Kyler drove the bike to Nash and Mack’s garage and Emery forced herself to get off. “It looks like Agatha is making good on her S’mores promise.”
The fire pit in their backyard was ablaze and Bri, Nash, Mack, and Agatha all sat around it roasting marshmallows.
“She’s never going to want to leave here.” Kyler’s gaze seemed to zero in on his niece as they walked around the back of the house.
“I don’t blame her.” Emery stared at the four of them sitting around a fire. They looked like a family. Everyone should have a family.
“Hey.” Kyler tugged on her hand and stopped.
“Yeah?” Emery’s heart beat harder. Would he kiss her again?
“Nash told me he wants to start a commercial boarding operation. To supplement the ranch’s income.”
“I’ve heard him talk about it.” She hoped he went through with the plan to ease the financial burden she knew they’d taken on when they made the decision to rescue animals.
“He asked me if I’d be interested in managing it.” Kyler seemed to watch her face for a reaction.
“Wow.” Over the years, she’d learned not to get her hopes up for anything but this time she couldn’t seem to help it. “That’s amazing. So you’d stay? Permanently?”
“I haven’t talked to Bri about it yet.” He laughed a little. “Though seeing her today, I’m guessing she’d be ecstatic.”
“I would be too.” She hadn’t made it a habit to reveal her true feelings—or her true self—to anyone, but Kyler already knew everything about her. And he didn’t seem to look at her differently.
After Nick had assaulted her, she’d felt like she was the one who’d done something wrong. She could only imagine what they’d told the rest of her unit. That she had a drug or alcohol problem, maybe.
But Kyler hadn’t made her feel like any of her experiences had been her fault. He’d been careful with the pain of her past. Careful and respectful.
“Hearing you say that makes the decision a little easier.” He shot her the sly grin that made her heart twirl, and nudged her back to the edge of the house and out of view. “Do you know how you like to be kissed now?”
She gave him her own sly grin. “I think I need more time to figure it out.”
Chapter 9
“Uncle Kyler! Uncle Kyler!”
Bri practically broke down his bedroom door and leapt onto his bed, jumping back and forth over his legs.
“’Morning to you too,” he mumbled, trying to pry his eyes open wide enough to see the clock. Just as he’d suspected. It wasn’t even six o’clock yet.
“Emery said I could ride Cookie when I woke up!” His niece hit her knees next to him. “And I’m awake.”
“So am I.” Though he wasn’t about to jump on the bed, he couldn’t deny a certain anticipation at seeing Cookie and Emery. Mostly Emery.
They’d spent hours by the fire after he’d put Bri to bed last night, and the woman had told him why she’d joined the army, what she’d loved about it, the places she’d seen and everything she’d learned.
He could’ve spent the whole night out there talking to her…kissing her. But when she’d started to yawn, he’d walked her down to Agatha’s house so she could get some sleep before she had to wake up and tend to the animals.
“Come on!” Bri ripped the covers off the bed and tugged on his hand. “I can’t wait. I’ve never ridden a pony before. I’ve always wanted one, but mom and dad said—”
She stopped abruptly, her eyes wide.
Kyler did his best not to react. That was one thing he’d learned in the parenting classes he’d taken those first few weeks after he’d become a dad. He couldn’t show his emotions or overreact to anything Bri did or said. He had to be calm and let her get her emotions out.
That was the thing though. She hadn’t gotten her emotions out. She hadn’t spoken about her parents at all. Not even at their funeral.
Bri lowered herself to sit on the edge of the bed, hints of her sullen expression returning.
No. No, no, no. She’d come too far since they’d left Texas. He couldn’t let her go back.
Kyler pushed off the bed and kneeled in front of her. “What did your mom and dad always say?” he asked gently.
She peeked at him without lifting her head, as though she was afraid talking about them would make her sad.
“It’s okay, honey.” He didn’t want to push, but he knew this had to be part of the process. Part of her grieving, part of her accepting her new life.
