Chapter 47
The drive out to the ranch felt longer than usual, the road stretching endlessly between the fields. I didn’t even know why I was going there—only that when I left the doctor’s office, Wes’s name was the first thing that came to mind. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was something deeper.
The sky was still heavy with clouds when I pulled up to the barn. The smell of hay and rain hit me as soon as I stepped out of the car. Inside, I heard the steady rhythm of metal against hoof.
Wes was there, crouched beside one of the horses, his sleeves rolled up, forearms dusted with dirt and sweat. He looked focused, calm, completely in his element while putting shoes on the horse. The sight of him like that made my heart thud so hard it almost hurt.
He didn’t notice me at first. I stood there for a moment, watching him work, the quiet strength in every movement. Then I cleared my throat softly.
He looked up, surprise flickering across his face. “Maisie.”
“Hey,” I said, my voice barely steady. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
He straightened, wiping his hands on a rag. “You’re not interrupting. Everything okay?”
I nodded, though my hands were trembling. “I had a doctor’s appointment today.”
His expression shifted instantly—concern, curiosity, something else I couldn’t name. “Is everything alright? The baby?”
“He’s fine,” I said, and the word caught in my throat. “It’s a boy.”
For a second, he just stared at me. Then a slow, stunned smile spread across his face. “A boy?”
I nodded, pulling the ultrasound photo from my bag. “Here. This is him.”
He took the picture carefully, like it was something fragile. His thumb brushed over the tiny outline on the paper. “He’s… wow.” He laughed softly, shaking his head. “He’s really in there.”
“he is,” I said, smiling despite the lump in my throat.
He looked up at me, eyes bright. “He’s beautiful.”
The air between us felt charged, full of things neither of us knew how to say. I took a breath, steadying myself. “The doctor told me something else today.”
He frowned slightly. “What’s that?”
“They can do a non-invasive paternity test now. It’s just a blood draw and a cheek swab. It’s safe for the baby.”
He went still, the smile fading from his face. “You mean… we could know?”
“Yes,” I said quietly. “If you’re willing to come in tomorrow, they can take your sample.”
He looked down at the photo again, then back at me. “And Preston?”
“I figured that I would ask you first and then we can see if you are or not and then go from there.”
He nodded slowly, his jaw tightening. “Yeah okay.”
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The rain started again outside, soft against the barn roof. The horse shifted, snorting quietly, as if sensing the tension.
Finally, Wes said, “I’ll do it. Whatever you need.”
Relief washed through me, though it was tangled with something heavier. “Thank you.”
He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell the faint mix of leather and rain on his skin. “Maisie,” he said softly, “no matter what that test says, I’m not walking away. You hear me?”
My breath caught. “Wes—”
“I mean it,” he said, his voice low but steady. “You don’t have to do this alone and I already let you go once and I am not doing it again.”
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to let myself lean into the warmth in his eyes, the promise in his voice. But all I could do was nod. “Okay.”
He smiled faintly, handing the photo back to me. “He’s lucky, you know. To have you.”
I tucked the picture safely into my bag, my heart pounding. “We’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
As I turned to leave, he called after me. “Maisie?”
I looked back.
He was standing there in the doorway of the barn, rain misting around him, the faintest smile on his lips. “Thank you for coming here first.”
I didn’t trust myself to answer. I just smiled, climbed into my car, and drove away.
For the first time in a long while, the road ahead didn’t feel so uncertain.