of the house and the dream I've built myself. Maybe the new owners of Henley Apparel would take her on. It wasn't the perfect job, but it was a job, which was better than what she had at the moment.

Which was to say nothing.

No home, no friend, no kissing friend. Jill Henley had gotten greedy, and in her gamble to turn a good life into a great one, she'd lost to the house.

"Well, that depends," Jax said.

He glanced at Maggie again, who got out her phone. To call the new owner?

Jill never found out, because suddenly, Jax was sitting on the arm of her rocker and her hands were in his. They still shook, but the heat passing between them at least warmed her skin that was frigid with fear.

He didn't need to be this nice to her; she could handle the harsh truth without his comfort.

"Jill, I've got to say, I didn't see you coming." She frowned, but he continued. "One day I was happy as a single guy looking for the next adventure, then you were there, offering me the greatest adventure of my life. Being your colleague was nice—though if I never hear you say the words collate or amortize again, that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

She laughed uncertainly. What did this have to do with anything?

"Then we became friends."

"Kissing friends," she interrupted.

He chuckled. "You're right. We didn't really have a normal friendship, did we? Well, that phase was trickier for me because it opened a door I didn't know was shut until I met you. I thought I didn't want what my childhood couldn't give me. A family, a stable job, and a place to call home. You made me want it all."

Jill wiped at a tear that had fallen on her cheek. Questions gathered in the back of her throat.

"And last week I made you feel bad for that. You were there, steadfast and patient, and at the first sign of adversity, I let you down. And it hurts so much more because you haven't been my kissing friend since that first night."

She hadn't?

"No," he continued, as if he'd read the question in her eyes. "You've been the woman I fell in love with. The woman who made me question why I didn't want a family when I already had one. The woman who I wanted to work beside every day and whose bed I wanted to share each night."

Maggie cleared her throat, and Jill saw that her phone was posed as though she was filming their exchange. What was happening? It wasn't bad, but so completely unexpected, she didn't know how or what to feel.

"Sorry, Mags," Jax said, laughing. He squeezed Jill's hands and then brought them to his lips. "But when you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you don't care about the small stuff anymore. Which leads me to my quiz, Jill Henley. I made it multiple choice to go easy on you."

She grinned. She'd been so annoyed by that game when they'd first met, but now she couldn't wait to see what her options were. She had a sneaking suspicion she'd know the right answer when she heard it, unlike the time he'd asked her which boy band she listened to while she cleaned and the choices were—well, not Blink182 like she'd hoped.

"Option one. Let's start dating. Like going out, seeing movies, eating too many desserts. I want to get to know you—all of you. Starting with the books you read and the songs you hum in the shower. Then maybe we can work up to how many more kids you want someday and if you like open floor plans."

Her stomach flipped over on itself, and she couldn't stop grinning like a teenage idiot watching her boyfriend issue a promposal.

Only one thing gave her pause. "But aren't you moving to Austin? I saw the loaded truck every night."

He shook his head. "Your research for this exam is kinda shoddy, Henley. I was bringing Ren's stuff here. He's moving to Deer Creek."

"Oh. Okay." Suddenly, she was much more interested in this little test. "What's option two?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He looked to Maggie, who produced a piece of paper folded in three. She handed it to Jill.

"This part's from me," Maggie said. "I am letting go of the company, like I said. I can't keep it up and raise kids and help Bennett on the ranch like I want to."

"That's my role, Maggie. I know I messed up, but I'm here to help in whatever way you need."

Maggie nodded. "That's what Jax and I were hoping you'd say. Because I'm transferring ownership of Steel Born to you, Jill. As long as you want it, anyway."

Jill gasped, her hand covering the O her mouth made.

"Why would you do that? You've worked so hard for this."

"I have," Maggie agreed. Her gaze and hand traveled to her stomach. "But I'm ready for the next adventure. I'm going to take over the management of MBE until the new partner can arrive."

All of this new information swirled in Jill's head. It was so much. Too much.

"But you can't just let it go. Surely, you'll want me to buy you out?"

"Read the paperwork, Henley. This is an open book exam," Jax teased. She did and saw that for the steep price of one dollar, Steel Born was hers. Was this all real?

"We don't exactly need the money," Maggie said, laughing. "And with the new internship and influx of donated scholarship money to fund the applicants, we really won't have to worry about where the company is going. This is a gift you deserve, so I hope you'll accept. But it's also something you earned. No one—not even me—cares as much about the direction of this company, and I trust your vision."

"I don't know what to say," Jill admitted. "But wait. How is this part of your option two? And who is the new partner—you, Jax?"

Jax shook his head. "Nope. I quit as the manager, but my new job is twofold. I'll help you with the physical ranching side of Steel Born if you want it, and I'll be taking over Manny's job as cow boss."

"Manny's leaving?"

"Turns out he was crazy jealous of my offer with Austin's rodeo circuit, and I was jealous of his ranching gig. I referred him to the company, and he got the offer yesterday."

"Good grief, it's so complicated. And you mentioned Bennett found a new partner?"

"He did. He convinced Matt to come back and take over for me as general manager. At least for now, which is good enough for me."

