by Cora Seton
Dalton sighed. “I don’t think that was her intention. I think she was trying to be fair to everyone.”
“Well, it didn’t feel fair from where I was standing in Texas.”
“Didn’t feel fair here in Ireland, either, brother.”
Brother. Connor didn’t think he’d ever heard Dalton say the word. God, he’d missed his older brother when his dad had taken him to Texas. He couldn’t understand why Dalton hadn’t followed them somehow, even though he’d known his brother was as helpless as he was in the situation. By the time either one of them was old enough to change anything, it was already too late—their relationship had been strained.
He let his gaze run over the walled garden taking shape out past the greenhouse. He wished Dalton could see it. “You’re coming for the wedding, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. Someone should stay here and keep watch on the place.”
Connor didn’t think his hesitation was worry about the ranch. Dalton wasn’t sure he’d be welcome after all this time. Connor understood. “You have to come. Get old Seamus to watch the place. He can handle it for a few days.” Seamus had practically grown up on Ard na Greine. He knew all its ins and outs.
“I don’t know.”
“Dalton, as your only brother, I’m asking you to come to my wedding. I want you to stand up with me.” Connor hoped Dalton understood what he was really trying to say. He needed Dalton here. Needed to fix the past and reconnect with his family.
He heard a bird chirping in the hedge maze as the silence on the other end of the phone stretched out.
“There’s not much else you could have said to get me on that plane, you know.”
“I know.” He did know now. He’d never considered that it was Dalton’s pride that kept him so distant over the years. That Dalton had been hurt as much as he had by their parents’ choice. “I’ve missed you, you know. Never forgot what it used to be like.”
“Didn’t think you had time to miss me, so busy on that ranch. Big enough to be its own state, isn’t that what you told me once? Or maybe ten times?”
Connor winced. “I didn’t mean to brag,” he said truthfully. “Just couldn’t believe the size of it myself. I grew up the same way you did, remember.”
“But you’re the one Dad thought could handle the change.”
Connor closed his eyes. He’d never guessed how much pain that had caused his brother. “You’re the one who got to stay with Mom. With Gran and Grandad.”
“Yeah, I guess.” They were both quiet for a long time. “Do you ever want to ask them what the hell they were thinking?” Dalton added.
“Yeah, I used to,” Connor said. “I changed my mind.”
“Why?”
“Because you know what? They’ve already suffered enough. We all have.”
“You got that right,” Dalton said.
“Could we start again, do you think?” Connor asked him. “Go back to what we were? I could use a brother right now.”
“We could try. Lot of water under the bridge, though,” Dalton added.
“Sure and can’t we catch each other up over a pint of Guinness?” Connor laughed, letting a little of his brogue shine through to remind his brother they weren’t so different after all. “Come on, Dalton—we’ll have a grand time.”
“Okay, okay—I’ll come to your wedding. And I’ll be proud to stand up with you.”
“Good.” Connor grew serious. “I do miss you.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
Late that afternoon, when Sadie was frying chicken and topping and tailing green beans for a side dish, Jo padded into the kitchen on bare feet. She opened the refrigerator, pulled out a pitcher of lemonade and poured herself a glass. “I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but I’ve kind of gotten used to Cass being gone.”
“She’ll be home soon.”
“You’ve done a good job stepping into her shoes.”
“You think?” Sadie looked around the kitchen, sure the first thing Cass would do when she got home was scrub the place from top to bottom.
“I’ve been thinking it over,” Jo said casually. Too casually, Sadie thought. She watched her sister out of the corner of her eye as Jo went on. “I want to give Grant one of the puppies.”
Sadie stilled. “Aren’t they all spoken for?”
“Yes.” Jo moved the glass around on the table. “But one of the families is out of town. They don’t even know they’re due to get one.”
“You’ve already given one to Connor.”
“I know.”
