Roping The Cowgirl's Heart

Chapter 4

Savannah

I stumbled out of bed, my head pounding and my heart heavy in my chest. I'd spent the night tossing and turning. My mind was spinning with the weight of Daddy's will and the impossible task he'd laid at my feet.

Six months. That was all I had to find a husband, to tie the knot and secure my inheritance. Six months to save the only home I'd ever known, the only life I'd ever wanted.

It was a cruel twist of fate, a sick joke that left me reeling. How was I supposed to find love on a deadline? To build a marriage from scratch when my heart was still raw and not ready to move on from a lost love from long ago?

I pushed the thought away, my jaw clenching as I tugged on my boots and headed downstairs. I couldn't afford to wallow, couldn't let myself get lost in the what-ifs and might-have-beens. I had work to do, a ranch to run, and a family to keep together.

Even if that family was about to be scattered to the winds.

I walked into the kitchen, the scent of coffee and bacon hitting me like a punch to the gut. Grace was at the stove, her blonde hair pulled back in a messy braid and her face set in a tight, tense line. Liam and Ethan were at the table. Their bags were packed, and their eyes fixed on their plates like they held the secrets of the universe.

"Morning," I said, my voice rough with sleep and unshed tears. "You boys all packed and ready to go?"

Liam looked up, his dark eyes soft with sympathy. "Yeah, Sav. We're all set. Just wanted to grab a quick bite before we hit the road."

I nodded, my throat tight as I poured myself a cup of coffee. I couldn't look at them, couldn't meet their eyes and see the pity and the regret that I knew would be there. They were leaving, abandoning ship just when I needed them most. And I couldn't even blame them for it.

Ethan cleared his throat, his voice low and rough. "Listen, Sav. I know this isn't easy. I know you're probably pissed as hell at us for bailing on you like this."

I snorted, my grip tightening on my mug. "Pissed doesn't even begin to cover it, Ethan. But what choice do I have? You've got your music in Texas, and Liam's got his degree in California. I can't ask you to put your lives on hold just because Daddy had some crazy idea about me getting hitched."

Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's crazy, Savannah. But it's what he wanted, what he thought was best for the ranch and for you."

I laughed, the sound harsh and brittle in the quiet kitchen. "Best for me? How is forcing me to marry some stranger best for me, Liam? How is putting a ticking clock on my future, on my happiness, anything but cruel and selfish?"

"Sav, remember... you don't have to do this..." Liam said.

Grace flinched, her eyes bright with tears. "Sav, don't. Please. Daddy loved you, loved us all. He was just trying to do what he thought was best."

I shook my head, my vision blurring with tears. "Well, he was wrong, Gracie. He was wrong to put this on me. It was wrong to make me choose between my own heart and the ranch that's been in our family for generations."

Ethan pushed back from the table, his face set in a hard, stubborn line. "Then don't choose, Savannah. Tell the lawyers to shove it, tell the world to go to hell. Come with me to Austin, start a new life away from all this bullshit and drama. You and Gracie..."

I stared at him, my heart clenching in my chest. A part of me wanted to say yes, wanted to throw caution to the wind and run as far and as fast as I could. But I knew I couldn't, knew that Double M was more than just a piece of land and a herd of cattle.