Four weeks later…

---

Emmie had gone to sleep with Ox beside her only to wake to an empty bed. For the past three weeks, that had been the pattern. He’d spend most nights with her, but would go out to the ranch in the mornings, come back to get in his hours at the shop, then collapse in bed at night. Sometimes he didn’t even make it off the couch.

The times they could spend together were nearly blissful. They weren’t fighting. They could talk about work, but they also talked about books and art they both liked. They teased each other about their taste in music, but most of the teases were laughing. One of Ox’s favorite pastimes was drawing on Emmie when she was naked. He usually kept it under her clothes, like the line of buttons he’d drawn up the inside of her thigh or the burst of flowers he’d drawn to frame her small breasts.

They were planning a camping trip for the spring and talking about road-tripping so Ox could meet Emmie’s mom.

They just didn’t know when they’d have the time.

Tayla knocked on the door. “Em?”

She rubbed her eyes and sat up. “Yeah?”

“I have coffee.”

“Come in.” Emmie yanked up the covers and sat up. “You’re a goddess of all things wonderful and caffeinated.”

Tayla sat on the end of the bed and handed her a mug. “You’re welcome. Ox is gone again?”

She nodded and drank.

“He’s working crazy hours. Is his mom any better?”

“I think so? She didn’t seem any different when we went out to dinner at the ranch last week, but his sister looks exhausted. They both do.”

Emmie hadn’t had much time to contemplate Ox’s family problems when the holiday season was in full swing. Thanksgiving had been the week before, and while Black Friday had been pretty quiet, the Metlin Downtown Business Association did a huge Small Business Saturday event that Emmie and Ox had taken part in. The bookshop had seen gobs of business that weekend, and Ox had even sold gift cards for blocks of tattoo work as gifts, an idea that Emmie had offered as a holiday promotion.

Tattoos were a surprisingly popular Christmas present.

Tayla asked, “How long is this going to last? The double-job thing.”

“I think the problem is his mom can’t go back to her old schedule. They need another employee, and I don’t know if they’re not willing to hire someone or if they can’t afford it. Maybe neither. I don’t know. I don’t know his sister well enough to ask. It’s not really any of my business. Ox isn’t missing hours anymore. In fact, he’s been working more hours the past couple of weeks at the shop, not less.”

“Which just makes him more tired.”

Emmie nodded.

Tayla tapped her chin. “I wonder if they need someone to help with the books for the ranch.”

“Probably. I think Ox said that Melissa does all that.”

“I’ll ask him.”

Emmie stretched out her legs and smiled. “So you’re doing more of that stuff now.”

“The bookkeeping?”

Emmie nodded.

“It keeps me busy.” Tayla swung her legs. “I don’t know. I know you’re all loved up with Ox, but I may ask to stay living here a little longer if that’s cool.”

“Totally cool.” Inside, Emmie was dancing, but she had to play it casual.

“Yeah.” Tayla sipped her coffee. “I’m kinda digging the fall colors and small-town vibe. Metlin has a Christmas parade. Who does that anymore?”

“Small towns everywhere? But in Metlin, Santa drives a tractor, so we do have that claim to fame.”

“And the kid and dog costume float was just… ridiculous.”

“Ridiculously adorable, you mean?”

“Did you see the little boy dressed as the Grinch who had the wiener dog with the antlers?”

“Yes. Maybe I should do a holiday costume contest or something.”

“Might be too late for that this year, but it’s a good idea for next. We could have a whole holiday schedule next year. Incorporate Hanukkah and Eid if the calendar is right.”

“I’ll start jotting down ideas and put them on the idea board in the office.”

“Okay, cool.”

Emmie finished her coffee and tried not to wiggle with glee. Her best friend was inching closer and closer to a permanent move to Metlin. Her shop was breaking even, which at this point was really all she could hope for. She had a boyfriend she was head over heels for. Emmie had all these future plans for the shop and for her life in Metlin, and Ox and Tayla were in all of them.

“Stop,” Tayla said.

“Stop what?”

