deliver to her friend, and it wasn’t long after the girl returned from her errand that Emmie heard a soft knock at her bedroom door.
“Come in,” Emmie called out.
The door opened and Millie rushed in. She went straight to Emmie and hugged her tight.
“Oh, Emmie, I got your note!”
“I’m so glad you came,” Emmie said in an emotion-choked voice, struggling to keep from losing what little control she had.
They sat down together on the side of the bed while Emmie told her all that had happened.
“I don’t believe it.” Millie gasped when Emmie explained the terms of the will.
“I do.” She looked at her friend. “The Rocking R meant everything to my father. He worked his wholelife to make it the success that it is, and he wanted me to love it, too.”
“But can you do this? Can you just move away and never come back?”
The look in Emmie’s eyes was haunted as she answered, “I only have to live there fulltime for two years, and I can still come back and visit, just like I did with my father.”
“What did your mother say?”
“She’s upset. She doesn’t want me to go, but I told her I was going to do what Papa wanted me to do. The lawyer’s staying in town to make the trip back with me. I’ll probably be ready to leave by the end of the week.”
As feisty as ever, Millie gave her friend a conspiratorial smile. “Well, you’re not making this trip alone.”
“No. I told you, the lawyer’s going with me,” Emmie repeated, frowning at her.
“And so am I,” Millie declared. “I was planning to go with you for your regular visit this year, so we’ll just move up the date. I’ll be ready to leave when you are.”
“But, Millie, are you sure?” Emmie’s spirits brightened considerably at the thought of having her friend along. She was going to need all the moral support she could get once she arrived at the ranch. It wasn’t going to be easy, living there without her father, and she wasn’t sure just how the ranch hands were going to react to taking orders from a woman.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” Millie replied loyally. There was no way shewould let her friend face this life-changing challenge alone.
“What will your parents say?”
“They’ll say yes, of course,” she said with a grin. “Have you ever known them to deny me anything? Of course, they might be concerned about a chaperone, but I’ll think of something.”
Emmie gave her friend a warm hug. “Thank you.”
Millie returned her hug with heartfelt emotion, for she could well imagine just how sad and alone her friend was feeling.
It was early in the evening five days later when Kenneth arrived at the Ryan house. He hadn’t seen Emmie since she’d learned of her father’s death, and when he’d received a note from her letting him know that she was leaving for Texas the following day, he’d made arrangements to stop by.
“I’m glad you could come,” Emmie told him as she welcomed him in the front hall.
“I couldn’t let you leave without seeing you again. This has all been so sudden,” Kenneth said.
“There are times when I don’t believe what’s happening either,” she said sadly as she led the way into the sitting room.
Kenneth followed her and was disappointed to find her mother there. He’d hoped to have some time alone with Emmie. He’d wanted an opportunity to continue his courtship. “Hello, Mrs. Ryan.”
“It’s good to see you, Kenneth.”
“I’m so sorry about your loss,” he said. But even as he spoke his condolences, he couldn’t help wonderingif she really cared that her husband was dead. True, she was wearing mourning clothes, but from the talk he’d heard around town, she’d rarely spent any time with him after she’d moved back to Philadelphia so many years ago.
“Thank you. It’s been a very difficult time for us, and now with Emmie leaving…” Sarah looked from him to her daughter.
“I know,” he agreed.
“Well, I’ll
“Come in,” Emmie called out.
The door opened and Millie rushed in. She went straight to Emmie and hugged her tight.
“Oh, Emmie, I got your note!”
“I’m so glad you came,” Emmie said in an emotion-choked voice, struggling to keep from losing what little control she had.
They sat down together on the side of the bed while Emmie told her all that had happened.
“I don’t believe it.” Millie gasped when Emmie explained the terms of the will.
“I do.” She looked at her friend. “The Rocking R meant everything to my father. He worked his wholelife to make it the success that it is, and he wanted me to love it, too.”
“But can you do this? Can you just move away and never come back?”
The look in Emmie’s eyes was haunted as she answered, “I only have to live there fulltime for two years, and I can still come back and visit, just like I did with my father.”
“What did your mother say?”
“She’s upset. She doesn’t want me to go, but I told her I was going to do what Papa wanted me to do. The lawyer’s staying in town to make the trip back with me. I’ll probably be ready to leave by the end of the week.”
As feisty as ever, Millie gave her friend a conspiratorial smile. “Well, you’re not making this trip alone.”
“No. I told you, the lawyer’s going with me,” Emmie repeated, frowning at her.
“And so am I,” Millie declared. “I was planning to go with you for your regular visit this year, so we’ll just move up the date. I’ll be ready to leave when you are.”
“But, Millie, are you sure?” Emmie’s spirits brightened considerably at the thought of having her friend along. She was going to need all the moral support she could get once she arrived at the ranch. It wasn’t going to be easy, living there without her father, and she wasn’t sure just how the ranch hands were going to react to taking orders from a woman.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” Millie replied loyally. There was no way shewould let her friend face this life-changing challenge alone.
“What will your parents say?”
“They’ll say yes, of course,” she said with a grin. “Have you ever known them to deny me anything? Of course, they might be concerned about a chaperone, but I’ll think of something.”
Emmie gave her friend a warm hug. “Thank you.”
Millie returned her hug with heartfelt emotion, for she could well imagine just how sad and alone her friend was feeling.
It was early in the evening five days later when Kenneth arrived at the Ryan house. He hadn’t seen Emmie since she’d learned of her father’s death, and when he’d received a note from her letting him know that she was leaving for Texas the following day, he’d made arrangements to stop by.
“I’m glad you could come,” Emmie told him as she welcomed him in the front hall.
“I couldn’t let you leave without seeing you again. This has all been so sudden,” Kenneth said.
“There are times when I don’t believe what’s happening either,” she said sadly as she led the way into the sitting room.
Kenneth followed her and was disappointed to find her mother there. He’d hoped to have some time alone with Emmie. He’d wanted an opportunity to continue his courtship. “Hello, Mrs. Ryan.”
“It’s good to see you, Kenneth.”
“I’m so sorry about your loss,” he said. But even as he spoke his condolences, he couldn’t help wonderingif she really cared that her husband was dead. True, she was wearing mourning clothes, but from the talk he’d heard around town, she’d rarely spent any time with him after she’d moved back to Philadelphia so many years ago.
“Thank you. It’s been a very difficult time for us, and now with Emmie leaving…” Sarah looked from him to her daughter.
“I know,” he agreed.
“Well, I’ll
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