think about what it would do to Harper and her family. Not right now.
As if she hadn’t heard him, she looked back at the hillside where they’d found the body. “I know it’s silly since I’ve lived on this ranch from the time I was born and I’ve never been afraid of anything, but I feel...”
“Spooked,” he said, and nodded as he glanced back toward the hillside in the distance before turning to her. That was only one of the emotions ripping through him right now.
“I’ve always thought I was pretty strong and could handle most anything.”
“You are.” He’d never seen her this vulnerable. A part of him wanted to protect her, but there was no protecting her from this.
“I’m sorry how this day turned out for you,” he added, remembering that she’d said the reason she was screaming was because she had been in such a great mood. It was that free spirit in her that he’d seen when she was a kid that had endeared her to him.
Now he wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be all right. That he would help her get through this. But it would have been a lie. This was going to tear them apart before they even got the chance to be together.
“If you want, I could ride—”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m fine. My mother’s isn’t far from here.” She started to rein her horse around to leave but stopped. “You know you did rescue me, Brody. Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here.”
He said nothing around the lump in his throat as he tipped his hat and watched her ride west. Just let her go. But it was the last thing he wanted to do. Unfortunately, he had no choice now. He looked back at the pine-covered hillside where the authorities were now loading the remains, and quickly turned away.
* * *
“W HO WAS THAT you were with?” Sarah Johnson Hamilton asked her daughter as she glanced out the window. On the phone, Harper hadn’t told her mother about what had happened earlier. She’d just asked if Sarah was going to be home and could she stop by.
Harper frowned. “I rode here alone.” Stepping to the window, she looked out to see Brody riding away. He’d followed her? With a pang, she realized that he’d been more worried about her than he’d wanted her to know.
“Then who was that?”
“Brody McTavish. We...ran into each other earlier.” Harper was surprised to see her mother’s disapproval and challenged her. “Why, what’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing,” Sarah said, and turned away from the window. Her smile never met her eyes. “What was he doing on the ranch?”
“He was mending fence on that lease property next to ours. If there is some reason you disapprove of him... But then, why would you? You don’t even know him. He was just a boy when you left.” She hadn’t said it to hurt her mother. She’d just been thinking out loud.
Her mother looked as if she’d been slapped. “I didn’t mean to find fault with him. I’m sure he’s nice.”
“He is.” Well, most of the time, she thought. She still couldn’t understand why he’d wanted to get rid of her so quickly after they’d found the body.
Her mother moved to her to brush dust off the shoulder of her shirt. “I’m so glad you didn’t get caught in that thunderstorm. You’re not even wet.”
“It went to the north,” Harper said distractedly.
“Let’s go into town and get lunch. A girl day, what do you say?”
Harper stepped back. She couldn’t help being annoyed. “Why don’t you want me seeing Brody?”
Sarah looked frustrated. Harper could tell that she wished she hadn’t brought it up. “I would hate to see you get interested in a boy so soon since returning home. I want to spend more time with you.”
She really doubted that was the reason. “Brody isn’t a boy.”
“No, he’s a grown man and quite a bit older than you,” Sarah said.
“Eight years. He used to come to parties that my
As if she hadn’t heard him, she looked back at the hillside where they’d found the body. “I know it’s silly since I’ve lived on this ranch from the time I was born and I’ve never been afraid of anything, but I feel...”
“Spooked,” he said, and nodded as he glanced back toward the hillside in the distance before turning to her. That was only one of the emotions ripping through him right now.
“I’ve always thought I was pretty strong and could handle most anything.”
“You are.” He’d never seen her this vulnerable. A part of him wanted to protect her, but there was no protecting her from this.
“I’m sorry how this day turned out for you,” he added, remembering that she’d said the reason she was screaming was because she had been in such a great mood. It was that free spirit in her that he’d seen when she was a kid that had endeared her to him.
Now he wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be all right. That he would help her get through this. But it would have been a lie. This was going to tear them apart before they even got the chance to be together.
“If you want, I could ride—”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m fine. My mother’s isn’t far from here.” She started to rein her horse around to leave but stopped. “You know you did rescue me, Brody. Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here.”
He said nothing around the lump in his throat as he tipped his hat and watched her ride west. Just let her go. But it was the last thing he wanted to do. Unfortunately, he had no choice now. He looked back at the pine-covered hillside where the authorities were now loading the remains, and quickly turned away.
* * *
“W HO WAS THAT you were with?” Sarah Johnson Hamilton asked her daughter as she glanced out the window. On the phone, Harper hadn’t told her mother about what had happened earlier. She’d just asked if Sarah was going to be home and could she stop by.
Harper frowned. “I rode here alone.” Stepping to the window, she looked out to see Brody riding away. He’d followed her? With a pang, she realized that he’d been more worried about her than he’d wanted her to know.
“Then who was that?”
“Brody McTavish. We...ran into each other earlier.” Harper was surprised to see her mother’s disapproval and challenged her. “Why, what’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing,” Sarah said, and turned away from the window. Her smile never met her eyes. “What was he doing on the ranch?”
“He was mending fence on that lease property next to ours. If there is some reason you disapprove of him... But then, why would you? You don’t even know him. He was just a boy when you left.” She hadn’t said it to hurt her mother. She’d just been thinking out loud.
Her mother looked as if she’d been slapped. “I didn’t mean to find fault with him. I’m sure he’s nice.”
“He is.” Well, most of the time, she thought. She still couldn’t understand why he’d wanted to get rid of her so quickly after they’d found the body.
Her mother moved to her to brush dust off the shoulder of her shirt. “I’m so glad you didn’t get caught in that thunderstorm. You’re not even wet.”
“It went to the north,” Harper said distractedly.
“Let’s go into town and get lunch. A girl day, what do you say?”
Harper stepped back. She couldn’t help being annoyed. “Why don’t you want me seeing Brody?”
Sarah looked frustrated. Harper could tell that she wished she hadn’t brought it up. “I would hate to see you get interested in a boy so soon since returning home. I want to spend more time with you.”
She really doubted that was the reason. “Brody isn’t a boy.”
“No, he’s a grown man and quite a bit older than you,” Sarah said.
“Eight years. He used to come to parties that my
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