made
particularly good kindling for fledgling fires. So far nothing had
happened up in their neck of the woods, but a fairly substantial
four thousand acre fire had wiped out the small town of Salt Creek
in the southern Hills just last October.
Charlotte shook her head. "It's so sad. The
Hills are known for their beauty. My foster mom used to call them
the Emerald Isle. I had no idea what she meant until I got older. I
think the beauty here is one reason I haven't left."
"I've been out on some of the spraying
expeditions. Just as a volunteer, so I don't know all the ins and
outs of the issue, but I can tell you that people are definitely
worried. I'm worried."
"I can understand that." Charlotte put her
hand on his forearm, and Will felt the electricity of her touch
through the soft flannel of his shirt. The current of his heartbeat
danced out of time in an erratic pattern that made him feel
odd.
"That brown horse with the white eye patch is
the coolest thing I've ever seen." Lexi burst out of the barn,
interrupting whatever moment had been passing between the adults.
"You should have named him Peg Leg or some pirate-y name."
Charlotte had dropped her hand, but Will
still felt mesmerized by the heat. He cleared his throat and hoped
that would clear his head. "I'll, uh, talk to Walker about changing
the name."
With a soft laugh, like she knew exactly what
she did to him, Charlotte walked over to Lexi and took the girl's
arm. Together, the two started walking along the fence. He
followed, reminding himself that he was supposed to be giving them
a tour. Several outbuildings nearby provided a welcome distraction
so he could pull himself together. The running commentary that he
gave about the sheep barn sounded especially dull to his ears.
"Will there be lambs soon?" Lexi asked,
looking up at him with shining eyes.
Once again Will felt no doubt that this girl
was his daughter. Those eyes were his own, his brothers', his
father's, and the shape of her nose resembled Mary's to a tee.
Will's stomach twisted as he thought about how things must have
gone horribly wrong in ways he hadn't seen if Mary had felt it
necessary to keep Lexi's existence from him. And then to have her
lose custody of Lexi. Nothing he did to get his daughter under his
roof would be too much.
"Yes," Will replied. "There'll be lambs very
soon. In fact all the animals should be having babies by June.
You'll love it."
He glanced up at Charlotte to see her
reaction to his comment. Despite the twinge of guilt at baiting
her, Will knew he had to draw Charlotte back into the conversation.
That was his only hope at getting Lexi to the ranch for good. He
had to admit the idea of getting to know Charlotte better appealed
to him too. "I'm sure it will be great," Charlotte said, her
cheerfulness sounding forced.
Lexi seemed oblivious to both of them at the
moment, and she broke into a run as they approached the hay barn.
Several cats lounged outside the open doors in the late afternoon
sunlight. Will was as glad as they were that spring had been
unseasonably warm. It meant he could get his interim field
experience class out to the back pasture by the middle of May.
Thinking about work brought a rush of blood to his head, the
suddenness of it surrounding him, cocooning him in a haze that he
recognized all too well. Hopefully Lexi and Charlotte would be gone
by the time his migraine hit. His mom would have to take Sierra and
Shane again.
"Are you okay?" The genuine concern in
Charlotte's voice cut through the headache aura.
"I'll be fine," he answered gruffly. "Let's
continue the tour. This is a big place."
After showing them his parents' house, they
crossed the ridge to Walker's house. His ramshackle little log
cabin looked like it might collapse at any moment, but in truth the
building was the sturdiest on the ranch.
"So Uncle Walker lives there," Lexi said.
Will felt a rush of warmth as she referred to them all as family
members. "Where does Uncle Wyatt
particularly good kindling for fledgling fires. So far nothing had
happened up in their neck of the woods, but a fairly substantial
four thousand acre fire had wiped out the small town of Salt Creek
in the southern Hills just last October.
Charlotte shook her head. "It's so sad. The
Hills are known for their beauty. My foster mom used to call them
the Emerald Isle. I had no idea what she meant until I got older. I
think the beauty here is one reason I haven't left."
"I've been out on some of the spraying
expeditions. Just as a volunteer, so I don't know all the ins and
outs of the issue, but I can tell you that people are definitely
worried. I'm worried."
"I can understand that." Charlotte put her
hand on his forearm, and Will felt the electricity of her touch
through the soft flannel of his shirt. The current of his heartbeat
danced out of time in an erratic pattern that made him feel
odd.
"That brown horse with the white eye patch is
the coolest thing I've ever seen." Lexi burst out of the barn,
interrupting whatever moment had been passing between the adults.
"You should have named him Peg Leg or some pirate-y name."
Charlotte had dropped her hand, but Will
still felt mesmerized by the heat. He cleared his throat and hoped
that would clear his head. "I'll, uh, talk to Walker about changing
the name."
With a soft laugh, like she knew exactly what
she did to him, Charlotte walked over to Lexi and took the girl's
arm. Together, the two started walking along the fence. He
followed, reminding himself that he was supposed to be giving them
a tour. Several outbuildings nearby provided a welcome distraction
so he could pull himself together. The running commentary that he
gave about the sheep barn sounded especially dull to his ears.
"Will there be lambs soon?" Lexi asked,
looking up at him with shining eyes.
Once again Will felt no doubt that this girl
was his daughter. Those eyes were his own, his brothers', his
father's, and the shape of her nose resembled Mary's to a tee.
Will's stomach twisted as he thought about how things must have
gone horribly wrong in ways he hadn't seen if Mary had felt it
necessary to keep Lexi's existence from him. And then to have her
lose custody of Lexi. Nothing he did to get his daughter under his
roof would be too much.
"Yes," Will replied. "There'll be lambs very
soon. In fact all the animals should be having babies by June.
You'll love it."
He glanced up at Charlotte to see her
reaction to his comment. Despite the twinge of guilt at baiting
her, Will knew he had to draw Charlotte back into the conversation.
That was his only hope at getting Lexi to the ranch for good. He
had to admit the idea of getting to know Charlotte better appealed
to him too. "I'm sure it will be great," Charlotte said, her
cheerfulness sounding forced.
Lexi seemed oblivious to both of them at the
moment, and she broke into a run as they approached the hay barn.
Several cats lounged outside the open doors in the late afternoon
sunlight. Will was as glad as they were that spring had been
unseasonably warm. It meant he could get his interim field
experience class out to the back pasture by the middle of May.
Thinking about work brought a rush of blood to his head, the
suddenness of it surrounding him, cocooning him in a haze that he
recognized all too well. Hopefully Lexi and Charlotte would be gone
by the time his migraine hit. His mom would have to take Sierra and
Shane again.
"Are you okay?" The genuine concern in
Charlotte's voice cut through the headache aura.
"I'll be fine," he answered gruffly. "Let's
continue the tour. This is a big place."
After showing them his parents' house, they
crossed the ridge to Walker's house. His ramshackle little log
cabin looked like it might collapse at any moment, but in truth the
building was the sturdiest on the ranch.
"So Uncle Walker lives there," Lexi said.
Will felt a rush of warmth as she referred to them all as family
members. "Where does Uncle Wyatt
Similar Books
