Her Second Chance Cowboy (Crystal Creek Sweet Romances #1)

Chapter Two

The sound of footsteps crunching on the gravel outside the barn jolted Emma from her thoughts. She tensed, her heart racing as she turned towards the entrance. A tall figure appeared in the doorway, silhouetted against the bright sunlight.

“Hello?” a deep, familiar voice called out. “Is someone in here?”

Emma’s breath caught in her throat. She knew that voice, though it had deepened over the years. “Cody?” she said, stepping out from Daisy’s stall.

The man stepped into the barn, his features coming into focus as Emma’s eyes adjusted to the light. He was taller than she remembered, his shoulders broader and his jawline more chiseled. But his eyes were the same, a striking green that had always reminded her of the lush meadow grass in spring.

“Emma?” Cody said, his voice filled with surprise and something else she couldn’t quite place. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Emma felt a pang of guilt at his words. Of course he hadn’t expected her. She’d been gone for so long, had barely kept in touch. “I’m here to settle my father’s estate,” she said, her voice sounding hollow to her own ears. “I got here this morning.”

Cody nodded, his gaze drifting to Daisy’s stall. “I see you’ve found your old friend,” he said, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Emma followed his gaze, her hand resting on the mare’s neck. “I can’t believe she’s still here,” she said softly. “I thought...”

She trailed off, unsure how to put into words the jumble of emotions that seeing Daisy had stirred up. Cody seemed to understand, though. He stepped closer, his own hand reaching out to stroke the horse’s nose.

“Your father took good care of her,” he said, his voice gentle. “Never would let anyone sell her, even after she retired.”

Emma swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. “I didn’t know,” she whispered.

Cody glanced at her, his eyes filled with a warmth that made her heart skip a beat. “I think he always expected you to come back one day. Even when...”

He trailed off, but Emma knew what he had been about to say. Even when she’d stopped calling, stopped visiting. Even when she had let her new life consume her, pushing thoughts of the ranch and her father to the back of her mind.

“I’m sorry,” she said, the words feeling inadequate. “I should have been here. I should have...”

Cody shook his head, cutting her off. “You’re here now,” he said simply. “That’s what matters.”

Emma met his gaze, a tentative smile tugging at her lips. “Thank you,” she said softly.

They stood there for a moment, the silence stretching between them.

“I see you’ve met Daisy’s son,” he said abruptly, nodding to the chestnut gelding.

“Her son?”

Cody nodded. “Your father bred her a couple of years after you left. He thought a foal…well, I guess it doesn’t really matter now.”

But it did, to Emma. Because she knew what he’d been about to say. Her father had thought a foal would bring her back to the ranch, to encourage her visits that had all but stopped by then. He was always so busy when she came to the ranch, and it seemed like they barely spoke the whole time she was there. She’d thought he hadn’t wanted her to visit. But maybe… She swallowed and forced a smile.

“So, what’s his name?”

“Your father called him Ghost,” Cody said, and added with a wry smile, “despite old Authur teasing him about going colorblind.”

“Ghost,” she murmured, running her hand over the chestnut’s long nose, and his ears flicked forward. “Good to meet you.”

“Your father rode him every day, even after the doc told him not to. Never did like being told what to do, your father. Ghost took good care of him.”

And looking into his kind, intelligent eyes, Emma could believe it.

“So,” Emma said finally, breaking the spell. “What brings you here? I thought you’d be busy with your own ranch.”

Cody ducked his head, a sheepish expression crossing his face. “Oh, I am. But I’ve been helping out here, too. Ever since your father got sick.”

Emma stared at him, surprise and gratitude welling up in her chest. “You have?”

Cody nodded. “I couldn’t let the place fall apart. Not when I knew how much it meant to him. To you.”

Emma felt a sudden rush of affection for the man standing before her. Cody had always been there, a steady presence in her life even when she hadn’t realized it. He had been her best friend, her confidant, her partner in crime. For one brief, magical summer, he had been more than that, the boy who had first made her heart race with a stolen kiss by the creek. The memory brought a flush to her cheeks, and she quickly looked away.

