Shane had anticipated the hurt he’d experience as he watched Robin’s taillights get further and further from him. But as they faded from view entirely, he realized he’d underestimated how painful it was to live with a broken heart.

He sighed and kept his head down as he trudged back to the cabin community. He missed the jingle-jangle of Arthur’s collar beside him, and he climbed the steps to his cabin, a decision forming in his mind.

“Austin? Dylan?” he called when he entered the house and looked up. Dylan’s head poked over the railing of the loft they shared. “Want to go get a dog?”

Dylan grinned and Austin whooped, and they came thundering down the ladder, their boots hitting the wood floor on the main level with loud clunks. “What kind of dog?” Dylan asked.

“Can we get a collie like Kurt’s?” Austin asked, and his blue eyes were so eager, Shane wanted to say yes.

“We’ll see what they have at the shelter,” he said, reaching for his wallet and keys, which sat in the bowl on the table beside the front door.

“Is Robin gone?” Dylan asked as Austin went to the pegs in the kitchen where he’d hung his cowboy hat.

Shane couldn’t breathe for moment, and he wondered how long it would be before that didn’t happen. Probably never. The woman he loved had just driven away, and she wasn’t scheduled to be back for another eleven months.

He nodded. “Yep. On her way to the Roundy Ranch today.” Thankfully, his voice sounded somewhat normal.

“Dad called,” Austin said, returning with his hat on his head. “He wants you to call him back, Shane.”

“All right. I will later.” He hadn’t spoken to his father since that first time, over two weeks ago. His dad had texted a time or two, and Shane had responded once. Two or three words. He wasn’t sure, couldn’t remember what his dad had even asked.

Because he didn’t care. He had been able to let go of a lot of his anger simply by saying the things he’d thought for years, and he was grateful for that. But he honestly didn’t want to have a relationship with his father. He simply couldn’t afford to start to think his father was a decent guy, only to be let down again.

And he didn’t want to be like his father. He’d spent the first twenty-one years of his life desiring nothing more, and fifteen now trying not to.

“I want a German shepherd,” Dylan said. “I know you said we’d see what the shelter has, but I just want to get my wish out there since Austin already said collie.” He opened the front door and stepped through it, a wide grin on his face.

“I’m so glad Robin got a bigger dog,” Austin said. “So you could see how awesome it would be to have one.”

Shane smiled and shook his head. Neither of his brothers understood how much Shane did to keep them together, keep them happy, keep them fed. And he was glad they didn’t. A dog had always been one more thing to take care of, but now he also knew what a great friend it could be. And he needed that right now, though Dylan and Austin were always there for him.

He’d spent so long keeping things to himself that it was hard to confide in Dylan and Austin. He’d taken to spilling his cares and worries to Arthur, and the Lord, and Doctor Sloan. The dog didn’t help much except as a sounding board. God hadn’t given him any ideas for how to keep Robin in this corner of Hill Country, and Doctor Sloan was starting to cost too much to talk Shane through every troubling thought he had.

And so he drove toward the shelter, secretly hoping there was another sheltie that had been brought in. Or an Australian shepherd.

As he and his brothers wandered the aisles, he couldn’t see one. There were two German shepherds, though one had been spoken for and the other one wouldn’t come forward from the back of his kennel. He shook, and while Shane wanted to help him, he also didn’t want a high-needs dog that couldn’t get along with people, horses, cows, and other dogs.

“Sorry, Dylan,” he said as his brother continued to try to lure the shepherd over to the door.

He couldn’t see a rescue dog he thought would be a good fit for him and his brothers, as well as the ranch. “Everything’s too small,” he said. “No border collies.”

“What do you want?” Joan asked.

“An Australian shepherd,” he admitted. “I think we’re gonna have to buy one.”

“My son has an Aussie who had several puppies a while ago.”

Shane spun back to Joan. “Really?”

“Are there any left?” Dylan asked. “I think an Australian shepherd is almost as good as a German shepherd.”

“Let me ask him.” She returned to the front desk, all three Royal brothers in her wake, and texted her son. “I’ll write down his number for you.” She busied herself with that while they waited for her son to text back.

“Who’s your son?” Shane asked.

“Roland Jackson,” she said. “My husband owns a tire shop on the west side of town.”

“Oh, yeah, we know it,” Dylan said. “I hope he’s got one.”

Her phone beeped and she picked it up. “He said he has one left, but it’s the runt of the litter. Brown and white markings, so not as pretty as the others.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Austin said, looking at Shane.

“It’s a girl,” Joan said.

Shane looked Dylan and then Austin, and he knew from the expressions on his brother’s faces that they wanted the runty, ugly Australian shepherd. “We’ll take ‘er,” he said. “When can we go meet her?”

“Right now,” Joan said.

Later that night, Shane sat on the couch with Cinnamon, the fluffy brown and white puppy who was cuter than anything Shane had ever seen before. They’d spent the afternoon buying food, bowls, and a collar with a nametag.

Shane had put bells on the door, just like Robin had, to train Cinna to ring them when she needed to go out, and he’d started teaching her how to sit as well. She was a bright, beautiful dog, and Shane loved her.

He stroked his hand over her small body, simply having her at his side soothing. He’d called his mother and found out that his dad was concerned about him because he knew today was the day Robin was leaving the ranch.

“How’d he know that?” Shane had asked.

“I told him,” his mom had confessed. “We’re both worried about you, Shane.”

“Well, he wasn’t worried for the past fifteen years.”

“I don’t think either of us knew how poorly you were doing,” she said.

Shane couldn’t argue with that. He hadn’t wanted his mom to worry about him, so he’d sugarcoated everything over the past fifteen years. For everyone, it seemed.

