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

Chapter Fourteen

The sound of her phone ringing jolted Emma out of a fitful sleep, her heart pounding as she fumbled for the device on her nightstand. She glanced at the screen, her stomach dropping when she saw the name flashing across the display.

Alexander Blackwell.

With a sense of dread, Emma swiped to answer the call, her voice still rough with sleep as she spoke. “Hello?”

“Ms. Brooks,” Alexander’s voice was crisp and businesslike, with an undercurrent of impatience that set Emma’s teeth on edge. “I’m calling to discuss the status of our potential transaction. It’s been several weeks since my initial offer, and I’m growing concerned about the lack of progress, particularly given the damage that has occurred in that time.”

Emma sat up in bed, rubbing a hand over her face as she tried to gather her thoughts. “I understand your frustration, Mr. Blackwell,” she said, her voice carefully neutral. “But as I explained before, this is a big decision for me, and I need time to consider all of my options.”

“Time is a luxury that I’m afraid I can no longer afford, Ms. Brooks,” Alexander replied, his tone growing colder with every word. “I have other investment opportunities on the table, and I can’t keep this offer open indefinitely. I need a decision from you by the end of the week, or I’m afraid I’ll have to withdraw my bid entirely.”

Emma felt a jolt of panic, her heart racing as she tried to process his words. The end of the week? That was only three days away, hardly enough time to make a decision that would affect the rest of her life.

“I... I understand,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “I’ll do my best to give you an answer by then.”

“See that you do, Ms. Brooks,” Alexander said, his voice filled with a cold finality. “I’ll expect to hear from you soon.”

With that, he hung up, leaving Emma sitting in stunned silence, the weight of his ultimatum hanging heavy in the air.

She knew that she needed to talk to someone, needed to get some perspective on the impossible choice that lay ahead of her. With a heavy sigh, she reached for her phone again, scrolling through her contacts until she found the one she was looking for.

Her mother.

Emma hesitated for a moment, her thumb hovering over the call button. She and her mother had always had a complicated relationship, with Emma often feeling like she could never quite measure up to her mother’s expectations. But she also knew that her mother loved her, and wanted what was best for her, even if they didn’t always see eye to eye.

With a deep breath, Emma hit the call button, her heart pounding as she waited for her mother to pick up.

“Emma?” her mother’s voice was warm and familiar, with a note of concern that made Emma’s throat tighten with emotion. “Is everything okay?”

“Hi, Mom,” Emma said, her voice wavering slightly. “I’m sorry to call so early, but I... I really need to talk to you about something.”

“Of course, honey,” her mother replied, her tone softening with understanding. “What’s going on?”

Emma took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she began to explain the situation with the ranch, with Alexander’s offer and the deadline he had given her. She told her mother about the work they had been doing to rebuild the barn, about the community that had rallied around her in the wake of the fire.

And she told her about Cody, about the connection that had been growing between them, the feelings that she couldn’t quite put into words.

Her mother was quiet for a long moment, and Emma could practically hear the wheels turning in her head as she processed everything that Emma had said.

“Oh, Emma,” she said at last, her voice filled with a mixture of sympathy and concern. “I know how much the ranch means to you, how much your father loved that place. But you have to think about your future, too. About the life you’ve built for yourself in the city, the career you’ve worked so hard to establish.”

Emma felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back, taking a shaky breath. “I know, Mom,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But being here, working alongside these people, it’s made me realize that maybe... maybe there’s more to life than just my career, my apartment in the city. Maybe there’s something else out there for me, something that I never even knew I was missing.”

Her mother sighed, and Emma could almost see the expression on her face, the worry lines creasing her forehead. “I understand, honey,” she said, her voice gentle and reassuring. “But you have to be realistic, too. Running a ranch is a lot of work, a lot of responsibility. And it’s not just about you anymore, either. You have to think about the people who are counting on you, the clients and colleagues who depend on your expertise and your dedication.”

Emma nodded, even though her mother couldn’t see her. She knew that her mother was right, that she couldn’t just abandon the life she had built for herself in the city, the people who had supported her and believed in her all these years.

