The Rancher's Legacy. Jessica Keller

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      Good thing Macy had cooled down considerably since she’d locked up at the office.

      Rhett shifted his line of vision to watch Kodiak swimming in circles. “I suppose you’re right.” He glanced back at her. “We can’t keep acting like the walls of Jericho to each other if we’re going to be sharing office space.”

      “You’re...you’re going to let me stay then?”

      The notch in Rhett’s throat bobbed. His gaze traced her face. “This is your home, Mace. You love your job.” He looked away. “I don’t plan on taking that from you.”

      “Thank you,” she whispered. She tentatively touched his arm. “Rhett, I’m so sorry about your dad. He loved you a lot.”

      His bicep tensed under her touch. “ I thought we had plenty of years left. I never thought—” A harsh exhale of breath escaped his lips. “What a stupid thing to say. No one expects these sorts of things.”

      “I’m here.” She squeezed his arm lightly, then let go. “If you need someone.”

      His brow bunched as his eyes cut back to her. “We haven’t spoken in three years.”

      “The walls of Jericho fell down.” Macy slipped her hands into her pockets. “You know that, right?”

      A muscle in Rhett’s jaw popped, once, twice. “I’m a... I’m not looking for friendship again, Mace. Not with you. I think it’s important to put that out on the table.”

      She knew Rhett hadn’t meant the words maliciously; he was just stating reality. Rhett was a man who dealt in facts. It was his attempt at being forthright. Chivalrous even, making certain no one would get the wrong idea from the get-go.

      But, wow, what he said smarted.

       Not with you.

      Those three words stung her worse than any pit viper ever could.

      After Brock’s funeral she’d foolishly hoped she and Rhett might have been able to let bygones be bygones and fall back into the easy, lifelong friendship they had once shared. A part of her had even wondered if God was drawing them close for another chance at being together in the way Macy had always wanted.

      Well, consider that balloon popped and tossed in the garbage.

      “Understood.” She kept her voice even. If they weren’t going to deal in niceties she might as well get down to business. “We need to talk about the foster programs.”

      Rhett let out one sharp laugh that held no hint of humor. “Which one?”

      “Let’s start with Camp Firefly.” As if summoned by her mention, a pack of fireflies began to flit over the lake. Kodiak had noticed them too and began snapping her giant muzzle in their direction. The little bugs looped and pitched in oblong circles around each other. Encouraged by their presence Macy said, “You can’t cut it.”

      Rhett cocked his head. “Who said I was?”

      “You did.” She jabbed a finger in his direction. “Mr. I’m-Looking-into-Cancelling-Things.”

      Rhett rubbed his finger across his lips. Was he hiding a smile? Was this a joke to him?

      Kodiak slogged out of the water. She gave a shake, sending droplets flying, and then walked toward her master, her tail wagging the whole way.

      “I can’t make any promises about next summer, but with only three months left until camp it would be hard to cut it.” Kodiak dropped down at his feet. She adjusted to lay her head near his boots, leaving wet marks on the legs of his jeans. “Some of the kids have already gotten letters inviting them. No matter what you think of me, I’m not heartless, Macy.” He cut his gaze to collide with hers. “I promise, I’m not.”

      “I know you’re not,” she whispered into the growing dark. Rhett had never been a spiteful person. Hurt, but never hurtful.

      They both stared out over the water as the sun tucked itself further into tomorrow.

      “It’s just...” Macy looked up into the sky as if she could find the right words somewhere in the clouds. “Your dad really cared about these programs. He cared about each and every foster kid. I’d hate to see any of the programs get cut.”

      Rhett stiffened. “My dad cared more about those foster kids than he did about his own flesh and blood.” There was no trace of a smile left on his features. Only hurt mixed with a hint of disappointment. “You know I’m right.”

      Bringing up Brock had been a mistake, but it had easily slipped out. Brock and Rhett’s relationship had been tense since Wade’s death. They’d fought over blame instead of helping each other grieve. Macy had never understood how the fault of a boat capsizing in the Gulf of Mexico could belong to either of them.

      Rhett tapped his thigh, causing Kodiak to rise and follow after him.

      “Rhett, please,” she said. “The foster programs, they’re important. They were started because—” Because of you, she almost said. Right or wrong, they were supposed to be Brock’s love letter to you. “There has to be a way to make it all work.”

      “It’s late, Mace. We can talk about it tomorrow.” He tipped his hat and walked past her up the hill in the direction of the Jarrett house.

      Macy stared after him, watching Kodiak’s tail bob in rhythm with Rhett’s footfall—the whole time wanting to call after him, wanting to spill her secret so he could understand once and for all. So she could help him work through the hurt he felt over his father.

      But she could never tell Rhett that he’d once been one of those children in need.

      That Brock and Leah Jarrett had adopted him.

       Chapter Two

      When Rhett padded into the kitchen at the family ranch the next morning, Shannon offered him a cup of coffee with a sad smile.

      He declined. Shannon consumed at least six cups of the stuff a day, but Rhett had never taken to it. That hardly stopped his sister from trying to get him to drink it whenever she could.

      However, he wished he was a coffee drinker because it had been a long night.

      Rhett bit back a yawn. “Does Mom walk the halls yelling like that often?”

      Shannon nodded, swiping at her eyes. Then she took a long swig from her mug.

      Guilt stabbed through Rhett’s chest. Strong and palpable.

      For the last three years he’d been gone, running Straight Arrow Retrievers, his dog-training business more than a hundred miles away from Red Dog Ranch. For his mom’s sake, Rhett had made a shaky truce with his dad and had visited the ranch a few weekends a year. It had been difficult to find days to visit when Macy wasn’t going to be on property or he would have visited more СКАЧАТЬ