‘You’re not watching the meteors,’ Garrett said.

‘Huh?’ she asked as she glanced over at him.

He pointed toward the sky, and that was when she realized she must have been staring out into the darkness of the surrounding range land. ‘Guess I’m more tired than I thought.’

‘You sure that’s it?’

She fixed her gaze on her cast, cursing it and how it prevented her from making a hasty exit from her current situation.

‘Yeah.’ She knew her answer sounded weak and not entirely truthful, but it was the best she could muster. Sitting so close to Garrett made it hard for her to think.

Garrett slid off the tailgate. ‘I’ll take you back in.’

She reached out and grabbed his arm. ‘No, it’s okay. We can wait until it’s over.’

He captured and held her gaze. ‘You said you’re tired.’

She fought the burning need to lower her gaze to that amazing chest of his. ‘I’ll sleep later. This meteor shower doesn’t come around very often.’

He stared at her in a way that made her feel as if he was picking through the layers of her brain. And then she watched as his eyes lowered for a moment to her lips. How she wished she could lean forward, invite him to do more than just look.

The Heart of

a Cowboy

Trish Milburn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

TRISH MILBURN writes contemporary romance for the Mills & Boon® Cherish™ line and paranormal romance for the Mills & Boon® Nocturne™ series. She’s a two-time Golden Heart Award winner, a fan of walks in the woods and road trips, and a big geek girl, including being a dedicated Whovian and Browncoat. And from her earliest memories, she’s been a fan of Westerns, be they historical or contemporary. There’s nothing quite like a cowboy hero.

To everyone who has ever found the courage to face adversity head-on or to accept a happy ending when it came your way. Sometimes accepting the latter is every bit as hard as accepting the former.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

The new colt marshaled his strength and pushed up onto his long, spindly legs for the first time, drawing a smile from Natalie Todd. She watched as the little guy steadied himself on legs spread wide then as his dam groomed him. A couple of wobbly steps brought the newborn close enough to his mother to nurse. No matter how many horses Natalie helped into the world, the wonder never faded.

“Hard to believe they were in distress only an hour ago,” Jacob Hartwell said as he came to stand beside her.

“Maybe Mama here just wanted some female company.”

Jacob laughed a little. “Maybe. She certainly doesn’t have a lot around here.”

Steven Hartwell, patriarch of the Hartwell ranching family, was a widower, and his two sons, Steven Jr. and Jacob, were still single. Even though Jacob flirted with her a little every time she came out to the ranch, she knew it was harmless and not at all serious.

“Well, it looks like you have a handsome little fella to add to your testosterone ranch.”

“You could always marry me and bring some female beauty to the place.”

Natalie rolled her eyes and stepped back from the stall. “See ya around, Jacob.”

“Thanks again, Doc.”

She threw him a wave as she turned and headed out of the barn into the deep cover of night. As she strode toward her truck, she considered just curling up in the seat and catching a quick nap. She’d had a long day at the clinic and then because she was the vet on call tonight, her phone had rung about fifteen minutes after she’d fallen asleep.

When she dragged herself into the driver’s seat, however, her thoughts drifted to her comfortable bed. What was another half hour’s drive back to her apartment? Hopefully there wouldn’t be any more equine or bovine emergencies tonight. At least the Hartwells’ ranch was closer to her place south of Wichita than a lot of other ranches the clinic serviced.

She started the engine and headed toward the highway. Once she got away from the ranch, the landscape darkened around her. With no moon and some cloud cover, the southern Kansas landscape was pitch-black. It took ten minutes of driving before she began to see the glow of Wichita’s lights to the north. Only a few minutes and a quick shower more and she’d be curling back into her bed.

Her phone rang on the seat beside her, eliciting a groan and, yes, maybe even a whimper. She slowed, thankful there wasn’t any traffic, and glanced at the phone. Her heart gave a painful thud when she saw it was her mom calling. Knowing it wasn’t going to be a happy conversation, she pulled off the road. Her hand shook as she picked up the phone and answered.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Did I wake you?” Her mother’s voice sounded tired, but then Natalie couldn’t really remember a time when her mom wasn’t tired.

“No. Actually, I’m driving back from delivering a foal.” When her mom didn’t say anything in response, Natalie knew for certain why her mother had called. “It’s time, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Now her mom’s voice sounded as if it was laced with tears.

“I’ll get there as fast as I can.”

“Be safe, okay? I don’t want you to have a wreck.”

“I’ll be careful.”

But even though Natalie knew that her father’s time was ticking away, she didn’t speed. Though it made no sense, some part of her believed if she drew out how long it took her to arrive at her parents’ house in Wichita, the longer her dad would have. But that was cruel because he was suffering, had been suffering for a long time. That’s what a lifetime of drinking brought a person, a painful death via liver failure.

Pain of a different kind punched her right in her middle, the realization that probably before the night was through her dad would be gone forever. She bit her bottom lip and pressed down harder on the accelerator.

Twenty minutes later, she pulled up in front of her parents’ small home, the one she’d helped them buy because they never would have been able to purchase one on their own. She cut the engine but didn’t get out of the truck. Instead, she stared at her mom’s older-model car sitting in the carport. Behind it sat a small SUV belonging to her sister Allison, who’d driven down the day before from Kansas City, bringing their youngest sister, Renee, with her. Her entire family was inside the little blond-brick home, sitting around waiting for her father to die.

She gripped the steering wheel, fighting the visceral need to drive away, as far and as fast as she could. Even though she’d known this moment was coming for months, she still wasn’t ready. It wasn’t as if she had a perfect relationship with her dad, but he was still her dad and she loved him, despite everything. She wanted to be angry that he’d done this to himself, that his drinking had made his wife’s and daughters’ lives much more difficult than they should have been. But what was the use of being angry now? It wasn’t going to change the outcome.

With a deep, shaky breath, she opened the truck door and slipped out onto the quiet street. Almost every light in every house was dark, except for those of her parents and Jackie Kincaid across the street, the neighborhood gossip to beat all neighborhood gossips. Natalie resisted the evil urge to find the nearest paintball gun and cover Jackie’s big picture window with globs of paint. Instead, she forced herself to walk toward her parents’ front door.

She didn’t knock, instead slipping quietly into the living room to find Renee sitting there alone, reading a copy of some French magazine she’d obviously brought with her from Paris. Natalie had the unkind thought that Renee might have brought the magazine solely as an outward symbol of just how far away she’d gone from Wichita and their family. Part of Natalie couldn’t blame her for leaving, but now wasn’t the time to bring it up. Natalie kept those thoughts to herself as her sister looked up and smiled at her.

“Hey, Nat.” Renee jumped up and wrapped Natalie in a hug.

Needing that hug more than she cared to admit, Natalie held her baby sister a little longer than Renee probably expected, then continued to hold on to her upper arms as she took in how different her sister looked.

“I like the new haircut,” she said as she finally released her sister.

Renee ran a hand over the chic bob. “Thanks.”

As Natalie examined Renee from head to toe, she realized that her sister looked more European than Midwestern. An odd sense of loss settled in Natalie’s heart despite the fact that Renee had been living in France for five years.

Natalie glanced toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms. “How’s he doing?”

“Dreadful.”

Natalie jerked as if she’d been slapped.

Renee softened her expression. “Sorry. I’m too blunt sometimes.”

“I know you probably don’t want to be here, but thanks for coming.”

Renee shrugged. “I’m not totally without feeling. There’s a part of me that loves him because he’s my dad, even though he wasn’t worth much.”

“Renee.” Natalie knew she sounded like the scolding older sister, but she couldn’t help it even though there was some truth in her sister’s words.

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

Natalie couldn’t. Their dad’s drinking had led to him not being able to keep a job, to their mom working two jobs to support their family of five. He hadn’t been mean, or violent, but his inability to conquer whatever demons that led him to drink had caused his family a lot of hardship.