“What is this really about? I know you don’t want to damage your reputation as a breeder and a fair dealer.” Was Jo sweet on Grant? After the disaster with Sean, she felt protective of her sister, and they knew so little about Grant. Connor had told her he hadn’t managed to learn much that night he’d gone to the Dancing Boot.
“He’s had it hard. He doesn’t have family—not like us. That’s why he left Tennessee—he wanted to find somewhere he could make a home for himself. I feel like he could use a friend.”
“Where is he staying?” Sadie stalled for time. She needed to get a better feeling for the circumstances. Something about the man bothered her, and she liked most people.
“He’s renting a cabin the Coopers own in Silver Falls.”
“Silver Falls? The Coopers’ ranch is right here in Chance Creek.”
“It’s some other property they own, I guess. I’m not sure exactly where it is.”
Sadie wasn’t sorry Jo hadn’t been there yet. The Coopers had a reputation for lawlessness.
“If he’s mixed up with the Coopers, I wouldn’t give him a dog. First of all, those dogs are worth money; you spend a lot on their food and vet bills and care. You need to earn that back. Second of all, you have customers who’ve waited their turn. Third—” She hesitated. She needed to word this next bit carefully. Jo waited for her to continue, still playing with the glass of lemonade. “Third—the Coopers have a reputation for neglecting their animals—and people, for that matter. Maybe you need to take a step back from Grant.”
“What if he’s not like the Coopers?” Jo asked.
It was progress, Sadie thought. A month ago, Jo would have run from the room in a snit if someone had questioned her choice of boyfriend. She’d grown more cautious.
“Then give him time to prove it. But don’t give him a puppy.”
Jo nodded. “Okay,” she agreed. “I won’t. I’ll tell him again they’ve all been promised.”
“Which they have.” Sadie thought a moment. “Do you want me there when you tell him?”
Jo looked surprised. “No. I’ll be fine. He knows it was a long shot.”
“When will you let them go to their new owners?”
“The day before your wedding.”
Chapter Eleven
‡
“I’m looking forward to seeing your spread, son,” Sean O’Riley said when Connor picked him up at the airport just over a week later. He was a bear of a man, tanned so deeply by the Texas sun his skin was tough as leather. His blue eyes were deep-set, but piercing, and there was little they missed. Connor always wondered what they saw when they took him in. He knew his father loved him, but wasn’t sure how he stacked up to his dad’s expectations. Sean had been disappointed deeply during his life and it was hard for Connor to remain confident he hadn’t added to those disappointments.
He was glad his dad seemed positive about him settling down in Montana, however. He’d figured his father would make a fuss about him not choosing Texas, but he had begun to get the sense that Sean’s days overseeing the ranch there might be numbered. His dad was getting older. Slowing down. And Connor had a feeling he might be thinking about his future in broader terms than before.
It gave him satisfaction to know he’d get to show his father something permanent he was building on the ranch. He felt sure Sean would appreciate the workmanship he’d put into the walled garden so far. He still had a long way to go before it was
done, but with Sean and Dalton, and soon Brian, around, he still hoped to finish it before the wedding.
He thought Sean would like Max, too. His father had always had a soft spot for dogs. They’d never owned one when Connor lived at Valhalla, but there were plenty of them on the ranch, and all of them made a favorite of his father. Sometimes Connor had envied those dogs, and the comfortable way Sean had interacted with them. He seemed far more at ease with the four-legged critters than with his own son.
“That’s my bag.” Sean pointed to a black suitcase that had seen better days. Connor grabbed it off the belt.
“Just the one?”
“That’s it. Let’s find your truck and get out of here. I could use a drink.”
“We can’t leave yet. We’re picking up someone else.”
Connor’s words stopped Sean, who’d already begun to head for the doors.
“Who?”
Connor sighed at his dad’s suspicious tone. “Your wife.”
“I don’t have a wife.”
“Ex-wife, then. Mom. Remember her?”
