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

Chapter Seventeen

The days that followed Emma’s decision to keep the ranch were filled with a flurry of activity, a sense of purpose and excitement that seemed to crackle through the air like electricity. With the threat of the sale no longer hanging over their heads, Emma and Cody threw themselves into the preparations for the upcoming festival, determined to make it a celebration that would honor her father’s memory and mark the beginning of a new chapter for the ranch and the community that had rallied around it.

Emma stood at the kitchen table, surrounded by a sea of papers and lists, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to make sense of the seemingly endless details that needed to be arranged. There were vendors to contact, supplies to order, entertainment to book, and a thousand other little things that threatened to overwhelm her at every turn.

But even as she felt the weight of the responsibility settling on her shoulders, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement and anticipation, a sense of pride and purpose that filled her with a renewed sense of energy and determination.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Cody standing in the doorway, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he took in the chaos that surrounded her.

“Hey there, boss lady,” he said, his voice warm with affection and amusement. “How’s the planning going?”

Emma let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair as she gestured to the piles of papers scattered across the table. “Oh, you know,” she said, her voice dry with sarcasm. “Just trying to keep everything straight in my head, make sure I’m not forgetting anything important. No big deal, really.”

Cody chuckled, shaking his head as he crossed the room to stand beside her, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back in a gesture of comfort and support. “You’re doing great, Emma,” he said, his voice filled with a quiet confidence. “And you’re not in this alone, remember? We’re all here to help, to make sure this festival is everything you want it to be.”

Emma felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, a rush of gratitude and love welling up inside her at his words. She leaned into his touch, her head coming to rest on his shoulder as she let out a shaky breath.

“I know,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “And I’m so grateful for that, for all of you. I just want to make sure it’s perfect, you know? That it’s a fitting tribute to my dad, to everything he believed in and worked for.”

Cody’s arms tightened around her, his lips brushing against her temple in a soft, tender kiss. “It will be,” he said, his tone filled with quiet conviction. “Because it’s coming from your heart. That’s what matters most.”

Emma nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. “You’re right. And speaking of my dad, I had an idea about how to honor his memory at the festival.”

Cody’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Oh? What did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking we could create a special display with some of his most treasured possessions,” Emma explained, her voice growing soft with emotion. “The things that meant the most to him, that really captured his spirit and his love for this ranch.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Emma,” Cody said, his face lighting up with enthusiasm. “I think it would be a beautiful way to pay tribute to him.”

Emma smiled, feeling a rush of excitement and purpose. “Will you help me gather everything? I want to choose just the right items.”

“Of course,” Cody replied without hesitation. “Let’s start in the barn. I know he kept a lot of his favorite things out there.”

Together, they made their way outside, the warm breeze carrying the scent of hay and horses. Emma led the way to the back of the barn, where her father had always kept his most prized possessions. They were lucky so many of them had survived the fire, at the time having been carefully stored in a galvanized feed bin that had protected them from the worst of the flames, whilst itself being badly damaged and waiting to be replaced.

She paused in front of an old wooden trunk, her fingers tracing the worn leather straps. “This was his,” she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. “He used to sit on it every evening, watching the sunset over the fields.”

Cody knelt down beside her, his hand coming to rest on the trunk’s lid. “It’s perfect, Emma. The perfect centerpiece for the display.”

Slowly, reverently, Emma opened the trunk, her breath catching in her throat as she took in the treasures inside. There was the old bridle that had belonged to his first horse, the leather still supple and shining. A faded bandana, the one he always wore around his neck when he rode out to check on the herd. A dog-eared copy of his favorite Louis L’Amour novel, the pages worn soft with countless readings.

“Oh, Cody,” Emma breathed, tears springing to her eyes. “Look at all of this. These were the things that made him happiest, that brought him joy and comfort and peace.”

Cody wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “They’re beautiful, Emma. Each and every one of them. They tell the story of a life well-lived, a man well-loved.”

Emma nodded, leaning into his embrace as she carefully lifted each item from the trunk, cradling them in her hands like precious jewels. There was the old pocket watch her mother had given him on their wedding day, the one he had carried with him every single day of their marriage, and for the years after. The silver belt buckle he had won at the county fair, the one he had been so proud of. The battered old cowboy hat that had been his constant companion, shading his face from the sun and the rain and the snow.

“He loved this ranch so much,” Emma said softly, her voice filled with a quiet reverence. “It was his whole world, his reason for being. And now it’s up to us to carry on that legacy, to keep his memory alive in everything we do.”

“And we will,” Cody said firmly, his eyes shining with love and determination. “We’ll honor him in every way we can, not just at the festival, but every day forward. His spirit will live on through us, through the work we do and the love we share.”

Emma turned to face him, her heart swelling with gratitude and affection. “I couldn’t do this without you, Cody. You’ve been my rock, my anchor through all of this. I don’t know how to thank you.”

He smiled, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. “You don’t have to thank me, Emma. Being here with you, supporting you, loving you...it’s the greatest privilege of my life. I’m just grateful to be a part of your world, a part of your story.”

She leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment as she savored the feeling of his skin against hers. “You’re not just a part of my story, Cody. You are my story. The best part of it, the part I never want to end.”

He drew her close, his forehead resting against hers. “It won’t end, Emma. This is just the beginning for us, the start of a beautiful new chapter. And I can’t wait to see where it takes us.”

Emma smiled, feeling a sense of peace and contentment wash over her. “Together, no matter what comes our way.”

With renewed purpose, they continued to sort through her father’s belongings, each item a cherished memory, a piece of the puzzle that made up his life. And as they worked, Emma felt a sense of closeness to him, a connection that transcended time and space.

Though he was gone, his presence lingered in every corner of the ranch, in every beat of her heart. And now, through this festival, through the display she and Cody were creating, his spirit would live on, a shining example of a life well-lived, a legacy that would endure for generations to come.

As the sun began to set over the fields, casting the barn in a warm, golden glow, Emma and Cody stepped back to admire their handiwork. The trunk and its treasures were arranged with loving care, each item a testament to the man who had been the heart and soul of the ranch for so long.

“It’s perfect,” Emma said softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “He would have loved this, Cody. Would have been so touched to know how much he meant to all of us, how deeply his presence is still felt.”

Cody slipped his hand into hers, twining their fingers together. “He knows, Emma. Wherever he is, he knows. And he’s smiling down on us, on this place, with pride and love.”

Emma nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder as they stood in the fading light, surrounded by the pieces of a life that had been a shining example of love, courage, and unwavering devotion.

And she knew, with a certainty that filled every fiber of her being, that no matter what challenges lay ahead, no matter what obstacles they might face, they would face them together, united by the love and the strength of the man who had taught them what it meant to live a life of purpose and meaning.

His legacy was a part of them now, woven into the very fabric of their lives. And through the festival, through the work they did and the love they shared, that legacy would live on, a beacon of hope and inspiration for all who came after.