struggling ranch her family had owned for generations. Three years, she'd been engaged to Jake Mitchell, three years of holding onto a future that felt increasingly like

, and her father, bless his heart, was often lost in a fog of his own, leaving Sarah to shoulder most of the burdens. She found her escape, her

call from Jake's number. She'd missed it,

d and careless, then

ir BBQ tomorrow, y

a bit. She's basically my parents' charity case, you kno

cold stones. Charity case. Easy to manag

y, after a six-month stint for his father's company. He'd called earlier, hi

ah

t onto the porch, his

coming b

d, not meet

's done a lot for us. Y

She understoo

ettled slowly. Jake climbed out of the driver's side, looking different. Sharper, harder,

e passenger

lry. Tiffany Reynolds, a name Sarah vaguely recogn

h as he walked towards the porc

e said, hi

and down, a small, dismi

en them. "Sarah, this is Ti

wait for p

just going to be s

eyes finally meeting h

The rodeo, the excitement. You, with your quiet farm ways,

expecting an ar

s, the one she'd given Jake – flashing in her mind. It was her only significant memento,

ice taking on an impatient e

djusting a large,

that comes after the storm has already hit. The vo