His father folded his arms over his chest. “You didn’t tell me Keira was coming.”
“Of course she’s coming. It’s my wedding.”
“She’s never come for anything in the past. Missed your graduation, all your military revues—”
“In every case I had visits scheduled with her right afterward. Plane tickets to and from Ireland are expensive. You know that. You never made her feel welcome, either.”
“Don’t you start—” Sean broke off. “Hell, I’ll take a taxi. You wait for your mom.”
“What about Dalton? Don’t you want to see him?”
That brought Sean up short. “Dalton’s coming, too?”
Connor nodded, taking in the emotions crossing his father’s face. Interest. Hope. Regret. Worry.
“I thought you two didn’t talk.”
“It’s you and Dalton who don’t talk, Pops.”
“Don’t call me that.” But Sean’s words were automatic. Connor could tell he was mulling over the news. “You’ll need room in the truck. I’ll grab that taxi.”
“You’ll stay here and get the awkward part over with—away from Two Willows. Just because you and Mom—or you and Dalton, for that matter—can’t have a civil conversation doesn’t mean the Reeds should have to suffer.”
Sean stepped nearer. “It’s a wonder you’ve invited me here at all, the way I act so badly.”
“I hoped you’d surprise me.” Connor glanced over Sean’s shoulder. “Their plane is due in ten minutes. Sit down, take a load off and do this for me.”
Sean’s shoulders were bunched with anger, but he took a seat, his arms still crossed, and studiously watched the muted television screen hanging nearby. Connor supposed it was too much to ask for his father to change his attitude all at once, but he’d hoped for better.
The ten-minute wait seemed more like a couple of hours, and by the time he’d dragged his father back to where passengers entered the hall, his stomach was knotted with concern. They’d get through this wedding. His family wasn’t a bunch of reprobates who couldn’t keep it together for a few weeks. But his dreams of a reconciliation slipped further away with every moment.
“There you are,” his mother cried several minutes later when she entered the arrivals hall. She embraced Connor hard, pulled back, looked him up and down and embraced him again. Keira was a tall woman with dark hair that framed her face in thick curls. To Connor she’d always looked more like an artist than a rancher, but he knew his mother was strong and capable. A woman who knew how to get things done.
Dalton shook his hand and Connor clapped him on the back. His brother matched him in height, if not brawn. He’d inherited their parents’ dark hair and blue eyes.
“Glad you could make it,” Connor said. “Can’t wait for both of you to meet Sadie. She’s—”
But his mother had spotted Sean. “Connor—you didn’t say—”
Dalton went straight to the point. “Have you lost your ever-lovin’ mind, Connor?”
“That’s what I said.” Sean joined them. “Keira. Dalton.” He made no move to hug his ex-wife or shake hands with his son, and Connor’s heart sank another inch. He could handle the family’s rancor, but Sadie would hate it. She was already hurt that her father wouldn’t attend her wedding. If his family was going to be there, they had to behave.
He lost his patience. “Look, all I’m asking you to do is take a single car ride together. Mom and Dalton, you two are staying at the Cruz ranch. Autumn and Ethan Cruz run a guest house that’s second to none, according to Sadie. They’ll spoil you rotten, Mom. Dad, we’ve put you at the Evergreen Motel in town, just like you asked. It’s less than three weeks until the wedding. Three weeks until you all fly home again. You can stand that. I’ll pick you up first thing each morning and you’ll spend the days at Two Willows. Behaving yourselves. Remember you’re here for my wedding, and remember my bride deserves your respect. If you can’t be on your best behavior, then go home. That means all of you.”
A long silence greeted this pronouncement, but when he led them back to the lone carousel to wait for his mother’s and brother’s luggage, all three of them followed.
A half-hour later, when he pulled into the driveway of Two Willows, the truck was as silent as it had been since they’d left the airport. Connor parked the truck and killed the engine.
“Best behavior,” he threatened them again.
