Wild and Wrangled (Rebel Blue Ranch, #4)

by Lyla Sage

nothing lasts forever, you know. Not even goodbyes. Welcome home. Lyla

“Like Applebee’s?” “Meh.” I shrugged. “Not my favorite, but I like all the iterations of Applebee’s.” “What do you mean?” “Well,” I said, “right now, we’re at Southwest Applebee’s. Texas Roadhouse is like Cowboy Applebee’s, and Olive Garden is Italian Applebee’s.” “Red Lobster?” Cam chimed in. “Seafood Applebee’s. We should go there next,” I said.

“Yeah,” I said. “Just don’t want to get my hopes up, you know?” “Let’s manifest the Teddy Andersen approach to life: Only have a Plan A and trust everything works out,”

Clementine usually finds a way to get what she wants.” “Did you just admit she’s spoiled?” Gus asked. Amos shook his head. “Not spoiled, loved.”

I hoped she would never feel unloved or disposable. I hoped she had dreams and that she was brave enough to go after them. But I never wanted the hopes and expectations I had for her to overshadow the hopes and expectations she had for herself. Because if I did my job right, she would have them, and they would be wonderful.

Amos and Hank were at each end of the table, then Riley, Gus, Teddy, Emmy, and Brooks on one side. Then, my mom next to Hank, Ada, Wes, Cam, and me.

Try to draw this table and connect the relationships everyone has as this is very tightn it and interconnected

When we first saw it, both Stella and I thought that we’d never be able to fill it with people—it was so big, and at that time, it was just the two of us.” “So, today, when I look around and see this full table”—Amos scrunched his nose a little bit—“it makes this old man’s heart feel damn close to bursting. Stella taught me that the family you choose is just as important—sometimes more—than the one you’re born with. Everyone here is part of that family that Stella and I dreamed about.” Amos lifted his pint glass, and the rest of us followed suit. “Cheers,” he said.

Ugh, Amos and his big soft heart 😭

“Why do you keep them?” Dusty leaned forward until our foreheads were touching. I didn’t pull away. “Because they’re all I had left of you.”

My heart ❤

Now, I had all of those things, but they came with the fear that I would lose him again. The fear was almost debilitating, but so was the desire to be close to him—so much so that when it was just me alone with my thoughts, I wished I hadn’t pulled away.

So here is the reason why she has been so hesitent

know?” Emmy nodded. “Hope is good, though, right?” “Depends,” I said with a shrug. “On what?” “On whether or not you’re hoping for something that’s never going to happen.”

“I’m bored,” she said with a huff. “And I can’t reach the Fruit Roll-Ups in the pantry.” “A tragedy,” I responded. “Where’s your mom?” “She’s asleep in her office.” Riley sighed. My spine straightened. “Is she okay?” Riley nodded. “She was working. I think she got tired.” “You didn’t wake her up?” “She doesn’t wake me up when I’m tired.”

I always hit my dashboard when I went through a yellow light because we used to pretend it would supercharge us to make it through the intersection before it changed to red.

“You mean in case I ever forced you to come with me?” Dusty shook his head. “No. You’re a privilege, Cam. Being in your presence is a goddamn honor.” I looked over his shoulder instead of at him. What the hell was I supposed to say to that? “I can’t believe you did that when you were so young…for someone who wasn’t even a sure thing,” I said. I felt his shoulder shrug under my hand. “You’ve always been a sure thing to me,” he said softly.

Dustyyyyyyyyyy!! 😭❤

The bravest thing you can do when you love someone is work hard to keep them—to hold on to them with everything you’ve got—and even when you loosen your grip, you don’t let go.”