“I’m sorry I didn’t keep in touch better,” she said softly, feeling the need to explain, to apologize for the years of silence. “After I left, everything just moved so fast. College, my career... I got caught up in it all.”

Cody’s hand found hers, his calloused palm warm against her skin. “I understand, Emma. Life has a way of pulling us in different directions sometimes. But the important things, the things that really matter... they have a way of bringing us back together again.”

His words made her heart ache in a way she hadn’t felt in years. She’d pushed down these feelings for so long, telling herself that the ranch, that Cody, were part of her past. But standing here with him now, she realized that maybe, just maybe, they could be part of her future, too.

“Do you remember the summer before I left?” she asked, a nostalgic smile tugging at her lips. “All those hours we spent exploring the ranch, dreaming about the future...”

“I remember,” Cody said, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “You were determined to find a way to turn the old treehouse into a secret base.”

Emma laughed, the sound echoing through the barn. “And you were convinced you could train that ornery old goat to be a pack animal.”

“Hey, don’t knock Billy the goat,” Cody said, grinning. “He had potential.”

For a moment, it was like no time had passed at all. They were just Emma and Cody, two kids with big dreams and the whole world ahead of them.

But then reality came crashing back, and Emma remembered why she was here. Her father was gone, and the ranch was in shambles. She had a job to do, and getting lost in old memories wouldn’t help her do it.

“I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, bringing the conversation back to the present. “For everything you’ve done.”

Cody shrugged, a small smile playing at his lips. “That’s what neighbors are for, right?”

Emma chuckled, shaking her head. “I think you’ve gone above and beyond the call of neighborly duty.”

Cody laughed, the sound warming Emma from the inside out. “Maybe so,” he admitted. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

They fell into an easy conversation then, catching up on the years that had passed since they’d last seen each other. Emma told him about her job in the city, the clients she’d landed and the campaigns she’d spearheaded. Cody listened intently, asking questions and offering his own insights.

In turn, he told her about the changes he’d made to his own ranch, the new breeding program he’d started and the contracts he’d secured. Emma was impressed by his knowledge and dedication, the way he spoke about his work with a passion that rivaled her own.

As they talked, Emma felt a sense of connection that she hadn’t felt in years. It was like a part of her that had been dormant was slowly waking up, remembering what it was like to have someone who truly understood her. It was like no time had passed at all, like they were still those same two kids who had spent countless hours exploring the ranch together, and the two awkward teens who’d started to feel something for each other before life had pulled them apart.

But there were moments, too, when she was reminded of just how much had changed. The way Cody’s eyes lingered on her face a beat too long, the way his hand brushed against hers as they walked. It sent a thrill through her, a spark of something she couldn’t quite name.

They were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up outside. Cody glanced towards the door, a slight frown creasing his brow.

“That’ll be the vet,” he said, his tone apologetic. “I asked him to come take a look at the horses, make sure they’re in good health.”

Emma nodded, a sudden wave of guilt washing over her. She’d put the animals’ well-being to the back of her mind, too caught up in her own emotions and memories.

“I should have done that,” she said, her voice small. “I should have come sooner. I’m sorry, Cody. I feel like I’ve been neglecting everything.”

Cody reached out, his hand resting on her shoulder. “You’re doing the best you can, Emma. No one expects you to have all the answers right away.”

Emma looked up at him, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “I just feel so overwhelmed,” she admitted. “There’s so much to do, and I don’t even know where to start.”

Cody squeezed her shoulder, his touch reassuring. “You don’t have to do it alone,” he said softly. “I’m here, and so is everyone else in town. We’ll help you figure it out.”

Emma felt a rush of gratitude, a warmth spreading through her chest. She had forgotten what it was like to have people to lean on, to have a community that cared.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice catching on the words.

Cody smiled, his hand dropping back to his side. “Anytime,” he said, his eyes holding hers for a long moment.

Then he turned, heading towards the door to greet the vet. Emma watched him go, a strange mix of emotions swirling in her gut. She knew she had a long road ahead of her, a daunting task that would test her in ways she had never been tested before.

But for the first time since she’d arrived at the ranch, she felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to honor her father’s legacy as she said her final goodbyes.

And maybe, with Cody by her side, she wouldn’t have to do it alone.