Faith stood on their porch, seeing his truck disappear in the distance before she walked back into the house and sat Cheyenne down in her high chair.
“Ma-ma!” she said, excitedly tapping her hands on the table while she waited for her breakfast.
“Yes, sweetheart. It will be ready soon,” Faith replied, grabbing some fruit from the fridge and instant oatmeal from the cupboard. While the oats cooked in the microwave, she cut the apples and pears on a wooden cutting board, turning towards her daughter soon after.
“Here, princess.” She put the fruits in front of her, cooling down the oats before putting them on the table as well.
Sitting down in front of Cheyenne, she opened the laptop that she kept on the dining chair and started browsing for fashion schools online where she could apply.
Excitement ran through her, and she couldn't wait to be a part of one.
After spending a good amount of time searching, she didn’t have as much luck as she hoped. Nothing appealed to her, and for some reason, she was not only disappointed, but felt sort of relieved.
Faith didn’t even know why she felt that way, but she did.
As she looked at her daughter, a smile escaped her lips. What if it was meant to be this way? She thought.
Cheyenne was a blessing for her and she wouldn’t change it for anything in the world, even if she had wanted to finish her degree.
Pearl started to bark out on the porch, alerting her of a visitor. It was a happy bark, so she assumed it was Palmer or Christopher.
When she walked out, her best friend was getting out of her SUV, a brand new Dodge Durango. Faith smiled at her as she walked over, her arms outstretched and ready for a hug.
“That’s a nice vehicle. I thought you were into Pickup trucks,” she mentioned as she pulled away.
“Yes, but Christopher and I plan on having a family soon, so this was more convenient,” Palmer replied.
“What about your honeymoon?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow. I still have to arrange a few things at the ranch before I leave. Mom and Dad decided to go on a trip themselves. Some long overdue vacation, according to them.”
Seeing Palmer being successful made her happy, but also had her mind filled with dread. Gunner and she had his father’s ranch, but after his passing, they had been warned about a possible foreclosure, something they didn't want to tell anyone.
Especially their friends.
“Hey, are you okay?” Palmer asked, noticing how quiet Faith was.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just a bit worried. Gunner told me to find a school online so I can finish my degree, but so far, no luck.”
Palmer ran her hands on her arms in reassurance, giving her a soft smile.
“It will all work out.”
Easy for you to say, you have it all, she thought as she gave her a smile herself. Since when had she felt jealous of her friend? She was happy with her success and her achievements. But all she wished for was to be able to provide for the family as well.
Gunner was struggling to make ends meet himself. Being an athlete in the Olympics would have set them up for years to come and maybe be able to save the ranch, but he couldn’t even do that.
“Do you want to come in for coffee? I have some extra from what I brewed earlier for Gunner,” Faith offered.
“Oh, yes. Pleaaaase!” Palmer replied; a pleading smile on her face as if having caffeine would save her life. Faith laughed, linking her arm on her friend's elbow as they both walked into the house, chatting up a storm about Palmer’s plans for her honeymoon.
~♡~♡~♡~
Gunner parked his truck in front of his veterinary clinic, taking a deep breath before he turned the ignition off and stepped out onto the pavement. As he stood there, he couldn’t help but think of how different life could be had he gone to the Olympics like he planned since he was in high school.
Life works in funny ways, he thought as he locked the truck with a single beep of his key’s remote controller and walked inside the clinic.
Being a veterinarian was something he wanted as a kid, and he was grateful to have a paying job on something he loved, but he wasn't happy. He wanted to provide more for his family.
“Good morning, Dr. Travis,” Gina, the receptionist, an older lady with graying hair and brown eyes, greeted him as soon as he walked through the glass doors that led him into the small waiting area.
“Morning, Gina. Any news on the dog that Sheriff Fisher rescued?” He asked, picking up the folders from the counter before giving them a once-over. He had to see ten patients today, not enough to cover his quota of the day, but he'll take it.
He always made up with house calls to the ranches to check on the horses and the cattle.
“Is Sam here?”
Gina rolled her eyes discreetly, as she didn't like his assistant. Samantha Landon had arrived from California a few months ago, looking to get some internship hours, lucky to have found Gunner's. Even though it was a small clinic, she enjoyed her job.
She was tall, with blonde hair and green eyes. Charming for some men, and hated by some women.
