Read Online The You I Never Knew by Susan Wiggs - Free Book Online

clean and stark as an unpainted canvas. The miles of white meadows and the mountains rearing against a tall cerulean sky had a calming effect on her; they always had. Here, she felt a sense of drama and richness she had been missing ever since her adolescence had given way to the brutal chaos of instant adulthood.
    Though her mother had raised her in the hushed elegance of Bel Air, Sharon Turner had lived way beyond her means. Her unexpected death had left Michelle a legacy of unpaid taxes and debts. By the time all accounts had been settled, there was nothing left but grief.
    Michelle could have prevailed on her father for help even after she’d left Crystal City. Writing checks was what Gavin Slade did best. But she had never asked. All the money in the world couldn’t provide what she needed far more than monthly rent—love, support, stability. Money was the least of her problems, and it was the first one she solved.
    On her own she built a life she could be proud of—a kid who, until recently, had been great; a waterfront town house filled with furniture from Roche-Bobois, a Lexus, a ski condo in Whistler.
    Hers had been a life that hadn’t slowed down since she’d fled Montana all those years ago. And now she was back, and she had no idea what to make of it, what to think, how to feel. Slowing down and giving herself time to think was dangerous. Seeing Sam again was even more dangerous. He had broken her heart once. She wanted to believe he had no power to do it again. But when she saw him at the arena last night, she knew a secret, fragile part of her still belonged to him.
    All her instincts had rebelled against bringing Cody here this morning. But honor demanded it. Cody had trashed Sam’s trailer, and he had to make amends.
    Truth to tell, Michelle had been incredibly curious. She had always assumed Sam had never amounted to anything more than a rodeo bum, rambling from show to show until the inevitable injuries of his sport retired him. She used to picture him battered and stiff at age thirty, tending bar in some little Western town. He’d wear his champion’s belt buckle, and behind the bar amid the array of beer nuts and whiskey bottles, there would be a few dusty trophies and photographs of him looking like a young Paul Newman.
    There wasn’t a single photo in sight in this kitchen, not even one taped to the refrigerator. Odd.
    She finished her coffee and rinsed the mug, taking a long drink of icy tap water. The window over the sink framed the distant mountain peaks rearing against the sky. As she gazed out across the empty, perfect meadows, a wave of nostalgia had swept over her. She’d spent so little time in Montana, yet it seemed like the place where her soul had always dwelt. What a magnificent sight to greet Sam when he got up in the morning. How different it was from the soulless cocoon of her office at the agency in downtown Seattle.
    Sam had managed to confound her expectations. He didn’t seem to suffer any permanent injuries from the rodeo. He had a horse ranch with a comfortable house, sturdy outbuildings, covered and open-air arenas and pens. But in a way the place seemed as empty as her own town house.
    Had he surrendered his dreams? Had it hurt? Had he simply awakened one morning to discover that the life he’d envisioned for himself didn’t match the one he actually had? Did she dare to ask him?
    “Of course not.” Michelle stroked the cat. “It’s none of my business.”
    As she watched out the window, a stocky dark-haired man on a tractor came out of the barn, towing a load of manure on a stone boat. The Border collie cavorted like a clown through the drifts of snow. Cody followed, wearing oversize boots and hefting a shovel over one shoulder. Amazing. He was actually working. It had been forever since Michelle had been able to make him do anything.
    She took another drink, savoring the sweetness of mountain well water. Footsteps thudded on the back porch and a door slammed. She