“Your daughter was part of the welcoming committee.”
Brendan chuckled. “She informed us, very sweetly, of course, that she is no longer a princess. She’s a cowgirl.”
“And so is one of your guests.” Aiden shook his head, open admiration on his face. “We tried for fifteen minutes to coax Sugar into her stall and it took her, what, fifteen seconds?”
“Not even,” Liam said.
Carter had never been what some would call a glutton for punishment. Never asked questions he already knew the answer to. But the name slipped out anyway.
“Ellery?”
A knowing look passed from brother to brother.
“What?” Carter demanded.
“Nothing.” The lines bracketing Brendan’s mouth deepened. “Nothing at all.”
Then why did Carter feel like he’d missed the punchline of a joke?
He returned the nozzle to its holder with a little more force than necessary. “I hate to cut this short, but I have to finish entering my reports before shift change.”
“Are you coming to the open house at the studio this evening?” Liam asked. “Anna is going to reveal her new design.”
Only a guy head over heels in love could make a jewelry demo sound as exciting as watching the Super Bowl.
The envy that spiraled through Carter caught him off guard. He remembered being in Liam’s shoes once upon a time, but not everyone was guaranteed a happily-ever-after.
“And Lily has been baking up a storm this week, so I can promise there will be plenty of food,” Brendan added, referring to his wife.
“No. Sorry.” Carter tried to make it sound sincere. He opened the driver’s-side door, hoping they would take the hint. “My mom and Bea will most likely be there, though. She texted me a few hours ago and asked if I’d keep an eye on the desk this evening.”
“What about Ellery?” Aiden asked. “Will she be there?”
Carter’s back teeth snapped together. “I have no idea what her plans are. She’s a guest.”
Brendan tipped his head back and studied the clouds as if he’d never seen them before. And Aiden, the guy who always had a snappy comeback, didn’t say anything at all.
A little suspicious. And completely out of character.
Too bad Carter couldn’t arrest them for disturbing his peace.
“We’ll all be taking a shift in the barn over the next few days,” Brendan said. “I’m sure we’ll see you around.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
They laughed as if Carter had cracked a joke and sauntered back to their truck. Halfway across the parking lot, Liam turned around.
“Ah...Carter?”
Carter sensed an apology coming. He’d discovered that Liam was the least likely of the three brothers to be a pain in the neck.
“Yeah?”
“Anna would kill me if I didn’t remind you that you’re welcome to bring a plus-one to our wedding.”
“A plus-one?”
“You know...an extra guest.” Liam looked like he was wrestling down a smile.
Okay, so he’d been wrong. Liam could be a pain in the neck. He wasn’t very subtle, either, because it was obvious he was referring to Ellery.
“I might be working on Christmas Eve.” Carter didn’t know his schedule yet but there was one thing he was sure of.
Ellery would be long gone by then.
Chapter Ten
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Ellery?” Karen bent over and zipped up Bea’s coat. “Anna Leighton creates beautiful jewelry, and we won’t be gone more than an hour or so.”
“I’m going to make a bracelet!” Bea chimed in.
“It sounds like fun, but I’m looking forward to curling up by the fire tonight. Reading a good book.”
Continuing to recover from the emotional ambush that had taken place that afternoon.
The tears that had been simmering in Ellery’s eyes threatened to overflow again. She blinked them away before Karen noticed.
Ellery had allowed herself to daydream about her first meeting with her brothers, even practiced what she would say, but the reality of seeing them face-to-face had brought a flood of emotions she couldn’t even put a name to.
“I can make you a bracelet, too,” Bea offered.
Hold. It. Together. “That’s very thoughtful of you, sweetie.”
“If you need anything, let Carter know.” Karen looped her purse over her shoulder. “He’s holding down the fort until we get home.”
Carter was the last person Ellery wanted to see simply because the man saw too much. But she nodded and held her smile in place until they left.
The door closed, sealing off Bea’s excited chatter, and silence descended on the lobby. Suddenly, in spite of what Ellery had told Karen, the thought of retreating to her room for the remainder of the evening held no appeal. She’d already spent the last few hours staring into the fire, reliving the moment she’d met her brothers.
Restlessness overrode Ellery’s desire for privacy and pushed her toward the door. Giving in to an impulse she couldn’t explain, she grabbed a coat from the hook and stepped outside.
Maybe Sugar was feeling as out of place and confused as she was tonight.
The cold stung Ellery’s cheeks as she walked toward the barn. A light glowing in the peak of the roof guided her steps down the footpath. She opened the door and slipped inside, fumbled with the switch on the wall. A burst of light chased the shadows into the corners.
Slow-motion images began to unfold in Ellery’s mind as she made her way to Sugar’s stall.
Her brothers had faces now. Distinct personalities. Physically, they resembled each other but it had only taken Ellery a few moments to realize their personalities were as unique as snowflakes. Brendan had a firstborn’s natural confidence. Liam, the quiet, steady strength of a peacemaker.
But Aiden...