Not wanting to focus on the past, Natalie instead took a fortifying breath and headed toward her parents’ bedroom. The mingling scents of cleansers and sickness assaulted her as she entered the bedroom, and it took all her effort not to let the way her stomach turned show on her face.

Allison was the first to notice her and gave her a tired smile. Her sister reached across the bed and gently touched her mom’s hand and nodded toward Natalie.

Her mom stood on legs that looked as shaky as the newborn colt’s and wrapped Natalie in her arms. “I’m glad you made it safely.”

Natalie was struck by just how thin her mother felt and wondered if she hadn’t been eating properly.

“There’s my other girl.”

Natalie looked toward the sound of her father’s thin, labored voice. As unkind as it was to think it, Renee was right. Bill Todd did look dreadful with jaundiced skin and eyes, cracked lips and swelling in his abdomen that was obvious even under the blanket covering him. He’d never been a big, strapping man, but now he honestly looked like the death he was facing.

Her mom stepped back, indicating that Natalie should take the dining room chair that sat next to the bed. Natalie wondered how many hours her mother had sat in that uncomfortable chair at her husband’s side, watching him slip away more with each passing minute.

“Hey, Dad.” Somehow she managed to force some chipper light into her voice as she sat and placed her hand over his gnarled one.

He tried to squeeze her hand but obviously didn’t have the strength to do so. Sadness swept over her, not so much that his life was ending but that so much of it had been wasted. All the times he’d made her mad, embarrassed her, caused her to question why she hadn’t been born into another family tumbled through her mind. It all could have been so different if he hadn’t been trapped in an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

“I’d like to talk to Natalie alone.” He took a shallow breath, as if only a small portion of his lungs remained functional.

Natalie tried to figure out why he’d want her mother and Allison to leave the room, but then she caught a glance between her parents, an understanding of some sort. What was going on?

Her mom ushered an equally confused Allison from the room and closed the door behind them. When Natalie looked back at her dad, his eyes were closed, and for a split second she thought he was gone. But then she saw the faint movement of his chest.

“Do you remember when I took you fishing the first time?”

Her forehead wrinkled at the out-of-nowhere question, and she wondered if his mind was going before his body. When he opened his eyes and focused on her, she realized she hadn’t answered him.

“Yeah. The first and only, if I recall.”

The edges of his mouth lifted in a weak smile, and she forced one in return though she’d never felt less like smiling.

“You always did love animals of all kinds, couldn’t stand to see them hurt,” he said. “I can still see the tears in your eyes when you realized the hook was stuck in the fish’s mouth.”

Even though she’d been sad at the time, as she looked back it was one of her favorite memories of her dad. They’d still lived in Texas then, and that day he’d seemed to be totally sober, the kind of dad she’d always wanted. Though it’d been many years since that day, she remembered the hope that had surged within her. Sometimes hope was cruel when it led you down a path toward even more hurt.

His smile faded away, and she wasn’t sure if it was because it took too much energy to maintain or a darker thought had shoved aside the happy memory.

Despite everything, she searched for a way to make him smile again. “I remember we sat beside the lake and had chicken-salad sandwiches and bread-and-butter pickles from the Primrose Café.”

The barest hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “I can’t believe you remember all those details. You were so small.”

She’d liked living in Blue Falls and the fun she’d had with her best friend, Chloe. But she also remembered how her heart had broken when her dad said they had to move to Kansas. She’d watched the lights of Blue Falls fade away as she stared through the back window of their old Buick sedan, fat tears streaming down her face.

Her father turned his hand so that he could hold hers. “I’m sorry I wasn’t the father you and your sisters should have had. I wanted to be, but...” He shook his head on his pillow. “There’s no excuse.”

She wanted to tell him it was okay, to let him be able to slip into the next life knowing he was forgiven. But the words got stuck in her throat, and all she could manage was to squeeze his hand. He looked so haunted, more so than she’d ever seen him.

“What was it that made you drink so much, Dad?” She’d asked before, many times, but he’d never had an answer. The intensity of her need to know felt as if it was burning a hole inside her. This time, when his eyes met hers, she could tell he was finally going to tell her. Suddenly, she was scared to know the truth. Had it been better all along not knowing?

No, she needed this answer, whether or not it proved satisfying.

“There was a reason we left Texas. I...I was in an accident.” He paused, and she wondered if he was reconsidering telling her the truth. “I hit someone, and then I ran.”

“You were in a hit-and-run?” For some reason, it took a moment for her to realize he’d fled because he was driving drunk, that he could have ended up in jail.

“Yes. I hit another car. I stopped to check on the driver, but...there was nothing I could do.”

Natalie’s stomach churned. Surely he wasn’t saying what it seemed, that he’d... “Dad, no.”

“I knew the moment I saw her that she was dead.”

Oh, God, this couldn’t be happening. Without thinking, she slipped her hand out of her father’s grasp. “You’re confused, not remembering things correctly.” That was a symptom of late-stage liver failure, right? This couldn’t be a horrible deathbed confession.

“I wish that was true.” He shifted his eyes to stare at the ceiling, and she got the impression it was so he wouldn’t cry. “But the truth is that your father is worse than you ever realized. I killed someone and I never owned up to it, not even when I realized who I’d hit.”

“You knew her?” Her question came out as a strangled whisper. But in the next breath, the true horror of his confession slammed into her. “No. Please tell me you’re not saying what I think you are.”

His bottom lip trembled and he lost the war against his tears. “It was Karen Brody.”

Natalie stood so quickly that she knocked the chair over and nearly followed it to the floor. Karen Brody, Chloe’s mom, the woman who had been like a second mother to Natalie. As if the mere mention of her name pulled a sense memory from Natalie’s mind, she suddenly smelled fresh sugar cookies straight from Karen’s oven.

She paced across the room, hoping that she was having a nightmare and the movement would make her wake up. But when she finally stopped and looked at her dad, any hope that she was dreaming disappeared like water down a drain.

For what felt like hours, she simply stood searching for something to say. But what did you say when your father admitted he’d killed your best friend’s mother?

“Mom and I went to her funeral. Chloe clung to me and cried so hard I thought she would fall to pieces.” She shook her head slowly, her heart breaking in so many ways she couldn’t count them all. “Why didn’t you come forward?”

“Because I was scared, a coward. And we thought they’d take you away from us.”

It took a few beats for Natalie to process all the information coming toward her like poison-tipped arrows. “We?” Then the way her parents had exchanged that glance a few minutes before caused a lump to form in her throat. “Mom knew? Oh, my God. She knew and she still walked into that funeral home and hugged Karen’s kids.”

Her stomach churned so violently she was afraid she was going to vomit.

“We were so scared. We couldn’t lose you and your sisters.”

“Chloe, Owen and Garrett lost their mother!”

A sob shook her father’s failing body, and she did her best to rein in her anger.

“If I could go back and do things differently, I would,” he said, his breath growing more labored. “I’d have gone to prison, but maybe you all would have been better off without me.”

Despite the anger and horror nearly choking her, the pure, unadulterated pain and sorrow she heard in his voice made her feel a sliver of compassion for him. This then was the reason he drank so much more after they moved to Kansas, to try to forget that he’d ended someone’s life. To drown the guilt.

She wanted to set fire to every alcoholic beverage in the world and wipe the knowledge of how to make them from the memories of mankind.

“I want to make it right, but I need you to help me do that,” he said.

Suddenly so weak she felt as if she might collapse in a heap, she righted the overturned chair with a shaking hand and sank onto the seat again. “There’s no way to make this right, Dad. What’s done is done.”

Even if they told the cops now, most likely they wouldn’t even arrive until after her father had passed from this earth. Honestly, by the look of him, she was stunned he’d found the strength to voice his confession.

