"Renne, what a surprise. We weren't expecting to see you back here. How are you?" Sandra Ramon stood awkwardly in front of her son's ex-girlfriend, or ex-fiancee, if you wanted to count the very short time her and Matt were engaged. Sandra had wanted to hug Renne, or at least shake her hand to be cordial, but she wasn't sure how appropriate that would be considering they hadn't seen each other, or really spoken, for over a year. Not to mention that Sandra noticed Renne's "new" boyfriend was present as well.

        "I am doin' great! My boyfriend, Swayde, tagged along on this trip with me to help me move all of my stuff back home to Wyoming. I decided to give him the tour of town while we were out here." Renne motioned to Swayde, reminding Sandra that he was there. 

      "Nice to meet you." Mrs. Ramon nodded to Swayde, not offering her hand, or more than two seconds of her attention before turning back to Renne. "How long are you in town for?" 

      Renne glanced at her boyfriend before looking back to Sandra. "I'm not sure. We are planning on staying out here for about a week."

        "Well, in that case, it would be really nice to have you over for a coffee or something. Y'know, catch up a little." She stepped closer to Renne, as if to purposely shut out Swayde, not including him in her invitation. 

           "We will be pretty busy getting things situated at the ranch, honestly." Renne stepped closer to Swayde, reaching out a hand to him, as if to say it was time to go. "In fact, we do have a lot we need to get done, so I think it is best that we get goin'." Renne smiled cordially, turning away from Sandra. 

        Once outside of the antique shop, Renne let out a breath that she did not know she was holding. 

        Swayde looked sideways at his girlfriend. "Was that who I think it was?" 

        "Matt's mom?" Renne exhaled. "Yes. That is why I was hesitant about going in there, to be honest, but it's alright." 

          The sound of cowboy boots clicking against the pavement was the only sound that could be heard.  "She seemed nice." Swayde said, without thinking much. 

          "Yeah. Wanna go see that pastry shop I was tellin' you about?" In the back of her mind, the encounter with her ex's mom was still weighing heavy, but she tried not to let it bother her, knowing that would get her nowhere. Instead, she decided to enjoy this time with her boyfriend, who she was immensely thankful for for joining her on this trip. 

        "Yes ma'am." Swayde grinned, reaching out a hand to Renne as they strolled down the town, looking in the windows of the unique shops.  

                                                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

        Renne flapped her t-shirt against her torso a couple times, creating a fan of cool air, as she wiped a hand over her brow before pushing the muck rake back into the sawdust bedding in one of the horse stalls at Healing Hearts. 

         Just as she slung the load into the muck bucket, Renne saw someone leaning against the open stall door. Sandra. Matt's mother. Renne attempted to not visually let her eye roll be seen, but that was hard to do. 

       "Don't you have hired hands to do that kind of work for you?" Sandra folded her arms over her chest as she gave Renne a cockeyed grin. 

        "Yeah, but I love doin' this kind of work myself. Plus, it's Saturday, so I told all the hands to go home since we don't have lessons today." Renne explained, turning back to her work, tossing the manure into the bucket with a little more force. 

          Sandra looked around the horse barn, taking in a deep breath before saying, "I always forget just how gorgeous this ranch is. You and Matt really did build this place up from nothing." 

         Internally, Renne wanted to correct Sandra, considering that Renne was the one who did the majority of the work, but she chose to refrain. With a sigh, Renne rested the muck fork against her leg, gripping it tightly as she rested her other hand on her hip. "With all due respect, Sandra, what are you doin' here?" 

        "Well, I know that you said that you were too busy to come over to my house, so I figured I would come here instead."

        "Like I said, I am pretty busy with stuff." Renne said in a stern, stiff voice as she tossed the muck rake in the wheel barrow, pushing it out of the stall. 

       "Can we please just talk? Ten minutes, that is all that I ask. I have a doctor's appointment in town in a little bit, so I can't stay long anyways." Mrs. Ramon pleaded in a sincere voice. "Besides, it would be nice to get out of this heat for a minute." 