“You’re never going to forget your mom and dad.” He lifted her chin. “You can’t forget them, Bri. I know it hurts sometimes to think about them, but they’re so much a part of who you are. They’re so much a part of who I am. I don’t want to forget them.”
His sister had meant everything to him long before Bri had. “So, tell me, honey. Tell me what they always said. And then I’ll tell you some stories about your mom from when she was a little girl.”
“You will?” Bri’s eyes grew rounder.
“I will. I have so many stories.” Tears heated his eyes, but he didn’t blink them back like he had so often before. This had to be part of the process too. The emotion. Bri had to see that he had feelings so she would feel free to acknowledge her own. “Like the time your mom brought a rat home to be her pet and then blamed it on me when our mom found it.”
Bri slapped a hand over her mouth. “She did?”
“Yeah.” He shook his head, recalling his punishment. “I was grounded for a week and I had to clean the entire house while she got to go to a movie.”
“No way.” His niece giggled a little.
Kyler laughed too. Laughter was another part of the process. “I loved your mom very much,” he told his niece. “She was the best sister in the world. She took care of me a lot. She watched out for me, even when we were grownups.”
He still battled guilt for not calling her more just to talk. It hurt that he hadn’t had the chance to thank her for everything she’d done for him before she left. “I miss her.”
Tears brightened Bri’s eyes, but her smile didn’t fade. “I miss her too. Sometimes it feels like I can’t breathe I miss her so much.”
He’d had those moments. When the emotional pain became physical. That’s why he could walk her through this. He knew how she felt.
“We can miss her together.” He ruffled his niece’s bedhead. “Maybe that’ll make it a little easier for both of us.”
His niece nodded, the tears finally slipping down her cheeks.
“We talk about your mom and dad anytime you want.” He would keep telling her that as often as he needed to. And this might be a good time to bring up the other thing he wanted to talk to her about too.
“We’ll always have good memories no matter where we go or what we do.” He paused, unsure of the best way to go about this conversation, finally settling on a question. “Do you like the ranch? Do you feel happy here?”
“I love it.” Instead of steering her gaze away from his like she used to, Bri looked into his eyes. “I love the animals. And Miss Agatha and Miss Emery and Miss Mack and Mr. Nash. They’re so nice.”
“They are nice.” In some ways they’d saved both he and Brielle. “Mr. Nash talked to me about a job here. He said if someday—in the future—we wanted to move here, I could work for him. It doesn’t have to be n—”
“We could live at the ranch?” Bri popped off the bed, almost knocking him backwards. “We could live with them? And with Cookie?”
“Only if that’s what you want. I’ll stay in Texas forever if that’s where you want to be—”
“I want to be here.” His niece walked to the window and peered outside. “I love it here. I don’t feel so sad all the time.”
“We can keep talking about it.” Kyler pulled on a sweatshirt. He didn’t want her to make any fast decisions. Thankfully his sister and brother-in-law had made sure to have their will in order before the accident. And with his savings, they’d
be okay for a while.
“We’ll consider it,” he told his niece. “But right now, maybe we should get out there and go say hi to Cookie.” And Emery.
“Yes!” His niece shot out of the room. “Let’s go!”
Kyler chased her down, grabbing her coat off the rack in the hall. Nash and Mack were already in the kitchen making coffee.
They laughed as he jogged by.
“Breakfast will be served in an hour,” Mack called.
“Thanks!” he managed to respond before Bri had pulled him out the door. While they walked down the steps, he helped her into her coat. “It gets colder here than it does in Texas,” he reminded her.
“And Miss Agatha said they have lots of snow during Christmas.” Bri skipped alongside him as they crossed the yard. “I can’t wait to see snow.”
He found himself smiling, thinking of all the new experiences she would have as a Colorado girl.
At the top of the hill, Emery came into view. She was leading Cookie, who’d been all saddled up.