"You mean your brother, Matt?"

"Yep. He was doing that work on his own and is open to a buyout, which would be cool since he's way more innovative than me at that stuff."

"Where was his ranch?"

"He was more of a contractor. Last I heard, he was passing through Outcrop, Oregon, to check out the Wallace Ranch and the cool stuff they're doing with horse breeding and sustainability. But he'll be taking over the ranch house and all the crappy numbers stuff I always hated. Serves him right for abandoning us for a decade and a half, but he seems excited about it. Weirdo." He smiled, and his eyes misted over until he wiped them. "Crazy how it all worked out, huh?"

Wow, had she missed a lot the past week, it seemed.

"It is. Almost too crazy. But wait. Then where will you and Ren live?" Because Maggie had sold this place like she'd been talking about for a year, and apparently the prodigal Marshall son was coming back to Deer Creek and taking over Jax's place. That was the one kink she could find in Jax's plan.

"We'll fill you in on the rest of the details later, but first, you need the rest of your options."

This was already a dream come true. For all of them, it seemed. More options would overwhelm her.

"Okay, so option three. Jill, I want to live with you. I wanna make a home with you, fight with you over who gets to snuggle the puppies when they come, and sleep beside you every night for the rest of our lives. And I don't want to sneak back to some other place to do it. So, you should know Maggie sold her house to me."

"Lemme guess," Jill said, laughing now, "for the expensive price of a dollar?"

"Two. She doesn't like me as much as you, apparently."

Maggie shrugged, and Jill giggled.

"So, I'd like you to move in with me and help me build this place into our dream home. And before you answer, you should know Ren's grandfather has given us an apartment in Austin for when you're craving the city."

Jill leaned back against the plush fabric of the overstuffed chair. She couldn't rein it in, either. Jax and Maggie let her laugh until she finally, exhausted, sighed.

"This is insane. Is this what you all have been up to over there while I sat here worried I'd lost everything I ever cared about over here?"

"Yeah," Jax admitted, his mischievous smile gleaming. "More or less. But wait, there's more."

"I can't take any more." Jill threw up her hands, but he grabbed them again as soon as she put them back on her lap. "This is already too much."

"Nonsense. I'm actually just getting started. See, the final option is the one the examiner has been secretly pushing you toward because he hopes you'll choose it. Those others were just a distraction." He dropped to one knee but kept her hands in his. He kept them steady as he'd been doing all along. "Jill Henley, will you be my way better half, the Harry Styles to my One Direction, the Lily to my Gander for the rest of our lives? I want to marry you if you'll have me, keeping in mind I come with a fifteen-year-old boy."

She bit her lip to hide the grin she felt blooming. It took all of her fortitude to force a frown and shake her head.

"I'm sorry, but none of those answers feels right. I don't think I can choose any of them."

His neck bent forward, and his shoulders slumped.

She got out of her chair and sat on his lap like she'd done so many times before. Cupping his cheeks in her hands, she kissed him. For the past week of torture he'd put her through, she'd have liked to tease him a little longer, but she couldn't wait to love him for the rest of her days.

"You didn't give me an all of the above," she said, kissing him again. "I want to date you, work beside you with Steel Born every day, and sleep beside you each night. And yes, I want to marry you, Jackson Marshall. But none of that works without the rest. So, I choose option five. All of the above."

He stood, Jill still in his arms, and twirled her while they both laughed.

"Wait!" Jill exclaimed. Jax put her down, and she gave them both the tall, wrapped gifts. "I had something for you both. Not nearly what you've given me, but something I can give."

They each opened their respective photos, and Jax had to clear his throat. "This is a helluva housewarming gift, love." He kissed her, his gaze still on the image of him and Ren by the river. The sun lit their smiles and showed a father and son pleased to be in each other's company. "Let's put it above the mantel, huh?"

"That would be perfect."

Behind them, Maggie sniffed.

"You two are so adorable, I can't stand it!" Maggie pointed to her image of her and Bennett on the new tire swing he'd installed for her last summer, his hand on her stomach and their foreheads touching.

Jill hadn't wanted to intrude on the tender moment, but she also wanted them to have a memory of their pregnancy.

"I love it more than you know. You somehow captured all of the joy we're feeling, and all of the nerves, too."

Then she gasped and her face went white.

Jax sat Jill down gently, and they were both at Maggie's side in an instant. Alarm rang over Jill's skin.

"Is it the baby?" she asked at the same time Jax said, "I'll get the truck started."

But Maggie shook her head.

"No. I'm okay, but it looks like someone else is welcoming the next generation to their family." She pointed to the puppies under the table, and sure enough, the first small head had emerged.

"Oh my goodness, Lily! You're going to be a mom," Jill cooed.

"I'll be right back," Jax said, kissing Jill. "I don't want Ren to miss this."

"I was just going to suggest the same thing. I'll be right here waiting for my boys to come home."

He kissed her again, this time with so much promise, it made her dizzy.

When he walked away, Jill didn't feel the acute sense of loss she usually did when he left. Because now, he was going to keep walking through those doors every day for the rest of their lives.

"Okay," she said, bending down under the table. "Show me how I can help, Gander."