        Renne let out a breath. She wanted to keep things cordial with her and Sandra; afterall, her financial assistance was one of the main reasons why Renne was able to open her ranch in the first place. "Sure." Abandoning the wheel barrow in the middle of the stall aisle, Renne left her unfinished chores to have a conversation with her exes mother. 

       As they walked out of the barn, Sandra grabbed her keys out of her pocket, making Renne wonder if Sandra expected for them to go somewhere to talk, which Renne would have turned down. However, arriving at Sandra's car, she unlocked the back hatch, pulling out that white end table that Renne had admired in the shop window yesterday. 

        "I could tell how much you liked this piece, so I figured I would bring it to you today." 

        Renne took it from Sandra, admiring the handiwork and intricate details. "Oh, well thank you. You didn't have to do that. How much do I owe you for it?" 

        "Don't worry about it. Consider it your moving present." Sandra smiled. 

        "Well thank you, and thank you for stopping by." Renne smiled cordially, turning to walk away, towards the house, surprised to see Sandra following her. Okay, so she is serious about wanting to talk, but about what? Renne was unsure what was on Sandra's agenda, but she knew it wasn't good...nothing with the Ramon family was ever good. Very few conversations with Matt's parents were ever had without strings being attached. 

        Once inside the house, Renne grabbed the pitcher of sweet tea out of the fridge that she had made, pouring herself a glass before politely offering Sandra one. 

         "So, what did you want to talk about?" Renne leaned against the kitchen island, across from where Sandra was sitting. 

       Taking a gulp of her tea, Sandra let out a deep breath. "I actually wanted to apologize. I don't know why you and Matt broke up, but I really hope that my husband and I were not a part of that for some reason, but if we were, I am so sorry. Or if it was the distance with you being in Wyoming. I just know that you were really good for Matt, and he was happier with you than he ever was before in his life. I hope one day y'all can reconcile or something. I know that Matt was not perfect, but he really did love you, Renne. I really think it-" 

       "What do you mean that you don't know why Matt and I broke up?" Renne interrupted her. 

      "Matt never told me why you guys broke up. He just said that things weren't working out anymore." She gave a confused look.

         A fire burned inside of Renne at her comment. "Matt and I broke up because he cheated on me and got a girl pregnant! And, I realized I was still in love with Swayde, so Matt and I would never have worked out in the end, but the reason for the animosity between Matt and I is because he cheated on me and got some girl knocked up. That's why I am buying him out, too. Taking back his part of the ranch." Renne slammed down her glass of tea, a couple drops spilling out of the top as she let out frustrations that she had been holding in for far too long. How could this woman come in here and pretend like she had no idea about who her son was shacking up with?

        Sandra stared blankly at Renne. "He ch-....I...I am having a grandkid?" Tears began to rise in Mrs. Ramon's eyes, but with a sniffle, they disappeared. Now, it was just pure disbelief that filled Sandra's face. "That is not the son that I raised. The Matt that I raised would never cheat, and would never get a girl pregnant that he is not married to." 

         Renne couldn't believe her ears. "You don't believe me." It was more of a statement than a question. 

        "I'm just in shock...are you positive that the woman he was cheating on you with is pregnant? And keeping the baby?" 

        "Yes. I am positive. I shouldn't have said something because Matt should have been the one to tell you, but I thought that you already knew." Renne was gripping her glass of sweet tea so tightly that she was worried it would shatter. 

         "No, I am glad that you told me. I...I didn't even know that he was seein' anyone. Oh my, Renne, I am so sorry..." It was a sincere apology. "I cannot even begin to imagine how hard that must have been for you...I know that you two were having problems for the last year or two, but I never would have thought that it would lead to this...I...." Sandra looked up at Renne, sadness filling her brown eyes. Matt and his mom used to tell each other everything, so Renne was genuinely surprised that he had not mentioned this event, or told his mother the truth about the breakup. Even though Matt would have to tell his parents eventually, and it was hard news to share, it is also something that anyone should keep from their family. "How...how did you find out?" 