“I need for you to tell the Brodys the truth, tell them how very sorry I am. Your mother can’t do it because they might come after her for knowing.”

She shook her head, unable to believe what he was asking her to do. “I can’t. It’ll just reopen all the old wounds. It won’t bring Karen back.”

“But they’ll have the answer to the question they’ve never been able to find.”

But would that be worse than never knowing?

Natalie dropped her head into her hands, feeling as if the entirety of her insides were being scalded raw. Gradually, the fact that her dad’s breathing was becoming even more labored registered, and she looked up to see tears still streaking out of his tired eyes. Though it was impossible, he seemed even smaller than when she’d walked into the room.

Yes, she was angrier than she ever remembered being, but could she let her dad die without promising him that she’d fulfill his dying wish? She knew it wasn’t fair of him to ask it of her, and he likely knew it, too. But he’d carried the guilt with him for so long, and it had obviously eaten away at him every bit as much as the alcohol, probably more.

Though she had no idea how she would be able to face the Brodys with such a horrible truth, she found herself unable to let her father slip from the world with his heart so unbearably heavy.

“I’ll tell them.” She’d figure out the how later.

The relief came off her father like a wave, and something felt profoundly right about what she’d just given him. In her entire life, she’d never witnessed such a deep desire to make amends.

Evidently no longer able to lift his hand, he pointed only one finger toward his nightstand. “There’s a letter for them.”

Natalie opened the drawer to find an envelope addressed to the Brody family in his distinctive scrawl. She didn’t have to look inside to know that it was his confession, the cleansing of his conscience before he died. She wondered how long the letter had occupied the drawer. He would have had to pen it some time ago since there was no way he could have managed it in recent days.

Though the envelope and the paper inside were no heavier than any other, she felt as if she held a terrible weight in her hand. She took a moment to inhale slowly then let the breath back out, fighting the dizziness that had decided to arrive to keep her nausea company. She tried to imagine what it must have been like to keep such a horrible secret for more than two decades, and the very idea threatened to make her even more ill. But at least her father hadn’t taken the truth to his grave.

“I think it’s...” Her words faded away as she looked up at her dad. His last tears were still drying on his grizzled cheeks as the first of hers fell.

No matter what he’d done, he was her dad and she loved him.

And now he was gone.

The sadness of his loss joined with the terrible weight of his confession, and she suddenly and desperately needed a breath of fresh air that didn’t smell like death and regret. She stood and walked slowly from the room, only dimly aware of her mother and sisters speaking to her as she headed for the front door.

As soon as she stepped outside and the clean air enveloped her, she stumbled, reminding her yet again of the colt’s shaky legs. The universe had a strange way of ensuring balance, constantly bringing a new life into the world at the same time it took another out.

As she looked up at the sky, she realized the clouds had given way to a blanket of stars. She gripped one of the porch supports as she thought about how the Brodys could be looking up at those same stars totally unaware that she’d just promised to bring them an answer they might no longer want.

Chapter Two

Garrett Brody still thought there was a high likelihood he would wake up any minute and realize he’d been dreaming. After all, the fact that he was at his younger brother’s wedding didn’t compute. Owen was not the getting-hitched-and-settling-down type. At least he hadn’t been until Linnea Holland had arrived at their family’s ranch with a heart broken in the worst possible way when she discovered her fiancé was already married. Somehow, his baby brother had helped Linnea heal, and her presence had convinced Owen that settling down with one woman was what he’d been searching for all along.

As Garrett watched the newlyweds dance with huge smiles on their faces, he had to admit he’d never seen his brother look so genuinely happy.

“Pretty sure hell has finally frozen over.”

Garrett glanced over to where Greg Bozeman, the ace mechanic of Blue Falls, was standing with a cup of punch. “No, that’s reserved for when you tie the knot.”

“Bite your tongue, man.”

Garrett chuckled as he watched Greg scan the room full of wedding guests, no doubt scoping out the single ladies. Speaking of, Garrett spotted Jenna Marks looking his direction. Before she got it in her head to walk his way, he nudged Greg and indicated he should go ask Jenna to dance.

“Sure you don’t want to reserve her for yourself?”

“Yep.” And to add a little extra buffer, he headed toward where his sister and her husband, Wyatt, were spinning around the dance floor to a Luke Bryan song.

He tapped Wyatt’s shoulder. “Mind if I cut in?”

“Be my guest. Let your sister step on your toes for a bit.”

Chloe huffed and swatted her husband’s arm. “It was only once and I was trying to avoid bumping into Verona.”

“Sure,” Wyatt said before planting a quick kiss on his wife’s cheek.

She playfully pushed him away. “Don’t be surprised when I make you sleep on the porch.”

Wyatt just grinned as he took a step back, well aware that Chloe’s threat was empty. Those two were every bit as in love as Owen and Linnea.

A sense of being the odd man out settled on Garrett. Blue Falls residents of the betting persuasion would have likely given him the best odds of settling down and starting a family first among his siblings, but things just hadn’t worked out that way. He went out now and then, but he’d never met a woman with whom he felt he could be happy spending the rest of his life.

“So, what brings you to the dance floor, big brother?”

“I need a reason to dance with my sister at our brother’s wedding?”

She lifted an eyebrow, but he didn’t take the bait. Instead, he led her into a dance as a new song began. They moved past their youngest sibling just as Owen dipped Linnea backward, causing the blushing bride to laugh and cling to Owen’s arms as if he might drop her on the floor. Garrett knew better. Owen wouldn’t do anything to hurt Linnea. In fact, he’d take a bullet for her without a moment’s hesitation. Garrett wondered what that was like, to be that in love with another person.

“You okay?”

He shifted his attention back to Chloe. “Yeah.”

She didn’t appear to believe him, and for a moment the look in her eyes reminded him of their mother. Even though he’d spent more of his life without his mom than with, he could still remember the way she’d look at him if she suspected he wasn’t telling the truth. It was as if she could actually see the lie forming in his mind.

Chloe glanced over at Owen and Linnea, now firmly locked in a close embrace despite the fast-paced song. “You know you’re next.”

Garrett snorted. “That’s unlikely when all the eligible possibilities keep getting snapped up.”

“There are plenty of available women around, and you know it. Take Jenna Marks, for example.”

It wasn’t any secret that the nurse at the clinic where his sister worked as a doctor was interested in him. But the feeling wasn’t mutual. Jenna was nice enough, and pretty, but he felt no real attraction to her. He’d even wondered if something was fried in his brain, but he couldn’t force an affection that wasn’t there.

“Small problem,” he said when he noticed Chloe was still waiting for some type of response. “We already tried going on a date, and the two of us had about as much connection as a cow and a chicken.”

Chloe sighed. “If Jenna isn’t the type of woman you’re looking for, then who is?”

“Who said I’m looking?”

“No one, but I’m just that smart.”

“Cocky, too.”

Chloe grinned wide, as if she was pleased with herself.

“Have you joined the Verona Charles matchmaking bandwagon?” Verona was the aunt of their friend Elissa and had taken it upon herself to pair up any unattached person who crossed her path. And with each successful pairing, including his two siblings, she grew even more ambitious. It didn’t matter if she was a big part of two people getting together or simply contributed a gentle nudge, she seemed to take great pleasure in seeing Blue Falls fill up with happily-ever-afters. He imagined a room of her house filled with a big dry-erase board akin to a basketball playoff bracket filled with the names of all the local singles.

“Not officially,” Chloe said. “But I want to see you happy.”

“I wasn’t aware I appear unhappy.”

“It’s not that you seem sad, but there’s something missing.”

He didn’t want to acknowledge that she’d hit the nail on the head, partially because he’d nearly convinced himself that he was okay with his life as it was. Honestly, how many people grew up to live their lives exactly as they imagined them when they were younger?

