Read Online Once a Rebel by Sheri Whitefeather - Free Book Online Page A

be in touch,” he told him.
    â€œI appreciate it.” Ryan looked old and tired next tothe sharp-eyed man. But he’d probably had a trying day, fighting the tumor that swelled his brain. His symptoms were getting worse.
    Emmett nodded at Lily, saying goodbye to her, a salutation the woman returned. Behind her, the doors that led to the inner courtyard were open, creating a picturesque backdrop, flowers blooming at every turn. The setting didn’t fit Emmett Jamison. It seemed too bright, too cheerful for his hard-edged demeanor.
    The special agent departed, not through the inner courtyard, but through the front door, where another courtyard and a wrought-iron gate prevailed. Ryan disappeared with him, leaving the women by themselves.
    â€œEmmett isn’t what I expected,” Susan said.
    â€œMe, neither.” Lily paused, her eyebrows knit. “But he must be a good man. Ryan seems to like him, to sense his honor.”
    Susan nodded. Her cousin was a strong judge of character, at least most of the time. He’d trusted Jason in the beginning. “Any word on Jason’s whereabouts?”
    â€œNot yet, but Emmett is doing what he can to find him.”
    â€œI’m sure he is.” But in spite of Ryan’s confidence in the FBI agent, Susan could tell that Lily was still fighting her fears. Emmett was only human. As were the members of the security team patrolling the ranch. Jason had foiled police and prison guards, making him a dangerously clever man. A criminal who was giving Lily chills.
    The older woman rubbed her arms, then glanced at the coffee service that sat on a hand-carved table. “Would you like a cup?” she asked Susan.
    â€œNo, thanks. I had coffee with Ethan this morning.”
    That made Lily smile. “I’m glad you rediscovered him.”
    She thought about the way he’d held her. “Me, too.”
    Just then Ryan entered the room, looking even more tired than before. Feeble, uncoordinated. But proud, so incredibly proud. He struggled to control his impaired speech. “If you ladies don’t mind, I’m going to lie down for a while.”
    Lily walked over to her husband. “Of course we don’t mind.”
    Susan should have glanced away, giving the older couple a stolen moment of privacy, but she watched them, her heart thumping in her chest. Ryan touched his wife’s cheek, and she covered his unsteady hand with hers. A man and a woman who’d been in love since they were teenagers, who’d rediscovered each other years later.
    Like Susan and Ethan.
    No, she told herself. She wasn’t in love with Ethan, and he wasn’t in love with her. It wasn’t the same.
    When Ryan departed, Lily stood in the middle of the room, looking far too alone. She hugged herself, rumpling a cotton blouse. A pleated skirt flowed to her ankles and a pair of nonfringed moccasins made a simple, soft-spoken statement.
    Susan approached her, taking her hand, holding it gently. When Lily was young, she didn’t think she deserved Ryan. A poor Indian girl and a rich Texas heir. They’d come a long way, Susan thought.
    â€œDon’t start missing him,” she told Lily. “Not now, not while he’s still part of our lives.”
    â€œI’m trying to be strong.”
    â€œYou are strong.” Susan turned to face her, still holding her hand, still lending support. “You’re everything he needs.”
    Lily smiled through watery eyes, stifling her tears, refusing to cry. “Let’s go outside. We can look through the photo albums I was working on before Emmett showed up.”
    Susan followed Lily into the courtyard, where a glass table held a stack of leather-bound albums. Loose photos, some with aged and yellowed edges, were secured in a plastic container, the lid held tight. “Did you show Emmett pictures of our family?”
    â€œGoodness, no.” Lily pulled out a chair. “He