The Cowboy's Forever Family
Page 20
Jill glanced up at him and gave an apologetic shrug for the delay. He smiled his encouragement, his mind churning with memories.
He thought about his wife, Lina, and the night she’d died. He’d been working out of town at the time. Fighting wildfire in the mountains of Colorado.
His stomach clenched at the thought. Lina hadn’t been feeling well. She’d never asked, but he knew she wanted him to stay home with her. He’d left anyway. The overtime and hazard pay were too much to resist. He didn’t make a large salary and the extra money would allow them to pay off some bills.
How Brent wished he’d remained home with his family. An inferno of regret scorched his gut every time he thought that maybe, if he hadn’t gone on the wildfire, Lina would still be alive. She’d be whole and unhurt. Evie would be okay. The burden of guilt weighed heavy on his heart. And with Evie refusing to speak, he couldn’t seem to shake it off.
Giving another, yet more exasperated shrug, Jill stood and opened her car door before slinging her purse onto the passenger seat. He chuckled, wishing he dared roll down his window and tease her about all the heavy bags women seemed to carry around everywhere they went. But then, he froze, realizing this was the first time since Lina’s death that he’d felt like flirting with a woman.
His mind stumbled to a halt. Confused and empty. Wondering what was wrong with him. Wondering what it was about Jill that appealed to him so strongly. Perhaps it was just her kindness toward Evie. And yet, he knew it was something more. Something he couldn’t explain. Like an invisible magnet that drew him to her in spite of his vow never to love again.
As Jill climbed inside her car, she flashed that stunning smile of hers and waved at Evie. Brent looked back at his daughter and witnessed the greatest marvel of all. Something Brent never expected and hadn’t seen in a very long time.
Evie smiled and waved back.
Copyright © 2015 by Lora Lee Bale
ISBN-13: 9781460378830
The Cowboy’s Forever Family
Copyright © 2015 by Debra Kastner
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