“I can practically hear you planning my life out for me in three-year increments for the next thirty years. Just stop. I’m young and flexible. I’m thinking of staying here for a while. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Of course not.”

“Bullshit. You already have me and Jeremy married with three brats.”

Emmie groaned and fell toward her. “Come on. You know you’d be adorable together.”

“Why don’t you daydream about how you’re going to get your boyfriend to not be exhausted all the time? He can’t keep this schedule up, not that it seems to be putting a damper on your nocturnal activities.”

Emmie blushed. “Sorry.”

“No worries. Ox got me a very nice pair of noise-canceling headphones last week. I could live with him as a roommate.”

“It’s a little soon for that, don’t you think?”

Tayla raised an eyebrow. “With his schedule, having him move in might be the only way to guarantee you have any time alone.”

She couldn’t help but think of Tayla’s words the next day when noon rolled around and Ox still wasn’t in the shop. Ginger came by again, and Emmie tried to pay as little attention as possible to the woman.

“Ox here?” she asked Emmie.

“Nope.”

“Let me guess, out at the ranch?”

Her tone actually sounded commiserating rather than sneering. Emmie looked up. “Yeah. You heard about his mom?”

“Uh-huh.” Ginger shrugged. “Trust me, it’ll always be something.” She put a piece of paper down on the counter. “Here’s the info for the guy who wants the Celtic piece. Says he’s been having trouble getting ahold of Ox. Might have to remind him to give the guy a call.”

“I don’t do his bookings for him.”

“Good.” Ginger gave her a wry smile. “I’d definitely try holding your ground on that one. Later.”

And that was that. No profanity. No bitchy comments. Just a warning that echoed in her wake.

It’ll always be something.

Emmie was lying next to Ox that night, stretched out on the couch with a car documentary on the television. She was reading. Ox was sleeping. He’d lasted all of five minutes before he nodded off.

“Ox.” She nudged his foot. “Were you planning to stay here tonight?”

He snored. Emmie took that for a yes. She closed her book and set it on the coffee table before she crawled over to him and kissed his lips.

Ox started awake at the feel of her lips on his. “Hey.” He rubbed his eyes. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. Let’s go to bed.”

He didn’t get up. He reached for her and wrapped her in a hug, rolling her onto his chest as he took a deep breath and hooked a leg over hers, effectively trapping her.

“I hate them so much,” he muttered drowsily.

Emmie frowned. “What?”

“Cows.”

She smiled and rested her cheek on his chest. “So why are you spending so much time with them?”

“Can’t let Melissa do it all,” he muttered. “Not fair.”

Isn’t it her ranch?

Emmie didn’t say anything. She didn’t have any siblings, and most days she was jealous of Ox and Melissa’s relationship. She’d love to have a brother who cared about her that much. She did feel like Melissa took Ox for granted though. It wasn’t as if Ox was asking his sister to be an unpaid employee at his business. But Emmie didn’t feel like she had a right to say anything about it. That was between Ox and Melissa.

She rested on his chest for a few more minutes but forced Ox awake before his breathing turned deep. He was way too big for Emmie to move, and he’d get a backache if he slept on the couch. They stumbled to Emmie’s bedroom, and Ox fell into bed while Emmie got ready and turned off the lights in the living room. Tayla was still out, so Emmie left the kitchen lights on for her.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Ox sat upright in bed, jolting Emmie out of her sleep.

“Ox?”

“Did I close the gate before I left?”

It wasn’t the first time he’d talked in his sleep. Emmie rubbed his arm. “I’m sure you did. You always do.”

Ox blinked at her. He wasn’t really awake, but the look he gave her was so painfully tender it nearly made Emmie cry.

“Don’t drive in the fog.”

Emmie pulled him down next to her. “I don’t have a car, remember?”

“Don’t drive in the fog, baby.”

Emmie’s heart turned over. “I won’t.”

Ox wrapped his arms around her in a nearly suffocating hold. “Love you. Can’t lose you.”

“I won’t drive in the fog, Ox.”

