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wasn’t one of the biggest spreads around Marietta, but what with hay making and his general duties as ranch foreman, he had more than enough on his plate. Complications were something he needed to avoid. Plus, the county fair started in just under two weeks and Booth would be busy with that, too. He’d agreed to drop three skydivers from the Cessna 172 he operated from the ranch as part of the opening ceremony, then a few days later he was registered to compete in the senior calf-roping competition. Somehow, this year, his heart wasn’t in it. The competitive streak that had seen him win most years had dulled with the need to seek some change in his life, to find newer pastures—preferably his own.
Uncle Kyle had always been an ornery coot, but this week he’d been riding Booth’s back more than usual about one thing and another. Seemed Booth always had to be at least two steps ahead of the old man just to keep him satisfied. All good training for when he ran his own spread, he reluctantly acknowledged, but helluva hard on a man at the same time.
“You going to drink that beer, or just look at it all night?”
Booth looked up to see Reese Kendrick, Grey’s Saloon’s manager, wiping glasses in front of him. He’d been so wrapped in his thoughts he hadn’t even noticed the other man.
“Drink it, and then probably another. You all right with that?”
Reese nodded slowly. “Sure. For a second there I thought you were going all soft on me.”
“No fear of that,” Booth smiled.
“That new woman in town was in here earlier, asking around about your uncle.”
Booth stiffened. Willow was asking around about his uncle? Why on earth would she be doing that?
“Is that right?” he acknowledged. “Did she ask anything in particular?”
“Just what kind of guy he is, where he lives, that kind of thing. And if he was married or had kids. Thought you might like to know.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll look into it.” Booth grabbed his longneck and downed half the contents before setting the bottle back on the bar in front of him.
Why was she asking about his uncle? He thought back to what Ness had said about Willow searching for her father. Did she somehow think Kyle Donovan knew her father? If so, why didn’t she just ask them last Sunday night? He shook his head slightly. Of course, he and Ness had a different surname than their uncle, so it was likely Willow hadn’t made the connection. Even so, his stomach did that now all-too-familiar twist as another idea bloomed like nightshade in the back of his mind. Did she think his uncle was her father?
The idea of his uncle, young and stupid and sowing wild oats, didn’t gel with the taciturn man who’d reluctantly taken on raising his wife’s dead sister’s kids. But even if it was true, Willow couldn’t be more than twenty-five or -six. Kyle and Emmie had been married thirty years this past spring. If he was her father, then that meant he’d have cheated on his wife.
He weighed the idea in his mind, studying if from every angle he could think of. If Uncle Kyle had cheated on Aunt Emmie, she couldn’t have known about it or she’d have left him—that’s all there was to it. Fidelity was her hot button and she was all about loyalty to family. He felt his heart soften as he thought of the childless woman who’d taken on a mother’s role and who’d loved her sister’s kids with all her heart. He’d do anything to prevent her being hurt or seeing her life derailed.
Doing anything meant keeping a better eye on Willow. He’d suspected she was up to something, and now he at least had some idea. The fact she’d inveigled her way into Ness’s life so quickly and easily hadn’t sat comfortably with him right from the start. Now, he wondered if his family had been her target all along. Whatever her angle, he didn’t want her coming within a hundred yards of his uncle, or his aunt for that matter.
He looked up at Reese. “She was in here, you
Uncle Kyle had always been an ornery coot, but this week he’d been riding Booth’s back more than usual about one thing and another. Seemed Booth always had to be at least two steps ahead of the old man just to keep him satisfied. All good training for when he ran his own spread, he reluctantly acknowledged, but helluva hard on a man at the same time.
“You going to drink that beer, or just look at it all night?”
Booth looked up to see Reese Kendrick, Grey’s Saloon’s manager, wiping glasses in front of him. He’d been so wrapped in his thoughts he hadn’t even noticed the other man.
“Drink it, and then probably another. You all right with that?”
Reese nodded slowly. “Sure. For a second there I thought you were going all soft on me.”
“No fear of that,” Booth smiled.
“That new woman in town was in here earlier, asking around about your uncle.”
Booth stiffened. Willow was asking around about his uncle? Why on earth would she be doing that?
“Is that right?” he acknowledged. “Did she ask anything in particular?”
“Just what kind of guy he is, where he lives, that kind of thing. And if he was married or had kids. Thought you might like to know.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll look into it.” Booth grabbed his longneck and downed half the contents before setting the bottle back on the bar in front of him.
Why was she asking about his uncle? He thought back to what Ness had said about Willow searching for her father. Did she somehow think Kyle Donovan knew her father? If so, why didn’t she just ask them last Sunday night? He shook his head slightly. Of course, he and Ness had a different surname than their uncle, so it was likely Willow hadn’t made the connection. Even so, his stomach did that now all-too-familiar twist as another idea bloomed like nightshade in the back of his mind. Did she think his uncle was her father?
The idea of his uncle, young and stupid and sowing wild oats, didn’t gel with the taciturn man who’d reluctantly taken on raising his wife’s dead sister’s kids. But even if it was true, Willow couldn’t be more than twenty-five or -six. Kyle and Emmie had been married thirty years this past spring. If he was her father, then that meant he’d have cheated on his wife.
He weighed the idea in his mind, studying if from every angle he could think of. If Uncle Kyle had cheated on Aunt Emmie, she couldn’t have known about it or she’d have left him—that’s all there was to it. Fidelity was her hot button and she was all about loyalty to family. He felt his heart soften as he thought of the childless woman who’d taken on a mother’s role and who’d loved her sister’s kids with all her heart. He’d do anything to prevent her being hurt or seeing her life derailed.
Doing anything meant keeping a better eye on Willow. He’d suspected she was up to something, and now he at least had some idea. The fact she’d inveigled her way into Ness’s life so quickly and easily hadn’t sat comfortably with him right from the start. Now, he wondered if his family had been her target all along. Whatever her angle, he didn’t want her coming within a hundred yards of his uncle, or his aunt for that matter.
He looked up at Reese. “She was in here, you
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