Seeing him had been the biggest shock of all. Aiden looked to be no more than a year or two older than Ellery.
Her stomach folded in on itself again.
It hadn’t escaped Ellery’s notice that her brothers seemed comfortable with each other and their place in the family. And the way they’d teased each other...it spoke of a bond tested by time.
Had they grown up together? Was she the only one who’d been adopted by a different family?
And if the answer to that last question was yes, then why?
Ellery didn’t understand why her parents had been so secretive about her background. They hadn’t even told Jameson, a close family friend, the details surrounding her birth.
Sugar backed into the corner of the stall when Ellery unlatched the door.
“Hey, girl. Just thought I’d see how you were doing.”
Sugar’s nostrils flared but she didn’t move.
Ellery hadn’t had an opportunity to study the animal until now, but what she saw had her reaching for the bucket of grooming tools on the floor. Armed with a currycomb and a pocketful of treats, Ellery opened the door and joined Sugar in the stall.
The horse’s ears flattened as Ellery reached out to stroke the tangled mane.
“Easy,” she soothed. “No one’s going to hurt you. This is a safe place.”
A ribbon of wind unfurled between the stalls, lifting up stray bits of hay and twirling them in the air like confetti.
Ellery’s head snapped up and she saw Carter silhouetted in the doorway.
Okay. Maybe not so safe.
* * *
Carter had been raiding the fridge when he noticed a light in the barn. His mom and Bea were attending the open house at Anna’s studio, the overnight guests had made dinner reservations at a local supper club and the only car parked outside the inn was a cherry-red Lexus. So, through the process of elimination, it left only one person with
a penchant for trespassing.
He’d put the cranberry bread pudding away and retrieved his coat from the entryway.
The cold air seared Carter’s lungs, and a full moon cast silver-blue shadows on the snow as he walked across the yard.
He wasn’t sure what Ellery would be doing out there this late at night, but he sure didn’t expect to find her standing inside one of the stalls, patiently working a metal comb through the tangle of burrs in the horse’s mane.
The expression on her face told Carter she hadn’t expected to see him, either.
“What are you doing here?”
Funny. Carter had been about to ask her the same thing.
“I saw a light...and even though Bea assures me that Sugar is the smartest horse in the world, I had my doubts she knew how to work a wall switch.”
Carter hadn’t realized how much he wanted to see Ellery smile until he failed at the task.
“I thought she might be lonely.”
“Lonely.”
“She’s in a strange place. Doesn’t know anyone.” Ellery turned back her work, her face veiled in shadows.
Why did Carter get the feeling she wasn’t talking about the horse?
“The inn isn’t a working dude ranch,” he reminded her. “Sunni Mason promised to send volunteers to help out with stuff like this.”
“I know. They’re not here tonight, though,” Ellery said simply. She paused, murmuring an encouragement when the comb snagged in another knot, and fed the horse a small treat.
Maybe that was the secret to getting Bea to stand still when he brushed her hair.
His gaze shifted back to Ellery. She’d draped her leather jacket over a bale of hay, revealing a thin green sweater that coaxed out a hint of jade in her aquamarine eyes. Jeans with fancy embroidery decorating the pockets were tucked into the pair of boots Carter remembered her wearing the night they’d met.
“Did you plan to go outside at all while you were here?”
Ellery glanced down. Batted at a piece of straw clinging to the hem of her sweater. “What do you mean?”
“Most of the guests who stay at the inn in December are part of the cross-country ski or snowshoe set. They come prepared for the weather.”
“I came here for a change of scenery, remember?”
Oh, Carter remembered what she’d claimed. But he couldn’t imagine that included a drafty barn.
Another gust of wind rattled the window casing and spooked Sugar. Ellery didn’t even flinch as the fifteen-hundred-pound animal performed an impromptu hip-hop dance inside the stall. She didn’t dive for cover, either. She moved closer, murmuring something under her breath that Carter couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, Sugar immediately settled down.
“Should I add horse whisperer to Mom’s food-critic-or-reporter-for-a-magazine theory?” Carter asked. “Because according to Aiden and his brothers, you’re a bona fide cowgirl. I wouldn’t be surprised if they recruited you for barn chores this week.”
“They...they’re coming back?”
“All of the Kanes are involved with the shelter in some way or another. And Aiden got the all-clear from his doctor to resume his normal activities, so I’m guessing he’ll be here, too.”
“Doctor?” Ellery was staring at him now. “Was he...sick?”
“No.” Carter made himself useful and peeled off a flake of hay. Stuffed it into the net hanging on the wall. “Aiden was in an accident a few months ago.”
Ellery’s arm dropped to her side. He had her full attention now. “Karen mentioned that he’s a guide. Did it happen when he was out on the river?”
“No.” Carter hesitated. Normally, he didn’t talk about the job, but in this particular case, the investigation was closed and the details common knowledge, thanks to the efficiency of the small-town grapevine. “It was a hit-and-run.”
The color ebbed from Ellery’s cheeks, and Carter was taken aback by her strong reaction.
