Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
“I didn’t know about the job. I thought you would come for a nice long visit.”
“I’m not upset about that. I love my niece and my nephews, and I will help you out. I’m pretty sure that’s why Beth offered up this place.”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I believe so.”
Oh, she did not want to start a range war between those two. Beth wouldn’t be able to handle it. She was sweet, and while she had grown in confidence, she wasn’t ready for Rachel’s fury. “She’s got three kids, too, and Hope is having a hard time with nausea.”
Rachel’s expression softened. “Damn, I didn’t think about that. See, I’m being selfish.”
“Admitting how you feel isn’t selfish. You’re under a lot of pressure, and you think you’re letting Max and Rye down by not being happy about the current arrangements. But they’re worried, too. My brothers love you. You are the sun in the sky to them, and they would never want to hurt you. Talk to them. I can watch the kids for a night or two.”
“Maybe you could even switch houses.” That had come from the window. The open window. Beth McNamara-O’Malley stopped in front of it, and she was holding a big basket. “Rachel, you have a delivery, and I apparently should make an apology.”
She moved to the front door, and Brooke went to greet her, Rachel following behind. Now she could see there was a basket and a lovely bouquet. A dozen red roses. It looked like her brothers were going all out.
Beth was a petite woman with long brown and gold hair and a sweet face. “I think they included every snack food known to man.”
Rachel sniffled and took the basket as Beth set the flowers on the bar. “That’s so sweet of them. I’m surprised they’re not on the doorstep demanding I come home.”
“Max dropped it off and asked me to look out for you while you rest. He said there’s a note in the basket,” Beth explained. “Rachel, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were struggling, but I should have. With Nell pregnant and Callie taking fertility treatments, you can’t count on them the way you could. I know Jen’s been working on the school and trying to convince Stef to have another kid. I was thinking of myself, though you should know I love the hell out of those boys and I always would have offered them the house.”
Rachel wiped a couple of tears and offered Beth a hug. “I’m glad they have you because I think Brooke needs this place for a little while.”
Her work here was at least halfway done. Though it sucked that she probably had to forgive her brother.
Beth stepped back. She was dressed in overalls and looked ready for a day of installing dry wall or chinking a cabin. “She’s welcome for however long she needs. Honestly, I know Trev and Jamie were kind of hoping they would take a bigger role here. Bo is the nominal foreman, but he wants to have more time to spend with the kids and us. I guess offering this place is kind of an incentive to stay around. I know they like to roam.”
But did they? Oh, now that she thought about it, maybe Shane wasn’t irritated with Bay’s declaration of…longing, wanting? Bay had kind of accused him of lying about the reasons they left Kingman Ranch.
Had he liked it there? Had a girl there? Had Bay been irritated at having to leave her behind? What if it had started to get serious and that was why Shane had decided to escape in the middle of the night.
She let that thought go. If Bay had a girl there, he would have mentioned it because he didn’t lie well. He tended to say whatever was on his mind, and that meant she took what he said at face value.
Shane would have gently explained to her that he didn’t feel the same way as Bay.
So this might be about leaving their last job.
“What do you know about why they ended up here at the G?” Brooke asked. “Also, would you like some coffee? I don’t actually think the boys drink it much. They left me a full pot this morning.”
“I would love a cup,” Beth said as she followed them back into the kitchen. She sat down beside Rachel as Brooke poured the coffee. It was kind of nice to have a place where her friends and family could come in and have a cup of coffee and talk and not have to deal with the fact that there were only two chairs because nothing else fit. “I know they left their last ranch pretty quickly. The way Shane told it, they weren’t comfortable there.”
“This is Kale Kingman’s ranch, right?” Rachel picked up her mug. “Haven’t there always been rumors around him?”