Cupid, who’d been sniffing the ground behind them, looked up and barked before sprinting at husky speed all the way to Kyler and Bri.
“Good dog.” He gave Cupid a good scratch behind the ears but was unable to take his eyes off of Emery. She had such an effortless natural beauty about her, especially with her cheeks rosy in the brisk morning air.
“I thought you two might be heading my way soon.”
Her smile immediately brought out his. “Well, Bri wanted to sleep in, but I told her we’d better get a move on,” he teased.
“Nuh huh,” his niece argued, looking a heck of a lot like her mother with her hands on her hips. “I had to drag him out of bed.”
Emery’s laugh had to be one of the best sounds he’d ever heard. “Well, Cookie is ready to give this riding thing a try, if you are.”
“I’m ready!” Bri petted the pony. “You’re such a good boy,” she cooed.
“Okay.” Emery tightened her hold on the halter. “Your Uncle can help you climb on. We’re going to have to move pretty slowly, since Cookie isn’t used to riders yet.”
“We can be slow,” his niece whispered.
Sharing a smile with Emery, Kyler lifted Bri and helped her slide onto the small saddle on Cookie’s back. The pony didn’t even flinch.
“Good job.” Emery gave the animal’s rump a pat, and Kyler couldn’t help but be jealous.
“All right, Cookie,” she said softly, tugging on the halter. “Let’s go.”
Without hesitation, the pony started to walk.
Bri giggled, her body swaying side to side slightly with the pony’s swagger. “This is so much fun.”
Kyler hurried to move in front of them, grateful he’d thought to grab his phone on the way out the door. “Say Cookies,” he called positioning his phone to capture a picture.
He finally understood why his sister had always taken so many pictures. It was fun to capture the joy on Bri’s face.
He likely took about fifty more pictures as they walked Cookie and Bri around the meadow.
It seemed his niece would never get tired of riding. They were passing by Nash’s house when the front door opened, and his friend came out.
“Look at me, Mr. Nash!” Bri called. “I’m riding Cookie!”
“And you’re doing an awesome job at it.” He approached them and gave a low whistle. “You’re a natural.”
“I am?” Pride seemed to sit his niece up taller.
“Definitely,” Emery agreed. “Cookie is loving this. Afterward, he’ll need a good brushing too.”
“I can do that. I know how,” Bri told Nash.
“Perfect.” His friend turned to Kyler. “Then maybe I can borrow your uncle to go into town and help me find the perfect green chili sauce for Mack’s famous egg casserole.”
“Sure. He’d always been a green chili connoisseur. He raised his eyebrows at his niece. “As long as Bri doesn’t need me here.”
“Nope.” The girl gave him an exaggerated shake of her head. “I’ve got Cookie and Emery. You can go for a while.”
Kyler tried not to wince. It was good that she had other people in her life, even if it meant she didn’t need him for everything all the time.
If they moved here, he’d best get used to being chopped liver. He glanced at Emery. “You don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” When their eyes met, her lips softened like they always did before he kissed her. He wondered how long it would be before she let him kiss her in front of everyone else.
“Bri and Cookie and I will have a blast,” the woman assured him. “Won’t we?”
“We sure will!” His niece seemed to have no limit to her energy when she was out in the fresh mountain air.
“Okay then.” He waved goodbye and let his gaze linger on Emery until he had no choice but to turn and follow Nash to his truck.
They climbed in, and his friend didn’t waste any time catching up. “So, you and Emery spent some time together last night, huh?” he asked, putting the truck into gear.
“Yeah.” Kyler clicked in his seatbelt and stole one more glance at the woman out the window. “Hope I didn’t wake you and Mack up when I came in.”
“Nope.” His friend grinned at him. “Even if you did, it wouldn’t be a problem. Mack thinks you two would make the cutest couple. Her words, not mine.”