Ellery had all but admitted her visit to Castle Falls had been based on a whim. A sign she was as capricious as Jennifer. But his ex-wife wouldn’t have worried about a horse being lonely. Or been moved by the plight of a total stranger.
“Aiden bounced back faster than people thought he would.” The image of Aiden’s truck, upside down at the base of a massive white pine, had become etched in Carter’s mind. “Bruised ribs, a broken arm. Messed up his knee pretty badly, too. When I arrived at the scene and saw the damage, I couldn’t believe he’d survived.”
Ellery knelt down and began to inspect the horse’s hooves. A shadow fell across her face, hiding her expression. “Did you find the person responsible?”
“It was the younger brother of one of the teenagers Aiden had been mentoring.” Carter shook his head. “They’re both working at Castle Falls Outfitters on the weekends.”
“The boy was ordered to pay restitution?”
“Aiden calls it restoration. And it was his idea.”
“You don’t think people can change?”
“I haven’t seen a lot of evidence, no.” And his ex-wife certainly hadn’t given Carter the opportunity. “I don’t agree with Aiden, but considering his past, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he gave the kid a second chance.”
“Why not?”
“Because he got one.”
* * *
Ellery was careful not to let Carter see her reaction.
A second chance?
What did that mean? Because Aiden had survived the accident? Or was Carter referring to something else?
She rose to her feet again, trying to sort through all the information he’d unwittingly provided.
“Wh-when did you say it happened?”
“September.”
Almost two months before her brothers had reached out to the adoption agency.
“And you were there?”
Carter nodded. “I arrived at the scene when the paramedics were getting him ready for transport to the hospital.”
“It must be difficult...to be one of the first people at the scene when something bad happens.”
“With the job, you can’t let your emotions take over. You have to rely on your training,” Carter said. But the shadow that chased through his eyes told Ellery it didn’t come without a cost.
“Still...to find out the person who got hurt was someone you know...” Ellery struggled to keep her voice steady. “You’re close in age. You must have gone to school with Aiden and his brothers?”
“We didn’t grow up together, if that’s what you mean. Mom bought the Evergreen the summer between my freshman and sophomore year in high school. She’d worked in restaurants to support us after my dad left, but it was always her dream to own an inn.
“The Kanes were transplants, too. There were a lot of rumors flying around when they came to town. Everyone at school thought they were bad news and, from what I recall, they didn’t exactly do anything to change people’s opinion.”
“Transplants?” Ellery’s pulse spiked. “From where?”
“Detroit, I think.” Carter shrugged. “I had a few classes with Liam, but they pretty much kept to themselves. I spent my free time helping Mom get ready to open and enlisted right after graduation, so in a way, I was an outsider, too.”
A dozen questions popped up in Ellery’s mind, but at the moment, her focus was on the man who grabbed an extra brush from the bucket and began to attack the mat of burrs on the tail of the horse he didn’t want taking up space in his barn.
“How long were you in the Navy?”
“I served two tours—and then I accepted a job with the sheriff’s department. It’s a good fit.”
Short and matter-of-fact. But Ellery read between the lines. Somewhere in that time frame, Carter had married. Had a child.
Put his trust in his training instead of his emotions.
&
nbsp; And God.
“You like Castle Falls?” Ellery ventured.
“I always wanted to come back.”
“It is a beautiful area,” she said softly.
“True.” Bitterness seeped into Carter’s voice. “Although most of the people who come here aren’t interested in making it their permanent home.”
Had Carter’s ex-wife fallen into that category? Or were there other reasons she’d left?
“My... The Kanes did.”
“Castle Falls Outfitters is a family business,” Carter said. “Rich, Sunni’s husband, passed away not long after they came here. Brendan took over the business when he was about sixteen but all three of them have poured their heart and soul into making it a success ever since.”
So. She’d guessed right. Her brothers had spent their formative years together before they’d moved to Castle Falls. But what had their lives been like before that?
Ellery’s earliest memories were playing in the yard of her family’s sprawling estate outside of Grand Rapids.
“When I met them today... I could tell they’re close,” she murmured.
“And extremely devoted to Sunni, which explains why they can’t say no to her schemes.” Carter aimed a pointed look at the horse.
“Sugar is not a scheme,” Ellery protested. “She needed a home until Christmas and you had an empty barn. A perfect match.”
“It might be a great solution for Sunni Mason, but she isn’t the one who has to comfort a heartbroken five-year-old when it’s time to say goodbye.”
Ellery felt a tug on her heart.
Based on what Karen had told her, Carter had already done that once and it must have torn him apart.
Lord, give me the right words to say.
From the time she was a child, Ellery had accompanied her parents on short-term medical mission trips. If they’d shielded her from the poverty and sickness, Ellery would have missed out on the joy that bloomed in the midst of it, too.
And although losing them had left a huge void in Ellery’s life, she knew they wouldn’t have wanted her to close off her heart to avoid any more pain.
The Holiday Secret (Castle Falls Book 4) Page 8
