Read Online The Rancher's Second Chance (Martin's Crossing Book 3) by Brenda Minton - Free Book Online Page B

blue eyes. She loved that sparkle of humor.
    “Yeah,” she teased. “It would.”
    He sat down on the sofa, and she sat across from him on the chair.
    “Where should I start? My hands? Or maybe with the fact that Duke found our mother.”
    Grace sat in stunned silence, unable to say anything. She knew what this meant to him, what his mother’s disappearance had done to his life.
    As she tried to come up with the right words, she saw his hand settle on his knee, rubbing absently. She got up, needing some way to help him. She’d noticed a heating pad in the cabinet. She found it and took it back to his chair, plugging it in and setting the temperature before settling it on his leg.
    “What’s that for?”
    “It will help. And you also need to use ice to help fight the swelling and inflammation.”
    He closed his eyes and leaned back. “I thought it was just from bull riding.”
    “What did the doctor tell you?”
    “Rheumatoid arthritis. And my knees are paying the price because of bull riding. I guess when it started I just thought it was from the rough treatment over the years and the surgery not going well.”
    “No, I’m sure you didn’t consider it. Did the doctor give you a prescription?”
    “Yeah, and a couple of shots. But could we not talk about the RA? It is what it is and I’ll live with it.”
    “Okay, so about your mom?” She sat down next to him, but not close enough to touch.
    “You’re not giving me a break today, are you?” He opened his eyes and grinned at her. She got a little lost in the blue of his eyes.
    “Not a chance.”
    “She’s in Dallas in a nursing home. She has dementia.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “I’m not sure if I am. I mean, I don’t really know her. She left years ago. She walked out on us and now what? I’m supposed to feel bad for her?”
    “I know you, Brody. You might growl a lot, but you have a big heart.”
    “I feel a lot of things when I think of her, but nothing that makes sense,” he admitted, his voice going soft.
    “Maybe if you go see her it’ll help?” she suggested.
    “Yeah, I’ve said for years that I want to find her. Now I’m not so sure I want to face her, though.”
    “I don’t blame you.”
    They sat in silence for several minutes, then she stood. “Let’s eat. Maybe after a somewhat decent meal you’ll be able to think clearly.”
    “Can I help you do anything?”
    She kissed his cheek. “I can do it. You rest.”
    She left him alone on the couch. Taking the roast out of the slow cooker, she placed it on a plate with potatoes and carrots that were soft from cooking in the juices of the meat. She’d bought rolls, and she heated them in the oven as she made gravy.
    “It’s ready,” she announced as she carried a platter to the table.
    She stilled, setting the plates on the table as quietly as possible. Brody was asleep on her couch, his legs stretched out and his arm under his head. She reached for the blanket on the arm of the nearby chair and covered him. He didn’t move.
    She sat down in the chair and watched him sleep. Of course he would need rest. That was a symptom of RA. She was sure he knew that. He studied everything. Back when he rode bulls he used to study videos of rides that went wrong and the ones that went right. He would watch them over and over, analyzing what caused a fall and what moves meant staying on. He’d take notes, then he would talk about it until she cried uncle.
    Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She glanced at it and her heart hesitated just a beat when she saw her mom’s number pop up. They hadn’t talked in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, now seemed like the worst time to have a conversation with her parents.
    “Mom...” Before she could say anything else, she started to cry.
    “Grace, honey, are you okay?” Hearing her mom’s concerned voice on the other end, thousands of miles away, only made it worse. The tears streamed down her cheeks and the hand she swiped across her eyes did