He was glad he didn’t have to do that anymore. Doctor Sloan had been right. Saying things he normally wouldn’t say, and releasing the things he’d been holding inside for so long, had freed him.

He worked with Cinna every morning, during the day, at lunch, and all evening. By the end of the week, the little dog was quite well-behaved and had started herding the cowboys when they came in for lunch. She got along with the other dogs that lived on the ranch and with other cowboys, and everyone seemed to have a smile for the newest addition to Grape Seed Ranch.

On Sunday morning, he loaded the dog into his truck and aimed it toward Austin, a date with Robin on the horizon. Dwayne and Kurt had been kind enough to give him this day off completely, and Shane couldn’t remember the last time he’d had an entire day off. He also knew it wouldn’t become a regular thing. He was the co-foreman. He couldn’t be leaving every time he wanted to see his girlfriend.

But maybe for today, he wouldn’t have to think about hard things. Maybe today, he could just be Shane Royal, Robin Cook’s boyfriend. They’d talked several times throughout the week, but nothing was the same as seeing her gorgeous face as he pulled up to her tiny house.

He couldn’t get out of his truck fast enough, and she was already running toward him by the time his feet his the dirt. His laughter joined hers and he swung her around near the front of his truck. When he set her on her feet, he kissed her until the smile left her face and she returned his affections as intently as he was trying to show her.

“I missed you,” he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. He breathed in the soft, perfumy scent of her and kissed her again.

Cinna yipped and that made Robin pull back. “Oh, who is this?” She scooped the hopping dog off the ground and cradled her. “She is adorable. Yes, you are. You are. Aren’t you?” She touched her nose to Cinna’s, still cooing at the animal.

“Careful,” he said. “Arthur will get jealous.” The sheltie lay on the ground underneath the table where Robin had been sitting when Shane had pulled up. “So.” He looked around the ranch, finding a few cabins further down the road. “Show me around.”

Robin put Cinna down, laced her fingers through his, and started the grand tour. The two dogs followed them, and Shane showed Robin all the tricks he’d taught his dog in only a week. Everything felt right between them, and he wished he could have this reality every day of the week, not just on Sundays.

Just this Sunday, he thought.

“Have you thought of anything you could do closer to Grape Seed Falls?” he asked. They’d been texting about it, as Robin had started filling her schedule for September, and Shane had asked her if she’d consider parking her tiny house somewhere near Grape Seed Falls permanently.

She’d admitted she’d thought of it, but needed a job to make it work.

“I only have one skillset, Shane.”

“I thought of Levi,” he said. “Remember how he said he should hire a farrier full time?”

“No.” She looked up at him, the breeze lifting her hair and pushing it away from her face. Her beauty struck him full in the chest, and he desperately needed to hold her hand every day for the rest of his life. His chest collapsed, and it felt like a giant was pressing against his lungs.

“When did he say that?”

“That day we were there,” he said. “When you showed his employees how to shoe.”

Robin’s expression turned thoughtful, and she didn’t say much for the rest of their visit. Eventually, Shane had to put Cinna in his truck and start back to the ranch. They hadn’t been able to make solid plans for the next time they could meet. He had no idea when he’d see her again.

As he drove away, he felt like his heart was breaking all over again, and he wasn’t sure he could endure this agony for a third time.

Dylan sat on the top step when Shane got home, and he sagged next to him as their pup ran around on the front lawn, sniffing to find the right spot to go to the bathroom.

“How’s Robin?”

“Fine. How’s Austin?”

“Fine. He said you never called Dad.”

Shane took off his cowboy hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I…couldn’t.”

“I get it. You do seem happier this summer, and I don’t think it’s all because of Robin.”

“It’s not.” He smiled at the shepherd as she trotted over and appraised the steps. “Come on,” he said. “You can do it. C’mon up.”

Dylan and Shane watched as she tried to hop up and didn’t quite make it. She landed on her back with a puff of dust and immediately tried again. She got it that time, and Dylan swept her into his lap when she reached them.

“I love this silly puppy,” he said.

“I love you, bud,” Shane said. “How are things with you?”

“Same as you, except I’m not as angry and I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Yeah, well, neither do I.”

“What? Did you guys break up?”

“Not yet.” Shane studied the horizon like there was something really fascinating happening. “It’s only a matter of time. She works all over the state, and I live here.”

“You guys will work it out.”

“Yeah, I want to believe that,” Shane said as he stood. “I’m gonna go find something to eat. Don’t let her wander off.”

Shane went inside and set four pieces of bread in the toaster. He pulled out his phone and waffled between texting Doctor Sloan or texting Robin. Trusting the writhing feeling in his stomach, he chose Robin.

I don’t think this is going to work. He started at the words, trying to find the strength to send them. He should’ve been brave enough to say them to her face earlier this afternoon. But he didn’t want to watch her cry, and he felt stuck between two impossible situations.

The bread popped out of the toaster, but he made no move to butter it. What do I do? he prayed, the same question that had been on a loop in his mind for the past six weeks.

Let her go.

The thought came to his mind, as did the memories of how he’d released certain things this summer and been happier because of it. He didn’t believe he’d be happier without Robin, but maybe she’d be happier without him.

Maybe now just wasn’t the right time for them to be together.

He’d always known she was a free spirit, and she knew he had nothing to offer her. Maybe they’d never be able to make things work between them. As much as the idea added cracks to his already shattered heart, Shane didn’t want to make Robin’s life more difficult by insisting he be in it.

So he sent the text, slammed his phone on the counter, and stalked out of the cabin, leaving his bread to cool right where it was.