Read Online The Bridal Path: Danielle by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online

meddling more than she could say. One of the things she loved most about Riverton was that her family was all practically within shouting distance. Maybe they did make nuisances of themselves from time to time. It was a small price to pay for that sense of connection.
    “You haven’t seen your family in all that time?” she asked, thoroughly dismayed by the idea, even though Slade was clearly content with the arrangement.
    “My mother came to visit once when Timmy was born, but after that she concluded the visits weren’t worth the grief she took from my father.”
    Slade apparently caught her distraught expression, because he forced a smile. “Hey, don’t look so sad. It’s for the best. There’s no point in spending time with folks if all you’re going to do is butt heads and shout.”
    “But the boys don’t even know their grandparents,” she said impulsively. “That’s the kind of relationship that gives kids a sense of continuity, of their place in the universe.”
    “I can’t argue with that,” Slade agreed. “But the situation my kids face is more the norm than not these days, what with the way people move around and divorce.”
    “I still think it’s a shame, especially when it could so easily be changed,” she said.
    Before she could say more, Slade regarded her wryly and asked, “Now who’s meddling?”
    Dani was about to protest when she realized he was exactly right. She was meddling in something that was none of her business. It was just that she was already coming to think of Timmy and Kevin as an important part of her life. She had their best interests at heart. How awful that they had grandparents they’d never even met and undoubtedly knew very little about, judging from Slade’s reticence on the subject.
    It was awful for Slade, as well. Cutting ties with his family had to hurt more than he cared to admit. She resolved to see what she could do about getting him to mend fences. But not today. His forbidding expression warned her she would get nowhere.
    She held up her hands. “I surrender.”
    An odd light flared in his eyes at her choice of words, then faded so quickly she was certain she must have imagined it. He looked as if he were preparing to bolt, so she quickly improvised an invitation that would assure them of spending some time together soon.
    “I was thinking of taking the boys out to the ranch day after tomorrow, if that’s okay with you.”
    “I suppose,” he said after a very long hesitation.
    Puzzled by his reaction, she asked, “Would you like to come along?”
    “No,” he said so sharply that Dani simply stared.
    “Slade?” she said quizzically.
    He stood up. “I’m sorry. It’s time I got the boys home, or we’ll never get dinner on the table.”
    Dani resisted the desire to suggest they stay and eat with her. She might want Slade Watkins and his boys to become her family, but it was far too soon for Slade himself to become aware of that. It would probably scare him to death or worse, cause him to view her as desperate and pitiful. No, now was not the time to press the issue.
    “I baked an extra apple pie today. Would you like to take it home for dessert?”
    At last his expression softened. “Now, you know perfectly well I can’t say no to that. The boys would never forgive me. It’ll probably be the only edible thing on the table.”
    She hesitated to bring it up again, since the last mention had nearly brought about an explosion of temper, but she wanted to be absolutely clear about what Slade’s terse reply had meant.
    “Are you sure you don’t mind if the boys go to the ranch without you? I think they’ll really enjoy it. They can learn to ride. Jake and Sara will both be around. So will Daddy, no doubt. They won’t get hurt.”
    He looked torn, but he finally relented. “If they want to go, it’s fine with me. Just don’t expect me to come along.”
    Dani knew there was a story behind that, but she wisely refrained from pressing the