Page 27 of Bryson

She looked up then and took a deep breath. "She's going to leave."

"She won't."

"She did before."

"And I let her. This time, I won't be so understanding." He rose. "Asking you to accept Julianne should not be so difficult." His expression softened. "I know what you went through with Dad, but I'm asking you to try and put aside your prejudice and anger and get to know her."

A smile touched his lips. "She's so much like you. Get to know her," he urged. "Do it as a favor to me."

Without waiting for a response, he strode from the room.

Putting down the invitations, she stared blankly at the closed door, before rising a little unsteadily and going over to the window. Her prized roses were in full bloom. The storm had uprooted several of the rose bushes, but the gardeners had already cleared things up. The sun was shining and the rain that had fallen had made things so green, it hurt the eyes.

There were the usual activities. It was cattle branding time, so the men were out in full force, plus the itinerants that had been hired to get the work done. It was also fruit picking time and the women were gathered in the orchard with their baskets tucked over their arms.

She loved the ranch. When she first arrived from her home in Ireland, it had frightened her, but she had learned to embrace the wide-open space that reminded her of home. She was in charge of the household. Her son, unlike his father, had relinquished it all to her. Bryson ran the ranch, but she was completely in charge of the household. It gave her a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

Her marriage had been dreadfully unhappy, but over the years, she had her son and the household and the responsibilities that came with it to keep her busy. Now there was another woman threatening all of it. Barbara had seen the look on her son's face when he came in cradling the woman against him as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him. And that was probably the way he felt. No one had ever looked at her like that, Barbara thought with the sharp pain slicing through her heart. She had longed for her husband to notice her, to offer her a kind word, to want to come to her bed, willingly.

He had accused her of being cold and sexless. Even now, years later, it still hurt. Blinking back the sudden tears, she turned blindly from the window and went back to her desk.

"Vagrants?" Bryson studied the precise slice through the barbed wire fence, a frown touching his brow.

"Or someone crashing here for a few days. One of the men reported smoke coming from one of the empty cottages during the storm," Jack told him.

"And no one saw fit to say anything to me?"

"With the storm raging and you preoccupied with Ms. Julianne, it slipped my mind."

"Have you checked out the cottage?"

"Yes. There's evidence of occupancy. There was charred wood in the fireplace and dishes in the sink. It might have been someone taking shelter from the storm." He shifted his hat from one hand to the other. "The lock was broken."

Jamming his hat at the back of his head, Bryson rose. "Get someone to take care of the fence. I want to take a look at the cottage."

"Boss, I'm really sorry..."

"Have you done a head count on the cattle?" Bryson interrupted brusquely.

"The cattle? You think..."

"I want to believe that this was some random act, that someone wanted to shelter from the storm, but this looks suspicious as hell. Gather the men and start a grid search." He glanced at his watch and hissed out a breath. "Let me know what you find." Pulling out his phone, he placed the call.

"I was sleeping."

"Were you? How's my favorite pregnant woman?"

"I'd better be your only pregnant woman. Why are you calling?"

Walking away from his horse, he went and propped his booted foot on a boulder, eyes scanning the horizon.

"To find out if you are behaving yourself. Have you eaten?"

"Yes, Mother. You know you're beginning to be a nag."

"Shouldn't that be my line?" he asked teasingly. He wanted to go home to her and resented the fact that he was still tied up.

"When are you coming home?"