“She cries at night.”

Emmie had to blink away tears. Then she started to feel guilty for ever resenting Melissa or the time Ox gave her and Abby.

“She’ll be okay,” Emmie whispered. “And I’ll be okay. I won’t drive in the fog.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He was breathing deeply a few seconds later, but it took Emmie a lot longer to fall back asleep.

“Why so serious?” He bent down a grabbed a kiss as she poured a cup of coffee.

“I’m just glad you’re taking the day off from the ranch.”

He rubbed his lip and scratched his cheek. “Well…”

Emmie put her mug on the counter. “You’re not taking the day off.”

“I don’t have any clients this afternoon. So I thought I’d spend the morning with you and then go to the ranch this afternoon. Stay the night out there and come back tomorrow.”

Emmie nodded. “Okay.”

“Are you mad?”

She turned to him. “I’m not mad. But I know when you stay out there you end up getting up at five in the morning to do chores. And then you work six plus hours before you come here and work another six hours.”

“I know.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “And I want to spend more time with you. I know we haven’t gone out for weeks now. But Melissa has like a month before harvest starts and she’s—”

“I’m worried about you. You’re not sleeping enough. You’re going to burn out with this schedule. And yeah, I’d like to see you more. All we do is work and sleep. And so far it seems like Melissa doesn’t have a plan for getting more help. She’s just relying on you and…” Emmie stopped and pressed her lips together. “Never mind. It’s not my business.”

His face was tight. “It’s my family. I can’t ignore them if they need help.”

“But you have your own business now, and if you’re always tired because you’re helping out there—”

“The ranch comes first.”

Emmie fell silent.

The ranch comes first.

His tone made it clear it wasn’t open for debate.

“Right,” she whispered. “Got it.”

He’ll always pick them over you.

Emmie’s heart plummeted as Ox filled up a travel mug with coffee and kissed her on the head.

“I’ll go out this morning,” he said. “Try to finish so I can spend tonight with you.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “I’m fine. Go do what you need to do.”

Ox turned at the door. “I really hate it when you say fine.”

Emmie shrugged. “I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

“Say that you understand how important my family is to me.”

“I totally understand that. But is the ranch your family?”

“Kinda.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know. I know you’re right, okay? I can’t keep up with this schedule.”

“I’m not asking you to choose between your business and your family. That’s a shitty thing to ask. I just…” Emmie took a deep breath. “I invested everything in this shop. I sold my car. I used my savings. And I need to know that it’s important to you.”

“I’m going to pay my rent this month, okay?” His jaw set in a stubborn line. “Don’t worry about getting a check.”

“I’m not asking about your rent! I’m asking if I can depend on you to be my partner like you said you’d be and…”

“And what?” His eyes burned her.

“I’m starting to think I can’t. I’m starting to think that if it comes down to our business or your sister’s ranch, then I’m going to be the loser.”

He opened his mouth. Closed it. Then he shook his head and walked out the door. When it slammed shut behind him, Emmie heard the echo of a hundred different doors.

It’s an important gig, Marianne. You’re thirteen now, not three.

I hope you’re not too invested in this little business.

It’s just not working with your mom and me. We’ll still be friends. I promise.

I won’t always be here to hold your hand, Emmie.

It’s a spelling bee. What’s the big deal?

Emmie took her coffee to her room and managed to set it down on the dresser before she started crying. This was why getting involved had been a bad idea. It had always been a bad idea. She’d just ignored her common sense. Ox leaving would have always hurt, but it wouldn’t have hurt this badly. If she hadn’t fallen in love with him, his abandoning her would have been a sting to her budget but not a rip to her heart.

Emmie gave herself approximately ten minutes to wallow before she cleaned up and got ready for work.

She had to get ready for work. No matter what else was happening in her life, the shop had to open. The coffee had to be made. The books wouldn’t sell themselves. Ox might have been able to cancel on his customers and head back to the ranch, but Emmie’s only backup plan was herself.

That’s the way it was. That’s the way it had always been.