Samantha could've been a model in a magazine and Gunner had always wondered why she was a veterinary assistant instead?
“Yes, she's in the back, attending to one of the dogs who had given birth overnight.”
“Why did no one call me?” he asked, dropping the folders on the counter and making his way towards the back of the clinic to see Fern, one of the dogs who was pregnant when she was run over by a car on the county road.
She was a stray pitbull-boxer mix, and whoever owned her didn't hesitate in abandoning her. Let alone about to give birth.
"You were at your friend's wedding?" Gina stated with a smile.
Shaking his head, Gunner walked in, smiling at the sight of Sam weighing the puppies and helping them latch on their momma.
“You're already becoming an expert, Miss Landon. I'm impressed,” he said as he picked up one of the puppies to make sure it didn't have any issues with its health.
“Well, I love to impress my mentor. I want to be a vet one day,” she flirted, making Gunner uncomfortable and regretting flattering her so much. He was sure Faith wouldn’t like it.
Ignoring her words, he put the puppy down with his momma and headed to his office, sitting down on his desk and sighing, not knowing what to make of this. Between Faith's unfinished degree, the threat of losing the ranch hanging over their heads, and a job he didn't want anymore, he was bound to go crazy.
But he was holding on for his family.
As he looked at the picture of Faith and Cheyenne, sitting on their porch swing, he smiled, knowing he couldn’t wait to marry her.
A few hours had gone by when Gina walked into his office.
“Doctor Travis, Miss Wright needs you at her ranch. Says one of her horses might be sick,” she said. He was thankful she did as he couldn’t get out of his stuffy office fast enough and take some fresh air. And it had only been half a day.
Ordering the ladies to watch over the clinic, he headed towards his truck and drove to Palmer's ranch to check on her sick horse. He preferred to be out in the heat of the sun than stuck inside. Maybe not so much dealing with loud animals, but with an assistant who wouldn’t let him be until she’s gotten his attention, just the way she wanted.
As soon as he arrived, Palmer walked out of the stables to meet him and led him towards Goliath, who was barely standing. “What do we have here?” He asked, setting the bag down before he opened it to pull a pair of gloves out of it. “I'm not sure, Gunner. This is how he woke up, and I haven't seen any of our horses sick like this in years. I've been trying to reach Mom and Dad, but they're not answering,” Palmer replied, concerned. This was the horse that had gone wild on her years ago, but she still loved him. Gunner grabbed a small tube and took a sample of some yellowish fluid coming out of his nose. He observed it before putting it in the bag, along with the other test tubes. “I'm taking these to the lab and will check what he has, but judging by the way the fluid coming out of his nose looks, he might have Equine Influenza,” he replied, grabbing a towel to clean the horse. “I figured. Just wanted to make sure,” she mentioned, not looking at Gunner straight into his eyes as
The next morning, Gunner heard Cheyenne cry through the baby monitor as he fluttered his eyes open before realizing she had gotten quiet not long later. Gently moving Faith away from his lap, he laid her back down on the couch, making his way towards their daughter’s bedroom to check on her; only to find her unconscious. “Cheyenne?” he called, shaking her softly, thinking she was being a little prankster, but when she didn’t move, he grew anxious. “Cheyenne!” Swiftly picking her up from her crib, he ran towards the truck desperately, while shouting at Faith to wake up. She opened her eyes and saw him get out of the house, his back the last thing she saw as he pushed the screen door open. “What’s wrong, Gunner?” she asked, putting her shoes on as her heart beat erratically, knowing there was something wrong. As soon as she made it into the truck, Gunner handed her their daughter, running around the truck before getting in and driving off. He wasn’t sure how he was even able to g
Palmer and Christopher hurried to the hospital, worried about their friends and their daughter. He parked the car in the closest spot available before they both headed inside, asking the receptionist where Cheyenne’s room was. “I’m sorry, but visitors are not allowed at this time, unless they’re family,” she said, giving Palmer an apologetic smile. “It’s okay, she’s my sister,” Faith lied, but right now she wanted her best friend with her. She looked as if she hadn't slept in days, and there were bags under her eyes. She led them both to Cheyenne’s room and Palmer quickly approached the little girl’s bed, caressing her soft hair as she looked at her with a sweet smile on her face. “What can we do to help?” Christopher asked Gunner, who shrugged as both men stood by the end of the bed, looking at his daughter, who was pale and frail. “There’s not much to do unless there’s an organ donor. But it takes a lot of money to put her on the waiting list,” he replied. Palmer looked at hi
