She froze, spoke quickly to a teenager beside her, and he ran toward the house.
She walked toward me like she’d been expecting this moment.
Like she’d rehearsed it.
“Mrs. Mitchell?” she called.
My name hit me like a shove.
She knew who I was.
“Yes,” I managed. “Who are you? What is this place?”
She stopped a respectful distance away.
Kind eyes. Cautious voice.
“My name is Margaret Santos. Everyone calls me Maggie.”
Then she said the line that turned my blood cold:
“I’ve been waiting for you to come.”
I stared at her.
“This ranch has been abandoned for thirty years.”
Maggie’s mouth tightened with something like sadness.
“No, Mrs. Mitchell. This ranch has never been abandoned. Not for a single day since you left.”
My knees weakened.
And before I could even argue, a man hurried from the house.
He wore James’s fishing hat like it belonged to him.
His face lit up when he saw me.
“Ben’s mommy!” he shouted, waving with both arms. “Ben’s mommy came!”
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