Second Hope

by J. B. McDonald

  She couldn’t really remember seeing Nat cry before. She’d known her cousin had, of course. But to see it…

  It scared her in a way that few things did.

  “I didn’t know anyone could love this much,” she added quietly.

  Beside her, Aaron looked up from pouring supplements into grain buckets. His eyes landed unerringly on Nat, watched for a moment, and flicked away. “I don’t think it happens often. And when it does, you grab with both hands and hang on. Or your soul dies, just a little.”

  Beth looked at him, at his strong profile and the lines bracketing his mouth of late. “Have you ever felt like that?”

  The lines deepened. “No.” But it was a lie. She could tell that much, even if she hadn’t realized not to ask before the words slipped out of her mouth.

  They worked in silence for a moment. Beth couldn’t keep from asking another question. “Do you think she’ll get over it?”

  The line of his mouth tightened further. “She’ll learn to live with it.”

  “That’s not getting over it.”

  His smile held nothing humorous. “No.”

  ***

  It had been weeks, and every day that passed was a day he marked off on his calendar. A day he expected to stop missing her, and didn’t.

  At some point, waiting to stop missing her changed into knowing he always would. He wasn’t sure when that changed into resolve not to let that happen, but it did. Cole didn’t bother phoning Nat. She wouldn’t pick up, anyway. He simply made plans and put them into action.

  It was a chilly fall morning when he went through the orders with his staff before loading Emma back into the trailer. Despite the fact that he’d only been able to spend a few minutes a day with her, she had perked up and was looking better. Everything had healed, her coat was glossy and growing in thick for the winter, and she’d put weight on.

  She was a little nervous about loading up, but Cole gave her a few extra minutes and a lot of peppermint treats—Fleet’s favorite—and eventually she decided that she’d trust him to get inside. As she’d gotten her health back she’d started thinking again. Gone was the horse who blindly followed as though nothing mattered because she was simply waiting for the deathblow. Now she looked around and made up her own mind about things, and Cole was learning that she was cautious, preferring to examine something new before trusting herself to it.

  A trailer wasn’t new, but it was new since she’d started thinking again.

  The drive to Arizona didn’t take nearly as long this time as it had the last. This time Fleet wasn’t injured in the back, standing on cracked canon bones. This time, Cole didn’t have to worry that his passenger needed a break. Emma was healthy enough to remain standing for as long as it took them to reach the rehab center.

  People were waiting when he got there. They’d had to buzz his truck in at the gate, and he was glad it was Aaron who’d answered and not Nat. He wasn’t positive she’d have let him in.

  Aaron didn’t ask questions, though. Simply opened the gates and had people ready when Cole arrived.

  Nat was there, too. She looked thinner than she had before. More brittle. Lines had worn into her face, and there was a lurking pain in her eyes. He’d left that. Cole tightened his jaw, resolve deepening. They were both hurting, and for no necessary reason. It was time for that to stop.

  “What’s wrong?” Nat asked as he swung out of the truck. “Is Emma okay?” A gaze the color of a stormy sea flickered to the trailer, where Emma calmly worked on the hay Cole had given her.

  “She’s fine,” he reassured. Nat was already moving past him to see for herself. He reached out, his strong hand closing around a slim biceps. “She’s fine,” he repeated when he was sure he had Nat’s attention.

  She looked confused, and somehow hurt. He softened his grip, rubbing his thumb over sun-warmed skin. “She belongs here.”

  Nat didn’t seem to want to look at him. Her gaze kept drifting, moving back over to the trailer. He couldn’t blame her. Seeing her again was like a fire in his chest, too warm and too golden, burning him from the inside out.

  “She doesn’t belong here,” Nat said quietly. “She was dying here. She belongs with you.”

  He shook his head wordlessly. “I have a business proposition for you.”

  That drew confusion. She looked at him.

  “How many acres did you say you own?”

  “Two hundred, give or take. But most of it’s not being used—”

  “Exactly.” Cole smiled. “I want to buy some of it.”