      Renne's tense muscles relaxed ever so slightly as she bent over the counter top, resting her hands on the cold granite. "I had an inkling of an idea for a while. Like you had said, things had begun to deteriorate, and to be honest, I was planning on breaking up with Matt, for many reasons, but late one night, I had heard him on the phone and it was with someone named Chris. For a while, I thought that Chris was a man, until I found out that Chris is short for Christina. They had been seeing each other for a while, and that time together had become more frequent after I had to go to Wyoming to care for my dying sister. Unfortunately, she passed away, and I was in Wyoming for longer than planned and Matt didn't like that so much, so he came to be with me in Wyoming. That's when he proposed, and I had said yes, hesitantly, because my mind was in a million different places, but it was at that time that Matt admitted to cheating on me and told me that Chris was pregnant. I had known for a while, but he had fessed up to it after he proposed. The rest is history." Renne took a deep breath, looking up at Mrs. Ramon to see her expression. She was just staring out into space, her face unreadable. "I know it is a lot to take in." 

         "Yes..." Was all she said at first. "So Swayde...How long has that been going on?" 

        Renne mulled over the question for a few seconds, thinking of how to respond. She knew exactly what Sandra was getting at: she was trying to figure out if Renne had been unfaithful in her relationship with Matt, just as Matt had been with her. 

       "Swayde and I grew up together, and had been dating for about three years, until something from our past resurfaced and I decided to run away instead of confronting it. So, we broke up, and I moved here in an attempt to start a new life. Then I met you and your husband, and Matt, and all my plans changed. You and Richard have done so much for me and helping me get this ranch up and running, and I will forever be thankful for that. But, then I went back home to Wyoming to be with my sister and it was clear just how much I still loved Swayde, and I realized that he was the man that I would always spend my life with, not Matt. Don't get me wrong, there was a time that I loved Matt, but I was never in love with him. No where near how in love I am with Swayde. But when I was with Matt, I was faithful. And I don't mean to unload all of this on you, but I just thought that you should know the truth." 

       Sandra rubbed her finger over the mason jar of tea that she was sipping on as she debated how to respond. "I always..." She cleared her throat, refusing eye contact with Renne; it was clear that she was getting choked up. "You were always like a daughter to me, Renne, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say that I understand that you and my son will never work out, and even if you guys never say a word to each other again, I do hope that one day you can forgive him, and that you and I can be friends again at some point in the future." Sandra finally looked up to make eye contact with Renne. "From the very short time I saw you and Swayde together, and from what you have told me about him, it seems like you are genuinely happy with him. In fact, I think that this is the happiest that I have ever seen you, and that is what is the most important. Besides, any love that can withstand being apart for as long as you guys were, then it's a love that will last a lifetime, and I am not just saying that."

      "Well, thank you. I do appreciate that." Internally, Renne was still over analyzing every word that came out of Sandra's mouth. Sure, she may sound sincere, but Renne knew better than to believe everything she was saying. 

        "Now that I have gotten all flustered, and ruined my makeup and spilled out my heart, I really do have to leave if I want to make it to my doctor's appointment in time." Sandra stood up, resting a hand on the chair. "But I do very much appreciate your honesty, and your willingness to talk. Now..." She let out a heavy sigh. "Now I need to find a time to talk to that son of mine. Pray for me." 

       Renne couldn't help but chuckle. "I will. Thank you again for the end table." She walked Mrs. Ramon to the door. 

       "You're welcome, dear. If you need any help packing, just give me a holler!" She waved as she got into her car. 

       Closing the door, Renne leaned back against it, letting out a long, heavy breath that she hadn't realized she was holding for so long. It was more than just a sigh of relief; it held many emotions. Looking up into the entryway of the large home that she had called hers for several years, she mumbled, "This town always finds a way of surprising me. Never a dull moment." Rolling her eyes to herself, Renne made her way back into the kitchen, where she opened the freezer door, seeing if there was any frozen pizzas or chicken tenders or something quick and easy that she could heat up for dinner. 

     Just as she had scavenged for food, her search came up empty. Behind her, she heard a door open, thankful to see it was Swayde. With a huge smile, she walked forward, wrapping both of her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. "Thank you again for runnin' into town to pick up those bags of bedding. I really appreciate it. Hopefully no one gave you any trouble." 

