“Whoa, Chase, you need to slow down. You’re not making any sense.” Maggie blinked and kept her back to the customers in the store, her voice low as she spoke with Chase on the phone. “You’re leaving for Hill Country right now? Why? What’s going on?”

“There’s a ranch there I’m looking at buying. I want you to come with me.”

She shook her head, confused and frustrated. “I can’t just leave the store. I’m the only one here.”

“Can’t you get someone to cover for you? I’m not leaving Three Rivers for another hour. That gives you a little bit of time to find someone to come in.”

Maggie’s mind circled, spun. Her breath left her body in little spurts. “Surely you don’t need to come this way to go to Hill Country.”

“No,” he said. “But I’m willing to make the detour.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “It’ll be fun to spend some time together, don’t you think?”

“I didn’t know you were going to buy a ranch in Hill Country,” she said.

“We have a lot to catch up on,” he said. “I’ll call back in an hour to see if I need to make the detour, okay?”

“All right.” Maggie hung up and found a line three-deep at the counter. She put on her customer service smile and rang out their purchases. Fifteen minutes later, she dialed her sister Bridgette.

“Bridge,” she said. “I need a huge favor….”

* * *

“Okay, so just make sure you sweep up at the end of every day,” Maggie said two hours later, glancing around like she’d forgotten something. “The feed storage needs to stay at forty-two degrees, and the shelves will need to be restocked on Wednesday night. You know how to do the books, and I’ll be back on Thursday.”

Bridgette looked at her with a measure of disgust and glee. “You realize that I’ve worked in this store for years, right?”

“I know, I just….” Maggie exhaled and hugged herself. “I’m nervous to go on a three-day trip with Chase.”

Bridgette’s grin widened, but before she could tease Maggie, she added, “And you haven’t worked here in months.”

Bridgette glanced around. “Nothing’s changed.”

Maggie drew in a deep breath. “Nothing ever does.” She embraced her sister. “Okay, I have to go pack—and face Mom and Dad.”

“Good luck,” Bridgette called after her as Maggie grabbed her keys and ran into the feed room, which led to the back exit.

Thankfully, her parents weren’t home when she arrived. She packed a bag and wrote them a note, hoping they wouldn’t be too angry when they returned and discovered that she’d left the store in Bridgette’s hands and was currently on a seven-hour drive to Hill Country with Chase Carver.

All the things that excited her would likely enrage them. Deciding she couldn’t worry too much about it, she left the note and hurried down the front steps. She didn’t want them to show up at the same time as Chase, and he should be here any minute.

Sure enough, he rolled up in his ranch truck only five minutes later, and she tossed her bag in the back before joining him in the cab. She couldn’t help the grin that graced her face as she slid across the bench seat, giggled, and kissed him hello.

“Well, that’s a mighty fine way to be greeted.” His smile boasted his straight, white teeth, and Maggie knew with everything in her that being with him was the right thing to do. He’d been right when he’d said they belonged together.

She kissed him again and snuggled into his side. “All right, let’s get this party started.”

He flipped the truck into drive and they left her house behind. “I’m lookin’ for a ranch,” he said. “So you and I can get married with your father’s blessing. So I have a way to provide for you.”

Warmth filled her from head to toe. She wanted Chase to care for her, protect her, provide for her. “I can work, Chase,” she said. “It’s almost nineteen-ninety, you know.”

“I don’t want there to be a rift between us and your parents.” He slid her a glance out of the corner of his eye and focused on the road again.

“I know,” she said. “I’ve got some news too.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” She smiled, a balloon of pride swelling her chest. “I got my own apartment. I’m moving out of my parents’ house in a couple of weeks.”

Chase did a double-take, the smile on his face somewhat shocked. “That’s great, Mags.” He dropped his hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “Has your dad said anything else about the store?”

“Not since he tried to give me the key.”

“I didn’t mean to say I didn’t want the supply store.”

Maggie waved away his words like they were annoying flies. They’d hurt when he’d said them last week, but the truth was she didn’t want the store if she couldn’t have Chase too. And he wasn’t the type of man to work behind a counter for the next thirty years. No, he needed fresh air and sunshine, horses and dogs, blue sky and beautiful flowers.

“It’s fine, Chase. I just thought it might be a solution.” But it hadn’t been. Her parents had seemed supportive of her decision to move out, though she’d caught her mom wearing a sad expression and watching her during dinner.

“The solution is me getting this ranch.” He released her hand and tightened his fingers around the steering wheel. Chase had been laughing heartily the first time Maggie had seen him, almost a year ago at a summer dance at the park in Three Rivers. He’d always been full of joy, quick to laugh, full of life. Nothing got him down. Nothing worried him.

Maggie wasn’t sure how to react to this tense version of Chase, so she snuggled closer, pulled his hand back to hers, and said, “I’m so excited to be going to Hill Country. You know I’ve never been?”

“I have,” he said, visibly relaxing. “It’s beautiful. Waterfalls, hikes, amazing scenery. We’ll have to go see the Medina River while we’re here. It’s beautiful. And I bet Jacob’s Well will be amazing right now. The perfect swimming spot.”

Maggie studied him. “I thought you were from Wyoming.”

“I am.”

“How do you know all about Texas Hill Country then?”

“Before I settled at Three Rivers, I traveled all over Texas. I really liked Hill Country.” He grew sober again. “Feels like going home to be goin’ there with you.” He kicked a grin in her direction, and Maggie sighed happily.