As the eldest of the Brody children, he’d always assumed he’d follow in his father’s footsteps running the cattle ranch, getting married and having children of his own. As the years passed and none of his dates led to anything even approaching what his father had with his mom before her death, Garrett had gradually accepted that perhaps the ranching aspect was the only part of his imagined future that would come to fruition. After all, the dating pool wasn’t endless in a town the size of Blue Falls.

And he sure as hell wasn’t going to resort to some online dating site. They worked fine for some people, but he damn near broke out in hives just thinking about it.

“You worry too much,” he finally said. “If it’s meant to happen, it will.”

And if it wasn’t, he’d keep his focus on ranching, making sure that the Brody spread stayed out of the red. Ranching was a tough way of life, but he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. And that didn’t always appeal to women. Part of him could understand. Unless ranching ran in your blood, who would want to volunteer for a life where a drought or an illness in the herd could wipe you out?

They’d very nearly lost the ranch once in those dark days after his mother’s death, when his father had been consumed by grief and they’d been slammed with a severe drought nearly at the same time. The stress of losing the love of his life and then almost losing his means of supporting his children had been palpable. Garrett was determined that his father would never be that close to the mental or financial breaking point ever again. Not to mention, if Garrett ever did marry, he wanted the ranch to be a successful enterprise he could hand down to his children as well as any nieces and nephews who might come along.

“You’ll find someone,” Chloe said as he guided her around Liam and India Parrish, yet another couple Verona had been instrumental in pairing up. “I have faith.”

She might but Garrett wasn’t so sure. Considering he was already thirty-two, that possibility didn’t look too good.

As the party started winding down a few minutes later, he leaned over to give his sister a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m going to head out. Have fun on your trip.” Since Chloe and Wyatt had yet to go on their own honeymoon, they were going on the same Caribbean cruise as Owen and Linnea.

“Thanks. I’ll be sure to bring you some tacky, touristy T-shirt.”

He laughed a little. “I’ve been needing a new grease rag for when I work on the trucks.”

She gave him an exasperated look. “Oh, go on before I tell Verona that you’re dying to find a wife as soon as possible.”

Garrett handed her off to Wyatt. “Your wife is evil.”

“I know, but she’s cute.”

He left one starry-eyed couple only to walk toward another, maneuvering through the crowd to Owen and Linnea. He playfully punched Owen in the shoulder as he had countless times before.

“I’d tell you to have a good trip, but I doubt there’s a need.”

Owen grinned. “I’m already there in my mind.”

Not wanting to think about what images were swirling through his brother’s head, Garrett pulled Linnea into a hug. “Don’t let my brother fall off the boat.”

Linnea smiled as she stepped back from him. “Oh, I plan to have him wear a life jacket anytime he leaves the cabin.”

Their dad, who was standing nearby, momentarily choked on the bite of cake he’d just taken. Garrett had to admit the image of his brother sitting down to a fancy dinner in the ship’s dining room with a big orange life jacket around his neck was pretty darn funny.

After making his final goodbyes, he made his way outside. The lack of sound as he stood on the edge of the Wildflower Inn’s parking lot made him realize just how noisy it had been inside. For the first time in several hours, he felt as if he could truly breathe. He’d rather be alone out in the middle of the ranch than in the midst of that many chattering people.

Even so, as he got into his truck and drove off the lot, the idea of going home to an empty house didn’t appeal to him. Maybe he’d run down to the Blue Falls Music Hall and see who was playing tonight. If he was lucky, being in the familiar, less formal environs would help him forget how the seed of loneliness inside him had evidently been watered and fed a healthy dose of fertilizer.

* * *

NATALIE BARELY HAD time to pull over on the side of the country road and get out of the car before throwing up what little she’d been able to eat since leaving Wichita that morning. The closer she’d gotten to Texas, the more ill she’d felt. When she’d driven through Blue Falls a few minutes before, her out-of-control nerves had her seriously considering making a U-turn and driving back to Kansas. She’d lost count of how many times she’d gone back and forth in her mind about if she could go through with telling the Brodys the truth, whether she should.

Her stomach tightened again as she held on to the bumper of the truck and dry heaved. Only through some deeply buried force of will did she bring her stomach into submission. She stood shaking for a couple more minutes until she was fairly certain her insides wouldn’t stage another revolt. Then she slowly walked back to the driver’s door, which was standing wide open, and reached inside for a bottle of water. She washed out her mouth and spit onto the edge of the asphalt before digging in her luggage for mouthwash. She followed a full minty rinse with a few more swishes of water.

After shoving the bottle of mouthwash back into the bag, she leaned against the side of the truck and took several slow, deep breaths. She lifted her gaze to the huge expanse of dark sky peppered with stars and a sliver of moon. A rush of anger bubbled up inside her that her father had put her in this position, puking on the side of a road she barely remembered from her childhood, mere minutes away from dropping a bomb in the middle of the Brodys’ lives.

She didn’t have to do this.

Yes, she did. Never in her life had she failed to keep a promise. Even before she consciously knew what she was doing, something inside her had decided that she would be the total opposite of her dad in that regard. He’d made so many promises—to quit drinking, to get another job and keep it this time, to earn enough so they could take a real family vacation that wasn’t a weekend of tent camping at the state park a half hour from their house.

Natalie closed her eyes as she rested her head back against the cool metal of the truck. No matter how many times her father had disappointed her, there was one promise he’d kept. To always love her, Allison and Renee with all his heart. If she’d ever doubted that love, that doubt would have been erased by the look in his tired eyes as he’d wept mere moments before dying. He knew, soul deep, that he’d let them all down repeatedly. She’d seen the fervent wish that he’d been a better father, a better husband, a better man.

That look and her own love for him in spite of everything was why she was here in the middle of Texas. Since the night her father had asked her to deliver his apology, she’d not gotten a full night of sleep, had been able to eat only enough to keep functioning as she helped her mother deal with the funeral arrangements and laying her dad to rest. The anxiety had built over the past week until she knew she had to get this trip over with so she could begin to live normally again.

She filled her lungs with another deep breath and tried to steady her nerves as she slid back into the driver’s seat. Exhaustion weighed down every cell in her body as she pulled onto the road. She knew she should wait until the next day to go see the Brodys, to try to get some sleep first, but if she had to wait another day to divulge her father’s secret, she thought she might explode.

Her GPS guided her the rest of the way to the Brody ranch. When she turned into the gravel drive, she hit the brakes. She’d crossed this point so many times when she’d been a kid, and happy memories were attached to each visit here. But all of those memories were about to be poisoned by the purpose for her return.

She pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling the warm flush invading her skin. With a shake of her head, she gradually released the brake and drove the rest of the way up to the house. As her lights cut across the front, revealing two basset hounds lying at the top of the steps, she remembered sitting on those same steps with Chloe playing Go Fish as Chloe’s mom sat in the rocking chair shucking corn from her garden.

But even knowing that she had to get the revelation over with, she still sat in the truck for a couple of minutes after parking and cutting the engine. She’d spent more than nine hours on the road. That should have been enough time to prep herself. Still, as she looked toward the front door she’d walked through countless times, she had to corral every speck of willpower she possessed to finally slip out of the truck.

Her feet moved slowly, the sound of her shoes on the walkway magnified by her anxiety. She found she barely had the strength to climb the steps, pausing halfway up them to pet the two hounds. When they sniffed then licked her hand, a wholly unexpected smile lifted her lips. It faded quickly when she pushed herself up the rest of the steps.

When she stood in front of the door, she had to take a few moments to catch her breath. It wasn’t too late. She could still turn around, leave, not drag the painful past back into the Brodys’ lives. But then she thought of her father, of how he’d suffered because he’d been weak. So that he could truly rest, she had to be strong for him and hope that her childhood best friend didn’t hate her for it.