  He waited. One heartbeat, and another, while Nat simply stared at him uncomprehendingly.

  “It’s not for sale.”

  His smile faltered a little. He wasn’t sure if she was being purposefully obtuse, or if she didn’t understand. “I know. But I thought you might consider putting some of it up for sale. The weather’s not that different here than from the valley I live in. It would take me six months to get everything set up, if we worked fast.” His hand released her arm, turning to rub the backs of his knuckles up and down the soft skin. Downy hairs whispered over his flesh, and he ached to draw her in and tell her everything would be all right.

  She still was just staring at him.

  Maybe it wouldn’t all be all right. Maybe she didn’t want him there. He tried one more time. “I can’t leave my ranch, and you can’t leave yours. But there’s no reason I can’t move my ranch.”

  “Here,” she said at long last.

  “Yes.” But she wasn’t leaping for joy. He pulled his hand back slowly, letting it fall to his side. Had he been so wrong? Maybe she’d been dodging his calls for a completely different reason than he’d assumed.

  “What if you hate it?” Her voice was faint, a little unbelieving.

  He took a breath. “I’ll keep the land in California for a while. Have two ranches. I’ve been thinking of expanding, anyway. If I hate it, I’ll just move back.” He wouldn’t hate it. He already loved the town, the weather, the land.

  The woman.

  She began to nod. “I could sell some land. I could—I could sell some land.” A smile bloomed across her face, lighting her eyes. “I could sell it to you.”

  Someone whooped. Cole ignored them, ignored the mutterings of “finally!” and Aaron’s laughter. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Nat and drawing her in. It felt right, with the sun beating down and the fall breeze nipping at their skin. With Emma eating contentedly behind them, and the perfect woman in his arms.

  Cole smiled, and brushed his lips over hers. He would have ignored the applause, but Nat laughed and whipped her gaze around, sending ranch hands scattering amid chuckles.

  That felt right, too. When they were alone in the sunshine with the whole world turning beneath them, Cole caught her once more and brought her mouth to his.

  This time, she pulled him closer and kissed him back.

  About the Author

  JB says she leads a charmed life. Everyone else says she’s just a little bit crazy. She gets itchy feet and moves every few years, taking along her two large dogs and one small parrot. Between travelling, animal training, and general craziness, she writes books. She figures as long as she keeps writing, they’ll all stay happy. So far, it’s working! To find out what she’s up to, where she is, or what books are coming out next (or just to try and spot some sneak peeks!) you can visit her website at www.jbmcdonald.com, or for a more personal touch (and insanity) you can read her blog at jennabreen.livejournal.com. You can also email her at jenna.b.mcdonald@gmail.com or join her mailing list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JBMcDonald/. She can’t move far enough to outrun the Internet…which is something she’s rather glad for!m

  Look for these titles by JB McDonald

  Now Available:

  Treasure Hunting

  Some secrets are better left unspoken.

  Broken

  © 2009 Eve Vaughn

  After seven years of a self-imposed exile from family and friends,
fashion designer Jocelyn Winters is home to celebrate her father’s upcoming wedding. Before she can enter into the joy of the occasion, though, she must first make amends for leaving everything she knew and loved behind—which means facing her childhood sweetheart.

  Seeing the hot, sexy rancher after all this time makes her realize she still loves him. But a painful secret from her past stands between them, one she’s determined to keep.

  Cade Devlin loved Jocelyn until their bitter breakup put his heart on permanent hiatus. He thought he was over her—until she turns up at the ranch, forcing him to admit that her abrupt departure all those years ago still stings. It’s disturbing how easily she once again consumes his thoughts…and how he still can’t keep his hands to himself when she’s around.

  Their attraction is stronger than ever. Yet Jocelyn’s secret is a silent reminder that she can never let him back into her heart—unless she wants to break his all over again.