* * *

Chase knew he wasn’t much of a talker, but he’d always done just fine with Maggie. She made him relaxed and comfortable, even when they didn’t have much to say. After the first hour of the drive, they fell into silence, and Maggie even fell asleep.

He stopped for dinner in some town he didn’t catch the name of, and they made it to their hotel just after nine that evening. Her room was on the first floor and his on the second, which was a bit odd to him, but he didn’t complain. He kissed her like it was the last thing he’d do in his life, and headed upstairs, thoroughly spent. Morning came, as mornings always do, and he met Maggie in the lobby.

“We’re going to the bank first,” he said, glancing around like he was doing something wrong by being in Grape Seed Falls. The Main Street had been magical at night, all lit up in yellow lights, with the moon hanging low in the sky. There was something magical and charming about Hill Country, about the small-town Texans he’d met.

“Breakfast first.” Maggie danced ahead of him out of the hotel and down the street. She ducked into a bakery with a large sign above it that said OLD GERMAN BAKERY AND RESTAURANT. He’d hadn’t had time to get to the library to do any research on Grape Seed Falls, but it was clear with one step inside the bakery that the town’s heritage was definitely German.

“Gutan Tag,” the hostess said with a smile. “Two this morning?”

Maggie confirmed though Chase itched to get to the bank and apply for funding. He’d called the bank in Three Rivers right after he’d spoken to Maggie, but they hadn’t completed his paperwork yet. He wasn’t sure how he could put an offer in on a ranch without a loan in the works. He pushed the now-familiar worries to the back of his throat and tried to enjoy his time with Maggie.

She ordered a Belgian waffle and he had Opa’s sausage and eggs. The food came quickly, something which Chase was grateful for, because they didn’t have their own table. Instead, they sat across from each other at a long, community table. Chase supposed some people would like the relaxed atmosphere, but he wanted Maggie all to himself and a conversation that was private.

By the time he finally made it to the bank, he was an hour later than he would’ve liked. Maggie found a chair near the door while he went with a loan officer into their office. “I’m lookin’ to buy a ranch down here,” he started. “And I need a loan to do it.”

The loan officer slid him some paperwork, which he started to fill out. He practically had the forms memorized by now. The loan officer asked him some questions and made some notes on a legal pad. With the paperwork done, Chase pushed it back across the desk.

The man glanced down at it, the silence between them so huge it pressed against Chase’s lungs.

“Oh, Mister Carver, I’m afraid we can’t loan you the amount you would need for a ranch.” The man looked up, true sorrow on his face.

“Why not?”

“You only make a tenth of what you’re borrowing. Your income simply isn’t enough to repay the loan.”

“But I wouldn’t be working that job,” he said. “I’d be the owner and operator of a cattle ranch. I’d be making a lot more. I’m sure I could make the payments.” He hated how desperate his voice sounded. Hated that this conversation was nearly identical to the one he’d had in Amarillo a couple of weeks ago. Hated that he’d have to leave this office and tell Maggie that he was worth so little that a bank wouldn’t invest in their future.

“I’m sorry, Mister Carver. You have no land, no property, no credit to prove you can repay a loan.” The man put the paperwork in an unlabeled folder and left it in front of him. Chase wondered what he’d do with it once the meeting ended. It’ll probably meet a shredder, he thought. His heart ribboned off like it was in the shredder right now. It was a miracle he could still breathe, still think.

“Is there anything you can do?” Chase leaned forward and allowed his desperation to leak out. “I brought my girl all the way from Amarillo. What am I supposed to tell her?” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder, where the honey-haired Maggie could clearly be seen in the lobby.

The man followed his finger. He sighed and stood up, taking the folder with him. “We’ll have to do an appraisal on the ranch,” he said. “It could take several weeks. And we’ll likely need someone to co-sign with you, preferably someone who has land or property already.”

“I can do that,” Chase said, though he had no idea who he’d ask. His father had passed away six years ago, prompting Chase on his nomadic wanderings across the state, and his mother worked in a diner in Wyoming to make ends meet. She had the house where Chase had grown up, but he didn’t want her to worry about him.

Maggie’s father popped into his head, but he clenched his jaw against the idea. The man wasn’t interested in helping Chase, that much had been made clear.

“I have a little money,” Chase said. “I don’t have any debt, and no need for a credit card. That’s good, isn’t it?”

“It is, Mister Carver.” The man paused in the doorway. “But it also means you have no credit history, and therefore, we can’t determine if you’re a responsible bill payer.” He looked out into the lobby. “Let me get this over to my boss, and we’ll get the appraisal process started.”

Gratitude mingled with relief and leapt onto Chase’s face in the form of a smile. “Thank you, Mister….”

“Gallivan,” the man said. “Why don’t you stop back later today and see if there’s anything else we need?”

“I can do that, sure.”

Mr. Gallivan nodded and left his office. Chase took a few moments to compose himself, then he joined Maggie in the lobby. “They’re starting the paperwork,” he said. “We’ll have to stop by later, after we go see the ranch.” He lifted his arm across her shoulder, wondering if all he needed stood right next to him. He’d never wanted to own a ranch, never cared if he had a big house or a lot of land. But he knew he wanted Maggie, and in order to get her, he had to appease her father. He just wished this whole process didn’t make him feel so worthless.