But she also knew that she couldn’t ignore the pull of the ranch, the sense of belonging and purpose that she had found here, in this place that had once been her home.

“I know, Mom,” she said, her voice filled with a quiet determination. “And I promise, I’m not going to make any rash decisions. But I need to figure this out for myself, need to listen to my heart and my gut and see where they lead me. Even if it’s not the path that everyone expects me to take.”

Her mother was quiet for a moment, and then Emma heard her take a deep breath, as if steeling herself for what she was about to say.

“I trust you, Emma,” she said at last, her voice filled with a fierce love and pride. “I know that you’ll make the right choice, whatever that may be. And no matter what happens, no matter where you end up, I will always be here for you, and love you and support you in whatever way I can.”

Emma felt tears streaming down her face, but for once, they were tears of joy, of gratitude for the incredible woman who had raised her, who had always been her rock and her guiding light.

“Thanks, Mom,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I love you, too. More than you could ever know.”

They talked for a few more minutes, about everything and nothing, about the little details of their lives that somehow seemed to matter more than ever in that moment. And when they finally said their goodbyes, Emma felt a sense of peace and clarity settling over her, a knowledge that no matter what happened, she had the love and support of the people who mattered most.

But as she hung up the phone, Emma knew that she couldn’t put off the inevitable forever. She needed to talk to Cody, needed to hear his perspective on the impossible choice that lay ahead of her.

With a heavy sigh, she climbed out of bed and got dressed, her mind racing with a million different thoughts and emotions as she made her way out to the barn, where she knew Cody would be working on the repairs.

She found him perched on a ladder, a hammer in one hand and a mouthful of nails in the other as he worked to secure a new beam in place. He looked up as she approached, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw the expression on her face.

“Emma?” he said, climbing down from the ladder and wiping his hands on his jeans. “Is everything okay?”

She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up at him, at the man who had become such an integral part of her life, her heart, in such a short time.

“Alexander called,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’s giving me until the end of the week to make a decision about the offer. And I... I don’t know what to do, Cody. I feel like I’m being torn in two, like no matter what I choose, I’m going to end up losing something precious, something irreplaceable.”

Cody’s face softened with understanding, and he reached out to take her hand, his callused fingers warm and reassuring against her skin.

“I know it’s not an easy decision,” he said, his voice filled with a quiet empathy. “And I wish I could tell you what to do, could make the choice for you. But Emma, this is your life, your future. And as much as I... as much as I care about you, as much as I want you to stay, I know that you have to do what’s right for you, what feels true and authentic to who you are and what you want.”

Emma nodded, her throat tight with emotion as she looked up at him, at the man who had become her anchor, her safe harbor in the storm of uncertainty that had engulfed her life.

“But what if I make the wrong choice?” she whispered, her voice cracking with the weight of her fears. “I don’t want to let everyone down… and I don’t want to lose you.”

Cody’s hand tightened around hers, and he took a step closer, his eyes filled with a fierce intensity that took her breath away.

“You could never lose me, Emma,” he said, his voice low and rough with emotion. “No matter what happens, no matter where you go or what you choose, I will always be here for you, always be your friend and your partner in whatever way you need me to be. Because that’s what you do when you... when you care about someone the way I care about you.”

Emma felt a sob catching in her throat, and she leaned into him, burying her face in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and murmuring words of comfort and reassurance.

And as she stood there, surrounded by the warmth and strength of his embrace, Emma knew that no matter what the future held, no matter what challenges or obstacles lay ahead, she would always have this moment, this memory of what it felt like to be truly, deeply loved.

Even if she couldn’t quite find the words to say it out loud, even if the path forward was still shrouded in uncertainty and doubt.

Because in the end, that was what mattered most. Not the ranch, not the offer, not even the life she had built for herself in the city.

But the love and the connection and the sense of belonging that she had found here, in this place, with this man.

And as long as she held onto that, as long as she let it guide her and sustain her through the difficult days ahead, Emma knew that she would find her way, one step at a time. No matter where the journey might lead her in the end.