  Warning: Explicit language, graphic sex.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Broken:

  The moment she’d feared since her arrival was finally here and all she wanted to do was bolt. Though the need to turn around and leave without a backward glance seized her, she somehow found the nerve to remain where she stood. Reluctantly, she sought Cade out among the diners.

  Before she could help herself, a gasp escaped her lips when her gaze collided with a pair of piercing blue eyes narrowed with blatant hostility. The old cliché if looks could kill came to mind, but it wasn’t a strong enough description. Not only would she be dead on the spot, she’d be six feet under as well. Never had she been on the other end of so much contempt, and it twisted her on the insides. Yet, she couldn’t break eye contact.

  Cade Devlin. The first man she’d truly loved, and probably the only one she ever would. Her breath came out in short pants and her heart beat at an erratic pace. The pure hatred radiating from him held her paralyzed. Even if she wanted to move, Jocelyn couldn’t. She’d expected some hard feelings, but not this animosity so strong she could feel it in her bones. The tension must have been felt by Kyla too because she sprang to her rescue.

  “Aunt Earlene, if you don’t mind very much, could I switch places with Jocelyn? I hate to cause trouble but I have this thing about being close to a window.”

  Jocelyn knew what Kyla was doing and she appreciated her for it. It was one thing to sit at the same table with him glaring at her throughout dinner, but being so close to him, there would have been no hope of eating a single bite.

  Earlene sighed as if she realized her seating chart was doomed, but ever the gracious hostess, she nodded accommodatingly. “Of course, sweetheart.”

  Kyla grasped Jocelyn’s arm, forcing her to tear her gaze from the angry blond still shooting daggers at her with his eyes. The concern marring the other woman’s face was enough to snap Jocelyn out of her small panic attack. Pasting a smile on her face, she waved at her father and Lavern, who were already seated, as she moved to take her seat next to Ridge.

  After taking her seat, she realized this arrangement wasn’t much better because Cade sat across the table. Though one chair over from her direct line of vision, he was still close enough for her to catch him out the corner of her eye. This was going to be a long dinner. She silently prayed for the strength to get through it without having a complete freak out.

  Gertie came out of the kitchen to announce dinner would be out shortly. She gave Jocelyn a brief nod of acknowledgement before heading back to her domain. Jocelyn took no offense at the other woman’s abruptness. Gertie wasn’t much on words or displaying emotion, but her heart was usually in the right place. She’d been the family’s cook for as long as Jocelyn could remember. But despite her gruffness, she was a big softie on the inside.

  Aunt Earlene took her place at the head of the table and turned a ferocious frown on her youngest nephew. “Cade, where are your manners, boy. Aren’t you going to greet Jocelyn?”

  Cade raised a dark blond brow. “I’m sorry. Is it my turn?” He turned that steely gaze back in her direction. “Jocelyn,” he said with barely a nod.

  She swallowed what felt like a huge lump in her throat. “Hello, Cade. It…it’s good to see you again.”

  He snorted. “Yeah?”

  She was saved from replying when the cook wheeled dinner out from the kitchen. She could have kissed Gertie right then. Jocelyn took a deep breath, vowing not to let him get under her skin.

  When her meal was served, she focused on her food. Jocelyn’s mouth watered. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen food like this. This particular meal was one of her favorites: barbequed beef brisket, string beans, white potatoes and cornbread. “Looks good, Gertie.” Jocelyn smiled at the older woman. “I can’t wait to dig in.”

  Gertie grunted in acknowledgement, a hint of a smile twisting her thin lips.

  “There’s no need for you to be so patronizing. A sophisticated palate like yours is probably used to caviar and lobster,” Cade drawled. “Too bad, you’ll have to eat what the rest of us little people do for the night.”

  Jocelyn froze. She should have gone with her first instinct and ran out the door when she had the chance, but now that she’d taken her seat there was no way she could ease out of this situation gracefully. Finally finding her voice, she managed to reply with a smile she could barely maintain. “This looks just fine. Actually, I’m not a big lobster and caviar fan. I find this much more appealing.”

