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Authors: Trish Milburn
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could look at Will without thinking about her father in Abigail Hansen’s arms.
Of course, that was assuming that she’d have the opportunity and a reason to look at Will if he wasn’t working for her brother.
Despite everything, she found she wanted that very much.
E LLY SAW DAWN MAKE ITS stealthy way onto the Cottonwood for the beginning of another day. She sat on the porch, a thick quilt wrapped around her and a steaming mug of coffee in her hand. A night of tossing and turning made her feel like something found on the bottom of a boot, but she’d given up sleeping an hour before daybreak.
She’d dragged herself out of bed and did her Web site and blog work for the day, checked the tour schedule and sent some e-mails regarding the upcoming Last Chance Trail Ride. The Cottonwood Ranch hosted the event for the locals each year before the heavy snows blanketed the mountains and valleys around Markton.
Movement at the edge of the fog still clinging to the ground caught her attention. When Jesse came into view astride Sundae, it surprised her. She’d thought he was still in bed and had envied him for it.
She could tell when he noticed her because he hesitated, pulling back on Sundae’s reins, probably without thinking. But he started moving again after only the span of a breath.
“You couldn’t sleep, either, huh?” she said when he came close enough to hear her.
“I’ve had better nights.” He dismounted in a sliding motion that made her think it had been a great many nights since her brother had slept well.
“Was it something Will said?”
“Please, not this early.”
“I have a right to know, Jess.”
He sighed and rested one hand against Sundae’s saddle horn as if he needed the horse’s presence to keep him upright. “Nothing new.”
Elly thought of what her mother had said about J.W., believing he was Mark’s father. She wondered if Jesse had any inkling, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him.
“You two sure talked a long time for there to be nothing new.”
“Give it a rest, okay. I just want five damn minutes where I don’t have to think about this.” He palmed Sundae’s reins and headed toward the barn.
Didn’t she want the same thing? To not think about the fact that Mark Hansen might be her half brother. Was that even possible?
Her quiet morning shattered, she headed into the house for a shower and a breakfast she suspected she wouldn’t even taste.
Later, when she ran into Paco in the barn and learned he was headed into town for a load of feed, she offered to go instead. She had to get away from the ranch for a while.
When she arrived at the Feed and Grain with her order in hand, however, she wished she’d stayed at home. One look at Janie’s drawn face and she feared the cause. A painful lump formed in Elly’s throat, and for the first time in her life she didn’t want to walk the final steps toward her best friend.
But she did. And the closer she got, the more she could see that Janie looked as if she was trying hard to hide her sadness. Just going through the motions to get through the day.
“Elly,” Janie said when she spotted her. So much distance in that word.
“Hey.”
“You need something?”
Elly bit her lip to keep it from trembling as she handed over the list of supplies she’d come to pick up.
Janie looked it over and nodded. “We should have all of this in stock.” She started to walk away.
“Janie?”
The girl who’d been her closest confidante for as long as she could remember stopped but didn’t make eye contact.
“I don’t know what to say,” Elly said, wishing the right words to make everything okay would magically land on her tongue.
Janie met her eyes then. “You know?”
“I found out a few days ago.”
“But you knew the last time I talked to you.” Elly nodded.
Janie let her breath out in a long exhale. “So no more secrets.”
“Secrets?” There was something odd about what Janie had said. “When
Of course, that was assuming that she’d have the opportunity and a reason to look at Will if he wasn’t working for her brother.
Despite everything, she found she wanted that very much.
E LLY SAW DAWN MAKE ITS stealthy way onto the Cottonwood for the beginning of another day. She sat on the porch, a thick quilt wrapped around her and a steaming mug of coffee in her hand. A night of tossing and turning made her feel like something found on the bottom of a boot, but she’d given up sleeping an hour before daybreak.
She’d dragged herself out of bed and did her Web site and blog work for the day, checked the tour schedule and sent some e-mails regarding the upcoming Last Chance Trail Ride. The Cottonwood Ranch hosted the event for the locals each year before the heavy snows blanketed the mountains and valleys around Markton.
Movement at the edge of the fog still clinging to the ground caught her attention. When Jesse came into view astride Sundae, it surprised her. She’d thought he was still in bed and had envied him for it.
She could tell when he noticed her because he hesitated, pulling back on Sundae’s reins, probably without thinking. But he started moving again after only the span of a breath.
“You couldn’t sleep, either, huh?” she said when he came close enough to hear her.
“I’ve had better nights.” He dismounted in a sliding motion that made her think it had been a great many nights since her brother had slept well.
“Was it something Will said?”
“Please, not this early.”
“I have a right to know, Jess.”
He sighed and rested one hand against Sundae’s saddle horn as if he needed the horse’s presence to keep him upright. “Nothing new.”
Elly thought of what her mother had said about J.W., believing he was Mark’s father. She wondered if Jesse had any inkling, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him.
“You two sure talked a long time for there to be nothing new.”
“Give it a rest, okay. I just want five damn minutes where I don’t have to think about this.” He palmed Sundae’s reins and headed toward the barn.
Didn’t she want the same thing? To not think about the fact that Mark Hansen might be her half brother. Was that even possible?
Her quiet morning shattered, she headed into the house for a shower and a breakfast she suspected she wouldn’t even taste.
Later, when she ran into Paco in the barn and learned he was headed into town for a load of feed, she offered to go instead. She had to get away from the ranch for a while.
When she arrived at the Feed and Grain with her order in hand, however, she wished she’d stayed at home. One look at Janie’s drawn face and she feared the cause. A painful lump formed in Elly’s throat, and for the first time in her life she didn’t want to walk the final steps toward her best friend.
But she did. And the closer she got, the more she could see that Janie looked as if she was trying hard to hide her sadness. Just going through the motions to get through the day.
“Elly,” Janie said when she spotted her. So much distance in that word.
“Hey.”
“You need something?”
Elly bit her lip to keep it from trembling as she handed over the list of supplies she’d come to pick up.
Janie looked it over and nodded. “We should have all of this in stock.” She started to walk away.
“Janie?”
The girl who’d been her closest confidante for as long as she could remember stopped but didn’t make eye contact.
“I don’t know what to say,” Elly said, wishing the right words to make everything okay would magically land on her tongue.
Janie met her eyes then. “You know?”
“I found out a few days ago.”
“But you knew the last time I talked to you.” Elly nodded.
Janie let her breath out in a long exhale. “So no more secrets.”
“Secrets?” There was something odd about what Janie had said. “When
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