Page 72 of Cowboy Elite 2: Mike

“What about the guests?” Liv asked. This is opening you all up to massive liability.”

“Already cancelled,” Joe said. “The last group left after Harris.”

“My God. I feel so guilty. I’ve brought danger to your door. Now it’s threatening your livelihood. I swear I’ll pay you back.”

Joe shook his head and chuckled. “No need to worry, Liv. We run this guest ranch because Mike loves it and gets to show off his cooking skills. I assure you, our finances are solid. With or without guests.”

“Durn right,” Quentin said.

“Says the man who flies a private jet and owns more sports cars than’s decent,” Mike said with a grin.

“No harm in bragging when it’s the truth,” Quentin shot back.

Liv stood there in awe, then said, "Okay, let's do this."

No one bothered to go back to bed. They stayed up the rest of the pre-dawn hours, planning.

Kenny drew up defensive positions on a map of the property. Joe coordinated with his federal contacts and set up encrypted communication channels. Lyle reached out to the sheriff's office and several neighboring ranches, quietly letting them know the Watkins might need backup in the coming days.

And Liv sat at the kitchen table with Heather, making lists.

Food. Supplies. Emergency protocols. Who would watch Charlotte if things went south. Thankfully, they didn’t have to plan evacuation for guests.

The practical, necessary work of preparing for war.

And slowly, the sky began to lighten.

Dawn came in shades of pink and gold, painting the ranch in soft light. The roosters started their morning call. Cattle lowed in distant pastures. The world woke up the same way it always did, oblivious to the fact that everything had changed.

Mike held out his hand and Liv took it, letting him lead her out on the porch as the sun crested the horizon. She settled on the swing, which was one of her favorite spots. This morning, though, she felt exposed, wondering if someone was hiding in the tree line, snapping more photos.

"You okay?" he asked, settling beside her.

"I don't know." She leaned into him when his arm came around her shoulders. "I keep thinking, what if I'm wrong? What if staying here gets people killed?"

"And what if running gets you killed?" His voice was gentle but firm. "Liv, there are no guarantees. Not in this. But I'd rather face whatever's coming with you here, surrounded by people who love you, than spend the rest of my life wondering if you made it."

"I'm so scared, Mike."

"I know. Me too." He kissed the top of her head. "But we're scared together. And that's gotta count for something."

They sat in silence, watching the sun paint the world gold.

Behind them, the house was waking up. Charlotte's laugh drifted through an open window. Arletta's voice calling for someone to set the table. The familiar, ordinary sounds of morning on a working ranch.

Normal. Precious. Worth fighting for.

"I don’t want to lose this," Liv said quietly.

"No," Mike agreed. "We won’t."

And for just a moment, wrapped in his warmth and the golden light of a Texas sunrise, Liv let herself believe it might be true.

They'd fight.

They'd stand.

And maybe, just maybe, they'd win.