Free Coming Home to Texas by Allie Pleiter Page B

knows?”
    â€œEllie Buckton’s fiancé cheated on her with her best friend. Oldest story in the book, isn’t it? It feels like everyone in Atlanta knew my relationship with Derek was on the rocks before I did. How can you feel that close to someone and in reality be so far away?” She’d cast on the full amount of stitches—not many for such a tiny pair of booties—and now turned the needles to start the first row. “I feel stupid. As if I was too dazzled to see Derek wasn’t head-over-heels in love with me anymore—if he ever was at all. It’s humiliating to think all my friends are all saying ‘Poor, ignorant Ellie’ behind my back.”
    â€œDon’t you think there are some saying ‘Ellie’s better off without a cheating louse like Derek Harding’?” Brooke shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “I know that’s what Gunner is saying. Quite a bit worse than that, if I’m honest.”
    Ellie managed a giggle. “Is it wrong that I love how ticked off Gunner is at Derek? Makes me feel...I don’t know...defended.” She continued stitching, delighting in the softness of the yarn and the hopeful feeling it gave her to make something for her coming nephew. She loved Audie, happily considered herself Audie’s aunt, but to know the child to be born this September would be the first Buckton in so many years and the start of the next generation of Bucktons on the Blue Thorn? That was a blessing beyond counting. “I’m glad to think Gunner’s in my corner, you know?”
    â€œHe’s so happy to have you on the ranch. Your gran is and I am, too. But—” Brooke seemed to choose her next words carefully “—he knows you won’t stay.”
    Ellie halted her stitching again. “I have to go back to Atlanta. I told him that the first night I was home. Who am I if I let a jerk like Derek drive me back home and away from my own life in Atlanta? I’m not saying I’ll never come back, but today just showed me all over again why I left. I know you and Gunner are happy here, but this town is too small for me. I need bigger dreams than I can have here. I know Gunner understands that.” Gunner certainly should understand that. He’d left the ranch for several years—run as far away from it as he could, actually—before coming back after their father died. Those had been tense, raw times. Ellie was glad things were completely different now.
    â€œSo you won’t even consider staying? What about this venture with the bison fiber? Couldn’t that be a big enough dream?”
    Ellie waved the thought away. “It’s a good side venture for the ranch and absolutely worth doing, but it’s nothing I could build a career on. If it works—” she pointed one of the needles emphatically at Brooke “—and it will work—the most it can amount to is a steady project for me. A minor income stream, my bit for the family ranch, a hobby venture if you will.”
    â€œSo why do it at all? It sounds like a lot of work for just a hobby.”
    â€œBecause I’ve always wanted to. I’ve been toying with the idea since Gunner brought bison onto the ranch. It’s a way to put my mark on the Blue Thorn the same way Gunner has put his. Okay, I admit part of the appeal is to prove Gunner wrong when he thinks it’s silly.”
    â€œYou’re just going to make your point and then ride off into the sunset?” Brooke actually sounded disappointed.
    Ellie finished the next row. “I’m going to make my point so I can have something that doesn’t make me feel like a total failure.” She turned her work and thrust the needle into the fabric to start a new row. “And then I’m going to go back and repair my trashed life in Atlanta. Find a real guy with solid values and no online fan base of foodie groupies.”
    That popped