Heartstrings. Sara Walter Ellwood

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      Martha chuckled. “Now, I just bet that sweet little girl can cause a heap of trouble. But she sure was blessed with an angel’s voice. Will she be singing at the Founder’s Day picnic next month?”

      Abby glanced at Mike before answering. Neither of them wanted Emily to sing publicly, but they also had long realized she had too much of her father in her to keep her quiet. “You know she will.”

      Edna leaned closer to her sister and said just loud enough for Abby to hear, “I remember John having the same trouble with Seth. That boy would sing to the cows just to spite his daddy. God rest his soul.”

      Abby’s breath caught at the comparison.

      Mike held her gaze a beat before tipping his hat and smiling at the women again. “Have a good afternoon, ladies.”

      Once they rounded the corner of the house and were out of earshot of the elderly women, Abby said, “Do you think people wonder where Emily’s talent comes from?”

      “No.” He set his hand on her back and guided her to the white rail fence bordering the yard. “Talent may run in families, but that doesn’t automatically mean it has to. Besides, I have a cousin from Georgia who is a rock singer. So, talent does run in my family if anyone ever asks.”

      He’d eased her mind a little. “You’re probably right.” She smiled and glanced at Mike as he looked out over the pastures. “You know most people think I’m hanging around you and your family because I want you back.”

      Mike met her gaze and shoved his hands into his pockets. “We were pretty convincing when we were married. Our divorce surprised the whole town.”

      “Yeah, we deserve an Academy Award for that performance.”

      “What’s that supposed to mean?”

      She laughed and waved the comment off. “Nothing. It’s just amazing how easily we fooled everyone.” She leaned over the fence rail and stared at the cattle grazing on the buffalo grass. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” She met his deep brown eyes and smiled. “And I’m also sorry.”

      “For what?”

      She straightened and faced him as she pushed her hair from her face. A warm breeze blew across the flat grassland of the pastures. “You know what for. You and Tammy Jo. You were so head over heels crazy for her in high school. I wish I’d have known about your affair sooner. I’d have let you go then. It’s the least I could have done.”

      She’d be lying to herself if she said his secret two-year affair with Tammy Jo hadn’t hurt, but she couldn’t be what Mike needed. She loved him, but not as a woman should love her husband. He’d always been more like a big brother to her. Her best friend.

      Seth had been the one she’d burned for during those long nights while Mike slept on the far side of their bed. He never felt passion for her either. Soon after their marriage, they stopped trying to find it. Their nearly non-existent sex life had always been damned awkward.

      He looked away and leaned his backside against a fence post. “I’ve always loved her. But I couldn’t turn my back on you--or Emily.”

      He squinted against the glare of the sun. She’d always known what Mike sacrificed to be with her, to be a father to her baby, giving them a stable home.

      The one thing she never understood was why he’d made the sacrifice. But now wasn’t the time to ask. Of course, he wouldn’t have told her anyway. He never had any of the other times she’d asked.

      “Tammy Jo seems to be taking pregnancy well.”

      Mike chuckled and seemed to peer down at his expensive rattlesnake boots. He’d left his suit jacket in his Mercedes, and the tie must be there, too. Tammy Jo might be able to dress Mike up to look the part as a member the upper crust of society, but deep down Mike Ritter was still a cowboy who’d never wanted to do anything but ride rodeo.

      “She is,” he said. “The decorator just finished the baby’s room. You ought to see it. The suite is fit for a prince.”

      She could imagine the expense of remodeling the old mansion in the center of town would probably feed a small country for a year too.

      “So, she’s having a boy?”

      When he turned to her, the purest joy shone in his dark, warm eyes. “Yeah. But you have to swear to secrecy. Tammy Jo wants it to be a surprise for everyone.”

      She pushed loose hair from her face again, twisted the long mane and pulled it over her shoulder. “You got it. I’m happy for you. You always wanted a son.”

      The warm breeze ruffled the blond hair on his forehead under his hat brim. “That doesn’t change what I feel for Emily. You know that, right?” He focused on her again. “I love her, Abby. That will never change. I’ve loved her since that first time I felt her kick when you were about four months pregnant. You remember that?”

      “Yeah. You thought she was surely part bronco.”

      The large yard stretched in front of her. She, Mike and Seth had played a lot of tag and hide-and-seek on this patch of grass. A storm must be brewing somewhere. She folded her arms against the sudden chill in the air and hoped it didn’t come to destroy their lives.

      “You are her father in every way that matters. I know you love her.” Facing him, she leaned her shoulder against a fencepost. “Mike, what are we going to do? Tammy Jo said she overheard Seth voicing an interest in the ranch. If he inherits the Double K and stays, what will we tell your parents? They adore Emily. But I’m not sure I can keep Emily in the dark if he’s here. She idolizes him.”

      He took her by the hand and squeezed. His eyes flashed with anger. “We don’t tell them a damned thing,” he said, his voice pitched low. “Especially Emily. Besides, what claim does he have on her? My name’s on her birth certificate. You said so yourself--I’m her father. He left you. He abandoned Emily. Hell, he came to the house and practically gloated, since I was married to you, he was relieved he didn’t have to be saddled with a baby.” He brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Abby, we can’t tell anyone. Do you understand what the truth would do to them? To Emily?

      She nodded and clutched the folds of her skirt. The falsehood suddenly rubbed wrong on the painful spot in her heart belonging to Seth. “I suppose.”

      He smiled and stepped away from the railing. “I better get back before someone sees us and thinks the unthinkable.” He squeezed her hand again before letting it go. “Abby, I’ve always been your friend. Nothing’s changed. I’m here if you need me. Don’t let your feelings for Seth sway you. Keeping Emily away from him is best for her. Think about how finding out about this will affect Mom. None of us want to bury her next.”

      She nodded and smiled, but it felt forced. He was right. Carolann’s sick heart couldn’t take the pain or the stress if she discovered the truth about her only grandchild. “I know. Now, get back in there to that jealous wife of yours.”

      He ambled across the yard and went around the corner of the house. She hugged herself and made her way to the old gazebo in the corner of the green expanse of grass. A grove of pecan trees provided shade for the structure. She plunged into the cool darkness when she stepped СКАЧАТЬ