She lifted her hand and knocked on the front door. The wait for someone to answer grew to an excruciating length. When no one appeared, she knocked again, harder this time. Still no answer, or in response to a third even louder knocking.

Natalie leaned her head against the door, suddenly so tired she could barely stand. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to cry that the inevitable was being drawn out even more, or if she was thankful for the temporary reprieve. She considered sitting in one of the chairs on the porch to wait for the Brodys to return home, but she was more likely than not to fall asleep there. And it only added to her sadness that the rocking chair she remembered Karen Brody sitting in had been replaced with a newer one. The old one could have broken during the intervening years, but some deep instinct told her that its absence was deliberate.

Deciding that the fact no one was home was the universe telling her she needed some sleep between now and when she faced the Brodys, she headed back to her truck. As she retraced the miles back to Blue Falls, her thoughts narrowed in on falling into bed, into oblivion.

By the time she checked into her room at the Country Vista Inn, she was dead on her feet, barely able to drag her bag into the room. She dropped it just inside the door and headed straight for the bed, not even bothering to change into pajamas.

Despite the fatigue, sleep proved elusive. She tossed and turned, on the verge of tears. All she wanted was a full night of good, solid rest so she could be better equipped to face the Brodys the next day. But as she stared at the ceiling, she remained wide-awake. To make matters worse, her stomach growled like a bear. Well, no wonder. What little she’d consumed that day was lying on the side of the road.

Unable to get comfortable, she sat up on the edge of the bed. Maybe if she got something to eat, the fact that she didn’t have to face the Brodys tonight would allow her to keep a meal down. She continued to sit, letting her mind and stomach adjust to the idea of food. When she didn’t feel as if she’d be sick again, she stood, grabbed her purse and went out in search of food.

She drove through downtown Blue Falls, snippets of childhood memories seeming to float in through her open window. Enjoying a cookie at the Mehlerhaus Bakery, watching the annual Christmas parade and tree lighting, sitting by the lake watching the sailboats glide across its shiny surface. As she rolled into the main part of the downtown business district, she saw that the Primrose Café was closed for the evening, as was the bakery. She spotted a Mexican place, but she didn’t trust her stomach enough to risk that.

As she continued down Main Street, the sound of music drew her attention. While most of the town seemed to be closed up for the night, the Blue Falls Music Hall was still hopping, if the full parking lot was any indication. The memory was hazy, but she seemed to remember the place having a limited menu from the few times her family had gone on family night, the one night each week when they didn’t serve alcohol and thus could admit children. Surely anything they had would beat the vending machine at the motel.

Natalie pulled into one of the few empty parking spots then headed inside. The twangy strands of a country song and the din of conversation hit her as soon as she opened the door. Though she was tired and not particularly in a social mood, losing herself in the crowd held more appeal than staring at the ceiling of her room while the ball of anxiety in the pit of her stomach did its best to consume her.

She weaved a path through the crowd and finally made her way to the bar. The sight of all the people drinking threatened to cause her nausea to return, but she shook it off. She knew there was nothing wrong with having an occasional drink, but she’d just seen how it could take over and ruin a person’s life and damage those around him.

After a deep breath that smelled like equal parts beer, fried food and woodsy aftershave from some nearby cowboy, she crossed the rest of the distance to the bar, arriving just in time to take possession of a bar stool vacated by a woman who’d been asked to dance.

The bartender, a middle-aged guy who wasn’t bad-looking, stepped in front of her. “What can I get you?”

She spotted a plate of cheese fries a few seats down from her and realized how long it had been since she’d had one of her favorite guilty pleasures. “I’ll take a water and some cheese fries.” She just hoped her stomach behaved itself when her own food arrived.

“Coming right up.”

Out of all the conversations surrounding her, Natalie’s hearing zeroed in on that of two women a couple of stools down from where she sat.

“I can’t believe he dumped me,” one said, then sniffed.

“He doesn’t deserve you,” the other replied. “Hey, my friend needs another drink.” Obviously, the last was directed at the bartender because he headed that way, dropping off Natalie’s water as he passed.

The first woman sounded so brokenhearted, and for a moment Natalie could understand her need to push the real world away with a drink. How much more powerful had the need been for her father considering what he’d done?

She closed her eyes briefly, doing her best to push away those thoughts or she wouldn’t be keeping the fries down long.

“Crowded tonight, isn’t it?”

It took Natalie a moment to realize the blond guy in the neatly pressed shirt was talking to her. “Um, yeah.”

He glanced back toward the dance floor. “Good song. Would you like to dance?”

She managed a small smile. “Sorry, not tonight.”

He grinned back. “Well, at least that leaves the door open for another night.”

The guy couldn’t know that she wouldn’t be in Blue Falls any other night, but she didn’t enlighten him, either. Letting him think he had a chance in the future had probably just bought her peace for the one night she was in town.

Or so she thought. By the time her cheese fries arrived, she was beginning to feel like a piece of meat and the only single female in the county. Hoping the heaping plate of fries would keep well-meaning potential dance partners at bay, she took a steadying breath then a bite of a gooey, cheesy fry. As she chewed, she paid close attention to her stomach. But thankfully it seemed to have decided it had done enough damage for the evening.

When the older woman sitting next to Natalie vacated her stool, someone else immediately took her place. Seats at the bar seemed to be a hot commodity.

“You must be new in town,” the new bar-stool resident said.

This time Natalie hoped he was talking to her, because he had one of those voices that rumbled from deep within his chest and made a woman go all warm and puddly. Sure, it wouldn’t make any difference in how long she planned to stay in town, but she wouldn’t mind listening to it while she ate. Maybe he could read the menu to her or something.

“Your fine deductive skills tell you that?” She didn’t look at him, afraid that if the face didn’t match the voice she’d be unaccountably disappointed.

“Yes. Most people come to the music hall to dance or drink, and you’re doing neither.”

She tapped her glass. “I’m drinking.”

“So you are.” There was a hint of a laugh in his voice, and she looked in his direction before thinking.

Whatever she’d been about to say died on her lips because her neighbor’s face matched his voice perfectly. Dark eyes looked back at her from a handsome, chiseled face, the kind you’d imagine a romanticized cowboy should have. A hint of dark hair peeked out from under his straw-colored cowboy hat. He wore a white, button-up shirt and what looked like new jeans. Though she wasn’t about to allow herself to continue looking down his body, she had no doubt that he probably also sported a pair of cowboy boots buffed for a night on the town. All in all, he was the epitome of what cowboys called dressed up.

His lips edged up in a grin right before he reached over and nabbed one of her fries. She very nearly smacked his hand, but that was too familiar of a gesture toward someone she didn’t know, especially since that someone was currently causing her pulse to stage a footrace through her veins. She wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the bartender pulled out a fire extinguisher to combat the flames that felt as if they were consuming her face.

After a couple of moments, she gave the fry thief a raised-eyebrow look. “You steal food from strangers all the time?”

“Nope. Giving it a trial run.”

She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. This man had no idea how big of a deal it was that he’d drawn a laugh from her. Since the night she’d sat beside her father as he passed from life to death, the sound of a laugh had become as foreign and impossible as traveling to the dark side of the moon.

“I suppose I could share so you’re not arrested for food theft.” She scooted the large plate to a spot halfway between them. “Lord knows they gave me enough to feed a family of four.”

He grabbed another fry. “Don’t mind if I do, though I’m friends with the sheriff, so I think I’m safe.”

Natalie tried to stay calm and appear unfazed as they munched on a couple of fries. Considering the week she’d had and the reason she was in town, she shouldn’t even be able to feel attraction toward a man. And yet she did, one so strong that it had her feeling as if she might suddenly lean toward him and slide off the stool into the floor.