The days seemed like years for the couple as they waited for a sign that their daughter would be okay. Faith laid next to Cheyenne, stroking her pale chubby cheeks while feeling exhausted from crying and not sleeping enough. Singing her a lullaby song, she was desperate to see her run around as if nothing had happened. It had been torture, and she was ready to go crazy. She heard Gunner walk in with a tray of food from the cafeteria, setting it down on the table next to the bed before wheeling it towards Faith. “Faith, you need to eat something, darling,” he whispered to get her attention without waking Cheyenne up from her nap. She looked at him with tired eyes and a faint smile as she sat up, seeing the hot pastrami sandwich and a chicken salad. “I’m not hungry, Gunner,” she said, her eyes going back to their daughter. “All I want is for her to get better.” He pulled her up from the bed, enveloped her in his arms, and swayed side to side in an attempt to soothe her. The pain a
“Thank you, doctor. You have no idea how much this means to me,” Faith said, holding his hands and kissing his knuckles in gratitude. “No worries, Miss Hilton. You should thank Grace Fisher for convincing the board to put Cheyenne on the list,” he replied. Faith looked at Connor with a smile on her face and without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Thank you so much for being here, saving my daughter.” Connor smiled at her as she pulled back while he held her hands, looking straight into her beautiful eyes. He put a strand of hair behind her ear, making her feel slightly uncomfortable, especially since she was with Gunner and another man touching her intimately was not appropriate. As if sensing her tension, he pulled away, apologizing for touching her that way. “How about I invite you for coffee? We can catch up for old times sake,” he offered, and just as she was about to accept the invitation, Gunner walked in with a frown on his face whil
Palmer woke up with the morning sun sneaking through their silky curtains, stretching her limbs as she sighed contentedly. Rubbing her eyes open, she looked to her side, only to find Christopher sitting at the edge of the bed, groaning. “What’s wrong?” she asked, scooting over to him while covering her naked body with the sheets. They had made love all night, but there was something strange about their passionate moment. It was as if Christopher wasn’t there with her. “Nothing, baby. I guess you just exhausted me last night,” he replied, getting up from the bed, holding back a groan of pain on his penis before heading towards the bathroom to take a shower. Determined to find out what had Christopher acting that way, Palmer put on a bathrobe and followed him. As she opened the door, she saw him standing in the shower, his hand against the wall, and his head hung low. She sighed, took her bathrobe off, and joined him, embracing him from behind as she kissed his back, suddenly conce
A few moments later, Gunner came back with the cup of tea. “Here, this should calm you down a bit,” he mentioned. “Thank you,” she replied, taking a sip before facing Faith again, “I don’t want to think he’s having problems in that area. It would devastate him to know he won’t be able to procreate.” “You don’t know if that’s the problem. Wait for him to tell you after he finds out what’s wrong with him,” Faith replied, rubbing her back. Dr. Miles and Connor walked out of the operation room and approached them with big smiles on their faces, shaking Gunner’s hand. “How’s my daughter, doctor?” he asked after he she stood up from the chair and approached them. “The surgery went well. All we need to do is keep her in the recovery room, and then we’ll let you know when you can see her. We’ll keep a close eye on her to make sure she won’t reject the heart given to her,” Dr. Miles said, and that didn’t soothe Faith’s nerves. “What do you mean, make sure she doesn't reject it?” she aske
Weeks have gone by and little Cheyenne was finally ready to be discharged. After a few follow-ups, the doctors have decided to send her home, ordering Faith and Gunner to bring her back every month for a regular check-up. “Thank you so much, doctor. You have no idea how happy it makes me seeing my daughter healthy,” Faith said as she dressed her up, Cheyenne showing her happy smile at her mother while she tugged at her curls. “It was nothing really. You should thank Grace Fisher and her son. They were both able to make a valid point to save this little one's life,” he replied, ruffling Cheyenne's hair, making her squeal and giggle. The nurse walked in with the discharge papers, handing them to Faith as Gunner picked their daughter up in his arms and walked out of the room; towards the exit. The ride back to their home was silent, tense even, as they made their way through the beautiful landscapes Cheyenne loved to see every time they took a trip. “Ma-ma! Cows!” She screamed exc