Chapter 22

Isobel dashed down the stairs, her breath catching as the persistent ring of her phone echoed from the kitchen counter where she'd forgotten it. "Hello?" she panted, not bothering to glance at the incoming number.

"Isobel?" The familiar voice came.

"Ah, Ryder! Sorry for the huffing—just scooped up the phone." She chuckled lightly, a smile in her tone.

"Gotcha," he laughed. "How's life treating you?"

"I'm all good, and yourself?"

"Can't complain. Hey, I'm gearing up for a rodeo in Iowa in a few days. Thought you should know."

"How exciting! Wishing you the best—just, stay safe, okay?" Pause. "I will. Got time for a chat?"

Nesting into her couch, Isobel nodded even though he couldn't see. "Sure, what's on your mind?"

"The past's intriguing me today—your last serious romance?"

She sighed softly. "That would tag Sabastian as my first and closest brush with seriousness—I kept things casual with others. College was our common ground."

"Just barely serious?" Ryder's voice lifted with curiosity.

"For him, it was deep; I couldn't match that depth."

"And then?"

"Well, Sebastien's fairy tale veered towards marriage and kids—I wasn't envisioning that chapter with him. Realizing this, I ended things shortly after," she admitted solemnly.

The concern in Ryder's voice was almost palpable. "How did he take it?"

Her laughter had no joy this time. "He didn't let go easily—calls flooded in, and his presence haunted my dorm and workplace. It took changing my number and involving security to regain solitude."

Ryder's worry seeped through his words. "That sounds terrifying."

"It shook me—I lived like a shadow in my own dorm for weeks. But eventually, I declared 'no more,' reclaimed control with decisive calls." Pride laced her voice.

"You stood tall amidst fear—that's courage, Isobel."

Her heart warmed at his words. A brief silence lingered before she found the courage to ask her own question: "Can I pose something to you?"

"Absolutely. Anything at all."

"Don't hesitate to tell me if I'm prying too much."

"Impossible, but sure."

"How about bull riding? Does it make for a good paycheck?"

"It can. All hinges on your performance."

"You've obviously excelled at it."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, there's your house, the expansive ranch, that truck..."

"Oh, those. Yes, five world championships helped cover those expenses."

"Five? I somehow had it in my head you had two." Isobel caught her mistake the moment the words escaped her lips. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ryder. I wasn't thinking straight."

"No need for apologies, Isobel. Most of the prize money was actually set aside by my father. He also left behind a hefty life insurance payout. My mother didn't want to keep it all to herself, so she divided it between my brother Terry and myself. She still lives in our childhood home – couldn't bear to sell it – so instead, she renovated it and erected a new stable. I bought this hundred-acre stretch for myself to cultivate and built my own place with its barn. I also lend a hand with managing my mother's land and her cattle. She has some help as well."

"Cattle? I didn't see any on the property."

"Oh, they are usually graze in some outlying pastures we rotate them through—the ranch spans five hundred acres. My parents acquired adjacent land over the years of their marriage, amassing more than seven hundred acres in total. Terry got a piece of that land as well; he set up his ranch right on the other side from mine."

"And Terry's line of work?"

"He's following in mom's footsteps as a rancher while Sierra works as a nurse."

"That's right; she mentioned that before. But tell me—why such an elaborate residence for a bachelor like yourself?"

Ryder weighed his words with care before replying, "You know, I might not have foreseen it happening soon but I always knew at some point I'd want to settle down – find a partner, start a family—and that meant building a home not just for now but for a lifetime. I've planned every detail with that future in mind."

"Do you never envision living anywhere else?"

"Leave? No way—that's non-negotiable for me. This is where my roots are deeply planted—with ma here and Terry close by—I'm staying put." When silence lingered on the other end of the line he probed gently, "Isobel? You still there?"

"Yes, still here," she responded softly.

"There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Go ahead, Ryder."

"Could you ever envision yourself embracing life out here in the countryside?"

After thinking for a moment Isobel replied, "A couple of months back? Absolutely not."

"And now?"

"Now...I'd say it's within the realm of possibility."

At her words, Ryder couldn't suppress his grin, feeling reassured by her response.