across the field. His movement was slow and uneven as he finally reached her. “I got here as soon as I could.”
She nodded, not wanting to hear another condolence for her loss. “Your parents explained you were out of the country.”
He cocked his head and held her gaze. His strong jaw showed a trace of his stubbornness, but his brown eyes gave away his softer side.
And his sexy side. Jeff Gentry had always been the quiet, sexy type. He still was.
“You have to know, Lacey, I’d have given anything to be here for Trevor.”
She wasn’t going to cry. “I know, but I’m not happy about your trick this morning.”
“Trick?”
“You could at least have let me know you were back.”
“Yeah, I should have. I’ve been staying pretty close to home.”
The Jeff she remembered never gave much away. Now wasn’t much different. “I don’t need your help now, Jeff. I don’t need you to come and rescue me.”
“Who said I was rescuing you?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “You’re in the military, Master Sergeant. What do you need with quarter horses?”
“My time’s up. I’m a civilian now.”
She couldn’t hide her shock. “I can’t believe it.”
He glanced away, but she caught a flash of sadness. “Believe it. I’ve given my time to my country. I’m ready for a change.”
She could see the strain around his eyes. She had a feeling war had taken its toll on him. “Trevor would have loved having you back home.”
He looked hesitant. “He wasn’t the only one, Lace.”
She hated that he called her by her nickname. “Logically, I know that…”
He nodded. “Trevor understood I had a job to do.”
She turned and marched to her vehicle. The hurt she felt seemed as intense as losing Trevor all over again. Her biggest problems were that she had to deal with her husband being gone—and Jeff Gentry returning.
Chapter Two
A few hours later, Jeff drove to the Guthrie Ranch. He wasn’t going to leave things unsettled. Lacey might not want him around, but too bad, he didn’t like the situation any more than she did.
Whether she liked it or not, he was back.
He pulled up in front of the house that had once been Trevor’s parents’ home.
He’d been here numerous times as a kid. Just as Trevor had been a frequent visitor at the Rocking R.
He went straight to the back porch and knocked on the door. It opened, and behind the screen a little girl about five years old appeared, wearing jeans and a pink-flowered blouse. He was caught off guard for a moment. She favored her mother with that same streaked blond hair and big eyes. The fight inside him suddenly died.
“Who are you?” the child asked.
“Jeff Gentry.” He smiled. “I’m a friend of your mom and dad. Who are you?”
“Emily Susan Guthrie.” She shook her head. “You can’t see my daddy, he died.”
Jeff leaned down, bracing his hands on his thighs. “I know, and I’m sorry, Emily.”
She seemed to brighten a little. “My daddy used to call me Emmy Sue,” she announced proudly.
“That’s cute. Is your mother here?”
“She’s down at the barn, feeding the horses. I have to stay here and watch TV. She only lets Colin help her ’cause he’s older.”
“I bet when you’re older, she’ll let you help, too.”
“I used to help my daddy. He said I was his best girl.”
Jeff could still remember years ago how Wyatt used to call his younger sister Kelly ‘Princess.’ “I bet you were. And I bet your daddy would be happy that you’re minding your mom, too.”
She nodded eagerly. “And I’m not s’posed to let anybody in the house when she’s not here.”
At least one of this family’s members was talking to him. “That’s a good thing. I’ll just go down to the barn and see your mother there.”
The child looked disappointed. “’Kay. Bye.” She shut the door.
Jeff made his way down the steps, wishing he could spend the afternoon watching television, too. Instead he had to try and think of what to say to Lacey to convince her to accept some help.
He owed Trevor that much.
“Mom, I’m finished feeding the horses,” Colin called as he came out of Fancy’s stall. “Am I done now?”
Lacey looked around the nearly empty horse barn. Thanks to the successful auction that morning, there were only five horses left, and two more would soon be gone.
She pointed to the leather bridles tossed over the railing. “Just take those back to the tack room and you can go to the house, but I don’t want you to bother your sister.”
Her son grabbed the tack off the railing and started down the center aisle. “You always blame me for all the trouble.”
“That’s because you can’t leave Emily alone. I mean it, Colin, don’t go near her. You’re already in trouble for riding off today without asking.”
“Fine, I’ll just go to my room.” He went into the tack room, then came out seconds later. She knew he hadn’t had time to put away the bridles properly, but it wasn’t worth the argument; she’d just do it herself later.
It had been a long day and she was tired. The auction had taken a lot out of her. At least the money made today would finally pay off Trevor’s medical bills, and the ranch would be solvent for the next year. After that, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. She knew she couldn’t continue the breeding business without a stud. She’d kept her chestnut broodmare, Bonnie. She just needed a stallion.
She looked toward the barn door where her son had stopped to talk with someone. Jeff Gentry. Great. She didn’t need any more of him today, but by the looks of it, she wasn’t going to get her wish.
She watched as he started down the aisle. Large and powerfully built from years of military life, he roamed efficiently. Her gaze moved over him and noticed a slow gait and a slight limp. Had he been hurt? She hadn’t heard anything about any injuries.
He made a stop at Reb’s stall and began to get acquainted with the stallion. Much like Trevor, Jeff had a knack with animals, maybe more so than with people.
It had surprised her