Kyler laughed. “There something there.” He couldn’t deny that. There was something between them that he had never experienced with any other woman he’d met. Not only sparks and chemistry but also…depth.
“You’re not worried about whatever it is she’s dealing with?”
He knew his friend wasn’t asking him to reveal Emery’s secret. Nash was laid back about things like that. Even more so since he’d met Mack. He’d never been one to butt into anyone’s business.
“I’m worried about her.” Kyler couldn’t hide the truth. “I wish I could do something to help her.” He’d been trying to think of a solution, a way to fix things so she wouldn’t always have to wonder if that loser was going to show up wherever she lived...
“Maybe you should talk to the investigator.” Nash turned the truck out onto the highway. “To get more information about why he’s looking for her. You don’t have to tell him where she is.”
The man had a point. “I don’t even have to tell him I know her.” He didn’t have to give up any information about Emery. But if he talked to the man, he could figure out if Nick was really looking for her.
“We could stop by the coffee shop. That’s where he was when Emery and I saw him hanging out when we were in town.”
“Sure.” Nash glanced at his watch. “We’ve got some time. I could use a cup of coffee anyway.”
They drove into town, and Kyler searched the streets, which weren’t too busy given the early hour. No sign of the man yet.
After his friend parked the truck in front of the coffee shop, they got out and Kyler saw the guy through the window. He was sitting at a table reading a newspaper. “Looks like we’ve got him.”
“You go talk to him. I’ll get some coffee.” Nash held the door open for him. “Give me a signal if you need backup.”
“Will do.” Though he didn’t anticipate things getting ugly. He planned to keep his cool so he wouldn’t create new problems for Emery.
Keeping his expression neutral, he walked to the man’s table and sat down across from him.
The guy didn’t look all that surprised to see him. “Did you run into Kelly Pryor again?” he asked, folding the newspaper into neat squares.
Kyler couldn’t give anything away yet. “What makes you so sure she’s around here?”
“Multiple people have told me she looks familiar.” He set down the newspaper between them. “And in my line of work, I’ve learned that most people who don’t want to be found change their appearance.”
Kyler glared at him. Basically, this man wasn’t going to leave town until her found her. “Why are you looking fo
r her?”
“Like I said, I need to talk to her.”
The mounting frustration simmered over. “Who hired you?” he demanded, raising his voice. Hell, maybe he could find Nick and take him down himself.
Nash sauntered over and stood a few feet away drinking his coffee.
Even with Kyler’s outburst, the man sitting across from him kept his expression neutral. “You obviously know Miss Pryor or you wouldn’t be here asking questions.”
“I might.” It would be pointless to deny it. “But I won’t tell you how to find her unless you tell me what you’re after. Who’s looking for her?”
The man assessed him as though considering his options. Then he shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him either way. “There’re a group of female veterans who are going to come forward with some accusations against their former staff sergeant in the Army.”
He left it at that, but it was possible he was lying. Kyler needed more information before he said anything about Emery.
“What’s they guy’s name?”
“Nick Moreno.” He leaned in and spoke in a quieter tone. “From the sound of things, Mr. Moreno got away with assaulting more than one female under his command. This group of veterans hired me to find Miss Pryor because they think she might have information that could help their case. Apparently, she served under Mr. Moreno and was honorably discharged, though no one seems to know exactly why.”
This was it. Exactly what Emery needed to get rid of her fears. If they brought Nick down, it would all be over. “They want her to a be a witness?”
“Either that or join them in bringing the bastard down. It really depends on what her story is.”
Kyler knew her story. He knew her fears. He knew her pain. And he wanted to help her move past it all.
This was her chance to stop running, to stop worrying. “I can’t tell you where she is, but I’ll talk to her. I’ll bring her to see you.”
Then she could put this whole nightmare behind her.
Chapter 10
Cookie was getting a diva complex.
This Place Called Home: Includes Bonus Story! (Forget-Me-Not Ranch) Page 23