“So what brings you to town?”

She searched for a truth that wasn’t the entire truth. “I used to live here when I was a kid.”

Before he could respond, the bartender stopped in front of her dinner partner.

“Hey, Garrett. What can I get you to drink?”

Natalie choked on the fry she was in the process of swallowing. She sensed the men staring at her, probably wondering if she needed the Heimlich performed, as she reached for her glass. When she got the cough under control, she took a long drink.

“You okay?” Garrett asked.

Garrett. What were the chances that she’d run into another Garrett who was the right age in a town the size of Blue Falls?

When she noticed him looking at her with concern in those dark eyes, she realized she hadn’t responded. “Yeah. Just went down the wrong way.”

Natalie’s stomach started to turn again, changing the fries from a treat to a disaster waiting to happen. She’d settled into the idea that she wouldn’t have to face the Brodys until the next day, and now here she was sitting next to Chloe’s older brother. Everything she’d planned to say, the words she’d practiced as the miles ticked by from Wichita, were nothing but a jumbled mess in her head.

Chapter Three

“You sure you’re okay?” He sounded so genuinely concerned, and she had to fight the knee-jerk reaction that she didn’t deserve it.

She nodded then fiddled with one of the fries but didn’t bring it to her mouth. At the moment, she couldn’t imagine ever wanting to eat again.

“So, you used to live here, huh?”

Instead of answering, she spun halfway to face him. “Are you Garrett Brody?”

His eyes widened briefly before he tilted his head to the side as if trying to place her. “Do I know you?”

She swallowed and did her best to ignore the queasiness invading her middle. “Natalie Todd. I used to be friends with Chloe when we were kids.”

Garrett tipped his hat back and looked at her closely. His scrutiny made her even more aware of just how good-looking he’d grown up to be, as if carved by a modern-day Michelangelo of cowboys. Not that it surprised her. He’d been cute even as a boy, so much so that he’d been her first crush. Leaving him behind in Blue Falls had broken her heart almost as much as realizing she might never see her best friend again.

“I remember you. The two of you used to be thick as thieves. I also remember Chloe wailing as if the world was ending when you moved away.”

Guilt, even though it wasn’t her fault, roiled inside her, dancing a tango with her anxiety. “Yeah, it was hard.”

Natalie glanced at some of the surrounding patrons, not wanting to go into any more detail in the middle of a room crowded with people who didn’t need to hear them. “Are Chloe and Owen here?”

She shifted her attention back to Garrett in time to see him shake his head.

“I just came from Owen’s wedding, so he and his new wife are headed to Austin for the night and then the airport in the morning for their honeymoon. Chloe got married recently, too, so all four of them are jetting off to the Caribbean.”

God, could fulfilling her father’s dying request get any harder? Part of her wanted to just blurt it out to Garrett then race as fast as her truck would take her back to Kansas. But that was the coward’s way out, and she wouldn’t walk the same road her father had.

While she mentally cursed the entire situation, she grabbed her glass with a hand that was a little too shaky. But Garrett either didn’t notice or chose not to comment. She knew she should make her exit and go back to the motel to regroup, but her brain refused to send the appropriate signals to her body to make it move. If she stuck to the plan of telling all of the Brodys at once, she either had to go back home and come back at a later date or stick around until the honeymooners returned. Both options held about as much appeal as lying down on a fire-ant hill covered in honey.

If she went home, she wondered if she’d find the nerve to come back to Blue Falls a second time. But if she stayed, what the hell was she going to do with all the free time? What about her job? And was it fair to Owen and Chloe to hit them with this type of news during what was likely the happiest time of their lives? An ache started throbbing in her forehead between her eyes.

Garrett snatched another French fry, evidently oblivious to her inner turmoil. And she needed to keep it that way.

“They didn’t feed you at the wedding reception?”

“Yeah, but there’s always room for cheese fries. So, where you living now?”

“Wichita.”

“That where you moved when you left Blue Falls?”

Natalie resisted the building urge to flee. “Yeah. You still live at the ranch?”

“Yep, just me and Dad now. Chloe and her husband, Wyatt, have their own place on another part of the property. Owen’s living in town, above Linnea’s bridal store, but still works out at the ranch.”

So, Garrett seemed to be the only unmarried sibling, and she tried not to be happy about that. His marital status shouldn’t matter to her at all. It wasn’t as if she had a chance with him, even if hundreds of miles didn’t stand between where they lived their lives. Once she revealed why she’d come back to Blue Falls, he would never want to see her again. And she wouldn’t be able to blame him.

“What do you do in Wichita?”

“I’m a vet,” she said absently, still stuck on why she was sitting here in a town she hadn’t seen in two decades.

When Garrett picked up yet another fry, she slid the plate the rest of the way in front of him.

“Sorry. I’ll stop stealing your food.”

“It’s okay. I realized I’m too tired to eat.” Another glance at him and the resultant pull she felt toward him was enough to propel her to her feet. “I’ve had a really long day, so I’m going to call it a night.”

As she started to step away, his voice, that delicious voice that could so easily seduce, stopped her.

“How long are you in town? I know Chloe would love to see you and catch up.”

The lonely, fragile part of her wanted him to be asking for himself and not Chloe, but she knew her thoughts were irrational. If she managed to get a solid night’s sleep, she’d probably wake wondering what had possessed her brain tonight.

“Not sure. But I’ll get in touch with her when she returns.” She wasn’t positive that was true, but she had to put some distance between herself and Garrett before she cracked and spilled everything too soon, in the wrong place. Before he could say anything else, she pushed her way through the crowd toward the door.

By the time she reached the parking lot, she felt genuinely ill, the kind of ill that came from too little food, not enough rest and nerves frazzled almost to the breaking point. As if to match her mood, it started to rain as she drove back to the motel.

This time, she managed to exchange her clothes for her pajamas and slid underneath the covers. She lay on her side, wondering if she’d made the biggest mistake of her life when she’d promised her father that she would deliver his confession and apology. What could possibly be gained from telling the Brodys the truth? All it would do is hurt them by reopening old wounds.

You don’t know that.

She hated that voice of doubt in her head, the one that said that maybe the wound was already open, that it had never healed and wouldn’t until all their questions had answers, no matter how painful they might be. Plus, she knew herself well enough to realize that if she didn’t fulfill her promise to her father, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself. Lying was one thing, but lying to a person about to take his last breath was something else entirely. She couldn’t let her promise be a lie.

* * *

THE NOISE AND activity around Garrett faded as his thoughts zeroed in on the unexpected meet-up with Natalie Todd. He continued to eat the cheese fries she’d left behind and sip on the beer he’d ordered. He had only a vague recollection of what she looked like when she’d been a kid, but she’d certainly grown up to be a beautiful woman. The moment he’d seen her profile as she sat on the bar stool, it’d been as if he’d known he had to sit next to her, talk to her. The totally irrational knowledge that he might have pushed anyone who got in his way out of his path made him pause with a fry halfway to his mouth.

What was going on? Had some sliver of what Chloe said at the reception wormed its way into his brain, putting him in some sort of primal wife-hunting mode? He shook his head and pushed away both the unfinished plate of fries and the three-quarters-full beer bottle.

“Done already?” James Turner, who was tending the bar, gave Garrett a questioning look that also managed to convey that he knew exactly what was going on.

“Yep. Long day.”

“Takes a lot of fuss to get two people hitched.”

“Amen to that.” Garrett pulled out his wallet and placed a five-dollar bill on the bar before standing. He chose to ignore the grin James wasn’t even attempting to hide. But as he made his way outside, he found himself wanting to smile, too.

