he still remember her absolute delight when she’d spotted a band of mustangs?
He’d learned “why” wasn’t a good question to ask. What should he do? was more easily answered. Action won over philosophizing any day.
Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen cleaned up, a pot of coffee brewed and a mug in his hand, he no longer heard Kylie’s voice on the phone.
Going to the living room he sat in the armchair across from her. “A friend calling to see if you got home safe and sound?”
The smile left her face, and at first he thought she was going to put those guards up again. Instead, she asked, “Do you remember Shaye Bartholomew?”
He remembered both girls Kylie had run with. Shaye was a brunette and Gwen Langworthy had auburn curls that had bobbed everywhere. “I remember Shaye. Her father was a doctor—a cardiologist.”
“Yes. He still is. At least until the New Year. Then, from what Shaye says, he’s going to retire.”
“I’m surprised Shaye stayed in Wild Horse Junction. She was a smart girl.”
“Smart girls leave?” Kylie asked with a hint of amusement.
“If I remember correctly, Shaye was headed off to college.” Kylie had been smart, too, so smart she’d skipped a grade and was a year younger than her friends. But she’d never had aspirations to go to college or to leave Wild Horse Junction. Not as far as Brock knew.
“Right now she’s a social worker part-time. Last February, Dylan Malloy’s sister died. He was probably a year or two ahead of you in school. Anyway, his sister had a baby right before she passed on, and her will made Shaye legal guardian.”
“Not her brother?”
“After Dylan’s and Julia’s parents died, he’d given up his own dreams to get his sister out of foster care. She lived with him. I guess as an adult, she hadn’t wanted to burden him again with a baby. But along the way of figuring out whether Shaye or Dylan would be the best parent for Julia’s son, they fell in love. They just married in July.”
“What about Gwen? Are you still in touch with her?”
“Sure am. She’s an obstetrical nurse practitioner. She’s getting married after Christmas and I’m her matron of honor.”
Bypassing details of the wedding, he remarked, “You said you’re due the end of January. When’s your exact due date?” He was surprised she was going to be in a wedding that late in her pregnancy.
“January twenty-ninth. I’ll be as big as a house, but Gwen didn’t seem to care. Both Shaye and I are standing up for her.”
“I’m surprised the three of you are still close. That doesn’t often happen—childhood friends holding on until adulthood.”
“No, I guess it doesn’t. But we were always more like sisters than friends. Shaye asked me to come for Thanksgiving dinner, but her place will be bedlam with all her family. I’m not sure I’ll be ready for that by Thursday.”
“Wise choice.”
“I’m glad you approve,” she responded somewhat acerbically.
“Kylie, I didn’t mean to make it sound—”
“As if you know best?” she interrupted. “That’s exactly how you’ve made it sound ever since you arrived.” Shifting to the edge of the sofa, she used her good arm to push herself up. “I think I’m going to turn in. It’s early, but the doctor said to rest, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
She knew he wasn’t about to refute the doctor’s orders. She could make her escape and he’d be left with his thoughts, as well as the mess Saddle Ridge was in.
“Where’s your computer?” he asked.
“In the spare room upstairs. Why?”
“Because I want to start going over the books.”
“Tonight? I really should show you the program I use.”
“I’m computer savvy. I have to be with the work I do. I can figure out almost any program. Do you have a problem with me looking at the records?”
“Would it matter if I did?” she asked with a sigh.
“No, not if you want me to help you.”
“That’s the problem, Brock. I don’t know if I want your help, not only for my sake, but for yours. You don’t want to be here. You don’t want to be involved with Saddle Ridge.”
“You’re my sister-in-law. Family helps family.”
“Like Jack and Alex helped you?”
“I didn’t need Alex’s help. And Jack? Well, he put me through college. That’s one of the reasons my mother left me here with him. He gave me my future, so I really can’t complain.”
“He never gave you the love and care you needed. You have every right to complain,” she said softly…compassionately.
“Let’s not get into that, Kylie. The past is what it was. Now Jack and Alex are gone, and you have decisions to make.”
“Such as?”
“Such as whether or not you’re going to sell Saddle Ridge and start a really good life with the proceeds.”
She frowned. “Which you’ll get half of.”
He studied her for a few seconds. “You think that’s why I came?”
“I’m still not sure why you came.”
Since he wasn’t, either, he was going to let that subject drop. But then he said, “I didn’t come here to hurt you. I know you’re grieving. I know you miss Alex and the life you had. I also know it’s better not to make major decisions right after a loved one dies. But you really have no choice.”
“I’m managing,” she protested.
“That’s why I want to look at the books. To see if you are.”
She put a weary hand to her forehead.
He thought it trembled a little. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow. In the meantime, don’t you think you should be sleeping downstairs?”
“Why?”
“It would be safer. If you need things from up there, I can bring them down.”
The expression on her face brought him to his feet because he knew she was going to fight him on this and probably everything else.
“You were Alex’s older brother, Brock, not mine. You say you want to help. Fine. There’s not much I can do about that. But helping doesn’t mean changing the way I live my life. Helping means taking some of the burden off of Dix. Helping means getting to know Feather until I can get back out into the barn. Helping means looking at my agenda, not
