Eyes wide, I stare at him in shock. “Dad? What are you doing here?”
He drops his gaze to the ground and sighs. Usually, he’s full of arrogance and gives off that vibe, but today it’s different. I barely recognize the man in front of me, especially when he lifts his eyes to mine.
“I want to talk to you,” he says, his voice low. His attention catches something over my shoulder and when I look back, Colby is there, his jaw tense. My father clears his throat. “Actually, I’d like to talk to both of you.”
Colby glances from him to me and nods. “All right.”
Instead of my father coming inside, Colby takes my hand and we walk out onto the front porch. My dad stares at us both for a few minutes and I can see the pain on his face. The last time I saw him like that was when my mom died.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs. He holds out his hand to Colby. “For everything. I never should’ve done what I did with Maximus and I never should’ve treated you the way I did. I was wrong. You deserved the win.”
Colby stares at him for a few seconds before shaking his hand. “Thank you.”
Then my dad turns to me. “And I never should’ve said what I did to you. You’re all I have left in this world. It’s killed me being apart from you the past few weeks.”
Tears fill my eyes and I let them fall. I throw my arms around his neck and hug him tight. “It’s killed me too.”
He cries too which hurts my heart even more. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Please say you can forgive me.”
“Of course, I can,” I whisper, my throat hitching with my cries. Never in my life have I ever heard him apologize for anything.
He lets me go and smiles, his expression genuine. “You’re more than welcome to come back to work for me. I’d love to have you.”
For the past two weeks, I’ve been jobless and I kind of like it. It’s something I needed. Taking a step back, I wrap my arm around Colby’s waist. “Dad, I think I’m going to take more time off. I need it. It’s been good to step away for a while.”
The sadness on his face grows, but he nods in understanding. “Okay. But if you don’t come back to work for me, please say you’ll come and visit.” He turns his sad smile to Colby. “Both of you. I’d love to have you over for dinner. I want us to be able to move forward … together.”
Colby extends his hand. “I’d like that.”
They shake and it warms my heart. My dad kisses the top of my head. “I’m glad you’re happy,” he whispers. Turning on his heel, he heads to his car and drives away, waving at us before leaving the driveway.
Colby blows out a breath. “That went shockingly well.”
Giggling, I turn to him and laugh. “It did. I honestly don’t know what to say. I never thought I’d have my dad back.”
He pulls me in closer. “I know, and I know it hurt you.”
I nod. “It did. Now I truly feel like things are the way they should be.”
Colby bites his lip and smiles. “Maybe now we can make our dreams come true.”
“Which is?” I ask.
He brushes his lips against mine. “You’ll see.”
Epilogue
6 Months Later
Fall has arrived. I always think of change when autumn comes. It’s my favorite time of the year. The leaves are nothing but a rainbow of red, yellow, green, orange, and brown, and the weather is perfect. My world has done a complete turnaround since the derby. I love who I’ve become, but what I love most is being able to share it with Colby.
When Colby made the comment about making our dreams come true, he meant it. For the past six months, that’s all we’ve been doing … making our dreams a reality. I walk into the newly built stables which are now owned by Colby and his father. Hensley Stables has grown into a phenomenon since partnering with Lucky Seven Ranch. Their names have soared in the derby circuit. Now everyone wants a Hensley trainer for their horses.
Colby stands by the middle stall, resting on his elbows and smiling down at what has to be Rigel, the newly born foal he helped deliver just a week ago. I slowly close the distance and wrap my arm around his waist.
“Hey,” I whisper.
Colby kisses the top of my head. “Hey.”
I peek over the stall door to see Rigel sleeping on the floor beside his mother. His chocolate-colored coat is the shiniest I’ve ever seen on a horse. We call him Rigel because it’s the name of the brightest star in Orion. He also has a white star shape on his chest.