Damn if he didn’t feel as he had when he’d been twelve and bumped into Lila Croft as she came out of the girls’ locker room after PE. His eyes had locked with hers for a moment before she walked away as if nothing had happened. But he’d fallen head over heels in love in the space of a heartbeat, a great and all-consuming love that had lasted until he’d asked her to a homecoming dance in seventh grade only to be shot down as if he were the ugliest, stinkiest boy on the planet. That had been the end of his foray into instant love.

Lila was married to the owner of a landscaping company in Austin now. He occasionally ran into her and her three kids when she came back to Blue Falls to see her parents, and each time it was as if he’d never harbored any feelings toward her other than a casual acquaintance.

He hurried out into the rain and had just made it to his truck when he heard the unholiest racket. He looked toward the street in time to see the limo filled with his siblings and their spouses rolling through town, all manner of cans tied to the bumper. He laughed and shook his head before hopping into his truck.

He was leaving the city limits before he realized that Natalie hadn’t answered his question about why she was in town. As far as he knew, she had no family left here. Thoughts of her accompanied him as he drove toward the ranch, eventually passing out of the rain onto a stretch of road with dry pavement. Her eyes were the kind of bright blue that would make you stare even though you knew it was rude. Her long blond hair had been pulled up into a cute ponytail, but he bet it was gorgeous down and flowing free. And her body...well, he hadn’t been the only man in the music hall salivating. It was a miracle she’d made it out of the place without a dozen of them attaching themselves to her like sticky weed.

A flash of lightning in the distance drew his attention a moment before rain started sprinkling on his windshield again. When he pulled into the ranch, he spotted his dad’s truck and did his best to put thoughts of Natalie Todd and her perfectly shaped body out of his mind. Last thing he wanted to do was walk into the house aroused.

Thinking of taking a dunk in an icy lake somewhere cold like Minnesota or the far northern reaches of Canada, he stepped out of the truck. The wind kicked up, whistling around the edge of the house like something with a tortured soul. Even Roscoe and Cletus, his family’s two basset hounds, were not in their usual spots on the front porch. He imagined they’d toddled off to their doghouse out back.

The thunder and lightning grew closer, but still it only sprinkled. He held on to his hat to keep it from sailing off into the night as he headed for the front steps. When he stepped inside the house, he froze for a moment, the short span of time it took for him to realize that his father was holding one of the family portraits from when Garrett’s mom was alive. In the next breath, his dad returned the photo to its spot on the mantel and turned toward him.

“Good night to fly a kite,” his dad said, acting as if he hadn’t just been having a sentimental moment.

Garrett took off his hat and hung it on the rack by the door. “Maybe if you want to pull a Ben Franklin and get fried.”

His dad chuckled and headed for the kitchen. “Glad we got everything squared away before Mother Nature decided to kick up her heels.”

As if to reply to that comment, a bright flash outside was quickly followed by a deafening boom of thunder that shook the house. Garrett and his dad both jumped.

“That was close,” his dad said.

“Too close.” Garrett strode to the window but saw nothing but the darkness beyond the dim glow of the security lamp on the barn.

His dad blew out a breath. “Well, I’m going to turn in. I’m so tired I think I might be able to sleep straight through this racket.”

Garrett nodded. After his dad disappeared down the hall, Garrett walked into the kitchen to check out back. A peek through the window didn’t show anything amiss, so he, too, headed for bed. Work never ended on a ranch, and that work started early.

He’d just started to unbutton his shirt, his thoughts floating right back to Natalie and the way her lips had moved when she’d smiled, when something made him look out his bedroom window. His heart thumped extra hard when he spotted flames on the roof of the barn.

Thankful he was still wearing his boots, he ran out into the hall. “Dad, call the fire department! The barn’s on fire!”

His dad stuck his head out of his bedroom door. “What?”

“Lightning hit the barn.”

He raced to the barn, hoping the sprinkles would vacate in favor of a downpour to put out the blaze. Already, the horses were agitated, whinnying and unable to stand still in their stalls. Another loud clap of thunder caused Bronson, his dad’s horse, to kick at his stall as his eyes went wide with fear.

Garrett hurried to get the horses out of the barn without causing injury to them or himself, not an easy task. He didn’t like taking them out into the storm, but it was better than a burning roof caving in on them if the fire department didn’t arrive in time to extinguish the flames.

By the time he got to the stall holding Penelope, Chloe’s horse was about to lose her mind with fear. The fire was centered right above the bay mare’s head, so he could understand. But as he tried to calm her, she was having none of it. As he started to ease the stall door open, Penelope kicked, busting a couple of the slats with her powerful hooves.

“Come on, girl, let’s get out of here.”

But the horse still didn’t cooperate, and Garrett was afraid the next thing she kicked would be him. He took a side step just in time as she panicked and busted out of the stall. The horse screamed as she broke free and raced out of the barn. Garrett fell back into the dirt, rolling to avoid being trampled.

The fire trucks coming up the driveway halted Penelope’s flight in that direction. She changed course, only to find herself cornered against the corral fence on one side, Garrett’s dad on another and finally Garrett as he stumbled out of the barn.

Penelope spun, panic driving her movements, her need to flee. Garrett’s heart nearly stopped when he saw a large sliver of wood protruding from the horse’s side. They had to calm her down and get the vet out here, while making sure the barn didn’t burn down and the other horses didn’t break from where he and his dad had tied them several yards down the fence line.

Out of the corner of his eye, Garrett saw the firefighters hopping out of the trucks and retrieving hoses and gear. But even if the barn burned down to a pile of ash, he had to keep his attention on Penelope. He hated to see an animal in pain, and he couldn’t let her injure herself further. He couldn’t stand the idea of his sister coming home from her belated honeymoon to find her horse severely injured or worse.

“Easy, girl,” he said, trying to sound soothing even though his heart was doing its best to beat out of his chest. He slowly moved closer to Penelope, continuing to talk to the frightened animal.

It took what felt like forever to get Penelope calmed down enough that Garrett figured she wouldn’t injure herself further. But if the thunder kept up or the fire grew any bigger, he wasn’t betting she wouldn’t break free again and run until she collapsed or bled to death.

His dad didn’t have to be told to go call Dr. Franklin. He just headed for the house once he saw Garrett had Penelope under control.

With another roll of thunder, the heavens finally turned on the spigot and rain started falling harder. It took less than a minute for Garrett’s clothes to be soaked through, but he didn’t move.

His dad stalked back across the yard. “Doc Franklin is out of town, so I put a call in to Dr. Smith over in Fredericksburg. But his answering service said he’s out on another call. We’re next up.”

The way Penelope was bleeding and breathing hard, they needed help sooner. He glanced back over his shoulder but didn’t see flames anymore. Thank God for that. He returned his attention to his dad.

“Watch her. I’ve got an idea.”

He raced into the house and grabbed the phone. Since he’d been at the Wildflower Inn earlier and didn’t think Natalie was staying there, he called the next best guess for where she was staying.

“Country Vista Inn,” a female voice answered.

“Natalie Todd’s room, please.”

When the person on the other end of the line didn’t come back with a “There’s no one staying here by that name,” instead connecting him with a room, he almost breathed a sigh of relief. But when the phone rang several times with no answer, he started pacing and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Come on, pick up.”

As if she heard him, Natalie’s sleepy voice said, “Hello?”

Despite all the potential catastrophes currently in play, for a moment he stood there imagining her in bed, that blond hair rumpled, her feminine curves clothed in something soft and barely there.

Good grief, he needed to get laid.

“Natalie, it’s Garrett Brody. Sorry to wake you, but I need your help.”

She didn’t immediately respond, and for a moment he wondered if she’d fallen back asleep.

“My help?”

“You’re a vet, and I have a badly injured horse.”

“Doesn’t Blue Falls have a vet?”

