CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TEN – LETTING GO OF PAST TRAUMA

The morning light filtering through the blinds offered no solace to the storm brewing in Scarlett's heart. The memory of the night before – the electrifying kiss followed by her abrupt retreat – clung to her like a shroud. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, the screen flashing with missed calls and a single voicemail notification, all from Harry. Ignoring the insistent pulsing of the phone, Scarlett forced herself out of bed. The ranch, with its familiar routine and the comforting presence of the animals, offered a much-needed distraction. She threw on her work clothes, the crisp air biting at her cheeks as she headed out to tend to the horses. As she brushed down Cocoa, a gentle brown mare, her mind replayed the events of the night before. The spark with Harry, undeniable and raw, had been a revelation, a flicker of hope she hadn't dared allow herself to consider after Henry. But the moment the kiss intensified, triggering a flood of memories, she had choked back a sob, leavi