The Unwanted Runaway

Realized

Denton’s POV

Since I told Sarah to leave my life, I've been feeling a weight lifted off my shoulders. Seeing Anna holding my newborn niece, Izzy, last night made me realize that things with Sarah were never going to improve. We couldn't even agree on a wedding date and she always seemed to prioritize spending money and hanging out with her friends over our relationship. She even manipulates her ex-husband, Sam, into doing things for her, both legally and illegally. It's become unbearable to deal with both Sarah and her troublesome son, Seth.

Four months after we got engaged, she revealed that she had her tubes tied due to complications during the delivery of Seth. I tried to reassure her that we could always adopt or foster, but she only wanted to have one child and believed they were too much work. She cherished her "me time" and saw having kids as an interference. I had hoped that spending time with my family and seeing how well my niece and nephews are doing might have changed her mind, but I guess growing up as an only child with two veterinarian parents had made her spoiled."

As I reflected on mine and Sarah’s relationship, I couldn't ignore the fact that Sarah never wanted to spend time with my family, despite their constant kindness and welcoming attitude towards her. She always acted superior to them and I had to constantly plead with her to join me in spending time with my sister-in-law so my family wouldn't think she hated them for no reason. It became clear that our relationship was going nowhere and I had to end it.

As I thought of Anna, a realization settled in - I couldn't deny my feelings for her any longer. I had been hoping to see her today, but she seemed to be avoiding me. It was unusual, as she usually helps out at the orchard on Wednesdays. However, with Nikki just returning from the hospital after giving birth, Anna was probably there helping my Ma. I saddled up my stallion Sunbeam and galloped down to the orchard, hoping to catch a glimpse of Anna and talk to her.

I knew I needed to apologize for my angry outburst last night, and I was pretty sure she thought I was upset with her. But in reality, I was more furious with Sarah. I was aware of what Anna had done, and I was grateful for her quick thinking when she got Seth off of EJ. Thanks to her, Brooke was able to reset his nose and stitch up his brow. Brooke's nursing skills were truly impressive, and I was thankful for her assistance as well.

As my horse galloped through the lush orchard, I scanned the area for my mother, hoping she had seen Anna. I finally spotted her and eagerly asked, "Ma, have you seen Anna?"

But my hopes were dashed when Ma shook her head. "No, I haven't," she replied.

Suddenly, a deep voice rang out from the nearby orchard tree. "Yeah, she left after making breakfast for Nikki and me," the voice said. "Brooke took her into town."

Looking up, I recognized my brother-in-law Josh. "Hey Josh," I called out. "Aren't you supposed to be taking care of your wife and newborn?"

Josh chuckled. "Yeah, that's why I'm out here helping your mother," he explained. "We want Nikki to have time to recover from giving birth. And in case you were wondering, Mia has the baby Izzy and Zek for the next two hours so Nikki can take a peaceful nap."

I turned my horse around and headed back to the ranch, feeling a mix of emotions. As I put my horse in his stall next to Peanut Butter, I couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth seeing them side by side. I made sure to check on the foals, eager to see how they were doing.

We still hadn't named Peanut Butter's young foal, and I could hear Jason taking care of the little one in the stables across from me. I walked over to him and greeted him with a smile. "Hey Jason, have you seen Anna around lately?" I asked, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

Jason responded, "She went to town with Brooke."

I couldn't help but feel disappointed. "Did Anna tell you what name she came up with for this little guy?" Jason continued, brushing the foal's hair.

I shook my head, "Nope. She's been avoiding me."

Jason chuckled, "Well, she named the foal Hershey Kiss. But I think we should just stick with Hershey. It's bad enough we let Lily name Peanut Butter."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "I agree. But it's not like I intentionally avoided Anna. I just needed some space after what happened with Ann a couple of weeks ago."

Jason gave me a knowing look. "I know, Denton. But now you know how it feels. Anna is most likely avoiding you for the same reason."

I sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "I don't like it. I really want to talk to her."

Jason patted my back, "I'm sure you'll have your chance. Just give her some time."

"Hey, I just had a thought...why don't we bring Anna with us to deliver a couple of the colts down in Kentucky?" Jason suggested with a hopeful tone.

I paused for a moment, considering his idea. "Actually, I was planning on having you and one other guy come with me," I responded., she probably wouldn't want to be stuck in the truck for that long. And who knows, we might end up staying longer if the weather turns bad."

But then, I had a sudden realization. "Wait a minute, that's actually a great idea!" I exclaimed to Jason. "If you see Anna before I do, can you let her know to pack her bags? She's coming with us on this road trip to deliver some horses. Just be specific and don't scare her, okay?"

Jason chuckled and replied, "You got it, boss."