“Dr. Franklin is out of town, and the backup from Fredericksburg is already on another call. And Chloe’s horse has a big piece of wood piercing her side.”

He heard movement on the other end of the call and imagined her swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

“Please tell me you’re like Dr. Franklin and pack medical supplies with you wherever you go,” he said.

“I do,” Natalie said through a yawn. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Thank goodness for small miracles. He headed back outside to tell his dad the news, determined not to imagine Natalie arriving in her skimpy sleepwear and bed-tousled hair. Damn if he didn’t get a raging hard-on at that image. This time, he was thankful to be doused by the cold rain.

Chapter Four

Natalie exchanged her pajamas for jeans and a T-shirt. The absolute last thing she wanted to do was go back out to the Brody ranch again and still not be able to tell them why she was in town. Well, she could tell Garrett and his dad, but it just didn’t feel right to not tell Chloe. After all, they’d once been very close. To give the information to the first Brody she could find then race back to Kansas before Chloe even returned from her honeymoon felt like the ultimate in cowardice. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right, no matter how hard it proved to be.

But now, she had to focus on the task at hand. She might not want to be around the Brodys until she could talk to all of them at once, but she couldn’t leave an animal in danger.

The rain was still coming down as she raced out to her truck and drove as fast as she dared toward the Brodys’ ranch. Her stomach knotted, and she hoped the few fries she’d eaten stayed right where they were.

The drive seemed to take three times as long as it had earlier, even counting the stop she’d had to make on the side of the road during the first trip. The rain didn’t slacken until she neared the turn into the ranch, and then only slightly. She hit the brakes, skidding a little, when she came over a small hill and saw two fire trucks pulling out of the Brodys’ drive.

Her heart lurched. Fire trucks? She glanced across the darkened field and made out a lighted window through the slanting rain. At least something was still standing. And Garrett had said nothing about a fire when he’d called. She didn’t think something could have caught fire, the 911 call be made, fire trucks respond and the fire be extinguished in the half hour it had taken her to arrive.

When the trucks passed her, she pulled into the drive and hurried to reach the house. Her headlights caught someone leading two horses toward the barn. The man looked over his shoulder toward her, and though she couldn’t tell for certain, she got the feeling it was Garrett’s dad.

A huge lump formed in her throat and she had to blink back tears. Her father had cost Mr. Brody his wife, the mother of his children. How in the world was she going to face him and not have the horrible truth be obvious in her expression?

Now is not the time. Now you focus on work, a hurt animal, nothing else.

Not even the tall, sexy and currently drenched man she saw beyond the one leading the horses. Even soaking wet and with her vision impaired by the rain battling with her windshield wipers, she knew it was Garrett standing next to a big bay, his hand slowly rubbing down the horse’s neck.

She shook her head as she parked then grabbed the emergency medical kit she kept with her at all times. She never knew when she might come upon an animal in need, whether it was livestock, pet or wildlife. She cared for all of their welfare equally.

Not taking time to retrieve her rain gear, she hopped out of the truck and crossed to where Garrett stood next to the beautiful animal.

“I didn’t know whether to move her,” he said without preamble. He nodded toward the barn. “We had a fire, but it’s out now.”

She stepped close to the mare, shushing her when she tried to sidestep away. Running her hand along the same stretch of neck that Garrett had moments earlier, she said, “There’s a good girl.” She examined the injury as best she could in the dim light. “Bring her inside, but carefully. Try not to let her move any more than she has to.”

Natalie led the way inside the barn, which smelled like a combination of hay, rain and smoke. She glanced up to where the back part of the building’s roof now sported a hole that would make the last two stalls unusable until repairs were made. Of course, one of those stalls also had damage of its own that had nothing to do with the roof damage. She had no doubt that the injured horse had been the one to splinter the wood on the front of the stall.

She pointed toward the smallest stall near the front of the barn. “Put her in there.”

“Won’t give you much room to work.”

“Also won’t give her room to kick me into next week.”

Natalie stayed clear until Garrett managed to get the animal into the stall. He did his best to soothe the mare, but she still didn’t go into the stall willingly.

“Be careful,” he said when Natalie stepped into the stall. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

She eased her hand along the horse’s side, gradually moving toward the spot where the sizable sliver of wood was protruding. “Try to keep her as calm as you can. Keep talking to her, draw her attention that direction.”

Natalie went into a familiar autopilot mode, opening her bag of veterinary supplies and prepping everything she’d need. When she was ready to remove the mother of all splinters, she caught Garrett’s eye across the mare’s back. “Get ready. I’m going to pull out our offender.”

Thankfully, the wood hadn’t gone too deep into the horse’s flesh, but that didn’t make much difference to the mare’s reaction when Natalie jerked it out. The animal threw her head back, showing her teeth, and sidestepped so suddenly that she slammed Natalie against the side of the stall.

“You okay?” Garrett sounded so concerned that the lump made a return appearance in her throat.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Deliberately not making eye contact with him, she went to work cleaning the wound, disinfecting and closing it up. “What’s this girl’s name anyway?”

“Penelope.”

“Interesting name for a horse.”

“Chloe named it after a character in one of her favorite movies.”

Before she could stop herself, she glanced toward Garrett and found him watching her. Even looking as if he’d been dumped in the lake, he still took her breath away. For a moment she forgot what she’d been about to say. It took forcing herself to break eye contact to get her brain functioning again. “The movie Penelope?”

“Yeah. She’s probably seen that movie a hundred times.”

“It’s a good one.” In fact, it was one of Natalie’s favorites, too. But instead of making her happy that she and her childhood friend still obviously had things in common, a heavy sadness welled up in her. She’d missed so much of Chloe’s life, so many adventures they might have had together if her father had simply not gotten in his car that night.

She shoved away that thought because she needed to concentrate on her task. When she finally finished, she caressed the side of Penelope’s face and scratched between her ears. “Good girl. You’ve had a rough night, huh?”

Seemingly calmer than she’d been since Natalie arrived, Penelope turned her head and nuzzled Natalie’s face.

“Well, wonders never cease.”

Natalie glanced toward the stall’s door and saw Garrett’s dad standing there with his forearms propped along the top of the door. Her heart ached in her chest. He looked so much older than she remembered. Even though that made perfect sense, the realization also made her sad.

When he looked at her and smiled, she had to fight tears.

“When Garrett told me you were in town and you were a vet, I couldn’t believe it.” He shook his head slowly. “You’re not that little girl I remember.”

She made herself smile back. “Not for a long time.”

“Lot’s changed since those days.” He nodded toward Penelope. “Looks like you could give Dr. Franklin a run for his money.”

“So he’s really still the vet here?”

“Yep.”

As she packed up her supplies, she couldn’t help a small smile, a real one this time. She had fond memories of Dr. Franklin, of helping out around his vet practice when her mom had volunteered there one day a week. Those hours spent watching him take care of sick animals had been what set her on the path to becoming a veterinarian herself.

She put the brakes on the trip down memory lane and slipped out of the stall, Garrett right behind her.

“After this night, we all need a big slice of pie,” Garrett’s dad said.

“That’s okay. I’ll just be going.” She needed to get away from the ranch, from the memories, from the way her pulse sped up every time she made eye contact with Garrett. Hell, every time she was within sight of him. It wasn’t helping that with his clothes plastered to his skin, she could see every well-defined muscle and wanted to skim her hands over them.

Mr. Brody patted her on the shoulder. “I insist. Someone has to save me from Linnea’s baking.”

She glanced at Garrett.

“Owen’s new wife,” he said. “She really likes to bake when she’s nervous.”

“And these last few days leading up to the wedding, she’s been going through sugar like we operate a sugar cane plantation instead of a cattle ranch.” Mr. Brody chuckled. “Not that I’m complaining.” He patted his middle. “But the girl is going to make me fat.”

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