      "No, ma'am, no trouble was given. And I did not mind makin' the trip into town at all. I'm still not used to how centralized everything is in town here. It's unlike Alpine Ridge where you may have to drive over an hour to get something. Here, you just drive thirty minutes and everything you need is right there." 

        "That's just because my ranch is close to a town. Pretty much everywhere else in Montana is very desolate, and you have to drive for hours to get anywhere." Renne chuckled; her spirits were instantly lifted the second that Swayde walked through the door. Continuing into the house, Renne led Swayde into the kitchen to get him a glass of tea.

      Swayde pointed to the two glasses of sweet tea already sitting on the kitchen island. "Looks like you had some company while I was gone." 

       Renne had completely forgotten about clearing off the glass that Sandra was drinking from. "Yeah...Sandra was over here for a few minutes." She grabbed the glass off the counter, dumping out the remnants of tea before setting the glass in the sink. Grabbing a clean glass from the counter, Renne filled it with the ice cold tea, handing it to her boyfriend. 

        Swayde took a sip of the cool drink, seeing the end table in the corner of his eye. "Oh, how did that get here?" 

         "Sandra brought it over."

        "So what did you guys talk about?" It wasn't an accusatory statement, rather, just a curious one.

         "Matt mainly. And you." 

          "I never thought that I would hear you say his name and mine in the same sentence, but please, go on." Swayde chuckled, taking off his cowboy hat, setting it crown side down on the counter before taking a seat at one of the bar stools. 

         Renne let out a low breath. "Sandra didn't know why Matt and I broke up; she legitimately had no idea, so I told her about that. But she had originally came over here to talk to me and said she wanted to apologize."

        Swayde took a gulp of his tea. "Apologize for what?" 

         "I'm not really sure. I think that she thought her and her husband, Richard, were part of the reason Matt and I broke up? But then after I told her that Matt cheated on me and got Chris pregnant, Sandra tried to apologize for that, and for Matt's actions. Granted, I appreciate the gesture, but it was very unexpected." 

       Swayde stared down at the brown liquid in his glass. "Eventually, you do have to forgive Matt, darlin'." 

      Renne looked at her boyfriend, almost to see if he was joking at first. Knowing he was serious, she responded, "Well that is mighty bold and unexpected of you to say." She chuckled. 

         "I don't like the guy, but I'm serious, Reagan. It's just going to eat at you until you do."

        "I know. I'm just not ready for that yet. I can't forgive him for what he did. I'm sure once I get the business side of things figured out and cut him off, I might be able to forgive him, but no one should ever cheat on someone. Especially someone who's sister was dying from cancer." Renne scoffed, shaking her head. "No, Matt did something unforgivable." 

          Standing up from his seat, Swayde walked around the island to stand next to Renne. Resting his hands on her shoulders, he reminded Renne, "For the longest time, you thought that I did something unforgivable because I didn't tell you that it was my drunk, underage brother who was behind the wheel of the car who killed your parents. You said that you would never be able to forgive me, but you have, and look at where we are now." 

        Renne thought it over. Swayde was right; man, was he ever so right. "That is a very good point, but still. What Matt did was different. I realize now that you kept that from me because you were tryin' to protect me and not let me get hurt, but Matt...Matt did what he did to hurt me. There's a difference. Plus, I honestly do not ever want to reconcile with Matt in a way that will result in the kind of relationship that you and I have."

         Swayde let out a slight chuckle. "You know what I mean, darlin'. But, I'm not saying that you have to forgive him now. I know it has to be on your own terms, but it's hurtin' you as well to allow this anger and resentment take over so much of your energy, sweetheart." 

         Renne relaxed under the soft touch of Swayde's hands on her shoulders. Resting a hand over his, Renne closed her eyes as she let out a breath. "I am datin' a wise man." Turning around to face her boyfriend, Renne looked into Swayde's eyes. "Thank you." 

       Leaning forward, Swayde dropped a kiss on Renne's forehead before grabbing his cowboy hat off of the counter, turning to walk out of the kitchen. "I got you some food while I was in town. What do you say that we find a back road and go for a picnic?" A grin rose to his lips. 

      With a smile, Renne followed Swayde out of the house, towards his truck. "You know the way to my heart."