“I thought you were taking me to my motel,” Sean said.
It would have been the smarter move, Connor knew. But he needed to get his family invested in the idea of his wedding, which meant introducing them to Sadie—right away.
Sadie expected them, and when he led the way inside, he found she and her sisters had laid out a spread fit for a king on the long, scarred kitchen table.
“Come in,” Sadie said, meeting them at the door. “I’m sure you’re all hungry after your trip.”
Connor made the introductions and his mother, father and Dalton all behaved themselves well enough as they said their hellos, washed up and sat down to the meal. He saw them take in the homey kitchen, their gazes stopping in surprise at the bullet grooves on the table, but none of them mentioned the damage.
Once they sat down, however, things deteriorated.
Sadie had made the mistake of setting his mother and brother directly across from Sean. After she had inquired about their flights and their health, everyone subsided into silence until the scrape of knives and forks was the only sound in the kitchen.
“Have any of you been to Montana before?” Sadie asked brightly, shooting Connor an imploring look.
All three of his family members shook their heads.
“It seems nice so far,” his mother said.
“Can’t hold a candle to Ireland, though,” Dalton said.
His father harrumphed. “Anywhere in the good ol’ USA outshines that little backwater—”
“Dad!”
Sean subsided and Connor tried to eat his meal, but the food tasted like dust in his mouth. Why had he thought bringing his folks here was a good idea?
Jo snorted.
“Shh,” Sadie said.
But Jo couldn’t seem to get herself under control. A funny little sound escaped her, and a smile twisted her lips.
“What?” Connor regretted his tone immediately, but instead of taking offense, Jo laughed.
“All we need is the General here to cap off this love-fest.”
Sadie clapped a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Lena guffawed.
Connor’s lips twitched despite his irritation. Jo was right. With his prickly attitude, the General would fit right in.
“I apologize for my family’s lack of manners,” he said to Jo. “Seems they were all raised in a barn.”
“Connor’s right; we’re not showing off our best manners today.” Keira gave her husband and son a reproving look. “Family differences can be hard to overcome.�
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“We know all about family differences,” Lena told her dryly.
“Amen,” Jo said. “At least your father is here, Connor. We can’t get the General to the dinner table at all.”
“Hell, he won’t even enter the state. Sorry,” Lena added. Connor was pretty sure Sadie had kicked her under the table.
“Then you know that some fences can’t be mended,” Sean said gruffly. “No matter what.”
“I disagree.” Everyone turned to look at Alice, who sat at the foot of the table. “Old hurts can be mended when both parties wish it. Every party at this table wishes it.”
Had that been one of her hunches? Connor wondered, taking in the body language around the room. None of his family would look at each other, while the Reeds were examining all of them curiously.
He looked from his parents to his brother. “That true?”
No one answered, but if there was one thing Connor had learned during his time at Two Willows it was that some hunches were to be trusted. If Alice sensed a willingness to mend fences from his family, he was willing to be patient.
“Glad to hear it,” he said, as if he’d gotten the answer he wanted. “Because when Sadie and I have kids, they’ll need their uncle and grandparents around.”
“He may as well have thrown me to the wolves. He used my future babies as an icebreaker,” Sadie complained to Keira later when the men had headed down to the barns with Jo and Lena to check the livestock, Alice had made for her studio in the carriage house and she and Keira were cleaning the kitchen.
“It worked, didn’t it?” Keira answered. “I have to admit I was disappointed to learn you weren’t pregnant already, although I suppose I should be happy you two are waiting until you’re married. I’ve wanted a grandchild for years, though, and Dalton isn’t in any hurry to settle down.”
“I didn’t think I was in any hurry, either,” Sadie admitted. “But now that I’m marrying Connor, it seems—natural to want a child.”
“It is natural,” Keira said. “And it’s natural for me to want to be part of my grandchild’s life. You’ll let me be there as much as I can when the time comes, won’t you?”