  Cade leaned forward with a smirk twisting those sensual lips which he’d once used to kiss her all over. “My apologies, ma’am. I forgot you sophisticated New York types drink your meals.” He exaggerated his accent as he pronounced each word.

  Someone at the table gasped.

  “Cade,” someone else hissed.

  Heat rushed to her cheeks and she was sure her face was bright red. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. Especially if he planned on throwing rude comments her way through the duration of dinner. She bit the inside of her cheek in order to focus on the physical pain rather than the gripping emotional ache shredding her soul.

  The tension sizzling between them was so thick most of the others around the dinner table shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Jocelyn dared to look up to see Cade still staring at her as though he would rather see her in hell than to share a meal with her. He hated her, just as she’d known he would. It’s what she’d intended during their last encounter. She told herself this was something she needed to deal with. If only she could get through this night.

  Trying to defuse the unease whirling around the dinner table she tried to laugh. But it sounded forced, even to her. “I’m sure some of them do, but I’ve been too busy focusing on my work to think about the eating habits of New Yorkers.” Quiet fell across the table as everyone focused on their meals. She caught her father’s gaze and he looked pissed. He looked as if he wanted to strangle Cade and he just might have if Jocelyn hadn’t shaken her head. She didn’t want any trouble, especially on her behalf. Cade was hurting and she was the cause. He was entitled to his pain.

  She forked a couple bites of beef into her mouth and realized to her regret her appetite was long gone. Jocelyn saw Kyla had given up all pretense of eating and moved her food across her plate. Aunt Earlene looked around the table, bewilderment knitting her brows.

  “Jocelyn,” Ridge broke the uncomfortable silence swarming around everyone, “tell us what it’s like becoming a famous designer and living in the big city.”

  She shrugged, all her enthusiasm over seeing everyone again gone. “It’s actually not as thrilling as it sounds. Admittedly, if you’re new to New York it’s fun and there’s lot to do and it’s scary and exciting all at once. It’s truly the city that never sleeps. I can’t think of anywhere in the world where I can get a slice of cheesecake at three in the morning on the way to a club that doesn’t close until well into the morning. But after a while, the novelty wears off and all th
e glitz and glamour fades and it’s just another city. Like I said, I spent most of my days working and most nights doing the same. My workload has only increased since I broke away from The House of Buccini to start my own label. I’m one of the lucky ones though. I’ve had a surprising amount of success, but for every success story, there are thousands of would-be designers who’d give their eyeteeth to be in my position. So it motivates me to work that much harder to get to a point where I can spread my wings a bit and try out other venues.”

  “Like what?” Decker asked, seeming genuinely interested.

  “I’ve been asked by a major department retailer to go into partnerships with them to design an affordable line for the everyday working woman. The idea is really appealing. I like doing high fashion, but not everyone can afford my designs. But with this new line, more women will be able to wear my stuff. I’m also branching out to menswear and household products.”

  “Whew!” Aunt Earlene chuckled. “How ever do you find the time, child? I bet you’re awful proud of our Jossy, aren’t you, Jack?”

  Her father nodded. “Sure am.” Jocelyn wondered at that because he hadn’t mentioned it since she’d been home but she decided not to dwell on it.

  “We all knew you’d make it. You have way too much talent not to,” Stone added.

  A faint smile touched the corners of Jocelyn’s lips, but just as quickly as it came, it left the second her gaze collided with Cade’s again. She lowered her head, concentrating on the contents of her plate, even though the sight of the food that had tempted her only minutes before was beginning to make her stomach turn. Not because it looked unappetizing, but her nerves were getting the better of her. She glanced away from it and attempted to inject some enthusiasm in her voice. “The project I’m looking forward to most is designing Lavern’s wedding dress.”

  Lavern blushed. “Who would have thought I’d be wearing a wedding gown designed by a famous fashion designer. The ladies at church are going to be pea green with envy.”