Roger glanced out to the road again, squinting as he scanned the empty stretch of blacktop.
“Do you know what kind of car she drives?” Graham asked.
“Nope.” The older man turned, sporting a wry grin. “I guess it’s pretty obvious that I’m watching for her to arrive.”
“Just a bit.”
When a car engine sounded in the distance and grew louder, both men turned and spotted a white Honda Civic heading down the road. A blonde woman was driving, although the car was too far away to get a glimpse of her face.
“That might be Sasha-Marie now,” Roger said.
It was hard to know for sure, although Roger was clearly eager to have her back on the Galloping G, no matter how short her stay.
“I’ll finish up here,” Graham said. “Why don’t you go back to the house so you can greet her?”
“Nope. I want you to come with me. You can get those tools later. Mount up.”
Graham scanned the fence he’d been working on, realizing it wasn’t going anywhere. And apparently, neither was that Escalade if he enclosed it in the pasture before the owner came to claim it.
“All right,” he said, “but why do you want me to be there?”
Roger scowled and rolled his eyes. “Because I never have been able to keep my opinions to myself. And if I slip up and say ‘I told you so’ or something negative about that jerk she’s married to, I’ll probably make things worse than they already are. So if you think I’m about to blurt out something like that, I want you to give me a wallop upside the head.”
Roger had a point. He was a good man, hardworking and honest to a fault. But he’d never been one to hold back an opinion, no matter how rough it was around the edges. So Graham left his tools near the post he’d just cemented back into place, grabbed the Appaloosa’s reins and swung into the saddle. “Okay, then. Let’s go.”
Neither of them knew for sure if the blonde driver had been Sasha, but on the outside chance that it was, they’d both be welcoming her home.
* * *
Sasha Gibault Smith parked near Uncle Roger’s big white barn, but she didn’t get out of the car right away. Instead, even though she needed to stretch her legs, she remained seated, gripping the steering wheel and studying the ranch she used to love to visit.
She’d started out from Los Angeles yesterday morning and had spent the night in El Paso, but it had still been a difficult trip, one she’d made with her tail tucked between her legs.
She adored Uncle Roger, but whenever she’d gone against his advice, he’d had a habit of saying, “I told you so” or “Dang it, girl. Why don’t you ever listen to me?” And this time, he’d been especially right in his assessment of Gabe Smith.
Needless to say, she wasn’t looking forward to adding any additional guilt to what she already carried, especially now. That was one reason she’d been reluctant to call her uncle until she was only thirty minutes away.
She hadn’t gone into detail about why she was coming back to Texas. Nor had she apologized for anything she or her now-estranged husband had done to hurt him. She’d merely asked if she could stay with him on the Galloping G for a while.
Before answering her question, he’d had one of his own. “Is Gabe coming with you?”
She’d said no, that it was just her and Maddie, and left it at that. She hadn’t been ready to tell him any more over the phone.
“Stay as long as you want,” Uncle Roger had said. “The city isn’t a good place to raise a child.” At that point, he’d paused, maybe rethinking his response. “I mean, city life is okay. Lots of cultural stuff and shopping, I suppose. But the fresh air and sunshine will be good for Maddie.”
Bless his heart, Roger was the gruffest yet kindest man she’d ever known. And she was looking forward to mending their relationship, something she should have done a long time ago. But Gabe had made it so difficult. He’d made everything difficult.
She glanced into the rearview mirror to the backseat, where Maddie dozed. Her seven-year-old daughter was the only good thing that had come of her relationship with Gabe, so how could she regret marrying him?
But still, why hadn’t she listened to Uncle Roger when he warned her about him?
Because she’d been dazzled by Gabe’s charm and enamored with the very idea of love, that’s why. She’d lost her parents when she was young, and all she’d ever wanted was to create a family of her own. But that dream had certainly backfired on her.
She’d been a fool not to see the truth. Gabe hadn’t been capable of loving anyone but himself. And the fact that she’d signed the prenuptial agreement he’d said would appease his wealthy father only made it worse. What would Roger have said to that?
She could only imagine. She placed a hand on her growing baby bump, which had made it more difficult to reach the gas pedal, as well as the steering wheel, since she was merely five foot two, anyway.
The second pregnancy not only had led to her and Gabe’s split, but had also complicated things. Gabe, who hadn’t really wanted to have kids, would have to provide financially for both of them. His family came from money, so that hadn’t bothered him nearly as much as the idea of coming home day after day to Sasha and the kids.
In fact, once Maddie was born, he began spending more and more time at the office. Sasha tried not to resent his time away from home since he’d said he was doing it for them, that he was only trying to be a good provider for his family. And maybe that was true. But she’d soon realized that Gabe was a quitter. Whenever something didn’t go the way he liked it, he’d move on to another job.
The poor baby she was carrying, another little girl, hadn’t asked to be brought into the world. But Gabe had barely gotten used to having Maddie. So when he found out Sasha was expecting again, he packed his bags and moved out.
It’s not like she had intended to get pregnant this time. In fact, she still marveled at how it had even happened, since she and Gabe were so rarely together.
But none of that mattered. Her only priority now was her children. Come hell or high water, Sasha would do everything in her power to provide her daughters with love and security. And what better place to do that than at the Galloping G?
She just hoped Uncle Roger would agree. Her heart told her he would, but she’d never know until she broached the subject.
Again, she glanced in the rearview mirror. She didn’t want to wake Maddie from her nap quite yet. The little girl hadn’t felt comfortable in that motel room last night and had taken a long time to fall asleep. So to provide Maddie a few extra minutes to snooze in comfort, Sasha lowered the power windows to allow the afternoon breeze to blow through the car. Then she pulled the key from the ignition and placed it in her purse.
Before she could open the driver’s door, a John Deere Gator drove into the yard, followed by a cowboy on horseback.
The man driving the Gator was Uncle Roger. And the cowboy...?
A
